Achan Da Nilpant is an ordained Thai Forest Monk, and is the Spiritual Director of the Association. He has been teaching meditation for over 30 years, and was a close student of Thai meditation master Luangpor Teean Jittasubho. Before coming to America, Achan Da served as Abbott of the Thatkong monastery near the Laos border in Thailand, and is now Abbott of the Redding Center for Meditation/Wat Sati-Ma in Redding, CT
Achan Da was born in 1951 in Nonsawang village, Roiet Province, in the northeast of Thailand. After being ordained at Supararam Forest Monastery in 1971, he searched out Luangpor Teean based on his growing reputation as an enlightened teacher. Achan Da didn’t actually find and meet Luangpor Teean for 2 years. But, once he did, he studied under his personal guidance for 3 years, practicing patiently and diligently, until he reached the end of suffering. Luangpor Teean then encouraged Achan Da to teach throughout Thailand and they worked together until Luangpor Teean’s death in 1988. Achan Da emigrated to America in the late 1990’s where he has been teaching ever since.