Ajahn Amaro was born 1956 in England; he went to London University and graduated with a joint honours degree in psychology & physiology.
He was ordained as a monk by Ven. Ajahn Chah in April 1979. He trained in England from 1979 to 1995 under Ven. Ajahn Sumedho and started going to the USA to teach in 1990; in June 1996 he opened Abhayagiri Monastery, in Redwood Valley, California. He was co-abbot there, with Ajahn Pasanno, until 2010 when, on Ajahn Sumedho’s retirement, he took up the role of abbot at Amaravati Monastery, in Hertfordshire.
He has authored or co-authored about 30 books on Buddhist themes. In July 2019, with Ajahn Pasanno, he was honoured by the King of Thailand with the title ‘Chao Khun Rāja’ and received the name ‘Rājabuddhivaraguṇa’.