Last Updated on September 1, 2023 by pg@petergamma.org
Ajahn Amaro talked at the The Ho Center for Buddhist Studies at Stanford on the 13.11.2018 about
“Buddhism and Mindfulness in the West: Where are They Headed and What Challenges Do They Face?”
At 35 minutes in the video:
Ajahn Amaro says:
«It is notable when Ajahn Chah first came to teach in the west and he’s received an invitation from a group in London to go an visit their little monastery in Hampsdead on Haverstock Hill London, he agreed to stay here and accept the invitation and told Ajahn Sumedo, and view other monks, they should stay here. And he said to those, you can change the robes, if you want to, you can change the chanting, you can adapt those if you want to. You can adapt those, it is a cold country. But you have to go out on alms on every single day.
…
But why go on alms round? Who is going to put food in our bows in London? But he was really strong in what he said. No, you have to go out… you know the sign of renunciation. So you have to go out every day.”
But what Ajahn Chah asks his monks to do every day is not allowed in Zurich. It is not allowed to go on on alms in Zurich, this is forbitten in Zurich. So Ajahn Chahs teaching how to get food every day does not work in Zurich.