Achan Niphen Nontamart is the abbot of the Janlan Forest Monastery in Thailand and has been practicing meditation for 21 years. He was born in 1960 in Janlan Village, Kalasin, in Northeast Thailand.
His parents were rice farmers, and when he was young, he helped on the family farm planting rice, corn, peanuts, and tending water buffalo. He completed high school and studied to become an engineer. He supported himself while attending the Open University in Bangkok by doing maintenance in a large office building.
After realizing that life is difficult and full of suffering for himself and others, he discovered Luangpor Teean’s books. He was inspired when he read The Practice of Meditation and One That Feels by Luangpor Teean. He already knew that thought was the cause of suffering but didn’t know the way out. He went to see Luangpor Teean at Wat Sanamnai and listened to his Dhamma talks. He began practicing earnestly, and it didn’t take long for him to realize the first stage of roop/nam (body/mind). Then, at age 26, he decided to become a monk. He continued his practice and gradually understood deeper levels of dhamma. He has committed himself to teaching until the present.