Amaravati Buddhist Monastery Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Amaravati Buddhist Monastery
A stupa amid the frost of late dawn
Religion
Affiliation	Thai Forest Tradition
Leadership	Ajahn Amaro (abbot)
Location
Location	St Margarets Lane, Great Gaddesden, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England HP1 3BZ
Country	United Kingdom
Architecture
Founder	disciples of Luang Por Chah
Completed	1984
Website
http://www.amaravati.org

Amaravati is a special place called a monastery where Buddhist monks and nuns live. It is located in the beautiful Chiltern Hills in South East England. This monastery follows a type of Buddhism called Theravada.

Amaravati was started in 1984 by a teacher named Ajahn Sumedho. It grew from another monastery called Chithurst Buddhist Monastery. The ideas and teachings at Amaravati come from a wise teacher named Ajahn Chah from Thailand. The main goals of the monastery are to help monks and nuns learn and grow. It also helps everyone, whether they live there or just visit, to practice the teachings of the Buddha.

It's important not to confuse this monastery with an ancient building in India called the Amaravati Stupa.

Who Lives at Amaravati?
- Monks and Nuns
How Amaravati Started
- The Temple Building
Other Monasteries and Activities
- Retreats and Workshops
- Donations and Location
Future Plans for Buildings
- Completed Projects
See Also

Who Lives at Amaravati?

The people who live at Amaravati are monks (called bhikkhus) and nuns (called siladhara). There are also people who are training to become monks or nuns. Everyone who lives there follows strict rules, including living a simple life without getting married. Volunteers and visitors also help out at the monastery.

Monks and Nuns

Usually, between 15 and 25 monks and young monks (called samaneras) live at Amaravati. They live a quiet life, following ancient rules of the Vinaya and Dhamma. These rules guide their daily actions and thoughts.

There are also people called anagārikas. These are people who wear white robes and follow eight special rules. After a year or two, they might become samaneras. The order of nuns, or siladhara, started in 1983. About 10 nuns and several female trainees live at Amaravati and at Chithurst Buddhist Monastery.

Inside Amravati Buddhist Monastery

How Amaravati Started

Amaravati officially opened its doors in 1985. The land was bought in 1984 by a group called the English Sangha Trust. Before it was a monastery, the site had many large wooden buildings. These buildings were used by the military during World War II and later became a school.

The Temple Building

A special temple was built at the monastery. It was officially opened on July 4, 1999. Princess Galyani Vadhana, who was the sister of the King of Thailand, helped open it.

For many years, Ajahn Sumedho was the main teacher and leader (abbot) of Amaravati. He was the most important student of Ajahn Chah in the Western world. In 2010, he passed on his role to an English monk named Ajahn Amaro. Ajahn Amaro had previously been a leader at Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery in California for 15 years.

Beyond all coming and going: the Tathagata
Temple of Amaravati Monastery UK seen from within cloister
Main temple building seen from rear car park
Amaravati Monastery Cloister outside wall and temple in background
Main Stupa and trees in bloom at Amaravati Monastery UK

Other Monasteries and Activities

Amaravati is part of a larger family of monasteries. It has sister monasteries in other parts of England, like Devon and Northumberland. There are also monasteries in other countries, including New Zealand, Italy, Switzerland, and North America. These were also started by Ajahn Sumedho.

Retreats and Workshops

Amaravati has a special retreat centre. Here, people who don't live at the monastery can come to learn and practice meditation. These courses are offered from April to December each year. Every Saturday, there is a meditation workshop for visitors from 2 PM to 4 PM. The monastery also holds regular events for families and other groups to learn about Buddhist teachings.

Donations and Location

The monastery and its retreat centre are supported entirely by donations. This follows an old Buddhist idea called dāna, which means giving freely. Amaravati is close to a village in Hertfordshire called Great Gaddesden. The nearby towns are Hemel Hempstead and Berkhamsted.

Hundreds of years ago, there was a mediaeval convent called St Margaret's very close by. It was closed down by Henry VIII. The name Amaravati comes from an ancient Buddhist language called Pali. It means "deathless realm."

Future Plans for Buildings

In 2013, plans were announced to make the monastery buildings more eco-friendly. This means replacing some of the older wooden buildings with new ones that are better for the environment.

Completed Projects

Several new buildings have already been finished:

Aroga Kuti: This is a nursing cottage for older monks. It was completed in November 2017.
Heartwood House: This building provides more space for the nuns' community.
The nuns' residence at Amaravati has also been rebuilt.

Amaravati Buddhist Monastery facts for kids

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