Brahm's Life And Legacy: An Austrian Identity

I assume you mean Brahm as in Ajahn Brahm, the British-born Buddhist monk. Ajahn Brahm was born Peter Betts in London in 1951 and is the abbot of Bodhinyana Monastery in Serpentine, Western Australia. He is also the founding father of an emergent Australian forest tradition of Buddhist monasticism.

However, Brahm is also a surname of Germanic origin, meaning from or of Brahm, a village in Germany. It is also the name of a German drama and literary critic, theatre manager and director, Otto Brahm.

Brahm was a German drama and literary critic

Otto Brahm, born Otto Abrahamsohn, was a German drama and literary critic, theatre manager and director. He was born in Hamburg on 5 February 1856 and died in Berlin on 28 November 1912. Brahm was involved in the foundation of the progressive Die Freie Bühne (English: Free Stage) company, of which he became president and producer. He also edited the company's weekly magazine, later changing its name to Die neue Rundschau.

Brahm was responsible for modernising the output of the Deutsches Theater in Berlin, which he also managed. His productions were known for being accurate and realistic. Brahm's theatre was "true, honest, decent, [and] manly", as one source puts it. Brahm was a brilliant dramaturg, staying in close contact with his authors and selecting the pieces for his playing schedule. He was also responsible for finding and hiring new ensemble members.

Brahm was instrumental in the birth of modern theatre in Germany, which is said to have exploded in 1889 with the premiere of Gerhart Hauptmann's play Before Sunrise. Brahm's direction of the Deutsches Theater confirmed the victory of naturalism in German theatre. However, Brahm himself could not fulfil the theoretical ideal of consistent naturalism because it was, and is, unfulfillable.

Brahm was not a director in the traditional sense of the word. Instead, he sat in on rehearsals in the dark auditorium and tried to guide his actors by talking to them after they had rehearsed.

Brahm was a Buddhist monk

After graduating from Cambridge, Brahm taught mathematics at a high school in Devon for a year before travelling to Thailand to become a monk and train with Ajahn Chah Bodhinyana Mahathera. He was ordained in Bangkok in 1974 at the age of 23 by Somdet Kiaw, the abbot of Wat Saket. Brahm then spent nine years studying and training in the forest meditation tradition under Ajahn Chah.

In 1983, after practising as a monk for nine years, Brahm was sent to Perth by Ajahn Chah to assist Ajahn Jagaro in teaching duties. They initially lived in an old house in North Perth but later purchased 97 acres of rural and forested land in Serpentine, south of Perth, which became Bodhinyana Monastery. Brahm built many of the current buildings himself, learning plumbing and bricklaying.

Brahm became the abbot of Bodhinyana Monastery in 1995 when Ajahn Jagaro departed. He has since become a revered spiritual teacher and leader, with a growing international audience keen to learn meditation and develop a deeper spiritual understanding. He is the founding father of an emergent Australian forest tradition of Buddhist monasticism, focused on being true to the original roots of the Buddha's teachings.

Brahm has authored several popular books, including "Opening the Door of Your Heart" and "Mindfulness, Bliss and Beyond". He has also dedicated time and attention to the sick and dying, those in prison, and people wanting to learn to meditate. In addition, he has been influential in establishing the Dhammasara Nuns' Monastery at Gidgegannup, which is a wholly independent monastery for nuns.

Brahm was a British citizen

Brahm's spiritual journey began when he decided to leave his career as a teacher and go to Thailand to become a monk. He trained in the Thai Forest Tradition of Theravada Buddhism under the guidance of Ajahn Chah Bodhinyana Mahathera. Brahm was ordained in Bangkok at the age of twenty-three by Somdet Kiaw, the abbot of Wat Saket. He then dedicated nine years of his life to studying and practising the teachings of Buddhism in the forest meditation tradition.

During his time in Thailand, Brahm immersed himself in the teachings and practices of Buddhism. He spent nine years as a monk, mastering the art of meditation and developing a deeper spiritual understanding. In 1983, he was sent to Perth by Ajahn Chah to assist Ajahn Jagaro in their teaching duties. Together, they lived in an old house before purchasing acres of rural and forested land in the hills of Serpentine, where they established the Bodhinyana Monastery.

Brahm played a pivotal role in establishing the Bodhinyana Monastery, which bears the name of his teacher, Ajahn Chah Bodhinyana. This monastery became the first dedicated Buddhist monastery of the Thai Theravada lineage in the Southern Hemisphere. Under Brahm's leadership, it has grown to become the largest community of Buddhist monks in Australia, attracting thousands of followers to his inventive and insightful teachings.

Brahm is not just a monk but also an author. He has written several books, including "Opening the Door of Your Heart" (also known as "Who Ordered this Truckload of Dung?"), "Mindfulness Bliss and Beyond", "The Art of Disappearing", and "Don't Worry Be Grumpy" (alternatively titled "Good? Bad? Who knows?"). His writings and teachings have gained international recognition, with millions of people tuning in to his online talks.

In recognition of his contributions, Brahm has received notable awards. In 2004, he was presented with the John Curtin medal by Curtin University for his vision, leadership, and service to the Australian community. Additionally, in 2019, he was bestowed with the Order of Australia, General Division medal, for his dedication to Buddhism and his advocacy for gender equality.

Brahm was a teacher

Born Peter Betts in London in 1951, Ajahn Brahm is a British-born Buddhist monk and teacher. He attended Latymer Upper School and later earned a degree in theoretical physics from Cambridge University. After graduating, he taught mathematics at a high school in Devon for a year before travelling to Thailand to become a monk.

Brahm was ordained in Bangkok at the age of twenty-three and subsequently spent nine years studying and training in the forest meditation tradition under Ajahn Chah. In 1983, he was sent to Perth by Ajahn Chah to assist Ajahn Jagaro in teaching duties. Brahm is now a revered spiritual teacher and guide, and the abbot of the largest Buddhist monastery in the Southern Hemisphere. He is also the founding father of an emergent Australian forest tradition of Buddhist monasticism focused on being true to the original roots of the Buddha's Teaching of Dhamma and Vinaya.

Brahm's teachings regularly attract thousands to his inventive and insightful talks, which are heard by millions of people online. He has also authored several books, including *Opening the Door of Your Heart* (also known as *Who Ordered this Truckload of Dung?*)*, *Mindfulness Bliss and Beyond*, *The Art of Disappearing*, and *Don't Worry Be Grumpy* (also known as *Good? Bad? Who knows?*).

Brahm was a theatre director

Brahm was involved in the foundation of the progressive Die Freie Bühne (English: Free Stage) company, of which he became president and producer. He also edited the company's weekly magazine of the same name, later changing it to Die neue Rundschau. Brahm was also responsible for modernising the output of the Deutsches Theater in Berlin, which he managed.

Brahm's theatre work was characterised by naturalism. He was closely connected with his authors, selecting the pieces for his playing schedule, and finding and hiring new ensemble members. Brahm sat in on rehearsals in the dark auditorium and talked to his actors after they had rehearsed, trying to bring them to where he wanted them to be.

Brahm was a brilliant dramaturg. His productions were noted for their naturalness, truthfulness, and sober behaviour. Brahm's theatre was true, honest, decent, and manly. There was no pretence, only a lifelike performance.

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