Sunnataram Forest Monastery : The late Venerable Phra Ajahn Yantra

The late Venerable Phra Ajahn Yantra

The late Venerable Phra Ajahn Yantra & Elizabeth Gorski & The Establishment of Sunnataram Forest Monastery, Australia

 

In early 1989, Venerable Mahinda, abbot of Aloka Buddhist Centre, Peats Ridge, NSW, Australia invited Venerable Phra Ajahn Yantra, Thailand to conduct a meditation retreat in Australia, where Elizabeth Gorski met Phra Ajahn Yantra for the first time. Ven. Mahinda, Phra Ajahn Yantra and Elizabeth together with a group of monks and lay people spent a Pansa (Rains retreat) at a property called ‘Bellbird Farm’ at Telegraph Point, near Port Macquarie.

In the following year of 1990, Elizabeth followed Phra Ajahn Yantra’s Dhamma teachings in many other places around Australia. Slowly she gained more confidence in Phra Ajahn Yantra’s Dhamma teaching. Elizabeth then expressed her wish to establish a Buddhist monastery under the guidance of Phra Ajahn Yantra in Australia.

In June 1990, she offered the Buddha Dhamma Hermitage in Coalmines Road, Bundanoon, NSW  ( Santi Forest Monastery, now) to be Phra Ajahn Yantra’s monastery in Australia. Phra Ajahn Yantra then accepted her offering, and many monks and Thai community rejoiced with her generosity.  The monks then cancelled their return to Thailand, and planned to spend the 1990 Pansa in Australia.

The Buddha Dhamma Hermitage had been used as a meditation centre, running many retreats for a few Buddhist groups in the earlier years. Due to the increased traffic and activities in the small Coalmines Road, neighbours lodged their complaints to the local council against the use of private property as meditation centre. Elizabeth later learned that the Wingecarribee Shire Council then prohibited the use of the Buddha Dhamma Hermitage for group gathering unless the land was rezoned for a place for public worship. She had to withdraw her invitation to Phra Ajahn Yantra. But it was a bit too late.

With only a few weeks left before the Buddhist lent start in July 1990,  the monks were forced to change their plan, and they had not been able to find a new place to spend their rains retreat.

Elizabeth didn’t want to disappoint anyone, so she then made a strong resolution that she would fast until she could find a suitable place to accommodate the whole group of monks.

Her practice of Sacca Parami and Addithana Parami bore the fruit on the discovery of almost 100 acres on the outskirts of Bundanoon.

One of Elizabeth’ s local friends, Colin McPhedran  (author of the book ‘White Butterflies’)  suggested to Elizabeth a ruined farmland site in Teudts road. The property was formerly a guest house known  as ‘Eldenholme’ in the early 1900’s.

Colin McPhedran told Elizabeth that the Eldenholme property reminded him of his childhood memory when his Burmese monk took him to a Buddhist temple on top of the mountain in Myanmar. He felt very calm and happy.

Colin, Elizabeth and Phra Ajahn Yantra visited the site, of 99.7 acres of beautiful views and a peaceful vibration, and they all agreed to start the Buddhist monastery here. That was the birth of Sunnataram Forest Monastery. Elizabeth worked very hard to ensure that the monastery would be secure and flourishing for future generations.

Since its establishment, 35 years ago, monks and volunteers of Sunnataram Forest Monastery have been working very hard to maintain the serenity of the place and develop the property to welcome many people who are interested in the Dhamma study and meditation.

There are so many families, boys and girls, students and teachers of many schools, universities, various interested groups, many monastics and international people who benefit from Dhamma activities here at Sunnataram Forest Monastery.

We are very grateful for the unique gift of Ayya Nirodha and the spiritual guidance of the late Venerable Phra Ajahn Yantra.

Their Metta will be in the hearts of minds of many generations to come.

The late Venerable Phra Ajahn Yantra and Ayya Nirodha hold a special place in the history of this monastery and Buddhism in Australia.

May all good Kamma that happens at Sunnataram Forest Monastery be shared by the late Venerable Phra Ajahn Yantra and Elizabeth / Ayya Nirodha. We wish them to attain Nibbana.

 

Venerable Phra Mana Viriyarampo

Abbot of Sunnataram Forest Monastery Since 1991

10 Mar 2025

 The late Venerable Phra Ajahn Yantra in front of his Kuti 1990

 The late Ven. Phra Ajahn Yantra, Ven. Mahinda, Ven. Phra Mana, Ven. Phra Nui and Ven. Phra Thana walking for alms round along the Teudts Road. July 1990