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Achan Da will be traveling in Thailand until April 15. we look forward to his return.

He was born on August 16, 1951 at Nonsawang village, Roiet Province, in the northeast of Thailand. After he finished elementary school he became a novice monk for 5 years. He disrobed at 17 when his parents moved  from Roiet to Nakonpanom. He worked on their farm planting rice and other crops but they struggled to make a living. He was always innocent, friendly, generous, patient and sincere. He didn't like to fight and was always polite and respectful to other people.

   After 3 years of working on the farm with his parents, he decided to return to the monkhood. His parents approved of his decision and he was ordained at Supararam Forest Monastery in 1971. Achan Da pursued Luangpor Teean after hearing many recommendations from practitioners but didn't actually find and meet him for 2 years. He studied under Luangpor Teean's personal guidance for 3 years and practiced patiently and diligently, step by step through the stages of the practice until he reached the end of suffering.

Luangpor Teean encouraged Achan Da to teach throughout Thailand and they worked together until Luangpor Teean's death in 1988. Achan Da has continued to teach and made his first visit to America in 1993.

Achan Nipen is currently awaiting his greencard in Thailand. We hope he makes a speedy return.

Achan Nipen Nontamart is the abbot of the Janlan Forest Monastery in Thailand and has been practicing meditation for 19 years. He resides at Wat Mungme Srisuk in North Carolina but comes to the Redding Meditation Society throughout the year to teach and help with translation. He was born in 1960 in Janlan  Village, Kalasin, in the Northeast of Thailand. His parents were rice farmers and when he was young, he helped on the family farm planting rice, corn, peanuts and tending water buffalo. He completed high school and studied to become an engineer. He supported himself while attending the Open University in Bangkok by doing maintenence in a large office building.

After realizing that life is difficult and full of suffering for himself and others, he discovered some of Luangpor Teean's books . He was inspired when he read "The Practice of Meditation" and "To One That Feels" by Luangpor Teean. He already knew that thought was the cause of suffering but didn't know the way out.  He went to see Luangpor Teean at Wat Sanamnai and listened to his Dhamma talks. He began practicing earnestly and it didn't take long for him to realize the first stage of roop/nam (body/mind). Then, at 26 years old, he decided to become a monk. He continued to make progress on the path seeing thought, anger-delusion-greed, and other defilements and attachments. He has committed himself to teaching until the present.

Updated 3/8/08

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