Luang Pu Pramote Pamojjo

Luang Pu Pramote Pamojjo was born in Bangkok in 1952. He studied political science at Chulalongkorn University, took a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, and worked for the Internal Security Operations Command, the National Security Council and the Telephone Organization of Thailand from 1975 to 2001. His own biography says he studied breath mindfulness (ānāpānasati) from the teachings of Than Por Lee Dhammadharo from 1959, when he was a boy of about seven, and from 1982 he studied with a number of forest teachers, among them Luang Pu Dun Atulo, Luang Por Phut Thaniyo, Luang Pu Thet Thetrangsi, Luang Pu Sim Buddhacaro, Luang Pu Bunchan Candavaro and Luang Pu Suwat Suvaco. His teaching site names Luang Pu Dun as his primary teacher.

He first ordained while still a university student, at Wat Chonprathan Rangsarit in Nonthaburi, with Panyananda Bhikkhu as his preceptor. His second ordination was on 30 June 2001 at Wat Burapharam in Surin, the temple where Luang Pu Dun had been abbot. He spent his first five rains retreats at Suan Bodhiyan Aranyawasi, Ajahn Suchin Sucinno’s forest centre in Tha Muang, Kanchanaburi, and from his sixth he has lived at Wat Suan Santidham in Si Racha, Chonburi.

He teaches that both calm (samatha) and insight (vipassanā) are needed and depend on each other, and puts most weight on building strong mindfulness: knowing body and mind as they are, with a mind that is stable and equanimous rather than caught up in thought. His site describes his manner as easy, relaxed and intuitive, and says he draws many people from Bangkok. He gives talks at the temple on weekend mornings, and students bring him accounts of their practice for correction, which the site calls submitting homework.

His books are in Thai, and volunteers have translated several into English. They are given away free. His talks are in Thai; the temple’s own guidance says English interpretation by headset is available to people seated in the Dhamma Hall on teaching days.