Most Venerable Phra Prom Mongkol Vi
(Venerable Phra Ajahn Tong Sirimangalo) (+ 2019)
Please see “Lineage” for further information on Ajahn Tong.
Wat Phra Dhatu Sri Chomtong Voravihara Tambon Banluang,
Amphur Chomtong
Chiangmai 50160, Thailand
For doing retreats in Wat Chomtong please contact:
‘The Northern Vipassana International Insight Meditation Center’ At Wat Phradhatu Sri Chom Tong Voravihara.
Internet: Vipassana in Thailand
Contact information:
Kathrynchindaporn@protonmail.com
Reservationchomtong@yahoo.com
Venerable Phrakhrubhavanabidhan
(Phra Ajahn Ofer Thiracitto)
Phra Ofer Adi is a monk who has been practicing Vipassana meditation since 1989, first at Wat Rampoeng under the guidance of Luang Poh Banyat Akkayano, thereafter at Wat Chomtong, under the instruction of Ven. Ajahn Tong Sirimangalo. Both temples are in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
For several years Phra Ofer taught meditation in Israel before he ordained as a monk in Thailand in 2001, followed by several years as monk and meditation teacher at a Buddhist temple near Frankfurt, Germany.
He was awarded with the “Annual Benefactor of Buddhism Award” for his service in the Dhamma by the Sangha in May 2010 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Another award followed in May 2011 in Bangkok by HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand, the award of the “Sao Sema Dhammacakka” (also known as the Golden Pillar of the Dhamma) for benefactors of Buddhism, awarded for introducing and spreading the Dhamma abroad.
Since 2005 Phra Ofer Adi has been teaching in his native Israel as well as in various places around the world. Most recently, he was promoted to the Thai monastic hierarchy in 2013.
Mail: oferadi@hotmail.com
Khun Thanat Chindaporn (+ 2022)
Khun Thanat was senior disciple of Venerable Phra Prom Mongkol Vi (Ven. Phra Ajahn Tong Sirimangalo). He is a teacher of Satipatthana Vipassana meditation in the Theravada Buddhist tradition of Thailand and is the Director of the International Meditation Department at Wat Phradhatu Sri Chomtong Voravihara, which was established in 2000.
He studied Vipassana meditation with Venerable Ajahn Tong Sirimangalo in the mid 1980s and he began his teaching apprenticeship with late Venerable Phra Banyat Akkayano, the late Director of Thailand’s Northern Insight Meditation Centre at Wat Ram Poeng (Tapotaram), Chiang Mai. Since 1988, he has conducted meditation courses in Thailand, Hawaii, America, Canada, Mexico, Columbia, Germany, Spain, Slowenia, France, Israel, India and Nepal.
In 2004 Khun Thanat received Thailand’s “Sema Dhammacakka” for his dissemination of Buddhism worldwide.
Khun Thanat passed away on March 31, 2022 at the age of 80. Without his tireless efforts over four decades, Vipassana meditation in the tradition of the Most Venerable Phra Prom Mongkol Vi would not have been accessible to so many international meditators. We always remember him and his work with gratitude and great appreciation!
Wat Phra Dhatu Sri Chomtong Voravihara Tambon Banluang,
Amphur Chomtong
Chiangmai 50160, Thailand
Internet: Vipassana in Thailand
Khun Kathryn Johnston Chindaporn
Khun Kathryn Chindaporn (Kate Johnston) is a senior disciple of Venerable Phra Prom Mongkol Vi (Ven. Phra Ajahn Tong Sirimangalo) having studied Vipassana since 1986. Khun Kathryn has been teaching Vipassana for more than 20 years. Since 1988 she has led courses in Thailand, North-America, Hawaii, Europe, Israel and India.
Khun Kathryn has been a lecturer at the Mahachulalongkorn Rajavidyalaya Buddhist University in Chiang Mai since 1999 and is currently Thai-English interpreter, Assistant Director and meditation teacher at the International Meditation Department at Wat Phradhatu Sri Chomtong Voravihara, Chiang Mai.
Since 1989 she has interpreted for Thai meditation masters and has published five Thai-English Buddhist translations.
In 2000 Khun Kathryn received the “Benefactor of Buddhism Award” of Chiang Mai Province and the “Sema Dhammacakka” in recognition of International Dissemination of Buddhism. The latter conferred by HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand.
Wat Phra Dhatu Sri Chomtong Voravihara Tambon Banluang,
Amphur Chomtong
Chiangmai 50160, Thailand
Contact information:
Internet: Vipassana in Thailand
Kathrynchindaporn@protonmail.com
Edward Kooij
Edward Kooij has been practicing Vipassana meditation since 1990. His teachers were the late Venerable Phra Banyat Akkayanoat at Wat Rampoeng, Chiang Mai and Venerable Ajahn Tong Sirimangalo at Wat Phradhatu Sri Chomtong Voravihara, deceased December 2019. Since 2000 he has been teaching in Canada and during the winter months in the western department set up by Khun Thanat and Kathryn Chindaporn at the monastery in Chomtong. The rest of the year he spends and works with his wife Jodi in their own nursery (Sumana Garden) and as a garden designer on Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada. Those who know him, appreciate his clear lineage and his humorous and true-to-life way of teaching the Dhamma.
Asher Gal
from Israel has been practicing Vipassana meditation since 1988. He is a disciple of the already deceased Phra Banyat Akakyanoat in Wat Rampoeng, Chiang Mai and of the venerable Ajahn Tong Sirimangalo (+2019) in Wat Phradhatu Sri Chomtong. Many years he assisted Khun Thanat Chindaporn (+2022) in the courses organized in Israel and Phra Ajahn Ofer in the Israeli center. In the year 2016 he was presented with the highest award for lay people in Thailand, the Golden Pillar of the Dhamma – the “Sema Dhammacakka” – by Her Royal Highness the Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.
Sandra Luz Cibrian Ramirez
Sandra has been practicing Vipassana meditation since 1989. Her teachers were the former Venerable Phra Banyat Akkaynoat at Wat Rampoeng in Chiang Mai, Venerable Ajahn Tong Sirimangalo, Khun Thanat Chindaporn at Wat Phradhatu Sri Chomtong Voravihara and currently her teacher is Kathryn Chindaporn.
Since 1995, Sandra has consistently participated in meditation retreats at various temples. She began assisting at these retreats early on and became a Vipassana meditation teacher nearly 18 years ago. From 2005 to 2015, she has dedicated most of her time to teaching at Wat Chomthong in Thailand.
Starting in 2016, Sandra has primarily taught Vipassana in her native Mexico, additionally during this time she has received invitations to lead meditation retreats in Spain, Portugal, Indonesia and Costa Rica.
Martin Pack
Martin was born and raised in Hertfordshire, UK. He has been practicing Vipassana meditation since 2001 and in 2002 he took his basic course in Wat Phra Dhatu Sri Chomtong with Phra Ajahn Ofer.
After his first Vipassana, Martin returned many times to the Northern Thai Temple, eventually, spending a longer time at the temple. He helped assist the head teacher of the international department Khun Thanat Chindaporn and in 2009 he became a Vipassana Teacher. Since then he has taught courses in Italy, United Kingdom, France, Austria, Canada, Israel, Greece, and Costa Rica.
Martin is very grateful for his teachers who have guided and trusted him over all these years.