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Spiritual advisors

We are grateful to have Phra Ajahn Jayasaro and Phra Ajahn Jiew as valued spiritual advisors to the Panyaden community. These respected teachers bring profound wisdom and practical guidance that enriches our educational mission and supports our entire community's growth.

Beyond their public teachings, our spiritual advisors work closely with our leadership team, offering invaluable counsel on how to authentically integrate Buddhist principles into our teaching methods and learning environments. This guidance ensures that our approach remains both educationally rigorous and spiritually grounded.

Through their ongoing relationship with Panyaden, Phra Ajahn Jayasaro and Phra Ajahn Jiew bring timeless Buddhist wisdom into the heart of modern education. Their guidance helps ensure our students receive not only a strong academic foundation but also the moral and spiritual grounding to navigate life with wisdom, compassion, and purpose.

“Rather than an education system which is geared to testing and to competition and to preparing people for a particular livelihood, the emphasis of Buddhist education is on teaching children how to learn, how to enjoy learning, and to love wisdom for its own sake. It teaches them emotional maturity, enabling them to make use of their knowledge to create a happy life for themselves and their family, and to contribute positively to the society in which they live. It in no way compromises on the work of preparing children to make a good livelihood, but it lets them see that life is deeper and richer than working in order to consume.”

— Phra Phrompacharayanmuni (Phra Ajahn Jayasaro)

Our Spiritual Advisors

Phra Ajahn Jayasaro
Phra Phrompacharayanmuni
(Phra Ajahn Jayasaro)
Phra Phrompacharayanmuni (Shaun Michael Chiverton) was born on the Isle of Wight, England, in 1958 and has dedicated over four decades to Buddhist practice and education. In 1978, he travelled to Thailand to study under Ajahn Chah, one of Thailand's most respected Buddhist teachers, at the renowned Wat Pa Pong forest monastery in Northeast Thailand. After ordaining as a monk in 1980 with Ajahn Chah as his mentor, Phra Ajahn Jayasaro spent years deepening his understanding of Buddhist teachings and meditation practice. Since 2003, he has lived at a peaceful hermitage near Khao Yai National Park, where he continues his spiritual practice. Today, Phra Ajahn Jayasaro shares his wisdom through regular teaching sessions and meditation retreats, inspiring both Buddhist practitioners and the wider community. Most importantly for Panyaden families, he plays a leading role in bringing Buddhist values and mindfulness principles into modern education.
Phra Ajahn Jiew
Venerable Phra Ajahn Piyasilo
(Phra Ajahn Jiew)
Venerable Ajahn Piyasilo is the abbot at Wat Pah Yen Boon in Chiang Rai. This monastery is a branch monastery of the Ajahn Chah Lineage, which is part of the Thai Forest Buddhist tradition. Venerable Ajahn Piyasilo is one of the students of Venerable Ajahn Chah and has been a monk in the Thai Forest tradition for 30 years. Since 2011, Phra Ajahn Jiew has graciously supported Panyaden’s spiritual advisor, and—through his warmth and kindness—has led the school’s annual meditation retreat for teachers, staff, and parents every year since the school’s founding.
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