Dhamma Studies

Loving Kindness
As I accompanied my teacher, sometimes it would be necessary to stay in a cave or in the wild, often it was frightening. He told me there’s one thing I should know, that my only weapon to protect myself, my life, would be the Dhamma, the teaching--that is, compassion. He said,” before you go to bed, you must spread loving kindness to animals, to human beings, to every creature in the world. You must do this with your soft and firm mind. If you practice more your mind will be clean, clear, and calm. You will see everything as it really is that’s inside of you. You will spread loving kindness, and your compassionate mind will even find its way to the mind of animals. Wild animals will either go away or may choose to be your friend.”
I did as he taught and no harm came to me, nor was I threatened in any way. When I went into the forest and encountered an animal I would remain gentle and it would run away—or be my friend.

Conclusion
I was a forest novice for six years from the age fourteen. I returned to my village temple to continue with traditional education. However, I still visited my teacher three months out of the year, living in the forest, studying and practicing with him and until it was time to return to Bangkok to continue my studies at a Buddhist University there.
When I was twenty years old I was promoted to a higher ordination to be ordained a monk. Some of my friends had disrobed for three to seven days before entering the monkhood, however, I have never disrobed. After I got higher ordination as a monk, I spent my life in different temple to study Dhamma and the Pali language and did a lot of propagation works. Then, I went directly to the Mahachulalongkornrajavidhayalaya Buddhist University in Bangkok and studied for a B.A. in Education and Buddhist Studies.

Dhamma Practice

Dhamma
I thought, this is the Dhamma, the Buddha’s teaching. This is the supreme teaching because what the Buddha experienced at the time of his enlightenment were the very things I was experiencing. I thought I must have truly learned from the stories of Buddha and the Buddha’s life and philosophy. I understood what he meant by “mara,” or suffering, as the enemy inside; and Kilesas, or defilements, be they greed, hatred, delusion, fear, worry, attachment, craving, aversion and anger-- everything inside. When I faced my fear, Panna, or wisdom, arose.
As I thought about the dead body in front of me, I realized it was merely the combination of the four elements—earth, wind, water and fire. I also realized there is no soul nor mind in the dead body. It’s just like wood in the forest. As the fire burned and burned I saw that nothing is permanent. I thought, if everything is impermanent, then why am I afraid? I asked myself that question and I found that fear comes from the mind--from my mind. If I could stop my thinking, or my mind, then I could stop the fear.
I simply closed my eyes so that I couldn’t see the dead form, to stop the form from controlling my eyes. When I heard something, I wouldn’t cling to the sound. I simply listened and let it go. I didn’t create any scary things in my mind. The sounds of birds and dogs were just sounds.

Alarm…. / Or “Footsteps”
I sat until 11 p.m. with my eyes closed, “watching” my breathing, in and out. My mind was firm and very, very settled. I was very calm and cool. Then I heard footsteps. The sound came towards me. I thought it must be either my teacher or a ghost. I closed my eyes and listened. While I sat there, I decided if someone wanted my life, then my life would be devoted to that person. Also, if something, man or animal, wanted my life, it would still be my friend. I wasn’t afraid at that time. If a tiger or other animal wanted my life, I was willing to devote it to them. With that mindset, I defeated my fear.
When the footsteps stopped in front of me I opened my eyes. It was my teacher. He asked, “How’re you doing? Did the ghosts come and kill you?”
I said, “No Acharn, not at all.”
“Did you see the ghosts?”
“No.”
“What did you see?”
“Oh, I just saw the fire burning the corpse.”
“Did she walk to you?” he asked.
“No.”
Something happened in the firewood when it burned. It was a very high pile of wood and the corpse fell from it. My teacher then said, “Okay, come and let’s take a closer look.”
He took me to where the dead body had fallen and said, “Help me to pick it up and put it back in the pile” We took two long pieces of bamboo and placed them at each side of the body. We then picked up the body with the sticks and put it back in the fire. Then he asked, “Do you want to stay here or do you want to go back to the shelter?”
I said, ”Whatever you wish Acharn. If you want me to stay here then that’s okay.” He let me stay in the cremation area until morning. That night I sat in meditation and made some realizations about life, my insight, my situation, and the Dhamma of the Buddha appeared in my mind very clearly. I overcame my fear.