GUIDED BY THOSE WHO LIVE THE PATH
The Monk Life Project is guided by ordained monks who embody the practice they teach. They are not motivational speakers, gurus, or influencers.
They are practitioners of simplicity, discipline, and awareness. Their role is not to give answers—but to support participants in discovering truth directly.
MEET THE MONKS
Senior monks guiding the program have:
• Years of monastic ordination
• Extensive meditation experience
• Deep familiarity with teaching international participants
Their presence provides stability, authenticity, and continuity with the Buddhist tradition.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Monks involved in the Monk Life Project have guided hundreds of participants from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds. They understand:
• The challenges of modern life
• The mental patterns of high achievers
• The emotional sensitivity of those in transition
Teaching is adapted with care—without compromising tradition.
TEACHING APPROACH
Compassionate Guidance
Guidance is offered gently and respectfully.
Participants are supported, not pushed.
Questions are welcomed.
Personal pace is respected.
Compassion is expressed through presence, patience, and understanding—not emotional dramatization.
NON-DOGMATIC STYLE
The Monk Life Project does not promote belief systems or conversion. Teachings emphasize:
• Direct observation
• Personal understanding
• Practical application
Participants are encouraged to explore, reflect, and verify truth through their own experience.
ENGLISH INSTRUCTION
All teachings, guidance, and orientation are provided in clear, accessible English, making the program welcoming to international participants.
Language is simple, grounded, and free from unnecessary religious jargon.
The Monk Life Project is not about becoming someone else.
It is about seeing clearly who you already are.
Monk Sombat Rakkitajito
Chief Advisor
Ordination Date: 25 July 1996 (30 Vassa)
Nationality: Thai
Languages: English, Thai
Education: Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.)
Monk Sombat Rakkitajito has dedicated 30 years to the monkhood. His meditation practice began in childhood and later became the foundation of his academic excellence, graduating among the top-ranked students in his university with a Bachelor of Education.
Recognizing the transformative power of a calm and focused mind, he chose to ordain for life. Today, he serves as a director and advisor for multiple Dhamma social media platforms and publications, overseeing the development of books, magazines, and digital teachings that bring authentic Buddhist wisdom to a global audience.
Monk Praputt Buddhibalo
Kamlang-ek / Phornprapha
Chief Executive Monk
Ordination Date: 15 October 2007 (18 Vassa)
Nationality: Thai
Languages: English, Thai
Education: MSc ‘London School of Economics’
(Analysis, Design & Management of Information Systems)
Monk Praputt is the son of Khun Phornsan Phornprapha and the late General Arthit Kamlang-ek. Born in Los Angeles and educated in the United Kingdom, he holds a Master’s degree from the London School of Economics.
After returning to Thailand, he joined Siam Motors Group (SMG), where he helped strengthen the organization through marketing innovation and IT-driven initiatives, establishing several ventures to support its continued growth. He later joined the Thai military, following in his father’s footsteps.
Today, he finds deeper fulfillment in monastic life, dedicating himself to inner cultivation and service.
Monk Narongchai Thanajayo
Abbot, iMONASTERY Chiang Mai
Ordination Date: 1 April 2007 (19 Vassa)
Nationality: Thai
Languages: English, Thai
Education: Ph.D. in Peace Studies
A successful engineer in his youth, Monk Narongchai lived and worked in the USA for nearly 10 years. Before ordaining he worked as a Project Counsellor for the Office of Science and Technology in the Thai Embassy in Brussels. For over a decade, he has been the Chief of the International Ordination and Training Program. His vision is to “Make the world a better place through the attainment of inner peace of individuals”.
Monk Anurak Sotthiko
Teaching Monk
Ordination Date: 3 July 1998 (28 Vassa)
Nationality: Thai
Languages: English, Thai
Monk Anurak Sotthiko began studying Dhamma in 1987 and ordained in 1998. With over two decades of monastic experience, he has served in senior roles supporting community engagement, ethical leadership, and the practical application of Buddhist wisdom in modern life.
Through teaching, public speaking, and outreach initiatives, he guides individuals toward greater clarity, composure, and inner stability. His work centers on cultivating harmony within—so it may extend outward into families, organizations, and society.
Monk Worawut Suddhapañño
Teaching Monk
Ordination Date: 22 July 2018 (8 Vassa)
Nationality: Thai
Language: English, Thai
Education: Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering
Monk Worawut ordained for his third time 5 years ago. Previously, he had ordained for a short period of time twice. Before becoming a monk this time, he had taught in a university for over 25 years. While still a layman, he had been interested in Buddhism, and was active in practicing, and promoting Buddhism.
When he had the opportunity to ordain this time, he planned to stay day by day to practice meditation, learn more of Buddhism, and help keeping and spreading the teaching of Lord Buddha. Monk Worawut currently stays at iMONASTERY in Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai, Thailand. He helps teaching and mentoring individuals from around the world who come to train and ordain as a Buddhist monk, in the program called Monk Life Project.
Monk Timothy Dhiranando
Teaching Monk
Ordination Date: 20 July 2014 (12 Vassa)
Nationality: American
Languages: English, Thai
Education: GED, Bachelors in Accounting
From Sacramento, California, Monk Tim travelled to Thailand in 2014 looking for meditation training and ordained as a Theravada Buddhist monk.
Ever since, immersed in a monk’s life of mindfulness and meditation, he shares his knowledge with individuals and groups from across the world. He enjoys the art of drawing and journaling, using it as a tool to support the pursuit of inner peace.
Monk Srijug Chavanapunyo
Teaching monk
Ordination Date: 16 December 2018 (7 Vassa)
Nationality: Thai
Languages: English, Thai, Mandarin, Cantonese
Education: Bachelor Degree in Recording Arts SAE institute, Australia
Monk Srijug was born in the Southern part of Thailand and went to an international high school in Malaysia. He was passionate about success, so he joined his brother’s design company (Cerebrum Design Ltd) in sales and marketing and started his own network marketing company.
While pursuing his dream, he continued to practice meditation and has had several (9) short-term ordinations since 2003. In 2018 after his 10th ordination, he decided to stay and deepen his meditation practice while helping others to develop their
Monk Nopporn Ñāṇabalo
Senior Mentor Monk
Ordination Date: 7 March 2022 (4 Vassa)
Nationality: Thai
Languages: English, Thai
Education: BSc. Food Technology
Born and raised by a Christian mother from the Philippines, I am the father of two beautiful children, the oldest of whom is currently a sixth-year monk. I earned a degree in Food Technology from the Philippines while studying there, making English my second language, which led me to work for international corporations like Cargill, Tyson, Heineken, Nestle, and Kellogg.
I chose to become an ordained monk on March 7, 2022, after being released from my lay life obligations. My time at the monastery taught me the value of studying the Dhamma, practicing meditation, and leading a modest, forest-dwelling monastic life. This experience has allowed me to remain in the monastery to this day, serving as a mentor monk for all newcomers. The primary objective is to accrue merit and spread happiness to all participants, just as I did in the past.
Monk Richawiwit Dantabalo
Management Monks
Ordination: 7 March 2022 (4 Vassa)
Nationality: Thai
Languages: English, Thai
Education: Master’s Degree Film & Digital
Monk Bank, age 41, holds a Master’s degree in Film and Video. Before ordaining, he was a professional dancer representing Thailand internationally and a successful dance coach at William B Studio. With over 20 years of experience, he competed in dance competitions worldwide and founded the Bangkok International Dance Club (BIDC).
In 2022, he joined the Monk Life Project and was ordained on March 7, 2022. Through dedicated meditation practice, he discovered deep inner peace and a profound sense of purpose. Today, he devotes his life to practicing Dhamma and sharing Buddhist teachings with international visitors at iMONASTERY Chiang Mai.
Monk Sukhum Yatikaro
Senior Mentor Monk
Ordination Date: 10 April 2016 (10 Vassa)
Nationality: Cambodian
Languages: Thai, Khmer
Education: Secondary School
Dhamma Qualification: Advanced Level of Buddhist Studies
Monk Sukhum is originally from Cambodia. He came to Thailand with strong determination, seeking to build a stable life, and worked at a factory in Lopburi Province for over two years. During that period, he gained important life lessons in patience, perseverance, and appreciation for the opportunities he received.
Out of gratitude to his parents, Monk Sukhum decided to ordain in the Buddhist monastic life to repay their kindness. His initial intention was to ordain for a short period of approximately three weeks. However, after entering the monastic life and experiencing the true way of a renunciant, he discovered a deep sense of happiness, inner peace, and meaning in life that he had never known before. This experience strengthened his faith, leading him to continue ordaining day by day up to the present.
Monk Ionatan Saccabalo
Mentor Monk
Ordination Date: 7 March 2025 (1 Vassa)
Nationality: Italian
Languages: English, Italian
Born close to Venice, Italy, and raised within a strong Christian cultural background, he spent his early years exploring a Hippie way of life and searching for deeper meaning.
At the age of 20, despite having no prior Buddhist background, feeling a strong inner calling, he made the decisive choice to quit his job and worldly pursuits behind, he traveled to Thailand, where he undertook higher ordination as a Buddhist monk.
Since then, he has dedicated his life to walking in the footsteps of the Lord Buddha and the Great Masters, committing himself fully to the path towards Liberation and Peace for the whole world.
Monk Marian Ratanabalo
Mentor Monk
Ordination date: 7 May 2025 (1 Vassa)
Nationality: Slovakian
Languages: English, Slovak
Monk Marian has discovered Buddhism when dealing with the questions: What is happiness? Where to find it? Since what he had learned made sense to him, he gradually decided to step into this way of life, which is his current understanding of Buddhism, as much as possible and therefore decided to come from Slovakia to Thailand to become a monk.
Currently, he is at the beginning of his training, trying to follow guidance of his mentor monks and striving to cultivate perfections wherever possible, while embracing minimalism.
Monk Adisak Atibhalo
Mentor Monk
Ordination Date: July 2025 (1 Vassa)
Nationality: Thai
Languages: Thai, English
Education: Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering
Monk Adisak is a former global executive who transitioned from the pinnacle of the corporate world to a life of monastic simplicity. Born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand, he is a father of two daughters who now reside abroad with their families.
His professional journey was defined by excellence and global leadership. After earning his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, he spent a distinguished career in the oil and gas industry, working in six different countries. He concluded his corporate tenure as the Chairman and Managing Director of a major global affiliate in Thailand.
