I am talking about practicioners who wander from place to place, sleeping in the forest, only stopping in one place during the winter. If there are, I would really like to know as much as I can about them, if anybody can tell me or share resources on this topic. I talked to a monk who did this once in thailand, he walked about 50 miles, I think he has been ordained about 12 or 13 years? I am wondering if there are those who do this (nearly) year round, not necessarily in Asia or as an ordained monk, but any Buddhist anywhere. Thank you
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Yes, Thich Minh Tue and some of his followers.
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Australian born monk Bhante Jinasiri/Jason did this for 13 years
and Bhante Jinakusala (inspired by Bhante Jinasiri)
Tan Pamutto did this for some years, but has returned to a more residential life
There was Venerable Nyanavimala and Venerable Nyanadipa who have both passed away in recent years but have very inspiring stories.
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Amazing! Thank you so much for sharing those! I am so encouraged. I started hitch hiking when I was 13, one of the most valuable things I gained from that experience was an appreciation for the compassion that strangers showed me, which I was slowly able to develop in myself. Of course this was the most pivotal development in my life, but there were many more practical benefits to living outside. After some time, I was naturally inclined towards eating once a day, and lost the sensation of hunger and craving for food. I slept directly on the ground under a blanket, waking up with the sun, never feeling lazy or sleepy. I lost my disguist for bugs, fear of wild animals, social anxiety, insecurity about my appearance, and rarely was there ever an opportunity for feelings of self pity, frustration, and anger to arise. It was during those countless hours walking and wandering through cities and on highways that I developed my faculty for introspection, distinct from the nightly anxious ruminating I was used to before I left home. When I discovered Buddhism five years ago, I was initially so infatuated with the concept of his monastic community, considering how perfectly it aligned with my own ideas about homeless wandering. I was very surprised to find out that this is no longer the way business is conducted, although it’s easy to understand why. I will most likely never ordain, but I am so glad to have these monks as an example for my own practice.
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