Life of a Great Arihath in Brief

Early years: 

Ajahn Khao Analayo was born in the year of the Rat on Sunday December 28, 1888. His natal village was Baan Bo Chaneng, located in the Nong Kaew sub district of Amnat Charern district in the province of Ubon Ratchathani. His father's name was Phua & his mother's Rort, and their surname was Khoratha. Khao Khoratha was the fourth of seven children.

Khao Khoratha was a farmer by profession. Working hard, he prospered & made friends easily. By nature, he was honest and upright, always displaying a warm - hearted, generous attitude towards family & friends. When he was 20 years old, his parents arranged for him to be married. His wife's name was Nang Mee. They had 7 children together. He lived the life of a lay person for many years, supporting his family following the customs of the world.

Entering monkhood: 

Ajaan Khao's ordination took place at Wat Bodhi Sri monastry on May 2, 1919. Phra Khru Phuttisak was his Upajjhaya & Ajaan bunjan was his Kammavachariya. He stayed at Wat Bodhi Sri studying the principles of Dhamma & Vinaya for 6 years. During his stay there, he observed that the conduct of his teachers and his fellow monks was erratic. After observing few reasons he decided to leave the relative security of the monastery to pursue the wandering lifestyle of a Dhutanga monk.

When Ajaan Khao lived in the forests and the mountains, he got the local villagers to lay out three different paths for walking meditation. The first path he used for paying homage to the Lord Samma Sambuddha, the second for homage to the Dhamma, and the third for homage to the Sangha. He walked cankama (walking path) on these three paths at three different times each day. As soon as he finished his morning meal, he began walking meditation on the Buddha Puja path.  In the early afternoon, he started walking on the path dedicated to Dhamma Puja.  In the early evening, he began walking meditation on the path reserved for Sangha Puja.

He lived from 1888 to May 16, 1983 (aged 94) and during his stay as a monk for 64 years he able to cease his existence in Samsara and as an enlightened being he managed to guide many monk & lay people to achieve the arihathship.