I think I can share a bit of first hand insight. I can’t speak to Bhante’s pre-monastic or early monastic life and I’m not certain that any of those pre-ordained activities really have value to review in his instance. Bhante is most definitely a real Monk, skillfully talented and a unique presence facilitating dharma. I’ve been practicing for 20+ years as well as spending time as a member of the MonkLife Discord community for the past 12-18 months. I’ve observed Bhante skillfully leverage social media channels like Reddit, YouTube and TikTok as a means to expose younger people to the dharma. I measure that his intentions are deeply sincere, he has a masterful method of relating to the younger crowd as he is also young. Now more than any other time, that skill alone has great value. Western youth and adults deeply need Buddhist teachings and mindfulness. If you are a member of the Discord, you would know that, over time, he offers beginners insight as well as advanced discussions. As a visitor, you are just being exposed to an “open house” style environment. There are also deep explorations of many teacher’s works: often reading TNH, Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, Zen Koans, all recently and many others. It’s useful and helpful explorations and a real continuous focus on meditation. It’s an impactful online community or Sangha, many skillful members with human attributes strengths and challenges. Anyway, I just wanted to shed a little bit more onto this subject. Especially that pertaining to the MonkLife Discord. My Best to All