Wat Boromniwat

Wat Boromniwat (Wat Borommaniwat) is a royal monastery of the Thammayut order in Pathum Wan district, Bangkok, beside Hua Lamphong railway station. Wikipedia says Phra Vajirananthera founded it in 1834, before he left the robes and became King Mongkut. He intended it as a forest-dwelling counterpart to Wat Bowonniwet, the city-dwelling Thammayut monastery. The main hall holds murals by the court painter Khrua In Khong.

The temple matters to the Thai Forest Tradition for one episode. In his autobiography, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu, Ajahn Lee Dhammadharo describes how, as a young monk in Bangkok, he longed to leave for the forest but felt his preceptor stood in the way. Near the end of the 1930 rains retreat, Ajahn Mun came to Bangkok to pay respects to Chao Khun Upali, who had broken his leg. Ajahn Lee asked where Ajahn Mun was staying and was told “At Wat Boromnivasa.”

Ajahn Lee went to see him there. By his account Ajahn Mun gave a short talk, told him he would have to come along this time, and then came to Wat Sra Pathum the next day and spoke to Ajahn Lee’s preceptor himself, who gave his assent. Ajahn Lee left Bangkok with Ajahn Mun for the north. Ajahn Lee’s own temple in Bangkok was Wat Pathumwanaram, which his autobiography calls Wat Sra Pathum.

For visitors this is a pilgrimage stop and a working royal monastery, not a retreat place. No programme for foreign meditators was found in the sources used. Ajahn Lee’s autobiography is free to read on dhammatalks.org and gives the full account.