Meet The Team

Meditation Instructor

Monk Charnchai

Venerable Witedpawanawitan (Chanchai Piyawajago) ordained since 25 years ago.
He performed monastic duties and studied Chinese Language at Dhammakaya Meditation Center of Taipei, Taiwan after that he performed monastic duties along with guiding meditation for local at Dhammakaya Meditation Center in Vancouver and Montreal, Canada about 6 years. Then he moved to Dhammakaya Meditation Center of Washington, D. C., USA.

Then  Dhammakaya Meditation Center of Palm Beach, Florida, USA. 5 years and 2 years Respectively. After reaping the experience of guiding meditation in different countries ven. Chanchai has been joined the team at Chicago to promote peace through meditation as he wish to create world peace through inner peace.

Meditation Instructor

Monk Andrew

Venerable Andrew has been a monk for nineteen years and has over two decades of meditation experience. Before entering the monkhood, Venerable Andrew received his master’s degree in Computer Engineering at San Jose State University in San Jose, California.

Ven. Andrew has over ten years of experience in teaching meditation in a variety of settings, including universities, schools, hospitals, and in meditation centers in the US, Denmark, South Africa, and many countries in Asia. 

Meditation Instructor

Monk Klint

Ven. Klint Kunachawo was born and raised in the United States.  Grew up learning and practicing Buddhism and meditation from a young age.  Until finally making the choice and ordaining as a monk since January 5, 2010.  He now teaches meditation at the Meditation Center in Chicago.  

While ordained as a monk, he studied at Drew University and got a Bachelor Degree in Psychology.  He continues to practice meditation and does his best to help those around him and share happiness and peace to the world one person at a time.

Meditation Instructor

Monk Sophon

Venerable Sophon Panyasopanoe has been meditating for over 25 years and ordained as a Theravada Buddhist monk for the past 7 years. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Chiang Mai University in Thailand (1997). Ven. Sophon used to reside at the Meditation Center in New Jersey and Meditation Center of D.C. where he volunteered and helped to teach meditation to students from all walks of life. 
       

Since he became a monk in 2014, he has devoted himself in teaching meditation at Dhammkaya Int'l Meditation Center in Azusa CA. for 7 years.
He currently resides at Meditation Center of Chicago, IL where he teaches meditation to spread peace to all people regardless their faiths and backgrounds.

He believes that once the mind is clear, the problems are clear.

 Client relations manager 

Pranee Ruangmalai

Originally from Thailand, Pranee Ruangmalai has been working at the Meditation Center of Chicago since 2010. For over 10 years, she has served as an organizer of Youth Camps promoting mindfulness practice in a fun way. In 2015, she began working as a coordinator of meditation programs and a meditation trainers for adults and has done so since. She was also a founder and a president of  Meditation Club at Wright College in 2017.

As a long-term meditator and as one who has walked along many peace seekers for many years, she confirms that living in peace is possible if we truly believe and live it. 

For more information from voyagechicago and Consciousness

​

Accountant

Kamonwan

She first started practicing meditation in Thailand when she was 18. After graduating from university, she made the decision to work with the Dhammakaya Foundation, Thailand as part of the organized meditation team. She had been training for a year to organize meditation sessions and meditation mentor’s assistance and spent 5 years volunteering in many meditation centers and retreats  all around Thailand.

Then she volunteered to be one of the Dhamma Assistants to the teaching monks to facilitate weekly Basic Meditation Courses at the Meditation Center of The United Kingdom, New Zealand, and now in Chicago, USA 

After meditating for several years and experiencing its  benefits in her life, she has the passion to meditate and would love to tell people that happiness and inner peace is not so far away, we can reach it through meditation. And by cultivating our own inner peace, we can also create a real sustainable peace in our world.

Media Manager

Rujira Srisamai

Graduate from Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand. Being as Dhammakaya foundation Staff since 2009-now. She has trained to organize meditation session and meditation mentor’s assistance. She had observed the other meditation sessions in Malaysia and Canada.

Rujira loves to do meditation because meditation can clear her mind and make her choose to be positive than negative point of views. She believes that when we create peace within our-self then we can share to others.