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by Paul Breiter
Paraview Special Editions, 2003
ISBN: 1931044813
Eastern Philosophy, 180 pages
Trade paperback, $13.95
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ABOUT THE
BOOK
Available until now only in limited editions, Venerable Father has become
an underground classic among Buddhists, especially those practicing the Thai
tradition. It details the joys and struggles of Paul Breiter's years with Ajahn
Chah, who was perhaps Thailand's best-known and most-loved Buddhist master.
Breiter describes Ajahn Chah as a figure who is at once human yet extraordinary,
an orthodox yet unconventional teacher whose remarkable skill, patience, and
compassion in training disciples flowed naturally from his deep and joyous
realization of the truth. Breiter also explains, quite vividly, the life of a
Westerner in a Thai forest monastery and the unique spiritual lessons to be
learned there.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT VENERABLE FATHER
"Paul has produced a real treasure. Many here felt that they got the message of
Ajahn Chah's presence for the first time." -- Ajahn Amaro, Amaravati Buddhist
Monastery
"We are already obliged to Paul Breiter, along with Jack Kornfield, for giving
us A Still Forest Pool. This book will be a useful companion." -- The
Middle Way
"Paul's depictions of life at Wat Pah Pong in the early seventies were
delightful and helped us develop a sense of the origins of many of the modes of
practice and training that are carried on today. Also, Paul's sense of humor and
numerous experiences with Ajahn Chah's fierce training were greatly enjoyed." --
Fearless Mountain, Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery newsletter
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PAUL BREITER was ordained in the Theravada Buddhist tradition in Thailand in
1970 and soon thereafter met Ajahn Chah. He became one of Ajahn Chah's favorite
disciples and his translator, and stayed with him until disrobing in 1977. Since
then, he has maintained close ties to Ajahn Chah's lineage while studying Zen
and Tibetan Buddhism, and he has continued to translate Ajahn Chah's teachings,
which appear in Still Forest Pool: The Insight Meditation of Achaan Chaa
(with Jack Kornfield) and Being Dharma: The Essence of the Buddha's Teachings.
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