Achan Da Nilpant has been teaching meditation for over 25 years and is the abbot of the Redding Meditation Society. He was one of enlightened monk Luangpor Teean Jittasubho’s closest students.

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 Niphen Nontamart is the abbot of the Janlan Forest Monastery in Thailand and has been practicing meditation for 21 years. 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 his practice and gradually understood deeper levels of dhamma. He has committed himself to teaching until the present.

Achan Mongkol Khantibalo has been practicing meditation for 18 years and is the abbot of the Nongsaeng Forest Monastery in Khon Kaen, Thailand.  He was born in 1973 in Pumoonbao Village, Khon Kaen, in the Northeast of Thailand. Achan Mongkol Khantibalo completed middle school and began working in Bangkok. He worked for 7 years when an accident caused severe injuries and brought his life to a halt at the age of 22. He spent three months in the intensive care unit and it took him 2 years to fully recover.  Upon recovering from his accident Achan Mongkol Khantibalo decided that he did not want to go back to his previous work. He joined the monastery and became a monk at the age of 24. About one year later he began learning the Mahasati meditation technique.

At age 27 he reached understanding and began assisting his teacher. He taught and shared his experiences with other practitioners. Achan Mongkol Khantibalo has traveled widely with his teacher Achan Maha Direk, to teach in Thailand and in many countries in Southeast Asia and Europe.

In 2007 his travels brought him to the United States. He presently shares his teachings at the Redding Meditation Center.