History of Ban Tat Monastery
In 1950 Ajahn Maha Boowa looked for a quiet, secluded place, and so he went to stay at Huey Sai village, in what is now Mukdahan Province. During his stay here he was very strict and serious in teaching the monks and novices, both in the subject of the austere dhutanga practices as well as in meditation. He pursued this method of teaching until these same principles of practice became increasingly established within his followers.
He then learned that his mother was ill and so returned to his village near Udon Thani so that he might look after her. Back at home, villagers and relatives requested that he settle in the forested area south of the village. They also asked him to make his residence permanent, as a favor to them, and to no longer wander in the manner of a forest monk. Through the donation of a piece of land of approximately 64 acres (260,000 m2), he would be able to establish a monastery. Considering that his mother was very old and that it was appropriate for him to look after her, he accepted the offer and began to build this monastery in November 1955. It was named Wat Pa Ban Tat.
"This monastery has always been a place for meditation. Since the beginning it has been a place solely for developing the mind. I haven‘t let any other work disturb the place. If there are things which must be done, I‘ve made it a rule that they take up no more time than is absolutely necessary. The reason for this is that, in the eyes of the world and the Dhamma, this is a meditation temple. We‘re meditation monks. The work of the meditation monk was handed over to him on the day of his ordination by his Preceptor - in all its completeness. This is his real work, and it was taught in a form suitable for the small amount of time available during the ordination ceremony - five meditation objects to be memorized in forward and reverse order - and after that it‘s up to each individual to expand on them and develop them to whatever degree of breadth or subtlety he is able to. In the beginning the work of a monk is given simply as: Kesa - hair of the head, Loma - hair of the body, Nakha - nails, Danta - teeth, Taco - the skin which enwraps the body. This is the true work for those monks who practice according to the principles of Dhamma as were taught by the Lord Buddha.“
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