An opportunity to meet a Canadian Forest Monk

A filmed Interview with Ajahn Pavaro

Greetings fellow practitioners,

With the Chedi building project slowing down to a more sensible pace and with the community already one month into our three month 'rainy season retreat', I find that I now have more time available. So once again I am back in the editing saddle, searching through audio files and looking for treasure. There will soon be several new talks to share with you all, but before those, today I have a special treat for you! – Treasure with a different flavour.

Ajahn Pavaro, a Canadian born monk who used to be a University lecturer teaching comparative religion, has been living with me here at Anandagiri for the past five and a half years. As my 'second monk', Ajahn Pavaro often joins me when I teach retreats and offers some teachings himself, so a number of you will have already met him. On a recent trip back to Canada, Ajahn Pavaro was interviewed by the senior monk who used to be his mentor during the first seven or so years of his training, Ajahn Sona, of Birken Forest Monastery in Cananda.

In this interview which was also filmed, Ajahn talks of how his practice of Dhamma as a layperson in a western country steadily deepened until it became the one thing which he truly wished to commit his life to. You will see by viewing and listening to Ajahn's responses in this interview, what a quiet, methodical and articulate man he is. When I first listened to the interview I thought that it sounded as if it had been scripted and rehearsed – but it wasn't!  That's how clearly our dear Ajahn Pavaro thinks and presents himself.
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I have known for a long time that Ajahn Pavaro is a very lovely monk, a truly decent, modest and intelligent person, who is deeply committed to this path to Liberation. As such he has become a good and trusted friend of mine. And now you too have a chance to get to know him a little better.
I hope you enjoy this interview and find something useful therein.

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With Loving Kindness from Ajahn Achalo and Ajahn Pavaro

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Watch The Video Interview