Somboon Rattanawerapong Interview

This interview is with Somboon Rattanawerapong, who is a Buddhist monk in Arlington, Texas. He shares his story of growing up in Uttaradit, Thailand, working as an elephant trainer and later joining the Nanum temple in Northern Thailand at the age of 20. He arrived in America in 1995 with a Buddhist missionary. Today, Somboon leads prayers and group meditations at the Chua Buddhamahamunee Buddhist Meditation Center in Arlington Temple. He is involved with the broader community through his Theravada Buddhist group in Fort Worth, Texas who host drive-thru food pantries and lead interfaith meditation sessions. In this narration, we hear Somboon’s account of his life events and his life now, centered around mindfulness and his path to enlightenment.Henry Luce FoundationReligious StudiesTranscript created with Otter.ai and edited by project assistant