Berkley Center

Ajahn Pasanno is a well-known and highly respected monk and teacher of Buddhism who has spent over 40 years training monks in both Thailand and the United States. He took ordination in Thailand in 1974 and later became the abbot of Wat Pah Nanachat International Forest Monastery, ultimately spending 24 years living in Thailand. Under his leadership Wat Pah Nanachat Monastery developed considerably in physical size and reputation. In the late 1990s, Pasanno moved to California to head the new Abhayagiri Monastery. In 2015, he received the honorary ecclesiastical title Chao Khun from the crown prince of Thailand, on behalf of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej; that title is given periodically to monks in the Thai tradition who have distinguished themselves with their contributions to the monastic tradition.