"Pealtnägija" went there to sneak an exclusive peek into the day-to-day life of the house and the monks' lifestyle.

Aegna is just off the Viimsi peninsula – ferries going to and from Helsinki pass it, and it is itself easy to reach by ferry from Tallinn.

When the "Pealtnägija" team traveled there on a sunny autumn day, they were joined on the cross-trip by visitors, mushroom pickers and school children on an excursion.

But there is more to Aegna, population about 20, than just daytrips. It is also the site of a Theravada Sangha monastery, overseen by Andrus Kahn, or "Auväärne" ("The venerable").

"You can simply call me Andrus or venerable or Thitanano – whichever suits, but Venerable Thitanano is the most correct," he explained to reporter Margit Kilumets, on how to address him.

The Theravada is one of several strands of Buddhism, most commonly found in and originating from the southeast Asian countries of Thailand, Burma, Cambodia and Laos, and also in Sri Lanka.

In fact, the story of how the monastery came to be housed in the building, once the summer home of Estonian statesman Johan Laidoner (1884–1953), started off in far-off Thailand.

"I was at a Thai Sangha meeting, and the head monk of a Thai monastery approached me and said: 'I know you. You are the first Theravada monk from Estonia. When you go to Estonia, which temple do you stay in?' I said that we don't have any temples in Estonia, and usually I stay in a hotel or with friends. He said: 'Very good! I will immediately donate a house and a meditation center to the Estonian Theravada Sangha'," the 54-year-old recalled.

At first, he suggested to the generous donor suitable buildings in Tallinn's Old Town, but prices by that time, around a decade ago, already contained too many zeroes for a renunciant, but as it turned out the Laidoner house, built in 1936, came up trumps.

"Right now, upstairs we have the monastery and temple where the monks live, and downstairs is the meditation center, for people who come for meditation retreats. We also have youth camps," Kahn said.

In addition to Estonia's first Theravada monks Thitanano, ie. Kahn, and his compatriot Thitamedho, Estonian name Maarek, monks from several other countries have lived in the monastery over its nine years of existence.

At present, there are five residents: together with Andrus and Maarek, there is also a monk from Thailand and even Finnish former actor Marcus Groth.

They all wear daily the same orange robes characteristic of the Theravada and together the men form a sangha, meaning a community living in harmony. Also helping the monks with house repairs and cooking is Bandaara, a volunteer from Sri Lanka.

Groth noted that one of the challenges is not keeping an eye on the time in that western, me-must-get-more way.

"You know I couldn't open my phone without seeing the time, so I tried to take it away – but you cannot. It's always [showing] the time there. So I changed it to Arabic. And you know my Arabic is not that good, so I don't have the slightest idea what time it is!" he explained.

The monks are vegans and their lives are guided by many other rules encouraging frugality – from rising very early in the morning, to long hours of prayer and meditation, and consuming as little as possible. They respect all living beings, will not kill even the smallest insect, and have to strive not to feel sexual or material desires either.

A native of Tartu, Kahn readily admits he knew little of the teachings of the Buddha until he turned 40. He was a graduate both of the Tartu Tervishoiu kõrgkool healthcare college and later the University of Tartu, majoring in psychology, had been married and had a son.

Kahn was also honing his skills in neurolinguistic programming (NLP), had studied hypnotherapy abroad, and became a successful communication and motivational coach.

Yet all these outward trappings of success seemingly could not shake off a feeling that there was more.

"I trained people a lot in stress management, but eventually I got so stressed out myself that I thought, enough is enough, I need a change in my life. I sold my company, sold all my property, put the money in the Tartu hoiu-laenuühistu building society, to earn interest, and started traveling. I traveled all across Asia and lived in many different Asian countries. Then I went to Sri Lanka – I was still quite wealthy then – and I rented a big house with six bedrooms and a large pool, yet at one point I realized that this whole idea of being at the poolside, cocktail in hand and with the sun shining, that this was the ultimate 'good life' – was actually all one big deception," Kahn explained.

"It's all just an illusion. Then, I met a Buddhist monk, and something happened in Sri Lanka. To my surprise, I experienced something I had never done before. He began talking about Buddhism, about how there were four noble truths, but at the same time he was speaking in my head about something completely different. It was like a conversation on two different levels. I have studied psychology myself – voices in the head – and also psychotherapy, so it was easy to make diagnoses. For me it was a massive shift from the worldly to the spiritual side."

In 2012, Andrus enrolled at the Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University
in Bangkok, to study Buddhology, in which he now holds both a master's and a doctoral degree.

Now Doctor of Philosophy Kahn has worked as a lecturer, published dozens of scientific articles, and written and translated professional books; then in 2014 he founded the Estonian Theravada Sangha Center and, two years later, an international contemplation and meditation center on Aegna.

As of now, the Theravada Sangha retreats have become so popular that, for example, in September there were more than a hundred people on the waiting list but who never made it among the list of chosen ones.

The Aegna meditation center's rising popularity is not confined to Estonia but is known around the world, meaning the monks could in theory earn a pretty penny from their retreats, but in line with the teachings of the Buddha, they are not allowed to accept any money at all. Naturally, the cost of bed and board must be covered, but everything else is a matter of conscience.

It seems time has stood still on Aegna too. The monks don't watch television, but they do walk a lot, and at this time of year go mushroom picking, right up until the first snows come.

But what do local residents think of the set-up?

"We have great cooperation with the island's elder, who always helps people get from the other shore to this shore, so that we can bring over food supplies and sometimes bring ourselves as well, when we need to go to town. The monks also visit the doctor there," Kahn noted.

"I hope that our temple will stand, and for a long time. The statue of The Buddha that has been erected is a beautiful beacon for those who wish to learn the teachings of Buddha. And those teachings of The Buddha are simple: Refrain from doing evil, do only what one is skilled in doing, and purify your mind. That is the teaching of all Buddhas," he summed up.

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