Samita ASBL

Ajahn Santamano in Palestine

Ajahn Santamano, who stayed in Tilorien Monastery in 2024, is going to Palestine as a protective presence in West Bank villages to support and protect the Palestinians. Ajahn has been very concerned about the situation in Gaza and the West Bank for a long time and wishes to help in any way he can. Providing a protective presence by a Buddhist monk in an Islamic country, with a Jewish occupation is very unusual and incredibly brave. It is in situations like this that the Buddha’s timeless teachings can be of greatest value and support. During his lifetime, the Buddha himself acted as a buffer several times to protect his birth village from the onslaught of a hostile king, not only saving many people from violence and destruction but also the king and his army from creating bad Kamma. Ajahn Santamano, with his brave conduct, shows us a living example of how we can live and help others as Buddhists.

If you wish to support Ajahn Santamano while he is in Palestine, please consider a donation to: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/BuddhismAndSociety

Ajahn Santamano is a Theravada Buddhist monk, a Bhikkhu, until 2023 living in Amaravati Buddhist Monastery in the UK. He became Anagarika in 2008 and had his Bhikkhu ordination in 2011. He has also spent periods of time at other monasteries in New Zealand, Portugal, and Thailand. He is now an independent, wandering monastic wishing to speak more openly in support of Bhikkhuni Ordination, gender equality in Buddhism, and wishing to highlight various prejudices that occur in various societies based on class, caste, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity etc.