A forest monk in Thailand, Achaan Maha Boowa studied the Dharma first, learning the language of the scriptures, and then began to practice. After years of development, he established a forest monastery, Wat Ba Ban Tat in Northeastern Thailand. Discipline is strict and the way of life plain. One meal a day, begging for food, carrying water, silence and meditation are the life of the monks there.

      In his teaching of meditation he recommends contemplation of the thirty-two parts of the body; contemplation of the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha; and awareness of breathing in and out. He points out, however, that all methods of meditation are designed to lead to the same goal-- "the heart of peace and happiness" as he calls it, or Nirvana. Reiterating the simple theme of morality, concentration, and wisdom, he leads his students to master a method and yet cautions them to remain detached from the method. He emphasizes the Dharma as teaching given to the living to practice now just as it was practiced by those contemporary to the Buddha.