Ven Ajahn Siripanyo, the son of Malaysian telecom magnate Ananda Krishnan, opted to abandon his affluent lifestyle at the age of 18, despite his father’s enormous riches. Ananda Krishnan, popularly known as AK, is Malaysia’s third-richest man, with a net worth surpassing ₹40,000 crore (about US$5 billion), according to a South China Post story.
Ananda Krishnan’s corporate empire spans telecommunications, satellites, media, oil, gas, and real estate. He is also the previous owner of Aircel, which sponsored the popular IPL side Chennai Super Kings, led by MS Dhoni.
While Ven Ajahn Siripanyo’s father is a well-known businessman, his mother, Momwajarongse Suprinda Chakraban, has ties to the Thai royal family.
Ven Ajahn Siripanyo’s father, a devoted Buddhist and benefactor, strongly accepts his son’s decision to become a monk.
All about Ajahn Siripanyo: How did it all start?
- At the age of 18, Ven Ajahn Siripanyo traveled to Thailand to pay respects to his mother’s family and chose to briefly ordain at a retreat for fun. However, the encounter led to his lifelong monastic life. Over two decades later, he is a forest monk and the abbot of Dtao Dum Monastery, located near the Thailand-Myanmar border.
- Little is known about Ven Ajahn Siripanyo’s motivations for becoming a monk, although he allegedly enjoys a modest existence that includes alms-seeking. He was reared in the United Kingdom alongside his two sisters.
- Although data of Siripanyo’s youth are scant, it is known that he grew up in London and attended school there. His upbringing and open-minded attitude toward diverse civilizations most likely influenced his understanding of Buddhist teachings. Siripanyo is proficient in up to eight languages, however the specifics are not publicly known. He is known to speak English, and given his broad upbringing, Tamil and Thai are likely among the languages he is familiar with, according to the South China Post.
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Source: HT
