Chittavivekan began as a small wooden house in the forest near the sea in Prachuap Khiri Khan in 2002. Ajahn Sumedho, newly returned from wandering in the north, set out to create a small, quiet space for those drawn to observing the mind as it truly is.
The name “Chittavivekan” comes from two words — chitta, the mind, and viveka, seclusion, the stillness free of disturbance — a name that reflects the path of the monastery: to watch one’s own mind in silence, without having to travel far.
“Quiet the self, find the Dhamma” — to quiet does not mean to destroy; it means to know that it is only something that arises and fades. Seen as it is, the sense of self loosens on its own.— Ajahn Sumedho · opening Dhamma talk, 2002
The path of practice
Chittavivekan teaches meditation in the tradition of observing the mind (vipassanā), emphasising seeing things as they are — without suppressing emotion, without aiming to attain — a path suited both to new practitioners and to those who have practised in other traditions.
The monastery’s core retreats are the 7-day and 10-day courses, held continuously throughout the year, alongside a 3-day beginners’ course and daily activities open to the public.