“Nothing is more joyless than selfishness”

These teachings were originally talks given by Venerable

Ajahn Sumedho during his stay at Wat Pah Nanachat, the

International Forest Monastery in the North-East of Thailand,

in May 1989. The talks were usually given during the evening

meetings, when the Sangha would come together for chanting,

meditation and listening to the Dhamma. Venerable Ajahn

Sumedho is the senior Western disciple of Venerable Ajahn

Chah, a well-known and highly respected meditation master of

the Forest Tradition. Venerable Ajahn Sumedho was the first

abbot of Wat Pah Nanachat, which was established in 1975 to

teach and train Westerners. In 1977 he was sent to England by

Venerable Ajahn Chah. He established Chithurst and

Amaravati Buddhist Monastery as well as several branches,

spreading the particular lifestyle and teachings that he had

taken on as a Buddhist monk with Venerable Ajahn Chah in

Thailand, to the West. After living and teaching based in

England for over thirty years, he is now coming back to quietly

live in Thailand again. The community of Wat Pah Nanachat

feels very fortunate to be able to welcome him soon, and this

little booklet of his teachings is meant to remind specifically

the monastic community of the timeless and priceless teachings

he has offered to young men leading the life of a forest monk

over all those years. May he now be retiring happily and

peacefully from all the burdens of being a true pioneer both in

Thailand and in the West, and peacefully partake in the fruits

of all the hard practices he has patiently undertaken for all our

benefit. We wish him a peaceful retirement.