National Buddhism Office Gives Gold Bowl to Somdej Mahapajjana Muní

On Sunday, October 4, 2026, Udornporn Ek-iam, Director of the National Office of Buddhism, presented the gold bowl and regalia of a senior monastic rank to Somdej Mahapajjana Muní, as granted by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, during the ceremonial offering at the forest monastery of Ban Rai Tosri in Pak Chong, Nakhon Ratchasima.

Attendees included senior officials from the National Office of Buddhism, the provincial Buddhism office, civil servants, and representatives of state and private agencies, as well as Buddhist followers, all joining the ceremony to support the monastic community.

Somdej Mahapajjana Muní (Sean Michael Chiverton Jayasaro) is a foreign-born monk who was a disciple of the renowned meditation master Luang Por Chah Subhaddo at Wat Nong Pah Pong. His birth name is Sean Michael Chiverton; he was born in England in 1958. As a youth he suffered poor health but educated himself, achieving excellent academic results that led his father to hope he would win a scholarship to study at a prestigious university in the United Kingdom. While studying, he read many books and eventually encountered the teachings of the Buddha, which he recognized as the truth he had been seeking. This sparked his interest in mental training and Buddhist studies from his teenage years.

He worked to save money while studying and, at age 17, began traveling abroad to gain experience, spending two years overseas before deciding that spiritual practice and study were the path he wanted to pursue instead of continuing university education.

In 1978 he met and began practicing meditation with Ajahn Sujato (later appointed a senior monastic rank and recorded in the Royal Golden Bowl as Phra Prom Wachiranyan), the first Western disciple of Luang Por Chah, at the Hampstead Vihara in England. He then observed the eight precepts while wearing white robes (anagarika) with Ajahn Sujato for one year before traveling to Thailand.

In 1979 he was ordained as a novice at Wat Nong Pah Pong in Warinchamrap, Ubon Ratchathani Province. In 1980 he received full ordination (upasampada) with Luang Por Chah as his preceptor.

Before coming to Thailand, he had intended to stay at Wat Nong Pah Pong for five years without conditions to study and practice Dhamma. After meeting Luang Por Chah, he developed confidence in the teacher’s manner and wisdom, which gave him the strength to endure the strict forest monastic discipline and to live alongside the Thai Sangha, leading to steady progress.

Although he is a foreigner, language was not a barrier because he believes the fundamental languages are Pali and Sanskrit, which both Thais and foreigners must learn equally; both are equally difficult, so he persevered by memorizing the alphabet until he could read, then studied dictionary terms, and continued learning while living with his teachers and practicing meditation.

In 2020 King Maha Vajiralongkorn granted him special permission to change his nationality to Thai, effective March 9, 2020.

His monastic promotions: On July 28, 2019 he was raised to the rank of Rajathipathi (royal monastic) in the Vipassana division, receiving the title Phra Rachaphatchamanit; on July 17, 2020 he was promoted to the rank of Thepphathipathi (divine monastic) in the Vipassana division, receiving the title Phra Thepphatchayan Muní; on July 7, 2021 he was promoted to the rank of Thammathipathi (dhamma monastic) in the Vipassana division, receiving the title Phra Thammatchayan Muní.