Dharma talks
Blooming like (lotus) flowers
All over the internet

Dharma books and Dharma talks, the focus of today's article, can help us lead a happier life.

To "practice" football or tennis means to repeat skills used to win the game over and over again. We hope to improve and perfect our performance so we can win. When we take a shot on goal, with practice we will score a goal. The "practice of mindfulness" is a little different. The only person we are beating or winning a competition against, is ourselves. And everyone can win.

The practice of Vipassana meditation, noting each sensation and then returning to concentration on breathing, on the passage of air, in and out of one's nostrils, of the rise and fall of one's chest, until another sensation occurs, is noted, and one returns again to concentration on one's breathing. We can do this sort of meditation while walking to work or sitting on the bus or subway, perhaps not while driving a car or motorcycle. Calm people ("jai yen") are a pleasure to talk to and be with and meditation can help us become calm. Calm people are one of the "national treasures" of Thailand.

Dharma books are free and today's article tells you where to get them on the internet or in Bangkok.

Reading Questions

1. What two realisations made the business people in this article into happy people?

2. How did their lives change after they started practicing mindfulness?

3. How old are Nantapat and Kiatsakon?

4. Is mindfulness practice best suited for older people who have experienced suffering in their lives?
What benefits does it have for younger people? (Express your opinion)

Bangkok Post Article November 02, 2007

practice - do something regularly
mindfulness - meditating, noting everything that happens (as in Vipassana meditation)
mindfulness practice - regularly meditating, being "mindful" of all experiences in everyday life
practitioners - people who do something regularly
there's no denying that - it is obviously true to everyone
dhamma - the teachings of the Buddha
soul - the non-physical part of a living being (human, animal, plant?) that continues to exist after death
encourage - give hope, confidence, and energy to continue doing a good thing
put idea into practice - actually do the idea, rather than just talk about the idea

A Market Trader

Nantapat Peerapolporn, 37, admits that with three years of daily mindfulness practice she has the kind of happiness she has never experienced before.

"For a market trader like me, what would be more important than making a lot of money? My only goal back then was to get rich without causing trouble to anybody. Then I had the chance to attend my first vipassana course four years ago, and that opened a new world to me," she says.

A year later she took more intensive courses and began practising mindfulness in her daily life. "I gradually came to understand that spiritual happiness was much more important than material wealth," she says. "Now I'm much happier, even though I'm not wealthy at all."

From being a person who loved only herself, she now cares more about fellow humans and also animals. "The more I know myself, the more I realise the truth that all lives are equal. And I'm no different from them, as we all have our own suffering to deal with. So why do we have to exploit or bring more trouble to each other," she says.

She seems to be much more fortunate than most people in that she knows how to live a peaceful life. "Through mindfulness I see the root cause of my suffering and know how to live my life with the least of them. I am always willing to guide people with problems to practise mindfulness," she said.

admits - says something that they would not normally say
mindfulness practice - regularly meditating, being "mindful" of all experiences in everyday life
market trader - a business person who buys and sells goods in a market
material wealth - the money and valuable things we own such as a car or a house
fellow humans - people who are humans just like us (and therefore very much the same as us)
exploit - (negative) use for your own gain (note: "exploit a resource" has a neutral, non-negative meaning)
fortunate - had good luck
root cause - the most important cause
practise - do regularly to perfect

A Self-Employed Business Person

Her good intentions are echoed by Kiatsakon Pummarin, a 49-year-old self-employed businessman, who is happy to share the benefits he gets from mindfulness practice with anyone who is interested.

Kiatsakon became serious about dhamma after listening to a dhamma lecture about hell, heaven and the cycle of birth and death during his first vipassana course eight years ago.

"At the time I was really determined to observe the Five Precepts and attend more vipassana courses with the hope that I wouldn't be sent to hell after death. But the more courses I followed, the more peacefulness and happiness I gained," he says.

After seven years of formal meditation practised regularly at home, he began to concentrate more on mindfulness practice in daily life. It's been a year so far, and he finds that his life has completely changed.

"Now I'm quicker at detecting my anger and greed and they can't get the better of me any more," he says. "They're just like unwanted feelings that I happen to know of, but I can stay calm with a neutral mind and see them go away in a very short time."

By observing his body and mind continually, Kiatsakon also discovered that he was able to stay neutral in nearly all situations, even when experiencing severe pain. "I feel I'm aware of the unpleasant feelings my mind has developed as a result of the pain. They just stop there and I can tolerate the pain calmly," he says.

Now he finds it interesting and even fun to learn more about his own mind, and he is pleased that his self-awareness is getting stronger over time. Having chosen to live a modest but meaningful life, he is determined to keep practising mindfulness until the last day of his life. "If I have to be born again, I hope to be born human so that I can continue to practise," he says.

good intentions -
echoed - repeat, say the same thing
self-employed businessman - a business owner, does not work for someone else
became serious about - started to think carefully about and treat as important
cycle of birth and death (samsara) - the world of life on earth (birth, sickness, death) with happiness mixed in, of course, the opposite of "Nibbana" or "Nirvana"
Five Precepts - five rules to follow in Buddhism often chanted individually or collectively: 1. Kill not, 2. Steal not, 3. Indulge in no forbidden sexual pleasure, 4. Lie not, 5. Take no intoxifying or stupefying drug or liquor
chant - words repeated over and over again
concentrate - give all your attention to, devote your mind to
detecting - finding, discovering
greed - desire to have more than is necessary or fair
stay calm, calmly - does not show or feel extreme emotions (anger, excitement, worry)
neutral - neither affected by other things, nor affecting other things
tolerate - allow other people to behave as they want, even though you don't agree with it
a modest life - does not require a lot of expensive things, uses just enough money as is necessary

Useful dhamma media

Dhamma lectures in CD format by Luang Phor Promote Pamotecho

- Luang Phor Pramote's CDs are highly recommended for everybody who wants to know what mindfulness practice is all about. Sharing the same theme - how to correctly observe the body and mind with awareness - the lectures also include some dhamma knowledge and a question and answer session between the monk and his students/practitioners. The contents of each lecture are quite similar to one another, but it's still easy and fun to listen. You can start with any CD and you will know how it feels to be really "awake". The lectures are available in Thai at http://www.wimutti.net/pramote.

media - a physical form for communicating information (CD, DVD, internet, book, radio, tv, for example)
in CD format - on CD (could also be in DVD or tape formats)
recommended - suggest that something is good and should be used
a theme - an idea (developed and repeated)
awareness - know or realise that something is happening, noting that something is happening as in Vipassana meditation

"Withi Haeng Kwam Roo Chaeng" (Path to Enlightenment) by Luang Phor Promote Pamotecho

- The book offers a guideline for developing mindfulness for various levels of understanding. Only the first two chapters of this book are available in English at http://www.wimutti.net/pramote, which can be downloaded free of charge.

"Pratheep Song Dham" by Luang Phor Promote Pamotecho

- The first six chapters of the book give a detailed explanation on how to practise mindfulness with the focus on self-awareness and mind observation, while the next five chapters concentrate on the Buddhist scriptures. The book concludes with a compilation of the most-frequently asked questions about dhamma practice. The book is available in Thai at http://www.wimutti.net/pramote.

self-awareness - acting a in a thoughful manner, thinking before and while one does something (instead of acting thoughtlessly)
observation - carefully watching something (and noting the way that it works)
concentrate on - give all your attention to, devote your mind to
scriptures - the important sacred writings of a religion (such as Buddhism, Hinduism, or Christianity)
compilation -
most-Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - common questions that most people ask (most websites have a special page with these questions, to save people the time of asking them over and over again)

"Khae Doo Kor Roo Chaeng" and "Had Roo Had Doo" by Acharn Surawat Seriwiwattana

- These two small books are in very easy language. "Khae Doo Kor Roo Chaeng" introduces easy methods on how to observe the body and mind. "Had Roo Had Doo" provides more details of the general principles of mind observation in daily life. The books are available in Thai at http://www.wimutti.net/surawat.

"Dae Thur Poo Roo Seuk Tua" or "To One That Feels" (English version) by Luang Phor Teean Jittasubho

- The book is a compilation of dhamma talks by the late Luang Phor Teean Jittasubho, one of the most remarkable teachers of Buddhist practice in modern times. It offers a direct approach to mindfulness practice with the focus on mind observation. "To One That Feels" can be downloaded for free at http://www.luangporteean.com.

All of the CDs and books are also given away at Suan Santidham in Chon Buri. Free copies of most of the items above can be obtained at Baan Aree Library on Soi Aree 1, Phahon Yothin Road. The place houses around 1,000 Thai dhamma books and a few English titles. For more information, contact the library at 02-279-7838.

remarkable - special or unusual in a surprising way
focus on - concentrate on, give attention to, devote mind to
given away - given to people for free
houses - keeps at the place

Dhamma novels by Suddasa Onkom

- This series of dhamma novels is not directly about mindfulness practice but, I believe, can inspire you to try dhamma practice. The "Sat Loke Yom Pen Pai Tam Kam" series is the novelisation of the life and teachings of the famous monk Luang Phor Jaran of Wat Ampawan in Sing Buri. The series details the monk's life from childhood to the present and recounts his experience with the law of karma in a hilarious style. A lot of dhamma teachings are also interwoven in a shrewd fashion. The series consists of five volumes so far - "Makalee Phon", "Naree Phon", "Sat Loke Yom Pen Pai Tam Kam", "Wattachak Chewit" and "Kwam Long Nai Songsarn". The third volume is also available in English under the name "Fruit of Karma". The books are on sale at leading bookstores.

novelisation - make into a novel
recounts - tells a story
experience - knowledge gained from doing for a long time
hilarious - funny, makes you laugh
interwoven - closely connected and combined with each other
shrewd - can quickly understand what is going on and act accordingly
fashion - way of doing something, manner
so far - up to this time
fruit of - the result of, what you receive as a result of
leading - one of the best

Answer Key:

1. What two realisations made the business people in this article into happy people?

a. Realising that the practice of mindfulness could change their life for the better.
b. Realising that making lots of money was not the most important thing in life.

("For a market trader like me, what would be more important than making a lot of money? My only goal back then was to get rich without causing trouble to anybody. Then I had the chance to attend my first vipassana course four years ago, and that opened a new world to me," she says.

A year later she took more intensive courses and began practising mindfulness in her daily life. "I gradually came to understand that spiritual happiness was much more important than material wealth," she says. "Now I'm much happier, even though I'm not wealthy at all.")

2. How did their lives change after they started practicing mindfulness?

Nantapat:
a. They understood that spiritual happiness was more important than material wealth.
b. They care more about other humans and animals.
c. They know themselves.
d. They realise that all lives are equal.
e. Other people suffer just like I do, so I avoid causing them to suffer.
f. Know the root cause of suffering, so I can avoid it as much as possible.
g. Guide other people to have a happy life practicing mindfulness like I do.

Kiatsakon:
a. Avoid going to hell.
b. Detect anger and greed and control them and their negative effects.
c. Stay calm.
d. Tolerate extreme pain with calmness.
e. Realising that a modest life can be meaningful and fulfilling.
f. Realising that it can be fun and interesting to learn more about one's own mind.
g. Increase chances of being reincarnated as a higher life form like a human.

3. How old are Nantapat and Kiatsakon?

Nantapat is 37 years old.

Kiatsakon is 49 years old.

4. Is mindfulness practice best suited for older people who have experienced suffering in their lives?
What benefits does it have for younger people? (Express your opinion)

Animated feature film with Life of the Buddha
To be released soon

A new animated cartoon film depicting the Life of the Buddha and produced in Thailand is to be released in the near future.

Thai cartoonists and animators have built up a significant amount of experience over the years

This experience has been gained by working on state of the art animations either at famous foreign animation companies or at Thai companies sub-contracting with them.

Unlike other religions which have one book for their sacred scriptures, the Buddhist religion needs several bookshelves to hold all the sacred scriptures (Tipitaka).

The details of the Buddha's life are spread over many books and are quite complex.

So the film producers have enlisted the help of expert monks to check and monitor whether the film follows the details of Buddhist scriptures accurately or not.

The real difficult trick seems to have been to make the story entertaining and easy to follow for children while at the same time keeping the film true to the Buddhist scriptures (Tipitaka).

This has been difficult in the past.

When the film Angulimala was released in 2003 there were protests that the film did not accurately follow the Buddhist scriptures (Tipitaka).

Things will be different this time.

state of the art - using the latest technology
sub-contract - make a contract with a larger company to do part of its work for them
enlisted the help of - asked to help them

Reading Questions

1. How long is the film in hours?

2. What languages will the film be released in?

3. Does the dialogue of the film follow Buddhist scriptures?

4. How is the Buddha's battle with Mara depicted to make it easier for children to understand? How does this simplify things?

5. How has the film been made easier for younger viewers to watch?

6. What episodes of the film demonstrate the Law of Karma?

7. Why is Phra Moggallana depicted as strong and muscular and Phra Sariputra as physically weak?

8. What are some other examples of realistic details in the film?

9. Why is the film such a good teaching tool for Buddhist studies?

10. What is an inaccuracy in the original script that had to be corrected?

11. What kind of experts checked and monitored the accuracy of the film?

12. How did the film ensure accurate visual details for the places that the Buddha visited during his life?

13. How did Thai animators acquire their animation experience?

14. How many images are there in the whole film?

15. How many years ago was the project started?

16. Do they have any plans to release the film in a television version?

Bangkok Post Article March 28, 2007

'Life of the Buddha'

Animated Scenes from the Life of the Buddha

At his birth, Prince Siddhartha was able to walk on magic lotus flowers. The prince grew up in a big, beautiful city, surrounded with luxuries. Married with one son, he started to question the meaning of life before fleeing the palace to find the ultimate truth. (Photo on right: The beautiful castle where Prince Siddhartha lived before becoming the Lord Buddha.)

During the moments leading to his enlightenment, the prince sat under a tree, facing an army of devils in various manifestations, attempting to seduce and distract him from his spiritual goals.

These scenes are from a new animation film, Life of the Buddha, to be screened across the country on December 5 to celebrate His Majesty the King's 80th birthday.

While certain scenes, such as walking on lotus flowers, may be questioned by modern minds, the animation project's president, Wallapa Pimtong, said the story is true to the Tipitaka and the Buddhist canon.

The cartoon runs for 100 minutes, and depicts the life of the Lord Buddha from his birth, ordination, enlightenment and pilgrimages to his passing to nirvana. It will be dubbed into at least five languages - English, Mandarin, Korean, Japanese and German.

adhere strictly to - follow exactly
Tipitaka - the collection of Buddhist sacred writings, originally written in the Indian language of Pali (See Wikipedia)
manifestations - different ways it appears
seduce - change someone's behaviour by attractive appearance
distract - takes your attention away from what you are doing
the Buddhist canon - the sacred writings of Buddhism (many volumes)
ordination - the ceremony to become a monk
pilgrimages - a trip to an important religious place to worship and pay respect
dubbed into - translating the dialogue of a movie into another language

The Screenplay

The screenplay, written by Ampira Wongdhamma, begins when a deity is born as the prince who will become the Lord Buddha.

It also depicts miracles described in the Tipitaka. Audiences, she said, will be treated to dazzling scenes of miracles, such as when the Three Worlds reveal themselves when the Lord Buddha descends from heaven to visit his mother, Queen Sirimahamaya.

In this film, the Lord Buddha's sayings are direct quotes from the Buddhist canon while conversations have been simplified.

To make it easier for children to understand the Lord Buddha's battles with the Devil (evils and lusts) in his mind, Mara is portrayed in this film as a frightening character.

a deity - a god
depicts - shows in the film
miracles - surprising events that go beyond science (and the normal laws of physics)
dazzling - impressive in skill and beauty
Three Worlds - the three different Buddhist worlds: Kamaloka, Rupaloka, Arupaloka (See explanation) lusts - sexual desire
portrayed - shows in the film

The frightening Mara:

Fun scenes have been included after serious scenes to give younger viewers a break. One example is the Indian-style dancing scene, where Sujata and other women are preparing a special meal (called Khao Mathupayas) for the Lord Buddha, before his enlightenment.

One of the themes in the movie is the Law of Karma. For example, Phra Devadatta, a Buddhist monk who had plotted to disunite the Sangha community and kill the Lord Buddha several times, finally dies.

This law is inevitable even for arahants, or enlightened ones. For example, Phra Moggallana, one of the Lord Buddha's closest disciples, faces a violent death despite his arahantship because he had killed his parents in a previous life.

Law of Karma - actions in the past have effects in the present (See Buddhist Encyclopedia and Wikipedia)
Devadatta - the cousin of the Buddha who created division among the monks (See Buddhist Encyclopedia and Wikipedia)
disunite - make less united ("dis" means "the opposite action")
the Sangha - the organisation of monks in Buddhism
inevitable - will surely happen
arahants -
Phra Moggallana - the disciple of the Buddha most famous for his supernatural powers (See Biography and Wikipedia and on relics)

Angulimala, ...


"Although every detail is according to the Tipitaka, the characters are portrayed as human, with joys, disappointments and sorrows," Wallapa said.

For director Assoc Prof Dr Krismant Whattananarong, this is a great challenge.

For example, portraying Phra Moggallana as strong and muscular, and Phra Sariputra as physically weak, does not come out of thin air. It comes from the Buddhist canon.

The banks of the Anoma River, where Prince Siddhartha left the secular world, is also a white sandy beach, not rocky. The tree under which the Lord Buddha lay before passing to parinirvana, is tall and slim, not full of branches and leaves.

"We are confident that every detail is true to the Tipitaka. So, teachers can use this animation as a teaching tool," he said.

One of the people waiting anxiously for the completion of this animation is Phra Sudhivoryarn, chairman of the content review committee. "It will certainly help make the Lord Buddha's life more accessible to children," he said.

... Prince Siddhartha ...

Angulimala - a ruthless killer who is redeemed by conversion to Buddhism (See Angulimala Sutta and Wikipedia)
Mara - the demon who tempts the Buddha and distracts him from his goal (some see Mara as an psychological force, a metaphor for the doubt and temptation that obstructs religious practice; See Wikipedia)
Sariputra - an important disciple of the Buddha, Sariputra often preached with the Buddha's approval and was awarded the title of 'General of the Dharma' (Pali: Dhammasenapati) for his propagation of the faith and is regarded as the founder of the Abhidharma tradition (See Biography and Wikipedia)
does not come out of thin air - is not produced from nothing, actually is based on something
waiting anxiously - worried and nervous about a long delay (because he wants the positive message to get out to help children)
make accessible - simple enough so that people can appreciate easily

Ensuring Correctness of Details

The project, she said, had its fair share of obstacles. After almost two years in pre-production, for example, the team had to revise the screenplay when it was found that certain segments were not true to the Tipitaka.

For example, the old script said that Mara dwells in a cave, but Mara is described in the Tipitaka as living in the top level of heaven, called Poranimmittavatsavati.

To prevent similar mistakes, the whole script has been reviewed by experts at Mahachulalongkorn- rajavidyalaya University, said Wallapa.

Wallapa added that difficulties for this production involved not only the creation of characters, scenes and movements, but also the need to ensure the reliability of geographical facts that required analysis of every scene by experts.

Fortunately, there was no need for the production team to survey locations in India and Nepal themselves - they could check photos, provided by Wallapa, who studied at Magadh University, India.

To ensure the contents were correct, a special committee of experts and monks, appointed by Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University president Phra Dhammakosajarn, held monthly meetings.

"The monks, especially committee chairman Phra Sudhivoryarn and deputy chairman Phra Srithawatmaythee, would check everything, from the screenplay to characters and movements. Everything had to be approved by them," Wallapa recalled.

pre-production - the steps before production of an animated film actually begins: script, storyboard, design, color key, and timing
revise - write again to improve
a screenplay - the dialogue of what is said in the film (printed on paper to read)
true to - details match original story
reliability - works the way you expected

Animation

According to Wallapa, this is Thailand's first full-length animated movie since Sudsakorn, produced by Payut Ngao-krajang in 1979. The team making the movie consisted of some 50 to 60 cartoonists and animators, many with over 10 years of experience in Hollywood and foreign animation companies.

Anusorn Rodsook, an experienced animator who had been part of Toei Animation's production of Galaxy Express, Saint Seiya and Sailor Moon, said Thai cartoonists and animators excel at such work and are among the first choices for foreign animation companies.

"The entire movie consists of over one million drawings. Each minute on the screen took months of production. There was a lot to do, from scriptwriting, storyboarding, layouts, characterisation and background animation to computerisation," she said.

storyboarding - planning the story with a series of pictures or cartoons on a board
layouts - the general way that things are arranged in a film's frames
characterisation - making interesting characters for the story

Finance and Distribution

The 108 million baht project, mostly funded by Wallapa's Media Standard Company, was started in late 2003 by the firm and the Dharma Cartoon Group, with advice from Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University.

According to Wallapa, the only sponsorship the project has received is in the form of public relations support from six state agencies and financial support to the tune of five million baht from the Young Buddhists' Association of Thailand. The company is also hoping the film will be broadcast as a series on Channel 7.

Hoping to distribute the cartoon in the West, where interest in Buddhism is on the rise, Wallapa said they were seeking a distribution deal in Los Angeles.

Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University - a major Buddhist university in Thailand
Young Buddhists' Association of Thailand (YBAT) - important Buddhist youth group in Thailand under Royal Patronage (See Website)

Donations

Those wishing to support this film may donate 1,500 baht to buy a copy of a book entitled 'The Making of the Life of Buddha' for a needy school of their choice. The book is illustrated with scenes from the cartoon as well as providing readers with cartoon drawing techniques. For more information, call 02-556-1366/7 or email wallapa28@yahoo.com.

Answer Key:

1. How long is the film in hours?

The film runs 1 and 2/3rds hours.

2. What languages will the film be released in?

English, Mandarin, Korean, Japanese and German.

3. Does the dialogue of the film follow Buddhist scriptures?

The most important parts of the film follow the Buddhist scriptures exactly. Direct quotes are used for what the Buddha says. Only conversations are simplified to make the film easy to watch.

4. How is the Buddha's battle with Mara depicted to make it easier for children to understand? How does this simplify things?

Mara is depicted as a frightening character that looks like a monster, even though many Buddhist thinkers believe that Mara represents psychological states in the mind such as lust.

5. How has the film been made easier for younger viewers to watch?

Serious scenes are followed by fun scenes.

6. What episodes of the film demonstrate the Law of Karma?

a. The death of Devadatta after trying to split the Sangha and murder his cousin the Buddha.
b. Despite Phra Moggallana's enlightenment and status as an important disciple of the Buddha, he died a violent death because of bad things he had done in a previous life.

7. Why is Phra Moggallana depicted as strong and muscular and Phra Sariputra as physically weak?

Because that is the way it is depicted in the Tipitaka.

8. What are some other examples of realistic details in the film?

a. The Anoma River where the Buddha left secular life, is depicted as the actual river in Nepal with a white sandy beach and not rocky.
b. The tree under which the Buddha attained to Parinirvana is tall and slim not full of branches and leaves.

9. Why is the film such a good teaching tool for Buddhist studies?

Because the details of the film match the Tipitaka.

10. What is an inaccuracy in the original script that had to be corrected?

The original script has MAra live in a cave, but Mara actually lives at the top level of heaven.

11. What kind of experts checked and monitored the accuracy of the film?

A committee of knowledgeable monks from Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya Buddhist university.

12. How did the film ensure accurate visual details for the places that the Buddha visited during his life?

They used photos of locations in India and Nepal.

13. How did Thai animators acquire their animation experience?

a. Many of them had several years of experience in Hollywood and foreign animation companies.
b. Thai animation companies such as Toei Animation are often hired by foreign animation companies to do animation work.

14. How many images are there in the whole film?

There are over one million images or drawings.

15. How many years ago was the project started?

About four years ago in 2003.

16. Do they have any plans to release the film in a television version?

Yes, they would like to broadcast it as a television series on Channel 7.

Luang Por Panyananda's example: A model life in Thai Buddhism

The very revered and respected monk known popularly as Luang Por Banya passed away last week and the whole nation of Thailand went into mourning.

In today's article Bangkok Post writer-editor and public intellectual Sanitsuda Ekachai remembers and reflects on how the revered monk taught by example.

Reading Questions

1. What is needed to restore the public's faith in Buddhism?

2. How old was the late Luang Por Panya when he died last week?

3. How many years did Luang Por Banya spend in the monkhood?

4. What was Luang Por Panya known for? What is his legacy?

5. Which monastery did Luang Por Panya reside at?

6. How did Luang Por Panya teach by example?
(Provide examples)

7. How were sermons and ceremonies made more relevant to people's lives?

8. What commitment did Luang Por Banya and Buddhadasa Bhikku share?

9. How did Luang Por Banya's approach to teaching the dharma differ from Buddhasa Bhikku's?

10. How did Luang Por Banya spread his teachings outside of the monastery?

11. What was Luang Por Banya's stance towards politics?

12. Did Luang Por Banya ever show favour to rich and powerful people?

13. Did Luang Por Banya ever use his position to accumulate personal wealth?

Bangkok Post Article October 18, 2007

A monk true to the dharma

pass away - (polite) die
true to - act according to a high standard (without fail)
restore - cause to exist again
thronging - go somewhere in great numbers, in a crowd
avalanche - when many things suddenly happen at the same time (like the side of a snow covered mountain falling down)

Reforms

That was how the late Panyananda Bhikkhu lived his life before he passed away last week at the age of 96. It was why he stood tall in the clergy. Luang Por Panya, as the revered monk was affectionately called nationwide, spent 76 years in the monkhood weeding out superstition and ceremonial frills from core Buddhist teachings, as well as making dharma more easily accessible to the urban public. Doing by showing, he turned Wat Cholapratan into a model temple where it is a no-no for monks to smoke, sprinkle sacred water, act as fortune-tellers or distribute amulets to the public. To cut waste and luxury, Luang Por modified costly ordination and funeral ceremonies to become simple and practical affairs while maintaining the essence of the religious rites of passage. For ordination, the monks-to-be had to pass the prayer tests to show their determination to enter the monastic life. For funeral rites, wreaths, food and entertainment were prohibited.

Meanwhile, the traditional yawn-inducing sermons in Pali were replaced by dharma speeches with relevance to current events and modern angst.

Luang Por also initiated temple weddings during which the brides and grooms received dharma teachings on their proper marital role and relationship. When the wife was expecting, the couple would return to the temple again to receive dharma on parenthood.

In addition, he initiated the sending of dharma books and tapes at New Year's to turn the often wasteful celebrations into meaningful ones.

reforms - improvements (in government or religion)
the late - (polite) not alive anymore, has died.
stood tall - stature, importance and reputation
affectionately - with love and fondness
weeding out - taking the bad things out so the good things remain
superstition - (negative) belief in things that are not possible
frills - unnecessary extra features
core - most important (should be studied first)
is a no-no - is something that you should not do
sprinkle - scatter water lightly over something
ordination - ceremony for becoming a monk
determination - doing with great strength (not letting anything stop you)
rites - religious ceremonies for important life events (such as birth, marriage, death)
wreaths - flowers arranged in a circle (placed on a grave of someone has died to remember them by)
yawn - opening mouth wide when tired and sleepy
inducing - causing
Pali - the Indian language of Buddhist holy books
angst - continual anxiety, worrying, and unhappiness
brides - the woman in a marriage ceremony
grooms - the man in a marriage ceremony
expecting - wife will have baby soon (expecting a baby)
initiated - started, began

Biography

Born Pan Sanehcharoen on May 11, 1911 to a farming family, the Phatthalung native quit secondary school to support his family. Ordained at the age of 20, he later met the late reformist Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, with whom he shared dharma brotherhood and commitment to reform popular Thai Buddhism. While Buddhadasa chose his hometown to be his dharma headquarters, Luang Por Panya decided to wage his battles right in the mega city where materialism was at its strongest. How hard did he work? In 1988 alone, he delivered more than 700 speeches on dharma. More than 650,000 books and 5,000 tapes of his talks have been distributed free.

While other monks play safe by avoiding politics, Luang Por attacked wrongdoing by people in high places head on, using dharma to point out how they strayed from Buddhism.

"I do not attack individuals, I clarify what is right and wrong," he once said about his principle. "It is also a matter of how we say it, not only what we say."

reformist - making improvements
commitment - strong belief followed without fail
materialism - placing the most value on non-spiritual things like money and possessions
strayed - wandered away from where you were supposed to be
clarify - make more clear (describe and give examples so that people know exactly what you mean)

Moral Courage

What was behind his moral courage?

The answer came to me when I once watched him receiving a stream of visitors who were donating to Luang Por's hospital building project. He asked the names of the donors one by one with indiscriminate kindness, and wrote them the receipts himself. And no matter how much they donated, they received exactly the same token gift, a dharma book and a wish for good health. No more, no less. For Luang Por Panya, everyone was simply equal. Asked what the duties of monks are, he replied succinctly: "To render service to humanity."

After his passing, his close aides revealed that Luang Por had no personal money at all. All donations were for charity. That is why Wat Cholapratan remains too far for many mainstream monks and Luang Por Panya's path too difficult for them to follow.

indiscriminate - without special treatment, without showing favour
token - small and not valuable, but expresses feelings
succinctly - short and to the point, concise
render service to - serve
humanity - all humans on earth
aides - helpers

Sanitsuda Ekachai is Assistant Editor (Outlook), Bangkok Post.
Email: sanitsudae

Answer Key:

1. What is needed to restore the public's faith in Buddhism?

Monks following Luang Por Panya's example who:
a. Live the Buddha's teaching.
b. Show by example how to apply the teachings to ease greed, anger and illusion
c. Use public faith to serve the public good

2. How old was the late Luang Por Panya when he died last week?

96 years old.

3. How many years did Luang Por Banya spend in the monkhood?

76 years.

4. What was Luang Por Panya known for? What is his legacy?

a. Weeding out supersitition from the core Buddhist teachings.
b. Weeding out ceremonial frills from the core Buddhist teachings.
c. Making dharma more easily accessible to the urban public
d. Teaching by example.
e. Simplifying costly ceremonies.

5. Which monastery did Luang Por Panya reside at?

Wat Cholapratan.

6. How did Luang Por Panya teach by example?
(Provide examples)

Prohibitions on monks:
a. Smoking.
b. Sprinkling holy water.
c. Fortune-telling.
d. Distributing amulets.

Also:
a. Simplified ordination and funeral ceremonies.
b. Prayer tests for monks at ordination.
c. Wreaths, food, and, entertainment prohibited at funeral rites.

7. How were sermons and ceremonies made more relevant to people's lives?

a. Sermons in ancient Pali were replaced with dharma talks relevant to current events and people's lives.
b. Married couples would receive dharma talks on marriage.
c. Couples expecting a child would receive dharma talks on parenthood.
d. Initiated the practice of sending dharma books and talks at New Years.

8. What commitment did Luang Por Banya and Buddhadasa Bhikku share?

They shared a commitment to reform Thai popular Buddhism.

9. How did Luang Por Banya's approach to teaching the dharma differ from Buddhasa Bhikku's?

While Buddhadasa Bhikku chose to teach dharma at a rural monastery near his hometown, Luang Por Banya chose to teach dharm in Bangkok, the largest city in Thailand where materialism is strongest.

10. How did Luang Por Banya spread his teachings outside of the monastery?

While making speeches in the monastery, Luang Por Banya distributed massive quantities of Dhamma books and tapes to the public for free.

11. What was Luang Por Banya's stance towards politics?

a. He attacked wrongdoing by powerful politicians.
("attacked wrongdoing by people in high places head on")
b. He clarified what is right and what is wrong.

12. Did Luang Por Banya ever show favour to rich and powerful people?

No, he treated all donors equally. He thanked every donor, no matter how small or large, in the same fashion.

("...receiving a stream of visitors who were donating to Luang Por's hospital building project. He asked the names of the donors one by one with indiscriminate kindness, and wrote them the receipts himself. And no matter how much they donated, they received exactly the same token gift, a dharma book and a wish for good health. No more, no less. For Luang Por Panya, everyone was simply equal.")

13. Did Luang Por Banya ever use his position to accumulate personal wealth?

No, when he died he had no money.

Making Buddhism fun
Is Dharma Delivery's mission (04-10-07)

Learning English through Buddhism and the Pali language might be the best title for todays' article.

Dhamma Delivery has a state of the art website with videos, forums, and things to read in Thai.

Like the dhamma talks of its monk founder, the Venerable Phramaha Sompong Talaphutto, the website strives to make Buddhism fun.

Pali is the ancient Indian language that the sacred scriptures of Buddhism were written in.

Some sophisicated Pali words have near equivalents in English like the Four Brahmavihara:

Metta - Loving-kindness
Karuna - Compassion
Mudida - Sympathetic joy
Upekkha - Equanimity

The internet is full of books on Buddhism in English. If you can think of a book, it's probably there. There are books by the famous Buddhadasa Bhikku [#1, #2, #3], books by Phra Dhammapitaka (P.A. Payutto) [#1, #2] who is mentioned in today's article, ancient Pali scriptures including Jataka stories [volume 1, volume 2, selection], and dhamma talks by many well-known monks as well.

Pali language - the ancient Indian language used to write Buddhist books (See Wikipedia on Pali Canon)
dhamma talks - talks on the teaching of the Buddha given by monks
strives - tries hard to do
sophisticated - complex and advanced
Four Brahmavihara - four sublime states: 1. metta (loving-kindness), 2. Karuna (compassion), 3. Mudita (sympathetic joy), 4. Upekkha (equanimity) (See Wikipedia)
Buddhadasa Bhikku - Thailand's most famous modern monk-philosopher (See Wikipedia and Wat Suan Mokkh)

Reading Questions

1. How do audiences react to Phramaha Sompong's sermons?

2. What topics does Phramaha Sompong bring into his sermons to make Buddhism fun and easy to understand?

3. How old is Phramaha Sompong?

4. Where was Phramaha Sompong born and raised?

5. At what age was Phramaha Sompong ordained as a novice?

6. What is the difference between a novice and a monk?

7. Was Phramaha Sompong's ordination as a novice on purpose or an accident?

8. Why did he remain a novice for so long?

9. What kind of sermons does Phramaha Sompong like to preach?

10. How many years has Phramaha Sompong been preaching?

11. How does Phramaha Sompong find the important things to discuss in his sermons?

12. What does Phramaha Sompong want to know about lust?

13. What other writings are Phramaha Sompong's sermons based on?

14. What topics are popular in sermons for children? For Adults? For both adults and children?

15. Does Phramaha Sompong work by himself?

16. How are the Buddhist sermons of different monks similar to music?

17. Who does Phramaha Sompong admire and why?

18. What is Phramaha Sompong's final goal in life?

19. What advise and metaphor about "persistence" does Phramaha Sompong provide us with?

20. How does Phramaha Sompong raise funds for charities?

21. What kinds of charities does he raise funds for?

22. Why is the admission ticket so expensive for the next big event Phramaha Sompong is planning at Chulalongkorn University?

Bangkok Post Article October 04, 2007

DHARMA DELIVERY

The audience numbering in the hundreds smiled, laughed out loud, were in a thoughtful mood and sometimes had tears in their eyes. No, they were not watching a soap opera. They were listening to a sermon by a Buddhist monk. And this happens every day at five or six schools and workplaces.

Clad in a yellow robe, Reverend Phramaha Sompong Talaphutto brings laughter and tears to many people while preaching in a cheerful yet informative style. He makes dharma fun and easy to understand by citing daily life, new trends, teenage heart-throbs, popular songs, ring tones and even soccer stars as examples.

"The giving of dharma conquers all. I wish to conquer so I preach," the monk said, "My sermons are simple and easy to understand for people from all walks of life, religions and even of different races."

out loud - making noise, not silently
mood - how person currently feels (happy, sad, lonely,...)
a soap opera - tv series about the personal problems of a group of people
a sermon - a talk on a religious subject given by a monk or priest
clad in - dressed in, wearing
yellow robe - the robe worn by a monk
cheerful - happy
citing - talking about
teenage heart-throbs - popular movie stars or singers that teenage girls fall in love with
all walks of life - people from every part of society

How he became a monk

The 29-year-old monk, along with his 10-monk dharma troops, "deliver" Buddhist teachings to over 200 venues nationwide every month - by invitation. His 10-plus preaching albums under the title Dharma Delivery sell like hot cakes. The topics of these albums vary from the virtues of parenting to how to live a happy life, how to work with joy, as well as dharma for the young, families, lovers and the elderly.

This is not a common phenomenon in Thailand where temple visits and sermons are thought to be old-fashioned and are usually reserved for devout Buddhists and the elderly only.

Born in 1978 to a farming family in the Northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima, the young Sompong grew up in Chaiyaphum. At 13, he was ordained as a Buddhist novice at a temple in Khon San district, Chaiyaphum, purely by chance.

The young boy was on his way to tour a cave near a temple, but got lost. When he was supposed to turn right, he turned left and unknowingly queued up for a mass ordination ceremony.

After 15 days, he decided to remain in Buddhist robes for another year to please his mother. The novice later moved to a temple in Khon Kaen to study Pali and dharma until he passed the primary dharma exam, or nak dharma tri. But instead of returning to the secular world after failing the next dharma exam, parian dharma song prayok, he was determined to stay on till he cleared the exam. As a boy who had always been top of the class in primary school, he could not give up that easily.

"That [failing the exam] was the greatest disappointment in my life," Phramaha Sompong recalled, "But, it's just like that. It is tathata [objectivity]."

A few years later, he moved to Wat Soi Thong in Bangkok where he now lives. At 19, he earned an advanced degree in dharma, or parian dharma jed prayok. The monk later earned a bachelor's degree in Buddhist studies from Maha Chulalongkorn Rajavidyalaya University and a master's degree in social work from Thammasat University.

dharma (Sanskrit), dhamma (Pali) - teachings of the Buddha (See Wikipedia)
venues - places where an event takes place
sell like hot cakes - sell a lot (hot cakes = pancakes)
virtues of - the good points of
reserved for - kept specially for
devout - with deep religious beliefs
ordination (noun) - ceremony for becoming a monk
ordained (verb) - participated in ordination
purely by chance - was an accident, not planned
queued up - standing in a line
Pali - the ancient Indian language used to write Buddhist books (See Wikipedia on Pali Canon)
secular - not religious
objectivity -
determined - sticked to plan, didn't give up
stay on - not leave, remain at the place

Sermons to Make People Happy

Though his entry into the ecclesiastical world was an accident, his life as a preacher was not. In his first year as a novice, he took a song thaew to a nearby temple to preach about the Five Precepts. His jokes against smoking brought laughter to all except a few monks who were smoking like chimneys.

According to Phramaha Sompong, his sermons always begin with fun things so people open their minds, and he always ends with a topic that touches the heart.

He honed his preaching skills through self-learning until he joined a Buddhist camp at Wat Sriboonruang in Bang Kapi, where he learned preaching techniques from other monks.

"I like to study, talk and make people happy. I have tried to make it fun for those forced to listen to sermons. As Thais love to have fun, my sermons are relaxing, yet informative and touching," the monk noted.

This year is his ninth year as a preacher. To combine his words of wisdom and fun with balance, the monk never stops learning from things around him ranging from advertisements to the Internet, music videos and even sports.

After waking up at 5am, he reads 10 newspapers, checks teen magazines and lists of popular ring tones, and asks temple boys about hit lists for the young. His favourite reads are psychological books.

"I study all this so that I can teach. I want to know the way lust comes and goes and can be prevented," Phramaha Sompong said.

Whatever the combination, all his sermons are always based on the Tripitaka, the pillar of Buddhism, and Buddha Dharma, a dharma book written by highly-revered monk Phra Dhammapitaka (P.A. Payutto).

ecclesiastical - religious
a novice - a young person training to become a monk (See Wikipedia on Samanera)
The Five Precepts - in Buddhism declaring that you will not: kill, steal, commit sexual misconduct (adultery, rape, exploitation), lie, use intoxicants (See Wikipedia)
open their minds - help people become more tolerant in their thoughts and beliefs
hone a skill - perfect a skill with practice
sermons - talks on a religious subject given by a monk or priest
hit lists - lists of the most popular songs
lust - thinking too much about beautiful girls or handsome boys
the pillar of - makes it strong (a pillar holds up a large building)

Both Children and Adults as Audiences

His targets have expanded from children to grown-ups. Though gags vary by age, main topics are always the Five Precepts, mindfulness, happiness of life, studies and work, the Four Brahmavihara (Divine States of Mind or Divine Abodes): Metta (loving-kindness), karuna (compassion), mudida (sympathetic joy) and upekkha (equanimity), and His Majesty's contribution to the Kingdom.

For adults, each sermon usually begins with stories about His Majesty the King's sense of humour, linked to dharma. For youngsters, the goodness of parents, self-love, romantic love in the learning age, drugs and patriotism are popular topics.

Despite his rising popularity, Phramaha Sompong refrains from a one man show and shares work with his team.

"We work as an army of dharma. We want people to listen to dharma, not just a few monks," he noted.

His secret tip is to feel happy preaching and make every sermon enjoyable, crystal clear and convincing from the very first word.

grown-ups - adults

gags - doing something to make people laugh

sublime - has a deep emotional effect on people

Four Brahmavihara - four sublime states: 1. metta (loving-kindness), 2. Karuna (compassion), 3. Mudita (sympathetic joy), 4. Upekkha (equanimity) (See Wikipedia)

an abode - a place where someone lives

kindness - being gentle, caring, and helpful

compassion - English translation of the Pali Buddhist word "Karuna" (See Wikipedia on Karuna)

equanimity - a calm state of mind and attitude to life, English translation of the Pali Buddhist word "Upeksa" which according to Buddhasa Bhikku means: "evenness of mind, unshakeable freedom of mind, a state of inner equipoise that cannot be upset by gain and loss, honor and dishonor, praise and blame, pleasure and pain." (See Wikipedia on Upeksa)

sense of humour - when a person finds things amusing and laughs, instead of being serious all the time

patriotism - love of country

refrains from - choose not to do

tip - advice, suggestion

crystal clear - easy to understand

convincing - easy to believe

Sermons are Like Music

The monk even compared sermons to music.

"Buddhadasa Bhikkhu's sermons were like classical music. Phra Wor Wachiramethi's are like Thai pop songs. Mine are like luk thung or hip hop songs. All support each other if people have positive attitudes towards dharma," he said.

His icons include reverend Phra Payom Kalayano for his preaching, reverends Phra Wor Wachiramethi and Phra Dhammapitaka for their academic work, and talk show guru Jatupol Chompunich.

icons - important symbols

Plans for the Future

Hoping his fame to be a springboard for widespread sermon listening, the monk is laying a good foundation for his team before fulfilling his dream to preach abroad.

Above all, his ultimate goal is to live his ageing life in peace at the Suan Mokkh (Garden of Liberation) forest monastery in Surat Thani and preach in its Spiritual Theatre.

Of all Buddhist teachings, the Lord Buddha's final warning against a reckless life has made the most impression on the monk. This keeps him mindful and eager to do his best without giving up.

"Don't give up if you fail to reach the top of a mountain. There are a lot more mountains for you to climb. The word 'failure' is not in my dictionary. People don't fail. They just give up."

As his schedule is full until January, the monk earns enough to equip his team with high technology for preaching and contribute to the less fortunate.

springboard for - makes it possible for the next step to happen
widespread - many people doing it
Suan Mokkh (Garden of Liberation) - Bhuddadasa Bhikku's famous monastery (See website)
reckless - out of control, possibly harming people
mindful - increasing awareness of thoughts and actions in the present moment, part of Budddhist meditation (See Wikipedia on mindfulness)
eager - very interested in doing, wants to do a lot
give up - quit, stop trying
equip - get equipment (computers, audio, video)
orphans - children without parents
the less fortunate - people who weren't as luck in life as we were (the poor, the handicapped, the sick,...)

Next Big Event

The monk regularly donates money to Wat Prabat Namphu in Lop Buri, a shelter for Aids patients, and gives 10,000 baht a month to the debt-ridden Ban Khru Noi in Rat Burana district, a home for orphans and needy children.

To raise funds for Ban Khru Noi, Phramaha Sompong and Kom Suwanpimol, creator of the "Coach for Goal" development concept, will join forces in a talk show "Life-Changing Dharma! The Inspiration Show" at the Chulalongkorn University Auditorium.

With all proceeds going to assist Nuannoi Timkul, or Khru Noi, who is an inspiration for people to do good, the talk show is aimed at happy, successful lives.

"I'll talk about happiness that is easily gained. Common questions are 'What is life?', 'For what were we born?' and 'How can we live, study or work happily?'," the monk said.

The 'Life-Changing Dharma! The Inspiration Show' talk show will be held on October 28 at the Chulalongkorn University Auditorium, from 2 to 5pm. Tickets are priced at 900 baht and can be booked through the Life-Changing Dharma Call Centre on 02-939-8051/2; Stock Exchange of Thailand (Maruay Library) on 02-229-2000 ext 3183; or at www.coachforgoal.com, or www.dhammadelivery.com.

Answer Key:

1. How do audiences react to Phramaha Sompong's sermons?

a. Smiling
b. Thinking
b. Laughter
c. Crying

2. What topics does Phramaha Sompong bring into his sermons to make Buddhism fun and easy to understand?

a. Daily life.
b. New trends
c. Teenage heart-throbs
d. Popular songs
e. Ring tones
f. Soccer stars

3. How old is Phramaha Sompong?

29 years old.

4. Where was Phramaha Sompong born and raised?

He was born in Nakhon Ratchasima and raised in Chaiyaphum.

5. At what age was Phramaha Sompong ordained as a novice?

At age 13.

6. What is the difference between a novice and a monk?

7. Was Phramaha Sompong's ordination as a novice on purpose or an accident?

It was an accident. He accidentally wandered into a mass ordination when he got lost travelling at a cave near a temple.]

8. Why did he remain a novice for so long?

To make his mother happy.

9. What kind of sermons does Phramaha Sompong like to preach?
a. Fun
b. Relaxing
c. Informative
d. Touching.

10. How many years has Phramaha Sompong been preaching?

Nine years.

11. How does Phramaha Sompong find the important things to discuss in his sermons?

He finds them from the:
a. internet
b. music videos
c. sports
d. newspapers
e. ringtones
f. teen magazines
g. temple boys
h. psychological books

12. What does Phramaha Sompong want to know about lust?

How it comes and goes and can be prevented.

13. What other writings are Phramaha Sompong's sermons based on?

a. The Tripitaka (Buddhism's ancient sacred scriptures written in Pali)]
b. Buddha Dharma, by Phra Dhammapitaka (P.A. Payutto).

14. What topics are popular in sermons for children? For Adults? For both adults and children?

Both: The Five Precepts, The Five Bramaviharas, and His Majesty the King's Contribution to the Kingdom.

Children:
a. Goodness of parents
b. Self-love.
c. Romantic Love in the Learning Age
d. Drugs and Patriotism

Adults:
a. Dharma-related stories about His Majesty's sense of humour.

15. Does Phramaha Sompong work by himself?

No, teamwork is very important for him.

16. How are the Buddhist sermons of different monks similar to music?

a. Buddhadasa Bhikkhu's sermons are like classical music.
b. Phra Wor Wachiramethi's sermons are like Thai pop songs.
c. Phramaha Sompong's are like luk thung or hip hop.

17. Who does Phramaha Sompong admire and why?
a. Phra Payom Kalayano for his preaching.
b. Phra Wor Wachiramethi for his academic work
c. Phra Dhammapitaka for his academic work.
d. Talk show guru Jatupol Chompunich.

18. What is Phramaha Sompong's final goal in life?

To live at Bhuddadasa Bhikku's monastery Suan Mokkh in Surat Thani.

19. What advise and metaphor about "persistence" does Phramaha Sompong provide us with?

Don't give up. If you can't reach the top of the mountain you're climbing, there will be many more mountains.

20. How does Phramaha Sompong raise funds for charities?

He gives public sermons with admission fees.
The admission fees are given to charities.

21. What kinds of charities does he raise funds for?

Orphanages and a shelter for AIDS patients are two examples.

22. Why is the admission ticket so expensive for the next big event Phramaha Sompong is planning at Chulalongkorn University?

Because the event is raising money for charities.