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About
Ajahn Sona is a Canadian-born Theravāda monk and meditation teacher in the Thai Forest Tradition. Ordained in the early 1990s, he founded and leads Birken Forest Monastery (Sitavana) in British Columbia, one of the most established Western forest monasteries in North America. Known for his clear, refined Dhamma teachings, Ajahn Sona integrates rigorous early Buddhist practice with a contemplative, ecological sensibility suited to modern life.
A former classical guitarist and lay scholar with a background in philosophy, Ajahn Sona brings a precise and poetic style to his talks. He emphasizes the cultivation of samādhi (concentration), sīla (ethical conduct), and deep tranquility (passaddhi), often encouraging a return to stillness and sensory restraint as the ground for liberation. His teachings draw directly from the Pāli Canon, especially the Nikāyas, and reflect a careful alignment with early Buddhism.
Key Points
- Canadian monk in the Thai Forest Tradition, trained under Ajahn Chah’s lineage.
- Abbot and founder of Birken Forest Monastery (Sitavana)
- Focuses on samādhi, passaddhi, and the beauty of renunciation.
- Offers extensive online Dhamma resources, including guided retreats and YouTube teachings.
- Encourages simplicity, sense restraint, and the embodied experience of seclusion.
- Strongly grounded in early Buddhist texts and practical meditation instruction.
- Known for his ecological reflections and attention to environment in monastic design.
References
- Birken Forest Monastery (Sitavana)
- YouTube: Ajahn Sona – Birken Monastery Channel
Articles and Resources on This Site
The Buddha likened life’s pains to a first arrow. The second — the extra hurt we create in the mind — can be set down.
Journey through ancient writing systems, from Ashokan pillars to the Indus script, tracing how materials, cognition, and transmission shaped the evolution of language, memory, and meaning across cultures.
A personal exploration of early Buddhist history reveals a living Dhamma—translated, traded, and sculpted across cultures—grounding modern practice in historical humility and intercultural reverence.