Editor’s Note: In conjunction with Wesak Day which falls today (May 31), allows us to run verbatim this rather enlightening piece by Buddhist digital creator Way to Enlightenment who recently turned the spotlight on the late Ananda Krishnan’s only son Venerable Ajahn Siripanyo.
Unlike his two sisters, Siripanyo who was born Raja Gopal in 1972 chose a spiritual path and renounced his billionaire inheritance to become a Theravada Buddhist monk, eventually serving as the abbot of Dtao Dum Monastery in Thailand.
WOULD you be willing to give up an immense fortune in order to become “rich” in a deeper way? Ajahn Siripanyo chose exactly that path.
This Thai-Malaysian Buddhist monk dedicated his life to spirituality, leaving behind a world of material wealth and worldly pleasures. But just how much did he give up?
A lot.
He is the son of (the late) Ananda Krishnan, (then) Malaysia’s third richest man whose fortune is estimated at over US$5 bil and creator of Malaysia’s iconic Petronas Twin Towers.
If Siripanyo intended to live a secluded life, he has certainly succeeded. Finding information about his life before ordination is extremely difficult.
However, after some digging, here are five fascinating facts about this “modern-day Siddhartha”:
He became a monk at 18
Siripanyo discovered the spiritual path quite early in life – and almost by accident.
At the age of 18, while visiting his maternal relatives in Thailand with his mother, he decided to ordain temporarily as an interesting experience. Unexpectedly, that experience became a lifelong commitment.
More than 20 years later, he is now a forest monk and the abbot of Dtao Dum Monastery near the Thailand-Myanmar border.
He has royal blood
Ajahn also has royal lineage through his mother’s side. Although little is publicly known about her, many sources state that she is Momwajarongse Suprinda Chakraban, a descendant of the Thai royal family.
This means Ajahn Siripanyo is not only the son of a billionaire but also comes from royal ancestry.
Very little is known about his childhood
Aside from the fact that he grew up in London and studied in the UK alongside his two sisters, very little is known about his early life.
Some sources describe him as open-minded and highly adaptable to different cultures – something reflected in his simple and accessible style of teaching the Dhamma.
He is said to speak eight languages fluently, which is hardly surprising given his multi-cultural background. While the exact languages are unclear, English is certainly one of them, and likely Tamil and Thai as well.
He occasionally reconnects with his former life
Although he lives as a monk dependent on alms and donations, Ajahn Siripanyo does not completely reject luxury when circumstances require it.
In Buddhism, filial respect toward one’s parents is deeply valued, so he still spends time with his father. This occasionally means returning, briefly, to the world of wealth he once left behind.
For example, he once travelled by private jet – arranged by his father – to Italy to visit him.
On another occasion, he attended a meditation retreat in Penang Hill, Malaysia, a place his father later purchased and donated to support his son’s spiritual work.
Indeed, he is a man of great blessings. But perhaps the greatest blessing of all is that Ajahn Siripanyo found true happiness in the Dhamma.
Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu 
(literally, “Excellent, Excellent, Excellent”). – Focus Malaysia
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