About Teachers
Monastic Teachers
Ajahn Ananadabodhi has been an ordained nun in the Forest Tradition of
Ajahn Chah and Ajahn Sumedho since 1995. She has lived in Cittavivak
(Chithurst) and Hartridge monasteries and now resides at Amaravati
Buddhist Monastery in Hertfordshire, England, where she takes part in
the daily running of the monastery and teaching retreats. She
particularly enjoys "tudong" - walking on faith and taking the sign
of the samana (mendicant) out into the world. Link to more information
Ajahn Candasiri was born in Scotland in 1947 and was brought up as a Christian. After university, she trained and worked as an occupational therapist, mainly in the field of mental illness. In 1977, an interest in meditation led her to meet Ajahn Sumedho, shortly after his arrival from Thailand. Inspired by his teachings and example, she began her monastic training at Chithurst as one of the first four Anagārikā [women novices]. In 1983 she was given the Going Forth as a Siladhara (10 precept nun) by Ajahn Sumedho. Within the monastic community she has been actively involved in the evolution of the Nuns’ vinaya training. She has guided many meditation retreats for lay people, and particularly enjoys teaching young people and participating in Christian/Buddhist dialogue.
Ajahn Thanuttaro is a senior Buddhist monk currently living at Cittaviveka Buddhist Monastery England. 'I first went to Chithurst monastery after meeting Ajahn Sumedho in 1979. At 21 years of age I was very inspired although very clear in my own mind that I could never be a monk! Almost 15 years later an increasing sense of disappointment in business and home life, together with a growing faith in meditation practice, led me to try the monastic life for a while. Having spent several years living in different monasteries with teachers in Asia and in the West, I now enjoy spending time with like minded friends, sharing discoveries and perhaps deepening our understanding of the Buddha's path.'
Ajahn Thitamedha has been an ordained nun in the Forest Tradition of Ajahn Chah and Ajahn Sumedho since 1997. She graduated as a medical doctor and worked for four years in Russia. Facing human suffering and death brought her a strong sense of urgency to understand the human predicament and to find a way out of suffering. She resides in Cittaviveka (Chithurst) Monastery. She loves going on pindapat (alms-around) and walking on tudong, being exposed to nature and to be open to human kindness. Link to more information
Ajahn Upekkha was born in 1949 in Provence, France. As one of thirteen children growing up in a small village, she had her first taste of community life. Her experience in India in 1974 was life-transforming. After that, she spent time living in a Gandhi community. In 1979, she met Venerable Nyanadharo who encouraged her to visit Chithurst. In 1985, she went to Amaravati and ordained with Luang Por Sumedho. She continues to dedicate her life in support of truth and peace.
Ajahn Vajiro (Phil Gunton) was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1953. Upon graduating in 1974, he began a study accountancy. During this period, a friend encouraged him to go on a ten-day meditation retreat with John Coleman at the Oakenholt Buddhist Centre near Oxford. He attended further retreats there in 1976 and 1977. Hearing about the visit Ajahn Chah and Ajahn Sumedho made to Oakenholt in 1977, he went to meet them at the Hampstead Vihara. He eventually moved next door to the vihara. In 1978, however, he asked to join the community as an anagārika; he left for Thailand just after the community moved out of London to Chithurst in June 1979. In October that year he became a samanera, and he received upasampada (became a bhikkhu) from Ajahn Chah in June the following year. Venerable Vajiro returned to England in 1984, and assisted with the establishment of Amaravati Buddhist Centre. From 1985 to 1986 he resided at Harnham Buddhist Monastery and from 1986 to 1993 he lived at Cittaviveka. Then between 1993 and 1998 he led the community in Bodhinyanarama Wellington, New Zealand. He spent the following three years living quietly in the hermitage Sanghaloka near Melbourne, Australia. Before moving to Amaravati Buddhist Monastery, where he presently resides.
Ajahn Vimalo Born Paul Hendrick 1946 in Luton Bedfordshire. Left school at 15 and worked in a magazine company. Married at 21 he has two sons and a daughter. In his mid 20’s he became very keen on Hatha Yoga . Then at the beginning of the 1970’s he met Kapilavaddho, a Buddhist teacher who had formerly been a Bhikkhu. On hearing the teachings of the Buddha Paul started to meditate daily. In 1976 he met Ajahn Sumedho who was on a visit to England with his teacher Luang por Chah. Paul remained a supporter of the Bhikkhus until he was in a position to ordain himself. He finally took upasampada (bhikkhu ordination) as Vimalo Bhikkhu in Thailand in 1991, spending 3 years in the forest monasteries there before leaving to spend firstly 2 years in Australia followed by 5 years in Sri Lanka . Vimalo Bhikkhu returned to England in 2001 and is now resident at Amaravati . For more on him and his art work, go to Perfect Wisdom.
Lay Teachers
Eva Bruha has lived in Ireland since 2003. She has spent years exploring the voice and experiencing its healing power. In 1990 she went on her personal pilgrimage of 10 years, spending extended periods practicing Mindfulness Meditation in Monasteries and Meditation Centres in the US, Europe and Asia. She has altogether spent more then two years in silent retreats and was ordained as a Buddhist Nun in Burma for a half a year. Her inspiration draws from the wisdom of all spiritual traditions.
June Durkin has been practicing and teaching yoga for 25years and is qualified by the British Wheel of yoga. After studying various mind body disciplines, she was introduced to an approach in yoga pioneered by the late Vanda Scaravelli in 1990, which changed her life. June also built Rusheens Yoga Centre in 1990 to promote the benefits of Yoga.
Bart Gruzalski Ph.D., taught courses on Eastern Religions at Northeastern University, Boston,. He voluntarily left his position to help found a centre for sustainable living, focusing on the ecological, social and psychological needs of people to live more sustainably, in community, and with a shared inner practice. Bart has written a book on Buddhism, a book on the philosophy of Gandhi, and is completing the biography of Luang Por Sumedho. He has over 35 years of meditation practice, has focused for the past 25 years on mindfulness mediation, has taught meditation in a number of venues, teaches mindfulness stress reduction, and currently is a co-manager and resident teacher at Sunyata.
Marion Gruzalski, after losing two daughters and a son, founded the Hospice at the Texas Medical Center. Her work in hospice ended in 2007 when she left the Zen Hospice Project in San Francisco, where she led weekly meditations and also led one day retreats at Green Gulch, a Zen monastery in Marin County. Marion has practiced meditation for over 25 years, spent many monastic winter retreat periods at Amaravati Buddhist Monastery under the spiritual guidance of Ajahn Sumedho, co-led a weekly group in Boston, and is the co-manager and a resident teacher at Sunyata Retreat Centre.
Cait Ni Loinsigh was a member of a religious congregation for 29 years. In 1995 she felt a call to return to Ireland to delve into Celtic Spirituality and in 1997 felt a call to India, where she spent a year and a half sitting at the feet of many holy men and women of different religious persuasions. Cait now lives in West Clare where she works with senior citizens while endeavoring to live a contemplative lifestyle and put what she has learnt into practice.
Richard O'Gorman has been meditating for over twenty years. A lover of nature and wildlife since childhood, he has nurtured and released injured wildlife and has worked in conservation. He currently works in horticulture and periodically teaches horticulture in Adult and Community Education for the VEC in Ennis.
Marjó Oosterhoff has been practicing and teaching insight and loving-kindness meditation for many years. She trained and continues to train in monasteries in Burma, where she ordains for the duration of her stays. She works and teaches at a small meditation centre - Passaddhi - in the southwest of Ireland.
Noirin Sheehan has practiced mindfulness within the Buddhist tradition for over 20 years and deeply appreciates this source of wisdom in life. About five years ago she started teaching mindfulness with Bhante Bodhidhamma (a Theravada Buddhist monk) and to study MBSR teaching at University of Bangor (Wales). She now teaches MBSR to staff and patients at St. James's Hospital, Dublin as well as at Satipanya Buddhist Retreat in Wales.
Catherine Sutton teaches Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy to groups and individuals. She is completing an MA in Mindfulness Based Approaches to Healthcare and has practiced meditation for over 20 years.
Timothy Sweeney has been studying and practicing different forms of Meditation for over 30 years. He has spent over 2 and a half years years in silent retreats in Meditation Centres in the US and Europe. He currently teaches Meditation retreats and MBSR around Ireland. Timothy has worked as a teacher, pilot and builder. He is also an avid gardener, parent and is interested in living sustainably.
Simon Thomas has studied with some of the leading masters in Qigong ranging from the Shaolin Temple to the International Institute of Qigong, USA . He is qualified in all 4 branches of Chinese Medicine as well as Astrology and Feng Shui.
Max Weier teaches Qigong and meditation, occasionally as a Buddhist prison chaplain at maximum security prisons in South Africa, and has been studying and practicing Buddhism and Qigong with various teachers and masters in Asia and the West for the past twenty-five years. He is based in Switzerland and teaches in Europe, the UK and Southern Africa.