Living the Handbook of Humankind: A Layperson’s Journey from Boardroom to Bodhi
- 03/11/2025
- Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
- Baan Aree.
Reflections inspired by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu’s transformative wisdom
- Date 03 November 2025
- Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
- Location: Baan Aree.
Speaker: Dr. Nattavut Kulnides
We are delighted to welcome Dr. Nattavut Kulnides for an evening of sharing and reflection on November 3rd, 2025 at Baan Aree.
Is a path to enlightenment only for monks? Can those of us navigating careers, families, and worldly responsibilities also walk the path to liberation? Join us for an intimate conversation exploring these questions through the lens of Buddhadasa Bhikkhu’s beloved “Handbook for Mankind”—a book that has profoundly shaped the speaker’s three-decade journey as a lay practitioner.
Dr. Nattavut, a business executive who has ordained twice and works with Fortune 100 companies by day while volunteering at various Buddhism communities such as Suan Mokkh Bangkok, will share a practical framework for living Buddhism at three levels:
Level 1: Living happily with society’s moral code—cultivating contentment, ethical conduct, and a peaceful mind in daily life
Level 2: Living happily through mindfulness—developing concentration and awareness that guides our choices and actions moment by moment
Level 3: Walking the Noble Path—pursuing the samma (right) path toward enlightenment while remaining fulfill our worldly responsibilities
This is not a traditional Dhamma talk from a teacher, but rather a candid sharing from a fellow traveler on the path—complete with struggles, doubts, and discoveries. As someone who balances executive leadership with spiritual practice, family life with meditation retreats, Dr. Nattavut offers a rare perspective on what it means to live the Handbook’s teachings in the complexity of modern life.
Whether you’re a beginner curious about Buddhism, an experienced practitioner seeking inspiration, or someone wrestling with how to integrate spiritual practice into a busy life, this session invites you into a conversation among friends. Bring your questions, your skepticism, and your aspirations.
Everyone is welcome. We meet to support and encourage each other in our practice.
Programme:
• 6:00 pm Baan Aree opens
• 6:20 pm Sharing: “Living the Handbook of Humankind”
• 7:20 pm Brief guided meditation
• 7:30 pm Q&A and open discussion
• 8:00 pm Session ends
About the Speaker:
Dr. Nattavut Kulnides walks an extraordinary path between two worlds. As CEO of a management consultancy and Executive Coach to Fortune 100 companies, he leads in the business realm, working with institutions like IMD Business School in Switzerland. Yet he has also ordained twice in the Theravada tradition—first in 1994 under His Holiness the late Supreme Patriarch of Thailand, and later for an entire Vassa (Rains Retreat) in 2010 under Phra Ajarn Nuanchan Kittipanyo (Phra Khru Vinaithorn), a recognized Vipassana Master.
For three decades, Dr. Nattavut has practiced alongside his responsibilities as an executive, husband, and father—making his life a living experiment in a profound question: Can laypeople fully engaged in worldly duties also walk the path to enlightenment? Deeply influenced by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu’s “Handbook of Humankind,” he serves as a volunteer facilitator at Suan Mokkh Bangkok, where he has guided over 300 executives through mindfulness training.
With a certificate in Applied Neuroscience and Psychology from King’s College London and Doctorate Degree in Innovation from University of Manchester, Dr. Nattavut is frequently invited as a guest speaker on mindfulness and modern Buddhism, bringing a unique perspective: that of a practitioner who has chosen to test the Dhamma’s transformative power in the midst of the world, not in retreat from it.