Ajahn Kovilo Bhikkhu

Ajahn Kovilo is an Ohio-born Theravāda forest monk. Having been introduced to meditation, the five precepts, and the Pāli Canon through the Goenka tradition, Ajahn Kovilo’s growing interest in Dhamma led him to enter the monastery in 2006 in hopes of devoting his life to practice. Ajahn Kovilo received full ordination from Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro at Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery in California in 2010, and spent the next decade training at monasteries and with teachers of the Ajahn Chah tradition in America and Thailand - Ajahn Jayasaro and Luang Por Piak most especially. During this time, in addition to learning the basic crafts of being a forest monk (hand-sewing, broom-making, crochet, etc.), and engaging in much memory practice (See “A Fun Way to Memorize Long Dhamma”), Ajahn Kovilo also studied Pāli and Thai helping to collate, edit, and produce a number of Dhamma books including: “Thus Should You Train Yourselves”, “The Pra Farang Thai Primer”, “Stillness Flowing”, and the digital edition of “Buddhadhamma”.

In 2020, Ajahn Kovilo spent a year practicing meditation at the Pa Auk International Meditation Center in Angthong, Thailand, after which he enrolled at Dharma Realm Buddhist University in Ukiah, California. There he studied Pāli and Sanskrit while learning more about many of the main texts and practices of Chinese Mahāyāna Buddhism: Chan meditation, compassion meditation on Guanyin’s name, and bowing practice, among others. During his studies, Ajahn Kovilo also spent time at Chuang Yen Monastery studying with Bhikkhu Bodhi.

In May of 2024, Ajahn Kovilo moved full-time to Seattle, WA to continue helping to found Clear Mountain Monastery with his good friend, Ajahn Nisabho. Ajahn Kovilo is deeply grateful for the guidance and compassion his teachers and friends have shown him and he aspires to fully live up to all the gifts he has been given during his time in robes.