Voices of Siam
Translated by Bruce Evans
Contributions by Buddhadasa Bhikku
Contributions by Bhikkhu P. A. Payutto
A rich compilation of teachings from revered Buddhist masters in Thailand’s deep Theravada tradition.
Accessible, inspiring, and readily applicable to contemporary life and meditation practice, this collection reveals Thai Buddhism to be a no-nonsense, practical spiritual path with an emphasis on personal experience, mindfulness, ethical conduct, and confronting the roots of one’s suffering head-on. Translator Bruce Evans presents timeless Dhamma teachings from six of modern Thailand’s great masters, skillfully conveying the unique voices of Chao Khun Upālī, Ajahn Buddhadāsa, Bhikkhu P. A. Payutto, Upāsikā Kee Nanayon, Ajahn Pramote, and Ajahn Paisal.
Evans includes recollections of his monastic training as a young man with Ajahn Chah—one of modern Thailand’s most renowned Buddhist teachers—and an alternative version of a canonical Buddhist text, the Girimānanda Sutta, that was first circulated in Thailand via palm-leaf manuscript. Spanning the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, Voices of Siam takes readers directly into the heart of the Thai Buddhist thought and practice.
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These days we know a lot about the many forms of “world Buddhism. ” But we seem to know far too little about Thailand’s monastic tradition—which seems rigorous, austere, and at times even forbidding. In Voices of Siam, Bruce Evans presents fresh and appealing translations of the thoughts and ideas of six Thai masters, bringing them to life as engaging individuals. This shows us the humanism, diversity, dynamism, and even the lighter side of Siamese Buddhism.
Evans has engaged with this tradition for nearly fifty years, and he opens his selection with recollections of his life with Ajahn Chah, one of the greatest forest masters. He follows this with a translation of the Girimānanda Sutta, from a Thai version of a text that is popular with the forest communities. Evans translates from the inside, from the heart, to open new insights into the practice of the Buddha’s Dhamma. Voices of Siam is a welcome step towards understanding the rich living heritage of the great world religion founded by Gotama Buddha.
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Former longtime monk Bruce Evans presents a sampling of the leading lights in Thailand’s vast firmament of meditation masters, learned scholar-meditators, and realized adepts. These teachers are part of a tradition of making Buddhist teaching and practice accessible—a tradition that has long permeated and shaped Thai society in ways that can't be overstated.
There is something here for everybody, from clear expositions of classical Buddhist doctrine to practical advice on working with the neuroses specific to our age of rampant consumerism and technological frenzy. This volume opens a window onto a way to peace and happiness that has proven its worth and effectiveness for over 2,500 years.
"From Bruce Evans’s engagingly vivid account of his experiences as a young monk with Ajahn Chah, to a new translation of a Thai version of the Girimānanda Sutta, to contributions from Ajahn Buddhadāsa, Bhikkhu Payutto, and, unusually, a laywoman, Upāsikā Kee Nanayon, this anthology opens windows on Thai Buddhist traditions, their meditative life, and their practices. It introduces the interpretative wisdom and surprising humor that often characterize Thai Dhamma teachers. As Evans points out, the different “flavors” of the different teachers represented show us how different they all are in character and tone. All, however, bear the unmistakable stamp of a simple and direct approach to Buddhist practice. This accessible book offers a richly humane introduction to Thai Buddhism and its meditative understandings." —Sarah Shaw, author of Breathing Mindfulness and The Art of Listening