Instructors

Meditation Instructors

All instructors are ordained Buddhist monks or laypeople trained by monks at the Dhammakaya Temple in Thailand. Each instructor donates and volunteers their time to teach us.
We thank all our instructors for their generosity and loving kindness.

Venerable Dr. Nicholas Thanissaro, Ph.D

Venerable Dr Nicholas Thanissaro, Ph.D. is a Buddhist monk of UK origin. He has been a monk for twenty years and has over thirty years of meditation experience. He pioneered popular meditation courses in Europe since 1997 and has several TV guest spots, audio CD's, books, book translations and academic articles to his name. He is also a UK Complementary Medical Association qualified teacher of meditation.

Venerable Thaniyo Bhikkhu, Ph.D.

Venerable Thaniyo Bhikkhu, Ph.D. ordained as a Buddhist monk twenty-two years ago in Thailand. He finished his Doctoral Degree in Buddhist Studies from Ryukoku University, Japan in 2010. After graduation, he became a lecturer at universities in Japan. While teaching Buddhism at universities, he was teaching meditation in Japanese. He has twenty years of experience teaching meditation in Thailand and Japan. He is currently a director at DCI Center for Buddhist Studies in Thailand. He wishes to share with everyone the knowledge of how to handle problems and be at peace through meditation.

Venerable 'Am' Saccadhiko Bhikkhu

Venerable 'Arm' Saccadhico Bhikkhu originated from Thailand and has been a Thai Buddhist Theravadan Monk for 9 years. He has almost a decade of experience of teaching meditation as a Buddhist monk. Venerable Am has a Bachelor’s degree in engineering. He designs curriculum for youth development activities through the use of Buddhist principles and modern psychology. He also organizes public speaking trainings. Venerable Am has a facebook page ‘Saccadhico,’ a daily dhamma page where he hand writes content to help people lead happier lives, decrease suffering and find true happiness in life. Venerable Am believes that happiness is accessible and available to all despite external circumstances if we only know how to train our minds.

Venerable Choo

Phra Wanchalerm Lamyaipongsatorn or “Luang Pi Choo” is a Buddhist monk from Thailand who wants to help bring peace to people around the world. He is currently the director of a ‘Mindful Relaxation Program.’ He has over 10 years of experience teaching meditation in various settings. He has taught meditation and organized many activities with volunteers to promote peace for almost three years on Mongolia. He is currently a meditation instructor at the Dhammakaya International Meditation Center in New Jersey.

Venerable Sander Khemmadhammo

Venerable Sander Khemadhammo was born and raised in 1978 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. He graduated M.A. in Organizational Psychology. During his student years, he followed an introductory meditation course in a Dhammakaya meditation centre, and started volunteering in the European meditation centres during university breaks. In 2003, he decided to work as a full-time volunteer for the Dhammakaya Foundation in Thailand. After having studied Thai language for two years, he ordained in the monkhood. In 2012, he moved to Europe, and now he lives and teaches in a temple in the Netherlands most of the time.

Venerable Pasura Dhantamano

Venerable Pasura Dhantamano was born in Thailand and has over 25 years of meditation experience. He has a master’s degree in International Relations. Ven. Pasura has conducted meditation workshops and retreats in countries from South America to South Asia. He is the director of Peace Revolution, a nonprofit organization dedicated to spreading world peace through inner peace. Ven. Pasura is also the personal translator to the current masters of the Dhammakaya technique, the abbot and vice abbot of the Dhammakaya Temple in Thailand.

Venerable Klint Kunachawo

Ven. Klint Kunachawo was born and raised in the United States. Grew up learning and practicing Buddhism and meditation from a young age. Until finally making the choice and ordaining as a monk since January 5, 2010. He now teaches meditation at the Dhammakaya International Meditation Center in Fanwood, New Jersey. While ordained as a monk he studied at Drew University and got a Bachelor Degree in Psychology. He continues to practice meditation and does his best to help those around him and share happiness and peace to the world one person at a time.

Venerable Sophon Panyasopanoe

Venerable Sophon Panyasopanoe has been meditating for over 20 years and ordained as a Theravadan Buddhist monk for the past 6 years. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Chiang Mai University in Thailand (1997). Venerable Sophon used to reside at the Meditation Center in New Jersey and Meditation Center of D.C. where he volunteered and helped to teach meditation to students from all walks of life. He currently resides at the Dhammakaya International Meditation Center of Azusa, California where he is a teaching monk for the Peace Point Meditation Program. Venerable Sophon believes that once the mind is clear, the problems are clear.

Venerable Prawed Varasayo

Venerable Prawed Varasayo has a Bachelor's degree in Education Faculty. He became a Buddhist monk in 1999 is the current abbot of the Meditation Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Venerable Prawed would like to share the knowledge of meditation and inner peace with everyone in this world.

Venerable Anuchit Tikkhaviro

Venerable Anuchit Tikkhaviro finished his Masters Degree in Computer Engineering from San Jose State University, California in 2002. After graduation, he became interested in Buddhism and ordained as a Buddhist monk nine years ago in California. He has six years of experience teaching meditation in Thailand, America, Denmark, India and Bangladesh. He currently resides at the Dhammakaya Meditation Center in Azusa, California and teaches English meditation classes. He wishes to share with everyone the knowledge of how to gain happiness and peace through meditation

Venerable Dr. Monchai Saitanaporn, Ph.D.

Venerable Dr. Monchai Saitanaporn finished his PhD in Theology and Religion in Sydney, Australia. He obtained a masters in electrical engineering in Singapore and a masters in philosophy in Sydney. He has been a Buddhist monk for 6 years now. He has studied Pali to the 6th level (language of the Lord Buddha) and completed the advanced course in Dhamma studies at the Dhammakaya Foundation in Thailand. He is particularly interested in the interaction of the twofold Buddhist meditations, samatha and vipassana. He currently resides at the Brisbane Meditation Center in Australia.

Venerable Boonchoo Ariyadhammo

Venerable Boonchoo Ariyadhammo has been ordained as a Buddhist monk for over 13 years now. Ven. Boonchoo has a Bachelor’s degree in Food Science & Technology from Kasertsart University in Bangkok, Thailand. He received his Master’s in International Business from Georgia State University and is now working on his Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies at the University of the West. Before ordaining he volunteered at the Dhammakaya International Meditation Center for five years and was ordained as a novice monk for two years. Ven. Boonchoo has since helped to open the Meditation Center of San Jose and has organized many meditation courses and retreats around the United States. He has been a guest lecturer for such organizations as the United Nations. Ven. Boonchoo currently resides in Arlington, TX as the abbot of the Dhammakaya Meditation Center of Texas.

Venerable Piya Piyawajako

Venerable Piya Piyawajako He was born into a Thai-Chinese family in Chiang Rai, the northernmost province of
Thailand. He graduated with First-class Honours from Chiang Mai University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Faculty of Engineering. He also completed a MBA executive course from the University of Thai Chamber of Commerce. He has previously worked at Siam Michelin Tire Company and Siam Cement Company as a Maintenance and Production engineer. He has been interested in Buddhism and meditation since 1998 when his friend invited him to join a 3-day meditation retreat; and has been practicing meditation and studying Dhamma ever since. He intends to follow the way of the Lord Buddha in studying meditation and Dhamma to the highest level, and has been an ordained monk at the Dhammakaya Temple since 2001. He is now responsible for teaching the practice of meditation and Dhamma to people of different nationalities and from all walks of life.

Phrakrubhanavides Venerable Wirat Manikanto

Venerable Manikanto Bhikkhu was born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand. He entered into monkhood on 12/1/87, in the order of Thai Buddhist monks of the Dhammakaya Temple, whose main branch is in Pathumthani, Thailand. Ven. Manikanto has a Bachelor's Degree in Buddhist Philosophy from Thailand and a Master's Degree in Buddhist Studies from Bristol University, United Kingdom. He has been the Abbot (leading monk) of multiple Dhammakaya Temples in London, UK, Belgium, New Jersey and Seattle USA. He is currently the Abbot of the Dhammakaya Meditation Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Ven. Manikanto has taught meditation for over 25 years in Thailand, Europe and the United States. He has been a meditation instructor for 4 years in Europe, 5 years in New Jersey and 9 years in Seattle until moving to Boston last year. He wishes to spread world peace through inner peace

Venerable Vichai Phunnadhammo

Venerable Vichai Punnadhammo was born in Thailand and began his interest in meditation while in high school. He holds a Masters Degree in Industrial Engineering and after working for ten years in this field, he returned to Thailand where he decided to dedicate his life to the study of meditation and Buddhism. In 1971 he became ordained at the Wat Phra Dhammakaya Temple as a Buddhist monk. Ven. Vichai was one of the pioneers who founded six Dhammakaya meditation centers in the US, which are located in California, Illinois, Washington, Virginia, Oregon, and Atlanta. Since June 2009, he has been assigned to the temple in Schwarzwald, Germany and is instrumental in organizing retreat programs in Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy and the Middle East. He has been practicing meditation for 38 years.

Venerable Pisit Jittasutdho

Venerable Pisit Jittasutdho received his bachelors in liberal arts and science from the University of Illinois at Chicago, USA. As a sophomore, he practiced meditation regularly at the Meditation Center of Chicago, Illinois and was a volunteer there. After graduation, he returned to Thailand and ordained as a Theravada Buddhist monk in 2004. He has since dedicated his time to practice meditation and teach Dharma from the Lord Buddha worldwide.

Venerable Pisit is an experienced Dharma and meditation teaching monk from the Dhammakaya Temple. Thousands of students and many groups of meditators from over 30 countries around the world have traveled to Thailand to receive his training. He has taught in various places such as the United States of America, Switzerland, Italy, South Africa, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Vietnam, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Japan and the Philippines. He is currently based in Thailand at the World Dhammakaya Reception Center and teaches for an international Temple Stay Program. Venerable Pisit teaches weekly meditation and dharma classes live via facebook (‘Great Teaching Monk’) every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday since the end of 2016 until today

Rosie Wimonrat

Rosie Wimonrat is passionate about world peace through inner peace. She believes that if everyone is at peace, the world is going to be peaceful. With her passion and purpose, she helps each individual to tap into the power of their still minds and connect to their true source of peace within through mindfulness meditation. She has been practicing meditation for 15 years. She is honored to help people in corporations such as Google, Jack in the Box and realtor.com, to small businesses. Rose and her team have organized retreats in Thailand, Morocco and Hawaii. Rose can't wait to help more people in Alabama to learn meditation for better health and well-being.

Robert Mawson, 1943-2014, In Memory of our Great Instructor

Robert Mawson, a former nuclear weapons specialist, has taught meditation to tens of thousands of people around the world. He is a certified meditation instructor and has taught international civil servants and diplomats at the United Nations. He teaches how meditation can be used as a tool to activate the power of one’s natural healing force and to overcome pain and suffering.

Robert has suffered a great deal of pain in his life due to physical ailments, and credits his survival and quality of life to his deep meditation practice. When Robert needed a heart transplant seven years ago, television’s Dr. Mehmet Oz, coined “America’s Doctor” by Oprah herself, asked to perform the operation. The operation was filmed on the Discovery Channel to see the difference that Robert’s meditation practice would come to make in his recovery and survival.

Robert is also a Clinical Nutritional Consultant and works with children and adults showing them how to prevent disease and lead healthier lives. He currently lives with his wife in Hastings on Hudson, NY.

Special Guest Lecturers

Kent Welsh, Ph.D. is a retired clinical psychologist in Mobile. He began meditating in the early 1970’s and has taught relaxation and meditation techniques to numerous individuals and groups over the years. Kent began meditating at the Meditation Center of Alabama in early 2010 and has been a regular member of the meditation group there.

Cay Welsh, Ph.D. is a retired clinical psychologist who earned her graduate degrees at the University of Alabama and completed her internship at the University of Tennessee Medical Center. She has been a faculty member at several universities and retired from the University of South Alabama after more than 30 years as Director of the Psychology Clinic. Her professional training and experience has included the use of relaxation, biofeedback, hypnosis and mindfulness as a component of psychotherapy & behavior change.

Mindfulness & Meditation Trainer

Dr. Nena Nimit

Nena Nimit, M.D., has been meditating for over 15 years. She has been certified as a Mindfulness & Meditation Trainer from World Peace Initiative. She has undergone a 3 month intensive residential training from the Middle Way Meditation Institute. She is a Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellow at the University of South Alabama (USA) and finished medical school at USA. She wishes to spread the knowledge of meditation and inner peace throughout the community.

Director of the Meditation Center of Alabama

Sivaporn Nimityongskul, also known as Lar, is the director and founder of the Meditation Center of Alabama. Lar has over 25 years of meditation experience in various methods and has practiced the Middle Way Meditation method for over 20 years. Lar is a certified public accountant and owns a local Thai restaurant, Bangkok Thai Cuisine. She has a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Kasetsart University in Bangkok, Thailand and a Master's degree in Economics from Western Michigan University. Lar has studied in depth Universe Energy Healing and Pranic Healing. She enjoys practicing Qigong and has attended multiple Qigong classes at the Omega Institute in New York. She routinely leads Mindful Movement Classes at the Meditation Center of Alabama. Lar wishes to spread true inner peace and happiness through meditation.