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Wat Suan Mokkh Temple, Chaiya , Thailand

Wat Suan Mokkh is an incredible wat that I really enjoy visiting. I guess I've been there about 10 times over the months I was staying in Surat Thani which is close to the town of Chaiya (about 60 kilometers away).

Suan Mokkh is the temple where Buddhadassa Bhikku spent many years in residence. He was not the abbot, he created Suan Mokkh temple and he was a very well-known monk that had important ideas about Buddhism and that differed remarkably from the ideas coming out of Bangkok.  Buddhadassa created Wat Suan Mokkh originally as a forest meditation wat. Today it is a forest meditation wat as well as an important teaching location for children, scouts, and Buddhist adults all over Thailand.

There is an international meditation center across the street that is part of Suan Mokkh and where "Santikaro" from Liberation park in Illinois spent a lot of time as abbot. Santikaro has since returned to the USA and is building a meditation and learning center in the woods of Wisconsin.

Buddhadassa has passed away and yet his works and teaching remain of crucial importance to Buddhist s all over the world. I've read a couple of his books, my favorite being, "No Religion" which was available in paperback form and can sometimes be found at wats (temples) where there are many English speaking monks like Wat Suan Mokkh, Wat Nong Pa Pong, and Wat Pah Nanachat. I originally picked up my copy from my ex-wife's father, Dr. Somchai Supawanich, a retired Thai surgeon from Gibson City, Illinois. Dr. Supawanich was instrumental in my learning about Buddhism, meditation, and finding good teachers like Jack Kornfield, Buddhadassa Bhikku, and Ajarn Chah. Dr. Supawanich is a meditation teacher and practicioner who is well-versed in Theravadan Buddhism and is a very kind person as well.

Suan Mokkh is a very large area. It is not spectacular because of it's buildings or man-made things like the incredible mountain-top Buddha and stupa on top of a limestone crag in Krabi, Thailand.  To me it's incredible because it's a great location for meditation. There are numerous meditation halls to sit in or paths for walking meditation. There are ponds, a hill to climb where water monitors might be surprised and scamper away... There are tree frogs, an art center, a boy scout/ girl scout camp, and huge libraries and demonstrations of children's artwork dedicated to Buddhadassa Bhikku.

There are chickens running about everywhere and you'll hear one every few minutes or seconds. There are dhamma talks outside and in the dhamma halls a couple times per day. Thai monks and nuns are in the main Suan Mokkh complex and across the highway and about 1.5km down the road is the international dhamma heritage where foreigners come for a 10-day long meditation retreat where talking is forbidden. Also down this road are pools of hot water that is salty for some reason.

Photos of Suan Mokkh

Sleepy dhamma talk listeners at one of the dhamma halls.

Dhamma hall near library.

Entrance to Suan Mokkh Monastery

Buddha statue at top of hill
where Buddhadassa liked to talk to groups

Monk kuti (monk's home)

Buddhist woman in white
walks down path to outdoor dhamma talk

Meditation hall in the forest at
Wat Suan Mokkh (Thai side)

A building where there are many
art displays by children and adults about
Buddhism and Buddhadassa Bhikku.

See more photos of Suan Mokkh Forest Monastery >

[Videos]

Suan Mokkh - walking around temple grounds part 1

Suan Mokkh - walking around - part 2

Hot spring video located across street from Suan Mokkh
near International Dhamma Heritage (westerners retreat location).

[Location]

Suan Mokkh Buddhist temple is located just north of Suratthani town heading towards Chaiya , Thailand. The location of this monastery is right on the highway and is marked by an overhead walkway for pedestrians so they can reach the other side of the highway safely. There are many pedestrians walking between the International Dhamma Heritage on the other side of the road (and 1.5km away) and Suan Mokkh Wat (temple).

If you are interested in attending a meditation retreat at Suan Mokkh or other meditation centers in Thailand (or anywhere in Asia), please see our informative article here... 

Suan Mokkh, Wat Pah Nanachat meditation retreats

Other meditation retreats available all over Asia

Buddhist Temples in Thailand

Wat Tum Sua   Wat Tum Sua Photos Wat Tum Sua Photos 2 

Wat Suan Mokkh   Wat Pah Nanachat  Wat Tum Sang Phet

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