Hi, my name is Jason A. Konik. I’ve been a student at KPY since mid-2012. Unlike many members at KPY, I wasn’t born into Buddhism. My parents are European immigrants to the US and I was born and raised in Illinois. Owing to these influences, I grew up with a largely secular, Western, scientific way of thinking. I was baptized into the Lutheran Church shortly after my birth in 1982 and confirmed in 1997.

However, the Church never felt quite right. I felt as though it only answered part of the Question. I accepted Christianity as religious truth largely because of a lack of exposure to any alternative.

In my early 20’s, I decided to abandon the Church and start over. I observed the world around me and myself, and reached certain conclusions that seemed logical to me. It wasn’t until my late 20’s that I came into greater contact with Dhamma and Buddhist teaching. I discovered that much of what the Buddha taught is congruent with my own ideas.

I was relieved to find that there were other people who held similar ideas to me, and that I wasn’t alone. I began my studies with the teachers at KPY largely out of intellectual curiosity, but soon discovered that the Buddha’s teachings, as expounded by Luang Pa Thoon, began to change my heart. I was convinced that my instincts were right, and took refuge in the Triple Gem in late 2012.

My gratitude to the teachers at KPY knows no bounds. I hope that my thoughts and musings on this site prove beneficial to everyone.