Born in
Thailand on December 11, 1931, Sobin S. Namto became a
novice monk in 1945 at
Wat Mahathat in
Bangkok, under Abbot
Somdej Phra Budthacharn, and began his study of
Vipassanā there. He was sent to
Rangoon,
Burma (now Yangon, Myanmar), for further study and then taught in Thailand. In 1960-62, he taught in
Luang Prabang,
Laos. Returning to Thailand, he resumed teaching and founded the Vidhayakorn Institute in Southern Thailand, He was one of the monks selected to establish the first Thai temple in
Los Angeles,
California, and was appointed its first Abbot. He was also the founder-Abbot of a Vipassana temple in
Denver,
Colorado. After many years of teaching in North America, he returned to teach at the wat in his home village Wangplado, in
Borabue,
Maha Sarakham province, North-East Thailand. Achan Sobin is the author of three books on Vipassanā meditation in English, as well as a book on Buddhist ordination. ==Works==