Starting Dhammagiri 20 Years Ago | First Forest Monastery in Brisbane | Ajahn Dhammasiha

<p>20 years ago on 13 August 2006, Brisbane Buddhist Vihara Inc (BBV) decided at a Special General Meeting to invite Ajahn Dhammasiha, to start a Forest Monastery associated with the tradition of Ajahn Chah in the Brisbane area. </p><p>The next day on 14th August 2006, Dr Gamini Jayasinghe (President of BBV Inc) called Ajahn Dhammasiha to formally extend this invitation to him, and Ajahn accepted. </p><p>Dr Gamini, his wife Rukmani, and the community of BBV made a very courageous decision with that invitation, as Ajahn had only 11 rains as a monk, was not well known at all, and lived at Vimokkharam, a small hermitage that was also quite unknown. </p><p>BBV Inc would go on to sell their 3 acres large suburban property with nice house and granny-flat, and buy the property at 30 Ben Varden, which then would become Dhammagiri. This poperty had no water, no power, no sewage connection and no buildings, except a huge empty watertank (half million litres!). </p><p>Only through the courage, determination, generosity and great faith of the very small group of early supporters could Dhammagiri be founded and ultimately flourish. </p><p>In this podcast, Ajahn shares some stories of the early days... </p><p><br /></p><p><strong>14 August 2006 </strong></p><p>Ajahn Dhammasiha accepts the formal invitation by Dr Gamini, President of Brisbane Buddhist Vihara Inc, to lead the establishment of a Forest Monastery in the Brisbane area, associated with the lineage of Ajahn Chah </p><p><br /></p><p><strong>09 March 2007 </strong></p><p>Settlement of Purchasing Contract for Dhammagiri Property 30 Ben Varden Avenue, Kholo </p><p><br /></p><p><strong>15 March 2007 </strong></p><p>Luang Por Plien of Wat Aranyavivek, Chiang Mai, visits Dhammagiri property 30 Ben Varden Ave, und provides advice and encouragement </p><p>(We will commemorate the 20th anniversary of this event on Sun 14 February 2027, together with our visiting guest Luang Por Vajiro) </p><p><br /></p><p><strong>28 &amp; 29 April 2007</strong> </p><p>Moving to Dhammagiri property 30 Ben Varden Ave, and celebration of Vesak next day </p><p>(We're planning the main event of our 20th Anniversary Celebrations for the weekend 15th &amp; 16th May 2027. That's the weekend right before Vesak, just like we moved to Dhammagiri right before Vesak 20 years ago) </p><p><br /></p><p>Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage:</p><p><a href="https://www.dhammagiri.net/news" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.dhammagiri.net/news⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Our email Newsletter:</p><p><a href="https://www.dhammagiri.net/newsletter" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.dhammagiri.net/newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Latest Photos</p><p><a href="https://latest-pics.dhammagiri.net" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://latest-pics.dhammagiri.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Our Youtube Channel:</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>@dhammatalksatdhammagiri8724</p><p><br /></p><p>#buddhistmonk #buddhistmonastery #buddiststory #dhamma #dhammagiri #foresttradition</p>