Mobile VersionCASE STUDYThai Youth In The High Tech EraDear most respected Phra Dej Phra Khun Luang Phaw
In my youth I had strong faith in Buddhism but when I went to the University in 1982 the social situation was not conducive to the arising of wisdom at all because it was allured to the consumption of cigarettes, alcohol and vices. These were introduced by senior students that persuaded the juniors ones to try them until it became the tradition but for those who inspired to do something meaningful to the society would tend to learn political ideologies which were wrong and this was widely practiced amongst academics.
Despite my worldly knowledge but without a kalyanamitta like you who is like the light,
an academic like me is just as worthy as an intellectual who has only the knowledge about making a living but is blind and can not find a precious path to life. I tried to find an answer by studying ideologies including Buddhism but the more I read the more I became confused because many textbooks were written by those that were praised as the sages in Buddhism but taught the opposites.
i.e. they guided people not to believe in the law of kamma, about merit or demerit, hell or heaven by saying that all these are only strategies thought by the Buddha to bring peace to the society.
Some said that all these stories were from other religions that Buddhism put them together. Even though I didn’t believe in that but as I rebuked the teaching monks frequently the state of my mind gradually degraded. Until one day I declared myself an agnostic. My life was deluded and had vices as entertainments. But the contemporary Thai youth is the youth that urges everyone to do good deeds. After being lost in the dark for a long time. One day I just liked to come to Wat Phra Dhammakaya. I heard about this temple for the first time through a chanting book when I was in my secondary school. I had this in my mind that I have to come to this temple at all cost.
But to come to pursue perfection at that time was challenging because I had a boil in my buttocks. Every time I came to the temple and sit to meditate, the boil got infected so seriously that made me become fed up with it and didn’t want to come to the temple. This problem kept me away from the temple for many years.
I come back to the path of pursuance of perfection once more when I heard about the building of the Maha Dhammakaya Cetiya. I came to contribute to one pillar of the cetiya and this was the beginning of the pursuance of perfection by laying down my life for it. But pursuing perfection this time was full of challenge in terms of finance, which was an overflow of suffering that was hard to bear, i.e. not long after I came back to the temple some one persuaded me to get involved in the speculation of foreign currencies that made me lose a lot of money and my printing business also made a loss.
I made a mistake once and was estranged to the temple but this time I will not repeat this mistake again, because I know now what is the goal in life. I therefore put everything down to gain merit. From casting a personal Buddha statue once in a while, I did it every month then every week and finally I tried to do it every day. But I could do it only for a short time because I ran out of money.
However I was able to cast the Buddha statues by myself and by urging others too. Altogether was nearly 100 Buddha statues. From easily making contribution of 100 thousand Bahts, I had to reduce it to a few Bahts each time.Very often I felt like surrendering and didn’t understand why the more merit I made the more degrading my life was until I became penniless. I felt as if I was in the dark but no matter how bad it was I would not give in and I chose to fight to my death. I changed from being downhearted to taking up the challenge. Finally I found out the best solution was not to think about it and to motivate myself to keep on making merit with an assurance that one day the merit will certainly yield fruit.
Even my finance is irregular but I will not let my merit become irregular. In 1999 when the temple was ferociously attacked, I decided to ordain in the Summer Dhammadayada program. The reason was I feared that the program would be cancelled before I could ordain. That ordination made me understand the determination of the Dhammakaya community and during my ordination I made merit as if I laid my life for it by using my last lump sum to do it and I only had 3 Bahts left in the bank.
After I disrobed I helped a politician in investigating and solving the hardship of the population.
During that time I developed my writing skills in various styles i.e. academic, entertaining, social and political. I fought injustice, exposed and denounced the fools fearlessly. I praised and protected the good citizens, solved the nation’s problems and tried to insert the description to rectify the misunderstanding that the mass had towards Wat Phra Dhammakaya so that they had the right understanding. I advocated against untruthfulness.
What overjoyed me the most is that I made my family come together to this path of pursuance of perfection with the Dhammakaya community. I told everyone in the family about the miraculous crystal sun and urged them to come and make merit on the 10th October 1998 that was the birthday of Luang Pu. Everyone saw the miraculous crystal sun but the strange thing was my mother said that she saw Luang Pu, Somdej Toh or even the Chinese monk like Phrakaccayana sitting and laughing in the sky.
Then she started to meditate and after few days she said she saw the brightness everywhere.
She became a person full of dreams. Her dreams coincided with the real events regularly that made me have very strong faith in the merit of casting the personal Buddha statue; i.e. at the beginning I secretly made merit but when I contributed to the casting of personal Buddha statues for any of my relatives,
mother would relate her dream about that relative regularly; i.e. I cast the Buddha statue for my father. She said she saw him in her dream in white clothes. He looked happy and smiled. He took her for a tour of his new house.
When I cast the personal Buddha statues for my maternal grandparents, mother said that she dreamed of them coming to thank for casting the Buddha statues for them. Next I cast the Buddha statues for my paternal grandparents the following day mother said that she dreamed of going somewhere where grandfather was imprisoned, seeing him she said to him that she brought the merit for him. All the fetters came off him straightaway.
Another time that I saw the power of the casting of the personal Buddha statue was when I cast the Buddha statues for all my late relatives. I resolved that if there was anyone who desired to have merit to please tell me. The following day mother said she dreamed of some acquaintance who passed away long time ago came to ask for merit from her. I asked the person’s name and secretly cast the Buddha statue for that person. Another miracle occurred because my mother asked me if I have cast another Buddha statue because the person who came to ask for the merit came into her dream and said he only expected for not to be hungry only and didn’t expect that I would make such a big merit for him as he was not related to me. He said thank you very much and he was going to be reborn. That surprised me as to why her dreams coincided with my casting of the Buddha statues every time. I didn’t know how she could dream of that but what I knew is that I loved your dream a lot.
Mother had a hard life because my father had a car accident and passed away in his young age, I was 11 months old then. As far as I know father didn’t make any merit because he was busy making the living to feed the family. His younger sister who practices meditation always says that father came to ask for merit regularly.
When father died, mother was left to take care of 4 sons on her own. When all the children had their job she could have a rest then and found a spiritual path in her old age. On the new year of 2006 mother had to be hospitalized. The doctor found that she had cancer in the pancreas, which was incurable. The doctor only operated on the intestine that was blocked. After the operation mother dreamed that she went to a place where she saw a house made with golden timber and a woman brought her a tray of jewelry and there was a voice from the sky saying that this was her place.
When I heard that I became concerned about that place because it might be a low level realm and she should have made more merit to go to somewhere higher. I then tried to persuade her to make merit. After she left the hospital, she gave me her gold that she had been collecting to sell and contribute to the 1300 crystal pillars at 100 Bahts each.
That made her very delighted to have made the biggest merit in her life and this merit had helped her when she was in pain because every time I reminded her to think of the crystal pillars she was smiling with happiness.
On the day she passed away, during her last moment there was a period that she regained consciousness, I hurried to give her the money for her to resolve to cast a personal Buddha statue for Luang Pu straightaway.While she was battling for her life I turned on the DMC program to create a meritorious environment, mother opened her eyes for the last time and saw the chanting to pay homage to the Maha Dhammakaya Cetiya. She stared at the screen for a long time where the picture of the Buddha statues arose and few minutes later she passed away peacefully.
I would like to ask the following questions:
1. Was it real that mother dreamed of relatives after I cast the personal Buddha statue for them and how could she do that?
2. Why did she struggle in her younger age but had a comfortable life in her old age?
What retribution made her suffer from cancer? Where did she go after she passed away? Did she follow the right principle? Before she made merit on the crystal pillars, she dreamed of a golden timber house what realm was it?
After she contributed to the crystal pillars, did the merit made her go to the higher realm? Does she have any message for us?
3. Why did my father have a car accident, short lived and after he died where did he go? Has he received the merit from casting the Buddha statue and other meritorious deeds that I dedicated to him?
4. What misdeeds made me suffer from boils in my buttocks for almost 10 years that was an obstacle for my meditation?
5. What misdeeds made me have serious financial problems as I am determined to pursue perfection seriously? How can I rectify it?
The fact that I was dedicated in making merit as if I laid down my life for it what will be the benefit?
Will I be able to restart the casting of personal Buddha statue daily as I intended to?
6. What is the difference in meritorious fruit between making merit with money and resolve and helping Buddhism with one’s strength and resolve?
i.e with the physical body but no money or only have the physical strength but not wealthy how much merit can one accrue?
7. The speculation in currencies and commodities (oil and gold) or others that are in Zero-Sum Game i.e. if someone gains there are others who lose the equal sum of money.
The money is taken from someone who misjudged to pay someone who made the right estimation, will this type of trade being classified as wrong profession or not?.
At the moment I have shares but they are the type of Positive-Sum Game i.e. if the business goes well and the share value increases, all the shareholders will make profit,
I wonder whether playing shares is classified as wrong profession or not?
8. For those who teach religions and misguide people about merit- demerit hell or heaven that they were just strategies invented to support the society for instance,
if the teaching was made through misunderstanding what will be the retribution?,
but if it is through the intention to mislead people what will be the retribution?,
and what retribution made me deluded until I was an agnostic for sometime, how can I rectify this kamma?
9. As a writer, I had to fight injustice such as those who attacked Buddhism and the Dhammakaya community
including those who induced chaos in the society. I had to retaliate those fools ferociously; did my actions bring merit or demerit?
10. In the last Buddha’s era how did I pursue perfection and what was my duty in the community. Will I have enough merit to help fulfill the duty to protect the nation and Buddhism?
11. In the last Buddha’s era I heard about 2 rounds in pursuance of perfection why don’t we do it the 3rd, 4th or 5th etc…..successively then we can conquer the mara for good?
Most respectfully yours
Luang Phaw's Dream
I closed my eyes, dreamed and woke up with these answers.
When you tell anybody the story like a tale, it will make anyone know more about retribution (Law of Kamma)
1. Your mother dreamed of relatives after you cast the personal Buddha statues for them.
Her dreams were a mixture of meritorious vision and the truth that made her see those relatives communicating with her subtle body when she was asleep and dreamed!
2. She had a hard life at the beginning but had a comfortable life in her old age because of the stinginess kamma that came to fruition first. After she performed good deeds she tended to feel delighted that made the merit came to fruition as she got older!
- She died from cancer because of the past kamma that she killed animals for food regularly!
- After she passed away she was reborn as a beautiful female angel with a golden abode in the 2nd phase of Tavatimsa (2nd level of heaven) due to the merit she made with the community such as generosity, observance of precepts, meditation during the last period of her life!
- She has received all the merits dedicated to her and that made her have more celestial wealth!
- She said thank to you that you dedicated the merit to her, she has received them all and she is very happy now!
3. Your father had a car accident and short lived because of the kamma in the last life that he used to be a hunter and harmed animals.
- Sometime he dug a hole to trap them. These 2 kamma came to fruition!
- After he died he was reborn as a low level earth sprite, he has received every merit you dedicated to him that improved his condition in every way!
4. You had boils in your buttocks for almost 10 years because of the kamma in the past life that you were a teacher and you liked to punish your students by whipping their buttocks with anger continuously for many years.
These various kamma and circumstances came to fruition. Even though it was from good intention but sometimes it was mixed with anger.
5. When you intended to pursue perfection seriously, you still had critical financial problems because in the past life when you were determined to make merit but changed you mind later and didn’t do it. This allowed the stinginess kamma to take action first!
- As you devoted your life to make merit you will have the following result briefly: you will gain wealth fully according to the degree of the merit and it has dismantled the poverty plan to a certain level. You should keep doing it!
- You should think of all the merits you have done continuously and resolve regularly that you are able to cast the Buddha statue on a daily basis and may your wishes come true as you intended!
6.Making merit with money and resolve and making merit using the physical strength in Buddhism and resolve will bring different types of merit.
They equally bring merit and the type of merit depends on our resolution because merit is a complete element.
But to make merit with money will result in being wealthy directly. As for making merit with physical strength the merit will make the doer become very strong like Upasika Visakha!
7. The speculation in stock exchange (currencies) and commodities (gold and oil) or others in the Zero-Sum Game i.e. there will be some people who make profit and others who are out of pocket for the same amount of money.
It is to get the money from the ones who misjudged the market to give it to the ones that had right estimation. This type of trade is not classified as a wrong vocation directly, except when there is a special manipulation to push the price up without any reason or unusually!
- At the moment you have shares and they are from Positive-Sum Game; i.e. if the business is doing well, the share value will increase, the share holders will make profit, it’s fine because it is the reflection of the business value, except if there is a manipulation to increase the share value beyond the real mark.
8.For those who teach religions and mislead people that merit, demerit, hell and heaven are only strategies created to support the society for instance.
If their teachings resulted from misunderstanding the brief retribution is they will have a hard time practicing meditation and will take time to attain the truth because their understanding about the truth is deviated.
As they are only thinkers and use their rational to assume, the highest level of heaven they can go is the Catummaharajika (1st level of heaven) in the lineage of sorcerer.
Then they will continue thinking merrily on a daily basis.
- But if they have intention to distort the teaching, the brief retribution is that they will go to unhappy realm because of the clouded mind; i.e. Major hell, Ussada Hell, purgatory. They will become hungry ghost, hideous ghost that have distorted bodies, will be disabled and in agony for instance!
- When they were reborn as human they will be mad, dumb, deaf, blind with a disabled body and will be distant from Buddhism!
- You were off the right track and became agnostic for sometime because in the past life you associated with agnostics for certain period of time that made this habit followed you!
- To rectify, you should keep away from those people and associate with pundits and wise people and be diligent in accruing every merit and resolve that you never go back to that again!
9. As a writer you had to fight with injustice i.e. those who intentionally attacked Buddhism and the Dhammakaya community including those who tried to incite chaos in the society and you had to retaliate fools ferociously.
The result of your action depends on your intention and the terms you used. If you have good intention and your writing was not sarcastic then it was the same technique that the Buddha used to counter those with wrong view, if it is so then there is no retribution!
10. In the last Buddha’s era you were a supporter of the Dhammakaya community that sometimes made merit according to your mood, you changed you mind frequently and sometimes you made it intensively.
- Therefore your life is up and down like the shares value that you are holding!
- You have a certain level of merit that allows you to help the nation and protect Buddhism!
11. In the last Buddha’s era you have heard about pursuance of perfection for 2 rounds but there is no 3rd, 4th or 5th rounds because it is not easy as you think even though our community wishes to do that because Mara is Mara and it is not that easy.
- Since you’ve met the Dhammakaya community in this life, be determined to pursue perfection intensively in every merit and resolve to follow the community to Tusita (the Fourth level of heaven), the special merit zone, the Borom Bodhisatta area and never stray away from our community!
http://goo.gl/fzczS
พิมพ์บทความนี้
