Bodhinyana Monastery sits in the Darling Range outside Perth, Western Australia, near the town of Serpentine. The setting is hill country with eucalypt forest, hot dry summers, and mild winters. The monastery was established in 1983 as part of the Buddhist Society of Western Australia (BSWA) and has become one of the most prominent Theravada forest monasteries in the Western world, primarily through the public teaching of Ajahn Brahm, the abbot since 1995. Ajahn Brahm, born Peter Betts in London and ordained in Thailand under Ajahn Chah, has served as abbot for nearly three decades and is one of the most accessible Thai Forest monastic teachers in the English-speaking world. His weekly Friday-night dharma talks at the BSWA's urban center in Nollamara, Perth are streamed and archived online and reach a substantial international audience. His books, including 'Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond' and 'The Art of Disappearing,' have brought a particular jhana-emphasizing strand of Thai Forest practice to wide readership. The monastery's character reflects Ajahn Brahm's teaching style: warm, often humorous, with a strong emphasis on the practice of jhana (meditative absorption) within classical Theravada framework. Bodhinyana hosts both resident monastic training and lay retreats, with retreats typically held at the BSWA's separate retreat property at Jhana Grove or at the urban center, rather than at the monastery itself, to preserve the monastery's monastic-training character. The monastery operates entirely on dana, in keeping with Thai Forest tradition. The associated BSWA structure allows for the broader public-facing programs in Perth while the monastery itself maintains its focus as a working forest monastery. Bodhinyana has produced a number of Western monastics who have gone on to senior teaching roles in the broader Thai Forest network, including the establishment of the sister Dhammasara nuns' monastery, Australia's first bhikkhuni monastery in the Theravada tradition.
The daily form follows traditional Thai Forest Theravada monastic discipline. Wake-up around 4 a.m. for morning chanting and meditation. Alms-round in the local community, single daily meal before noon, afternoons for study and meditation, evening puja at dusk, and dharma talks during retreat periods. Ajahn Brahm's teaching emphasizes the cultivation of jhana within classical Theravada framework, with detailed instruction on the absorption stages alongside mindfulness practice. Lay retreats are typically held at Jhana Grove rather than at the monastery itself.
The teaching line is the Thai Forest tradition descended from Ajahn Chah by way of Ajahn Brahm's training in Thailand. Ajahn Brahm spent nine years training in Thai Forest monasteries before being sent to establish Bodhinyana. The monastery sits in the broader Wat Pah Pong network. Currently led by Ajahn Brahm, the abbot since 1995, with a substantial resident monastic community.
Practitioners drawn to Ajahn Brahm's teaching style and his particular emphasis on jhana practice within Thai Forest framework.
Yogis across Australia who want sustained retreat in the country's most prominent Thai Forest monastery network.
Practitioners traveling to Australia for extended stays in the Wat Pah Pong network and to attend retreats at Jhana Grove.
Arrival is at the monastery gate. Lay visitors are typically welcomed for shorter visits or for specific occasions; longer lay retreats happen at Jhana Grove, the BSWA's separate retreat property. Phones are stored. Modest dress is expected. Australian summer heat in Perth is significant; appropriate clothing and water are needed. For lay retreats at Jhana Grove, the registration office handles logistics and arrival arrangements.
The monastery includes the main sala for chanting and teaching, kuti for resident monastics, dining facilities, and walking grounds through the Darling Range eucalypt forest. The resident community is substantial; lay retreatant accommodation at the monastery itself is limited. Jhana Grove, the BSWA's separate retreat property, has dedicated lay retreat infrastructure with shared rooms, dining, and meditation hall.
All teachings, accommodation, and meals at the monastery are free of charge, supported entirely by lay donations. Lay retreats at Jhana Grove follow a sliding-scale dana model with suggested but not required donations. The BSWA publishes its dana model and operating budget. The monastery is supported by the broader Perth Buddhist community and an international donor base.
Ajahn Brahm's monastery in the Darling Range, with jhana practice at the center.
Lay retreats are typically held at Jhana Grove, the BSWA's separate retreat property, not at the monastery itself. The monastery preserves its character as a working forest monastery for resident monastics. Jhana Grove has dedicated lay retreat infrastructure and runs structured retreats led by Ajahn Brahm and senior monastics.
Yes, in person on Friday evenings at the BSWA's urban center in Nollamara, Perth, or through the streamed and archived recordings on the BSWA's website and YouTube channel. The Friday-night talks reach a substantial international online audience.
Yes. Dhammasara, Australia's first bhikkhuni monastery in the Theravada tradition, is the sister monastery to Bodhinyana, established under the BSWA. The bhikkhuni ordination at Dhammasara was a significant event in the modern movement to revive full ordination for Theravada women.
Ajahn Brahm's teaching gives detailed attention to the cultivation of jhana, the meditative absorption states described in classical Theravada. His books and dharma talks present extensive instruction on the absorption stages alongside the broader mindfulness practice of the Thai Forest tradition. Not all Thai Forest monasteries emphasize jhana to this degree.
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