Reap What You Sow

This religion satisfies man's most profound and lofty aspirations and yet is able to bear the stress and strain of man's everyday life, helping him in his contact with his fellow men, besides giving a purpose in life. It does not instill fear in people. "Good begets good and bad begets bad." "Every action has its reaction." These are universal laws. This religion fully agrees with these laws, hence people have to "reap what they sow." Evil deeds are perpetrated by people due to their greed, anger and ignorance. Such weaknesses can only be overcome through self realisation. Pleasure and pain which people experience in this world are not due to some external influences but due to the good and bad actions, words and deeds which they themselves have committed. For this very reason, this religion says: 'We are the results of what we were, and we will be the results of what we are."

According to this teaching, cause and effect play a very important part in our fives. In a circle of cause and effect a first cause is inconceivable for the cause ever becomes the effect and the effect in turn becomes the cause.

Meditation in Suan Moke, Chaiya

The Middle-Way

The religion that is being introduced here is a practical educational system for mental culture which was revealed to the world some twenty five centuries ago by a Fully Enlightened and Compassionate Teacher. This religion is also known as the "Middle-Way, a righteous way of life, an ethico-philosophical system and a religion of freedom and reason." It teaches us to do three main things; namely, "Keep away from bad deeds, do good and purify the mind."

This message is very simple, meaningful and practical, yet people experience difficulties when they put them into practice due to inherent human weakness. The moral conduct of man plays a most important part in this religion. Its great Teacher once said, "My teaching is not to come and believe, but to come, see and practise." It encourages people to study the teachings fully and so allow them to use their own judgement to decide as to whether they should accept the teachings or otherwise. No one is asked to come and embrace this religion without first having an understanding of its teachings.

Superfluous rites and rituals have no real religious value or significance. There are no superstitious beliefs and practices or secret doctrines in this religion. Everything is open to the choice of followers who are at liberty to investigate the teachings and ask questions whenever they wish to clear their doubts. According to the founder of this religion, one should not believe anything merely because a great sage has introduced it or because it is traditionally accepted by many but one should use one's common sense and intelligence and accept it only if it is worth while to do so.

This religion teaches the Noble Eight Fold Path which consists of Right Understanding, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration.. This unique middle way allows others to lead a noble and peaceful life.

The middle way is neither a metaphysical path nor a ritualistic path; neither dogmatism nor scepticism; neither self-indulgence nor self-mortification; neither eternalism nor nihilism; neither pessimism nor optimism; it is a Path of Enlightenment, a means of deliverance from suffering. This religion does not agree that human beings are suffering today because of the sins committed by their ancestors; on the contrary every person carries his or her merits or demerits individually. Man himself is solely responsible for his own pain or pleasure.

One who follows the middle path of moderation should find real peace and happiness and should be able to lead a respectable life without being a slave to one's senses, thus contributing to the peace and harmony of the world.

Dhamma Studies with Buddhadasa

Every man must have a religion especially one which appeals to the intellectual mind. A man failing to observe religious principles becomes a danger to society. While there is no doubt that scientists and psychologists have widened our intellectual horizon, they have not been able to tell us our purpose in life, something a proper religion can do.

Man must choose a rational and meaningful religion according to his conviction without depending on mere beliefs, traditions, customs and theories. No one has the right to force him to accept any religion. No one should exploit poverty, illiteracy or arouse human emotional feelings to induce him to accept a religion. Religion should be a free choice.

Man should be free to choose his own religion according to his liking and intellectual capacity. To follow a religion blindly without any understanding would deprive the religion of its spiritual value and the follower his human dignity. Human beings have intelligence and common sense to differentiate between what is right and wrong. They can adapt themselves according to circumstances. They should therefore choose a religion that is suitable to them and one that meets with their human intelligence. They must be properly guided and then given a chance to decide freely without any coercion.

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.

Experience the real Dhamma

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.

A New Beginning

A New Beginning
I truly enjoyed being a novice in the monastery. When I had been there a year, we received a visitor who was to have a profound influence on my life. He was an old monk from a neighboring province coming to visit my teacher, or Achan. When the old monk met me he said, “This novice has a special gift. If he is well-trained he shall be a good monk.” I asked him how I could be a good monk as he said. His answer was to go with him to the forest where I could train my mind. The old monk felt this was a good opportunity for me. He felt it was much easier to teach those who are young, because their minds are pure and uncluttered. When people grow up there are many distractions to cloud their minds. A young boy’s mind is very clean, very soft, and easy to train. After my year’s education at the village monastery, I agreed to go with him to the forest. However, there was one thing that worried me, that really scared me. I told the old monk that I was afraid of ghosts.
He asked, ”Where are the ghosts?” “I don’t know,” I responded, ”but at night I’m very, very scared.” ”That’s because you’re afraid of the dark, not of ghosts.”

Stories
When I was a young boy my mother would tell ghost stories before I went to bed. Every night she would tell me ghost stories or folk beliefs. I liked to read and listen to them, but I was afraid when I was by myself. When my Achan asked me to stay with him in the monastery, I was especially afraid because the forest monastery was close to the cremation area. In Thailand 95 percent of the people are Buddhist, and in Buddhist tradition, when someone dies they are cremated at the cemetery. My Achan, or teacher, sent me to spend a night at the cremation spot nearby. Naturally, I was very frightened. The events of that night were influential in my life and practice.
Someone in the village had died and was to be cremated the night I was to stay there. Late that afternoon my teacher took me to the area and set up an umbrella and mosquito net for me to sit inside, next to the burning pile of wood. At about 4:00 p.m. the villagers put the body on the wood pyre and lit it. Afterward the remains would be returned to the family.

Life of the Novice

The ordination
When I turned fourteen my mother my relatives took me to Wat Srisumongala, the main temple in Sakon Nakorn province, which is about 9 km from my village. The ordination ceremony was quite simple and we didn’t waste money. Ordination for monks and novices differs. The ceremony for novices simply requires acceptance of ten precepts, however a monk must accept 227 rules with many chanting in the ceremony. During my time at the temple, in preparation for my ordination I practiced meditation, chanted, and repeated after the preceptor. At the time of my ordination, I requested ten precepts and the preceptor gave them to me. That was the entire ceremony, which wasn’t too long or complicated, and I was accepted as a novice.

My Life as a novice
In Thailand there are at least one to three temples in every village. My family took me to the monastery in my hometown. There were about five other novices living there as well as two or three monks, and our own abbot who was the chief monk of the temple. The abbot was a very kind, calm man. He taught me how to bow down three times and to chant in the morning and evening. I learned these things and also how to perform Buddhist ceremonies.
At about 5:30 a.m. we would hit the gong and rise. In Thailand monks receive food from villagers on their alms round. At 6:00 a.m. we would walk into the village and received food (rice, fruit, etc.) and return to the temple. From 7:30-8:00 a.m. we ate breakfast, when devoted volunteers would come to serve our breakfast. After breakfast we studied the Buddha’s teaching and sutras from 8:30-10:30 a.m. We studied the Dhamma, forms of discipline, rules and regulations for monks and novices, and the life of the Buddha.
I was truly inspired and impressed when I read about the life of the Buddha. The Buddha’s life was one of sacrifice and devotion, having once lived in a palace in a life of luxury, leaving it behind to search for truth. For six years he stayed in the forest and meditated until the moment he reached enlightenment. I was very impressed. I thought if I had the opportunity I would study more and practice more. I wanted to learn even more of Buddha’s life.


Back to Lay Life
My days as a novice were coming to an end. When my mother asked the Buddha for help she promised to ordain me for only seven days, afterwards disrobing to become a layperson again. My ordination was also fulfilling the Thai custom of male members of a family ordaining as novices at least once in their lives. My seven days in the monastery were drawing to a close.
My novice friends at the temple pleaded with me to stay longer. In those seven days I had learned a lot about meditation and the life of the Buddha, and I wanted to learn even more. When I returned home, I asked my mother if I could stay longer, and she said, “Okay, up to you, if you can stay longer I would be very happy”.
From that moment on I studied every sutra and every aspect of each function of Buddhist ceremonies in the temple. I stayed during the Phansa, or rains retreat which lasts for three months. (This year, 2001, it takes place from July to October.) Phansa is a time for serious and intense practice in the monastery, when novices and monks study together and practice meditation all day. Experiencing that first Phansa made my mind very calm, cool, and clean, and I really liked that state of mind.

Recovery2

Soon after that night my mother prayed to the Buddha, I recovered from my disease. I returned to finish elementary school, and graduated when I was eleven years old. The educational system in Thailand is different from the US. In Thailand, when students finish elementary school, they have the choice to continue with their education or to go on to something else. In my situation, my mother wanted to fulfill her promise and have me ordain as a novice and stay at the village temple. However, when I was eleven I was still too young to take care of myself, and wasn’t able to be away from my home and family. My mother thought I should wait until I turned fourteen to ordain as a novice, so I continued to work and help my family on the farm as much as I could.

Recovery

My mother was distressed and fearful at leaving me in the hospital. On the way home, there was the Buddha statue has been set up under the Bodhi tree in front of the hospital building, she went before a Buddha statue and prayed for his help. She promised the Buddha that if I survived she would place me in a temple and have me ordained as a novice when I finished elementary school. She lit a candle and incense sticks before the Buddha statue, all the while truly believing that if she asked sincerely, the Buddha would really help her.

Turning Point

My life would have continued in this way except for a significant event. When I was eight years old I became seriously ill and my mother placed me in the local hospital for care. I had a disease of the stomach, although I do not know the name in English. The doctor felt the best option was surgery, but my mother was very worried and frightened. I was young and very frail and she wasn’t sure I’d survive an operation. She pleaded with the doctor to find another method to cure me.

ชีวิตเด็กเลี้ยงควาย

ชีวิตเด็กเลี้ยงควาย คือ ชีวิตที่มีอิสระ เสรีภาพ ทั้งด้านร่างกาย และจิตใจ จะเห็นว่าร่างกายก็ปล่อยว่าง ไม่ใส่เสี้อผ้าเลย

จิตใจก็ปราศจากเครื่องรบกวน ...จึงมีความสุขมาก ๆ

I was born in the region of northeastern Thailand known as Issan, in a small village named Baan Pangkhwangtai of Sakon Nakorn province, and was raised in a typical farming family of that region. My family was very poor, with four brothers and five sisters and my mother. Unfortunately, my father passed away when I was 5 years old. When I was older I helped my family with the farm work by taking care of the cows and water buffaloes. I also learned to cook. While they worked in the rice fields, I stayed indoors and cooked for them. I cooked so often and gained so much experience that now I know how to prepare every Thai dish.