Name: Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage
Item: Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage
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Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage is a small Theravada Buddhist monastery associated with the tradition of Ajahn Chah. It aims to transcend today’s bewildering confusion of Buddhist gurus, dogmas and techniques by returning to the original teachings of the Buddha as found in the early parts of the Pali canon.

To support those who wish to train themselves according to the instructions given by the Buddha,
Dhammagiri provides:

Solitary meditation huts for a small number of resident monks.
Secluded accommodation for a few lay guests to experience monastic life temporarily on retreats.
Dhamma talks and guided meditations by experienced senior monks, including visits by some of the most outstanding meditation masters of our time.
Advice and spiritual guidance for lay visitors on how to apply the ageless wisdom of the Buddha to the challenges of daily life in the 21st century.
Daily opportunities to offer almsfood and requisites to the resident sangha, and to share merits with departed ones.

Located on 85 acres in a serene, natural environment amid forested hills adjoining D’Aguilar National Park, yet only 45 mins drive from Brisbane CBD, Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage provides us with ideal conditions to follow the Buddha’s advice.

Bhikkhu Dhammasiha was born in West Germany on 5th December 1966. After finishing high school in Hanover and serving as a conscript in the German armed forces, he studied business administration in West Berlin. As the curriculum was not too demanding, he was left with plenty of time and energy for his genuine interests: Schopenhauer’s philosophy, Indian religion and culture, and a thorough exploration of the suffering and disappointment inherent in sensual pleasures. A powerful lesson on impermanence was provided by the fall of the Berlin-Wall, and the dramatic changes it entailed.
After finishing his degree in 1993, he attempted a compromise of material necessities and spiritual aspirations by starting a PhD on “Indian Corporate Culture”. However, during field research in India, he read the Dhammapada which hit him as a true revelation. He travelled to Sarnath and Bodh Gaya, and finally succeeded in dropping worldly concerns to fully devote his life to the spiritual quest.

He ordained as a Theravāda Buddhist monk in Sri Lanka in June 1995, with most Ven. Pandita K. Sri Jinavamsa as preceptor. For three years he trained at Nissarana Vana, Meetirigala in Sri Lanka, a forest monastery dedicated to solitary practice of meditation, and meticulous observance of the Theravāda Vinaya. His approach to practice was guided by the Suttas of the Pāli Canon, and by the examples of senior monks like Ven. Nanavimala, Ven. Nanadipa and Ven. Bhikku Bodhi.

In 1998 he came to Australia and started training in the tradition of Ajahn Chah, first at Bodhinyana Monastery in Perth, and later at Vimokkharam, a quiet Forest Hermitage in Melbourne’s Dandenong Ranges. During this period, he was fortunate to receive teachings from some of the foremost living teachers of the Thai Forest Tradition, like Tan Ajahn Tui and Tan Ajahn Plien, on their visits to Australia.

Bhikkhu Dhammasiha arrived in Brisbane in 2007 on invitation by Brisbane Buddhist Vihara, to help in establishing a forest monastery in South East Queensland. He is now the abbot of Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage, the first forest monastery in Brisbane, and the only one in Queensland associated with the tradition of Ajahn Chah. The hermitage is located in serene, natural environment amid forested hills adjoining D’Aguilar National Park,only 33km (45mins) from Brisbane’s city centre.

A Theravada forest hermitage or monastery is a special place. Supporters of the hermitage aspire to guide their actions with the intention of non-harming. We strive to maintain a respectful attitude towards all living beings and towards the land. The Buddha wanted his nuns and monks to be able to interact with lay people to share the teachings. He also wanted them to be separate from worldly affairs so they could focus their energy on spiritual practice. For that reason the Buddha laid down rules of behavior for monastics (monks and nuns). These rules permit interaction, while at the same time discouraging intimacy. For example, the rules for Theravada monks and nuns require that they do not touch members of the opposite sex. Therefore, you can greet them by holding your palms together in the praying position instead of shaking their hands.
Theravada monks and nuns do not eat solid food after midday, to facilitate a simple life and to leave the afternoons and evenings free for meditation. They are not allowed to store food, or to cook their meals themselves, and depend entirely on daily offerings of almsfood. Dependency on alms, which are eaten out of the begging bowl, fosters a sense of humility in the monastic, and gives the lay community an opportunity for simple but deeply meaningful acts of charity.Every morsel of food offered on this occasion provides the monk or nun with health, strength, and energy for their spiritual quest, and will result in joy and good karma for the giver.
On almsround, monks and nuns have to preserve a high degree of sense restraint and mindfulness.They walk with downcast eyes and usually receive alms in complete silence, except for a short blessing.
The laypeople who come to the hermitage are not bound by the rules for monastics. You can interact with them as you would with any friend or acquaintance. According to the rules of celibacy laid down by the Buddha, a monk alone may not sit or talk privately with women. The presence of another man is always required - even to discuss Dhamma or to sit in silent meditation in the same room.
For this reason, ladies need to ensure that another man is present when they visit the resident monk. Lay visitors are also requested to dress modestly when visiting - please no shorts for men or women or dresses above the knees or low necklines.

Thank you for your understanding. May you enjoy your visit to Dhammagiri.

You may also be interested in reading a detailed guide written for lay people on monastic vinaya: Discipline and Convention

Meditation in Brisbane

Visitors are requested not to use mobile phones or similar electronic devices
(tablets, laptops, games) in or around the Dhammahall.

Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage

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