He is a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at Fielding Graduate University out of Santa Barbara, CA, previously ordained as Buddhist monk in the Burmese Theravadan tradition. He has taught Vipassana (mindfulness) and Metta (loving-kindness) meditation worldwide. A research project, under Dr. Kalina Christoff at the University of British Columbia, involved the investigation of thought patterns of advanced Vipassana meditative practitioners utilizing fMRI technology. His thesis research, now gratefully funded by the Varela Grant, involves a qualitative study of the experience of advanced meditators in the Mahasi vipassana tradition. Clinically, he is interested in applying Buddhist and Western mindfulness techniques to the therapeutic experience. His clinical work has allowed hands on experience in the application of mindfulness to populations with chronic pain management, vocational challenges, and acquired brain injury. His aspiration is to strengthen the nexus between the Eastern and Western models of mental health using his monastic understanding and training as a psychologist.
