Who am I

At the age of 21 I found myself deciding to become Buddhist monk, I had no idea what this would really entail. I imagined sitting out in a forest for the rest of my life going through some kind of process of awakening whatever that is.

Luckily for me it was a much better experience than I imagined ,I found myself in a community of people wanting to grow up on many levels, living a life of work, meditation, meetings and making good friends. I found myself connecting to the Abbot and Teacher at the monastery I had arrived at( which happened to be a couple of towns away from where I had grown up in the exotic back lanes of the Hampshire/ West Sussex border. So I spent a period of eight years mainly living at Chithurst Buddhist monastery (Cittaviveka). This was a time of growth, it was my initiation. I faced this conditioned process I had call Me, learning to be with the pain and joy of this human condition. I learned to speak from my heart, to set boundaries for myself and others out of compassion. 

So if you know a monastery on the Hampshire/ West Sussex border in the south of England you would have guessed my teacher is Ajahn Sucitto. I had also spent time with Laung por Sumedho with whom I learnt the Sound of Silence practice which has for many years been a great support and refuge in my life. 

I left the monastery after eight years aged 29. It was a long and hard decision to make. I loved the monastic way of life, I was living with a teacher I respected and who had become my best friend. Yet there was an internal conflict, I had been a little confused(actually raving mad) before I went to the monastery, and so had not had any long lasting intimate relationships. I felt if I were to continue growing up and maturing I had to venture out into the lay life. 

I have been out here now for over ten years; I live with my family, do my best to earn a living.  Bringing what I was taught and I had realized to my relationship with life as it arises day to day.

I have been teaching Dhamma and meditation for the last 10 years, giving talks on what I feel to be a Buddhist life style(how to create as little harm as possible in our life), asking the question if we are able to life the same values we aspire to when on the cushion and integrate them into our daily activities and choices.

I have recently began working with a new teacher Jason Siff, I have found his approach very interesting and leading towards a maturation of my understanding of Dhamma.

So that is a little bit about Me.