Samatha Trust
 Logo of the Samatha Trust | |
| Established | 1973 --> |
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Samatha Trust is a British charitable organization founded in 1973 to support the teaching of samatha meditation, a form of Buddhist mental cultivation emphasizing calm and concentration. It was co-founded by British scholar L. S. Cousins and Thai meditation teacher Nai Boonman Poonyathiro. The Trust has been noted for its role in preserving the traditional practice of jhāna meditation in the United Kingdom, at a time when modern Burmese-derived vipassanā methods were becoming increasingly prominent.[1]
Historical context
The meditation system taught by the Samatha Trust is linked to forms of Buddhist practice found in Thailand prior to the 20th-century monastic reforms. These practices were associated with the borān kammaṭṭhāna (“ancient meditation methods”) lineage, a strand of esoteric Theravāda meditation that employed techniques such as visualization, breath control, and mantra recitation.[2]
According to scholars such as Kate Crosby, these esoteric traditions declined due to a combination of ecclesiastical reforms in Thailand and political factors in countries like Cambodia and Laos. In those regions, colonial influence and later regimes such as the Khmer Rouge disrupted local meditation lineages.[3]
Establishment and development
In 1963, Nai Boonman Poonyathiro, a former monk trained in Thai meditation methods, began teaching samatha meditation in the United Kingdom. Among his early students was L. S. Cousins, who later contributed to the development of the organizational and educational structure of the Samatha Trust. Cousins helped establish samatha meditation classes at several UK universities, beginning with Cambridge University, where he was involved in the creation of a Buddhist society and a samatha class.[4] When he moved to Manchester in 1967, Cousins participated in the founding of the Manchester University Buddhist Society and a related samatha class, which later developed into the Manchester Centre for Buddhist Meditation in Chorlton.[5][6]
Cousins was also involved in organizing retreats and classes outside the UK, including in Ireland, the United States, and Sri Lanka.[7] The Samatha Trust was formally established in 1973 to provide institutional support for these activities.
Practice and methods
The Trust teaches a system of meditation drawing on pre-reform Theravāda methods from Thailand. The practice begins with attention to the breath, sometimes supported by mantra repetition, and may include visualization exercises. These techniques are taught in a progressive sequence, with practitioners encouraged to maintain regular practice and attend retreats.[8]
During the 20th century, Samatha meditation was gradually displaced in prominence by the New Burmese Method of vipassanā, which emphasizes direct insight practices over concentration techniques.[9]
Instruction is provided by trained lay teachers. While based on Thai Buddhist approaches, the methods have been adapted in Western contexts, with an emphasis on accessibility for non-monastic practitioners.[10]
Research and recognition
The activities and development of the Samatha Trust have been discussed in academic literature on Buddhism in the West. In a 2019 article, scholar Sarah Shaw analyzes the organization as an instance of adapting traditional Buddhist practices for contemporary lay contexts. She highlights its combination of continuity with inherited traditions alongside methodological adaptation.[11]
Current operations
The Trust is registered in the United Kingdom as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).[12] It coordinates local meditation groups and retreat centres, and provides training for new instructors in its meditation system. The Trust has also been involved in collaborations with scholars and Buddhist institutions concerned with the study and practice of Theravāda meditation traditions.[13]
See also
External links
- Official website Archived 2025-03-17 at the Wayback Machine
- Samatha Trust Library Archived 2025-04-25 at the Wayback Machine
- Itipiso.org Archived 2025-03-09 at the Wayback Machine
- PaliChanting.org Archived 2025-08-06 at the Wayback Machine
- Online Samatha Meditation Course Archived 2025-08-12 at the Wayback Machine
- Samatha Buddhist Meditation Youtube Archived 2024-07-31 at the Wayback Machine
- Okasa Itipiso Channel
References
- ↑ "Lineage & Origins". Samatha Trust. Archived from the original on 2025-03-09. Retrieved 2025-03-09. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Crosby, Kate (2020). Esoteric Theravāda: The Story of the Forgotten Meditation Tradition of Southeast Asia. Shambhala Publications. Search this book on
- ↑ Crosby, Kate (2013). "The Origins and Development of Esoteric Theravāda in Southeast Asia". Journal of Southeast Asian Studies. 44 (1): 70–97. doi:10.1017/S0022463412000672 (inactive 16 August 2025).
- ↑ "Nai Boonman". Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. 29 August 2022. Archived from the original on 2025-03-09. Retrieved 2025-03-09.
- ↑ "Samatha Trust". Samatha Trust. Archived from the original on 2025-03-21. Retrieved 2025-03-09. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Renowned Buddhist Scholar returns to hold meditation retreat". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 15 January 2012. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2025. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Renowned Buddhist Scholar returns to hold meditation retreat". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 15 January 2012. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2025. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Itipiso". Itipiso. Archived from the original on 2025-03-09. Retrieved 2025-03-09.
- ↑ "Samatha vs Vipassana". Buddho. 10 October 2023. Archived from the original on 2025-03-25. Retrieved 2025-03-09. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "What We Offer". Samatha Trust. Archived from the original on 2025-03-09. Retrieved 2025-03-09.
- ↑ Shaw, Sarah (2019). "Tradition and Experimentation: the Development of the Samatha Trust". Contemporary Buddhism. 20 (1–2): 346–371. doi:10.1080/14639947.2018.1521606. Archived from the original on 2025-03-09. Retrieved 2025-03-09.
- ↑ "Charity overview: The Centre for Applied Buddhism". Register of Charities. Charity Commission for England and Wales. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
- ↑ "Lineage & Origins". Samatha Trust. Archived from the original on 2025-03-09. Retrieved 2025-03-09.
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