Khun Yay Timeline to study

1921
Khun Yay’s father passed away when she was out in the field. His passing left her feelings of guilt for not receiving forgiveness from him.

1927
Khun Yay heard about Luang Pu Wat Paknam, who could teach Dhammakaya meditation and with this method, Khun Yay would be able to see her father and ask for his forgiveness.

1935
Khun Yay left her family searching the way to learn Dhammakaya Meditation.

1936
Khun Yay met her first meditation teacher, "Khun Yay Thongsuk", a disciple of Luang Pu Wat Paknam.

1938
Khun Yay was ordained as a nun at Wat Paknam and began studying advanced meditation.

December, 1945
Khun Yay became the most outstanding disciple of Luang Pu Wat Paknam, who admired her as “first among his disciples: second to none”.

1954
Luang Pu Wat Paknam declared that he would pass away in 1959. Luang Pu assigned every of his disciples to spread Dhammakaya meditation worldwide for the benefit of mankind.

1959
Luang Pu Wat Paknam passed away. Khun Yay lived with Khun Yay Thongsuk and taught meditation.

1963
Khun Yay Thongsuk passed away. Khun Yay still taught meditation.

1963
Khun Yay met the first gifted disciple, the future Venerable Dhammajayo Bhikkhu or Mr.Chaiyaboon Suddhipol.

1966
The future Venerable Dattajivo Bhikkhu or Mr. Phadej Pongsawat came to learn meditation.

1967
Khun Yay built a small Meditation Teaching House or Ban Dhammaprasith in Wat Paknam’s area.

April, 1969
Mr. Chaiyaboon graduated from Kasetsart University, Bangkok.

August 1969
Mr. Chaiyaboon was ordained into the monkhood at Wat Paknam and was named Ven. Dhammajayo Bhikkhu.

February 19, 1970
Khun Yay sent Mr. Phadej to the land and started to build a Meditation Center with an initial fund of 3200 Baht (approximately $160 US).

December 19, 1971
Mr.Phadej was ordained into the monkhood at Wat Paknam and was named Ven. Dattajivo Bhikkhu.

March 1973
The first Dhammadayada (heir to the Buddha's teachings) training was held for 60 Universities students, who attended a 15-day training course.

1967-1974
Khun Yay lived in “Meditation Teaching House” and Ven. Dhammajayo Bhikkhu stayed at Wat Paknam teaching meditation in the Meditation Teaching House on weekdays. During weekends, Ven.Dhammajayo and Khun Yay would visit the Meditation Center in Pathum Thani.

1974
A handful of Khun Yay's disciples moved from Wat Paknam to live in the new Meditation Center, Pathum Thani to construct the first Meditation Hall and monk's residences.

1978
The Meditation Center was renamed Wat Phra Dhammakaya.

1978-1988
Khun Yay continued to teach meditation to her disciples and meanwhile, worked like a Temple Keeper around the area to make sure that the temple was neat and clean.

1985-1993
Ven.Dhammajayo Bhikkhu and followers expanded the meditation center by purchasing another 800-acre plot of land to build the World Meditation Center. Khun Yay was the great supporter who did the fund-raising program for the project.

1988
Khun Yay asked for a permission from Luang Por Dhammajayo to be the chairman of Kathina Ceremony in 1988.

 

Khun Yay was 79 years old and needed a tricycle to take Khun Yay around 800 acres.

1994
To commemorate Luang Pu Wat Paknam, who rediscoverd the Dhammakaya meditation to mankind, Ven.Dhammajayo Bhikkhu and Khun Yay invited disciples to cast the Golden Statue of Luang Pu Wat Paknam from pure gold, one and a half times larger than his actual size.

1995-1999
Ven. Dhammajaya Bhikkhu and Khun Yay began the Dhammakaya Cetiya construction in 1995. On Dec 21, 1999 the exterior of the Dhammakaya Cetiya was completed with 300,000 Buddha images.

January 1, 1998
Golden statue of Khun Yay was cast.

1998-2000
Khun Yay's health was declining, and she needed more rest and was unable to teach meditation in public. However, Khun Yay often visited the Dhammakaya Cetiya construction site to see its progress.

September 10, 2000
Khun Yay passed away peacefully at Kasemrat Hospital, Bangkok.