History

 

The Most Venerable Phramonkolthepmuni
Luang Pu Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen

The Founder of Dhammakaya Meditation


 




 

Birthplace:

 

The most venerable Luang Pu Wat Paknam was born Sod Meekaewnoi. According to the lunar calendar, he was born on Friday the sixth day of the waning moon of the eleventh month in the year of monkey. This date coincides with the 10th month of the year 1884. His father Ngern and mother Soodjai Meekaewnoi had their own rice trading business Amphoe (District) Song Phi Nong, Suphan Buri Province.

 

Childhood:

 

He was educated in nearby temples, which was a Thai tradition at that time. He was fluent in reading and writing the Khmer and Thai languages, and, as a result of a serious and dedicated attitude, he was very successful in his studies. When his studies were complete, he went back to help his parents run the family rice business. His father passed away when he was only fourteen years old. As the eldest son, he was obliged to support his family and had to quickly learn the rice trade. Because of his diligence, the business was successful and he became well known for his skill, which would prove indispensable to him later.

 

Desire for Ordination:

 

Around the age of 19, he came to realize just how much people suffered due to the fact that everyone had to dedicate their lives to earning a living. This aroused great sorrow and compassion in him. Out of this inspiration came the will to ordain as a monk and to seek a way to extinguish desire. However, he could not relinquish responsibility for his family at that time. Instead he prayed to Lord Buddha, asking, “Lord, may I not die before I am able to ordain, an ordination that will last throughout my whole life”. Thereafter he put more effort into his work, accumulating a fund that was enough to sustain his mother throughout the rest of her life. He then entered the Buddhist Sangha as a monk.

 

 

Ordination:

 

In July 1906, at the age of 22 he joined the monastic order at Wat Song Phi Nong, Suphanburi Province. The Venerable Dee from Wat Pratoo Sarn was his preceptor. The venerable Phra Kru Vinayamuyoga (Niang Indajoto) of Wat Song Phi Nong was the Act-announcing teacher and the Venerable Noong Indasuwanno was his ordination-proclaiming teacher. He received the Pali monastic name Candasaro as recognition of his status as a monk.

 

In the Monkhood:

 

The aim of this ordination was to attain Nibbana (“Nirvana” in Sanskrit). He had started the Vinaya or 'monastic discipline' and other studies in monastic regulation as a Naga (novice monk), during which he spent 10 days as an applicant for ordination in the temple so that he could practice correctly from the very beginning. Thus, Luang Pu Wat Paknam conducted his life virtuously from the first day of his ordination.

He practiced Dhamma as he had hoped to do when he was studying the Pali scriptures, especially the Mahasatipatthana Sutta, the scripture dedicated to the practice of meditation. He also sought the expertise of established teachers and studied in many well know meditation schools, for instance, with Phramonkolthipmuni (Mui) the ex-abbot of War Chakrawat, and with Phrakruvirat (Po) Wat Kao Yai. They were all virtuous teachers in meditation and scripture study, who demonstrated wholesome ethical practice and impeccable manners. Each of them had numerous students. Luang Pu enthusiastically practiced to a certain level with which the teachers were satisfied; indeed, they asked him to stay and instruct the other students. However, he felt that what he had learned was not sufficient for the extinction of all suffering.

White practicing Dhamma, he kept on studying the scriptures, so that he could translate and understand the content of the Mahasatipatthana manuscript. Then he ceased his scriptural studies and devoted himself to meditation, as recommended in the Visuddhimagga, the path to purity for the practice of Dhamma.

 

Rediscovery of Vijja Dhammakaya:

 

In the 12th year of his monkhood 1917, Luang Pu had his rainy season retreat at Wat Boat-Bon Bangkuvieng, Nonthaburi. By doing this he was able to return a favor of the Venerable Abbot, who had given him books for his study. Moreover, he could acquire merit by giving sermons to the lay people while he was there.

In the middle of the Lenten season, on the full moon night of the 11th lunar month, he considered his age and the length of his monkhood, and the fact that he still did not fully understand the Dhamma that Lord Buddha had attained. He made a determination, using his life as a wager: "Upon this sitting, if I cannot attain the Dhamma that the Lord Buddha acquired, then I shall not stand up until the end of my life". He was able to attain Dhammakaya in the middle of that night.

That night, Luang Pu realized that "the Lord Buddha's Dhamma is too profound to be conceived or pondered; if we keep on just thinking we will surely never attain it. The way to attainment is to bring the whole mind - conceiving, pondering and thinking - to a standstill. Once it is still, the hindrances which obstruct enlightenment will cease to be. And once that happens, enlightenment will arise." Later on, he gave a brief statement that “stopping the mind is the key to success.” After that he practiced and studied more and more, gaining internal experience in order to achieve the utmost level of Dhamma; the more he studied, the more skillful he became.

The method by which Luang Pu attained Dhammakaya, is the great rediscovery. It is not merely a practice that followed the content or memory of any scripture, but rather the attainment and perception of the Dhamma within oneself. It can happen by introducing the mind into the middle path, which is the best way to go beyond suffering. One who is able to accomplish this is able to extinguish all sources of defilement and suffering, obtaining eternal happiness which is surely the highest aim of all beings. Therefore, his rediscovery of this ancient knowledge system is of advantage to all humankind. Most of all, his attainment of Dhammakaya can be understood as a fine example of the Lord Buddha's words - given to novice monks: “Dhammakaya Itipi” or “Dhammakaya is my name.” Experts in contemplative practices usually claim that a person can attain Dhamma in-depth by simply understanding and by following directions. The reality is that a person one must develop and transform himself/herself through merit, wisdom and perfection. Luang Pu's attainment of Dhammakaya is a demonstration of such a development of perfection and of the accumulation of merit.

Luang Pu stated:

 

“Stopping the mind is the key to success.”

 

Khun Yay (Khun Mae Acariya Chandra)

Luang Pu Wat Paknam Best Disciple

 

 

Khun Yay was a very important person, who help established Wat Phra Dhammakaya behind the scene. She is the Great Teacher of Luang Poh Dhammajayo, all the monks in Wat Phra Dhammakaya, Upasuk, Upasika and all the supporters of the temple. She sacrifice her whole life for the benefits of Wat Dhammakaya Temple.

 

 

Khun Yay had meditated in the Meditation Workshop with other nuns and monks when the Great Master, Luang Pu Wat Paknam, was still alive. These monks and nuns were selected by Lunag Pu Wat Paknam because they had remarkable concentration in meditation. At that time, Khun Yay meditated with determination for six hours during the day and six hours at night. She had such superb results from her meditation experiences that Luang Pu Wat Paknam extolled her among other meditators with: "Daughter Chandra is the best. She is second to none."

 

Luang Phaw Dhammajayo

The President of the Dhammakaya Foundation

 

Phrarajbhavanavisudh (Venerable Dhammajayo Bhikkhu) was born Mr.Chaiyaboon Suthipol on Saturday, the 22nd of April 1944, the first night of the waxing moon in the 6th month of the Lunar Calendar at 6 p.m.. He grew up in a small house located at the bank of the Chao Praya River in the sub-district of Paeng, in the district Promburi, and Province of Singhburi. His father, Janyong Suthipol, worked as an engineer at the Industry Factory Department for the Ministry of Industry, and his mother was Juree Suthipol. The day Chaiyaboon was born, an auspicious event occurred. All of his relatives, who were angry and had never visited each other for a long time, were restored to family harmony by the birth of their first nephew. The birth of Chaiyaboon was an auspicious event for harmony, like rain falling on dry and cracked ground, restoring it back to a smooth surface.
 
Since his father was a government employee who had to regularly relocate to different provinces, Chaiyaboon was raised by his mother and cousins. Moreover, he had to move on a regular basis. Later, his father, concerned about Chaiyaboon’s education and future, registered his son in the first grade at Talapat Suksa School, a boarding school at Sao-Shingsha.
 
This was good fortune for young Chaiyaboon. The chairman of the boarding school that he was attending, who was of royal blood, had no children of his own. He loved Chaiyaboon very much and asked Chaiyaboon’s father if he could adopt him to be his heir. Since Chaiyaboon was the only and beloved son of the family, his father declined the offer. However, the chairman still loved him and would always bring him to the Sra Pratum Palace. This allowed him the opportunity to learn the customs of royalty from that time forward. It also gave him the chance to associate with and gain merit from the monks there. This was the start of Chaiyaboon's interest in Dhamma.
 
In 1950, his father received an order to relocate to Petchburi. Chaiyaboon had to be separated from the chairman since he was transferring to Aroon Pradit School for the fourth grade. After living with his father for a little over a year, he moved to Sarasithipithayalai where a famous school stood in Banpaeng District, Rajburi Province. His father allowed him to stay with a kind-hearted and generous teacher, Samarn Sang-Aroon, until he completed the ninth grade.

 

 

When he was thirteen, Chaiyaboon passed the competitive entrance examination to enroll in the tenth grade at Suankularb Wittayalai School in Bangkok. He was one of one hundred fifty students who passed the test from a pool of five hundred candidates. Since he was on his own most of the time, he learned how to economize and save. Therefore, this experience trained him to be vigorous, confident, and responsible. He differed from other boys who grew up in wealthy families.
 
According to an economical finance in his family, he has to save his daily spending to afford only diets and nutrition. He seldom bought any toys or playing equipment like any other teenagers could. Someday, he could only has a plain rice to be his lunch at school. He had to use his skill that he could tell joking stories to his friends in order to exchange courses earned with rice. His childhood experiences prepared him for his important future tasks, and after long hard work he finally reached his dream.
 
As he was a bookworm but he could not afford to buy any books. He had to read a book that he liked at one book shop until he was chased by the owners. He had to move to the nest shop to read the same book; again and again until finished the book at the last shop. Then one day, he came across a book titled, “Dhammakaya” in Vipassana Bantuengsarn (Meditation Magazine). This book was written in the format of a sermon by Phramongkolthepmuni (Sodh Candasaro) Luang Pu Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen. There was one particular quote: “If one wants to follow in the right path of Buddhism, one has to practice until one gains complete comprehension and understanding.” At the end of this book, it showed a confirmation that Wat Paknam Temple was able to teach until attaining complete comprehension and understanding. This statement delighted him because he knew he had found the right path. This propelled Chaiyaboon to want to learn meditation at the temple. From that point on, he planned to go to Wat Paknam Temple to study the Dhammakaya Meditation Technique.
 
In 1963, at the age of nineteen, he was preparing to take the entrance examination for university-level studies. The young man, Chaiyaboon, made a decision to go to Paknam Bhasicharoen Temple to find a master to study the Dhammakaya Meditation Technique. When he arrived at the temple, he asked different people for a meditation master that referred in the magazine, Mother Acariya Chandra, but no one knew. But they knew only a Teacher Chandra. This made him think that these were two different persons. Since he couldn’t find her, he concentrated his efforts on the entrance exam. He passed the exam and was accepted at Kasetsart University.
 
In the first semester, freshman Chaiyaboon was very focused in his studies. Later, at the end of the first semester, his thoughts of Mother Acariya Chandra resurfaced. So, he decided to go back to Paknam Bhasicharoen Temple again in October 1963. After practicing meditation for a period of time, he discovered that Mother Acariya Chandra was Teacher Chandra. So, he was taken to meet Teacher Chandra, 58. Finally, they both had the opportunity to meet one another. Later, he learnt meditation only with Teacher Chandra at Paknam Temple. He and Teacher Chandra were like a grand son to a kind old lady, he finally called his teacher “Khun Yay” (a pronoun to call old lady with respect).
 
Years had passed, he meditated deeply and attained inner peace, Chaiyaboon’s confidence in the knowledge found in Buddhism continued to increase. He saw that the fruits of meditation could release humans from their suffering, and had indisputably answered the many unresolved questions he had in his mind. Later, young Chaiyaboon came to a clear realization that the knowledge of the world could not truly keep humankind from suffering, or be able to attain true happiness; only the wisdom derived from meditation could help. Chaiyaboon then decided to ask Khun Yay for permission to become ordained as a monk. On Khun Yay’s birthday in 1968, through his recollection of Khun Yay’s benevolence for the kindness she bestowed with the teachings of Dhamma, along with an act to demonstrate his gratitude, Chaiyaboon wanted to present a gift to her by making a vow of truthfulness and to remain celibate for the remainder of his life.

In April of 1969, Chaiyaboon graduated with a Bachelor’s degree, with a major in Economics and Administration and a minor in Farming. After receiving his degree, he immediately informed his father of his desire to ordain for life in the Buddhist monkhood. August 27th, 1969, a full moon day on the ninth month of the lunar calendar, was an auspicious day as Mr. Chaiyaboon Suthipol donned the saffron robe and became a monk, as he had wished, at the chapel of Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen. Phrathepwarawaetee (currently, Somdejphramaharatchamangkalajahn, abbot of the Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen, Thailand), was his preceptor, Phrakrupipatdhammakanee was his senior examining monk (Kamavacacariya) at the ordination, and Phravicheankawee was his junior examining monk (Anusavanacariya). He received the monastic title "Dhammajayo", which means "The victor through Dhamma".

 

 

After his ordination, he gave a speech of his thoughts about the principles of ordaining as a monk: 
 
"Ordaining as a Buddhist monk is not an easy task, just simply donning a saffron robe is not enough. One must train oneself to take 227 precepts as well as the daily routine of a monk's life, in accordance with monastic disciplines. If one wishes to attain the full fruition from the merit accrued from ordaining one must be able to be a refuge for Buddhism, not just taking refuge in Buddhism."