Venerable Ṭhitañāṇa Thero (Dr. Andrus Kahn) is first ordained Estonian Theravada Buddhist monk. The Venerable Ṭhitañāṇa thero has studied psychology at the University of Tartu (B.A.), and graduated from the Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University of Buddhism (M.A.). He is currently writing his Ph.D. dissertation on meditation at the same university. He has completed the following training courses: Hypnotherapist Training (3 years), NLP Training (2 years), Counselling Psychology Training (1 year), Training Course for Communication and Motivation Training (1 year), and has completed the advanced training courses in Solution-Oriented Short Therapy.
Previously, he worked as a coach / trainer in the Stern Private School, where his areas of training were communication skills, conflict management, time management, stress management, sales and customer service, as well as team development and motivation.
He has written several books, like “From Siddhattha to Buddha” (2016), “The way of awakening – as the Buddha taught”, etc., and co-authored three Handbooks (last published in collaboration with the Äripäev Publishing House (“Developer’s Handbook”). He has published more than 40 articles on psychology and Buddhism.
Since 2014 onwards, the Venerable Ṭhitañāṇa Thero lives in the Kingdom of Thailand, at the Wat Hatai Naresh Temple. He is a lecturer in Psychology and Buddhism at the Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, and he is also teaches as guest lecturer at other Bangkok universities.
In 2016, under the leadership of Venerable Ṭhitañāṇa, the Estonian Theravada Sangha and the Wat Doi Suthep Aegna Meditation and Development Centre was established. Since then, Ṭhitañāṇa Thero has lived in the Estonian Theravada Sangha Monastery on the island of Aegna, in the same building where is located the Wat Doi Suthep Aegna Meditation and Development Center.