Wat Nong Pah Pong | |
Native Name: | วัดหนองป่าพง |
Religious Affiliation: | Thai Forest Tradition |
Country: | Thailand |
Founded By: | Ajahn Chah |
Wat Nong Pah Pong (Thai: วัดหนองป่าพง; generally shortened to Wat Pah Pong) is a Theravāda Buddhist monastery in Warin Chamrap, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand. It was established by the late Ajahn Chah as the main monastery of the Thai Forest Tradition.
In 1975, one of Ajahn Chah's first Western disciples, Ajahn Sumedho, opened what was to be the first in a long line of branch monasteries (currently around 240 branches) of Wat Nong Pah Pong specifically geared towards the growing interest in traditional Buddhist practices among Westerners. The Thai monastery Wat Pah Nanachat, along with a growing list of monasteries, opened in recent years around the world, are introducing the heart of the Buddhist teachings to what was previously something of an inaccessible audience to the Thai Forest masters.
Following is an incomplete list of International branch monasteries and associated monasteries of Wat Nong Pah Pong, sorted alphabetically by country: