Ajahn ( th, อาจารย์, , ) is a Thai-language term that translates as "professor" or "teacher". It is derived from the

Pali Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or '' Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of '' Theravāda'' Buddh ...

word '' ācariya'' and is a term of respect, similar in meaning to the Japanese ''

sensei Sensei, Seonsaeng, Tiên sinh or Xiansheng, corresponding to Chinese characters , is an East Asian honorific term shared in Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and Chinese; it is literally translated as "person born before another" or "one who c ...

''. It is used as a title of address for high school and university teachers, and for Buddhist monks who have passed ten ''

vassa The ''Vassa'' ( pi, vassa-, script=Latn, sa, varṣa-, script=Latn, both "rain") is the three-month annual retreat observed by Theravada practitioners. Taking place during the wet season, Vassa lasts for three lunar months, usually from July ...

'' – in other words those who have maintained their monastic precepts unbroken for a period of ten years. The term

Luang Por Luang por (; , ) means "venerable father" and is used as a title for respected senior Buddhist monastics. ''Luang'' is a Thai word meaning "royal" or "venerable". It is used in both family context and to express respect for monastics. ''Por'' i ...

, "Venerable father", signifies an Ajahn of acknowledged seniority in Thai Buddhism.

Buddhism

According to the '' Vinaya,'' any properly ordained monk can become an ' after ten ''

'' in the robes, thus a Thai monk becomes ''ajahn.'' A senior monk may bear the honorific title ''phra ajahn'' ( th, พระอาจารย์,"venerable monk"), or in more informal situations, ''than ajahn'' ( th, ท่านอาจารย์,"venerable monk"). Some famous ''ajahns'' are: *

Ajahn Amaro Ajahn Amaro (born 1956) is a Theravāda Buddhist monk and teacher, and abbot of the Amaravati Buddhist Monastery at the eastern end of the Chiltern Hills in South East England. The centre, in practice as much for ordinary people as for monasti ...

* Ajahn Maha Boowa *

Ajahn Brahm Phra Visuddhisamvarathera ( th, พระวิสุทธิสังวรเถร), known as Ajahn Brahmavaṃso, or simply Ajahn Brahm (born Peter Betts on 7 August 1951), is a British-born Theravada Buddhist monk. Currently, Ajahn Brah ...

Ajahn Chah Chah Subhaddo ( th, ชา สุภัทโท, known in English as Ajahn Chah, occasionally with honorific titles '' Luang Por'' and ''Phra'') also known by his honorific name "Phra Bodhiñāṇathera" ( th, พระโพธิญาณเ� ...

* Ajahn Jayasāro * Ajahn Khemadhammo * Ajahn Lee *

Ajahn Mun (หลวงปู่มั่น)Ajahn Mun ( th, อาจารย์มั่น) , dharma_names = Bhuridatto , birth_date = , birth_place = Ban Khambong, Khong Chiam, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand , death_date = , death_place = Wat Pa Sutth ...

Ajahn Pasanno Ajahn Pasanno (born Reed Perry, Manitoba, Canada, July 26, 1949) is the most senior Western disciple of Ven. Ajahn Chah in the United States, and most senior in the world after Ajahn Sumedho and Ajahn Khemadhammo. For many years he was the abb ...

* Ajahn Sao Kantasilo *

Ajahn Sobin S. Namto Achan Sobin S. Namto ( th, พระอาจารย์โสบิน ส. นามโท) is a Buddhist monk who has taught Vipassana meditation and Buddhist psychology in Southeast Asia and North America for over 50 years. Biography B ...

Ajahn Sucitto Ajahn Sucitto (Bhikkhu Sucitto, born 4 November 1949) is a British-born Theravada Buddhist monk ('' Ajahn'' is the Thai rendition of ''ācārya'', the Sanskrit word for 'spiritual teacher'). He was, between 1992 and 2014, the abbot of ''Citta ...

Ajahn Sumedho Luang Por Sumedho or Ajahn Sumedho ( th, อาจารย์สุเมโธ) (born Robert Karr Jackman, July 27, 1934) is one of the senior Western representatives of the Thai forest tradition of Theravada Buddhism. He was abbot of Amarava ...

* Ajahn Suwat Suvaco *

Ajahn Thate Phra Ajahn Thate Desaransi (1902–1994), also known as Ajahn Tate, Luangpu Thet Thetrangsi, Phra Desarangsee, or by his monastic title Phra Rajanirodharangsee, was a famous meditation master and Buddhist monk from northern Thailand. He was a d ...

* Ajahn Geoff In Thai, such highly esteemed monks would rarely be called simply ''ajahn chah'', ''ajahn mun'', etc., as there are much more respectful ways for addressing or referring to them. The term "Ajahn" is generally not formal enough to be used without the prefix "Pra" or "Tan" for monks when addressed by the laity, but this formality has been loosened when it comes to Western monks and

Theravada ''Theravāda'' () ( si, ථේරවාදය, my, ထေရဝါဒ, th, เถรวาท, km, ថេរវាទ, lo, ເຖຣະວາດ, pi, , ) is the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school' ...

monks well known outside Thailand.

References

Thai Buddhist titles {{Thailand-stub

Buddhism

See also

References