Sty in The Eye

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CASE STUDY

Sty in The Eye

I pay my highest respect to you, our great teacher.

Figuratively speaking, I am a daughter of Luang Phaw who is working to create peace on earth. There has been something on my mind about my family and I, which I ask for Luang Phaw to kindly dream in dream about so that I may use it as a guide in practicing and supporting myself to be an even stronger perfection pursuer.

My grandfather was a well known village leader. He did many good things for many people and for Buddhism. He built many temples. Every Buddhist Holy Day and “shaving day” for monks, my grandfather would call all his children to listen to him talk about moral values and Dhamma. But he was also a ruthless man. He was good at catching thieves. Whenever he would catch a thief, he would chain the thief and hand the thief over to the police. And when his children fought with each other, he would punish them by chaining their legs and announcing their bad deeds around the town market. He would make noises and yell, “Everybody, look! These siblings are fighting each other.” Also, when he would hit his children, he wouldn’t use a normal whipping stick. He would use the tail of a sting ray instead. This punishment makes it unforgettable. In the end, he died of old age at the age of 74.

I was born into a family that held public offices. My father is a quiet and serious teacher. He doesn't smile and keeps to himself. My mother has a completely opposite personality. She is talkative, lively, gets along well with others, and is kind. It sounds like they should get along with each other very well, except for a few habits that my father has that my mother could not handle. They are his drinking, smoking, stinginess and flirtatious habits. My mother has suffered a lot because she hates cheaters. I don't know how my mother could take it for so long, long enough to have two children, me and my brother. My mother tried to separate from my father continuously, but my father didn't want to. In the end, my mother decided to go to the temple. She talked to a nun near her house. The nun recommended that she chant and meditate. So, my mother would wake up early in the morning to chant and meditate. One day, the nun told her that soon she will be away from my father. And true enough, my father allowed my mother to divorce him soon thereafter. After the divorce, my brother and I separated. He stayed with my father and I stayed with my mother. I was 11 years old at the time. My mother was left with nothing but a motorcycle and hundreds of thousands of baht in debt. This was debt from a loan they took out together, but my mother had to pay it off all by herself. She brought me to my grandmother’s house where both my aunt and uncle lived. I was taken care of well by both of them. It was as if they were my mother and father. In addition, they introduced me to the Dhammakaya temple. Ever since I was 11 years old, they brought me to the temple for training. The first time I came to the temple I thought that I wanted to be part of the team at this temple. So, I began my training, where every summer, I would help with the summer ordination at the Phitsanulok Meditation Center from the 5th grade until the 9th grade. When I studied at the university, I participated in the Buddhism club. I decided that when I graduated, I wanted to help the temple. Around the time I graduated, I asked myself, “If I come to the temple, what can I help Luang Phaw with?” Then, a thought popped in my mind. It was like somebody was telling me to create cartoons. Now, I help make cartoons that support case studies, like the music video, “Army of ants.” But today, I have a big project to present. I’d like to take you to Toon Town.

I have had accidents around my head many times and many accidents involving motor vehicles. For example, when I was riding a motorcycle, it hit a bike; when I was riding in a car, it hit a truck; when I was on a bus, it hit a car. The most serious one would be when I took on a position as coordinator for the Path of Progress Ethics Quiz contest in Chiang Mai. While I was traveling, I wasn't careful and fell off the motorcycle. I had a concussion, and when I was x-rayed, the doctor told me, “You were lucky that you had a head injury”. I was confused, and the doctor continued to say, “From the x-ray film, it looks like you have a tumor around the area of the concussion. Without the injury, you probably wouldn’t know that you had a tumor.” The doctor said he would like to schedule another x-ray, but I was worried about the project. So I told the doctor, “After I finish this important project, I'll come back.” When I was done, and came back for a more detailed x-ray, the results showed nothing. I didn't have a tumor.

Also, I have a problem with my eyes. I have eye infections too frequently. In an unusual way, a fly flew into my eye or when I washed my clothes, the soap got into my eye, and every year, I would have a sty in my eye. I have had this ever since I was in elementary school and still do. It is on my upper and lower eyelid. I have been through 3 operations, but it never went away completely. I had a dream once. When I was a child, I dreamt that I was sewing and the needle was very tightly in. So, I pulled it very hard and it hit my eye. After the dream, I saw a black mole inside my eye, around the white area.

I was told to squad jump in a welcoming ritual. My left knee got infected and I had to have physical therapy. I once had a problem with stuck jaw. When I brushed my teeth, a loud popping sound came out, and to close my mouth, I had to slowly push my jaw up with my hand. Then, a year later, I couldn't open my mouth; at most, I could only squeeze in 2 fingers. And I had to drink milk instead of eat solids. The doctor fixed it by pushing his finger inside, and slowly pushed the jaw down until my mouth was wide open. But when I opened or closed my mouth, it was stiff and popping sounds came out. I had to engage in physical therapy for another week or so. The doctor also forbade me from eating sticky rice and squid or anything sticky or hard to chew for half a year or for it to be better, forever.

When my brother was 13, my aunt and uncle brought him to ordain as a novice during the summer ordination session in Phitsanulok. During the session, he felt impressed to the point that he made a promise to the monk instructor that he would practice celibacy. But when he grew up, he became handsome. His charm has made him a lady magnet. And there is one lady friend who he knew since middle school. It is like, when ladies look at him, it looks like he will leave behind the single life. My brother is a doctor. It wasn't a job of his choice, but chosen by my father (more like he was forced to). He always thought about changing his job. At present, he sends me money to join in making merit frequently.

My aunt and uncle are both unquestionable perfection pursuers. For every merit, they will give all of their body, mind, and money. Both of them are willingly to work for Buddhism. My uncle has loved pursuing perfections ever since he came to Dhammakaya Temple. He has always practiced the 8 precept until the year 2005. When his 2 sons were accepted into universities, he decided to ordain as one of Luang Phaw’s monks, and is still ordained today

A close friend of mine pursues perfections at this temple as well. She wonders about one thing regarding herself. In the past 6 months whenever she has a thought in her mind, she always calls herself “he” without intention and when she tries to correct it, she can’t.

Questions

1. Why was my grandfather a strict person? Where did he go after he died? How is he doing? Did he receive the merit dedicated to him?

2. Why did my father and mother not stay together for long? What kamma caused my mother to be solely responsible for the debt that was over 100,000 baht? How did the Buddhist nun know that my mother would be free from my father soon thereafter and it really did come true?

3. My father does not believe in hell and heaven. But he donates for the Kathina merit and robe offerings at various temples. He even donated to cast one Buddha image for his son. Currently, he still drinks alcohol and smokes cigarettes. Will the merit that he did occasionally made in his present life close the path to hell for him? Has he ever pursued perfections with our team? How can I help him?

4. My mother had once been ill with a fever but it was not severe. But the doctor diagnosed her with nephritis at the critical stage in which she could die if she did not get treatment. What kammic retribution caused such an illness? How did my mother pursue perfections with the team? Did she come from Tusita heaven?

5. My brother made a vow with the monk instructor that he would practice celibacy for the remainder of his life. If he cannot keep the vow, what will be the outcome? In the last Buddhist era, how did my brother pursue perfections with the community? How was his meditation experience? Why did he become a doctor although he does not like it? I ask for your kindness to guide him.

6. What relationship did my uncle monk, my aunt, and I, have in our past lives that made both of them be my kalyanamitta, introducing me to our community? How did they pursue perfections with the community? How were their meditation experiences? Did they get to be reborn twice in the last Buddhist era?

7. What kamma caused me to have motor vehicle accident frequently around my head? When the doctor x-rayed my head and said that there was a tumor, did it exist? How come he did not find it on the second time?

8. What kamma caused me to have a sty in my eye every year and develop eye infections frequently? What caused the black spot in my eyes? Was the dream related to this black spot?

9. What kamma caused my left knee to be infected and caused the problem with my jaw? I have rashes with small bumps like moles with a radius of a 10 baht coin on the inner part of my left arm even since I was born. What kamma caused that?

10. I am curious about names because I had heard that our current name reveals something about us from our past lives, such as, the name, Siddhatta of the Lord Buddha has a cause from the past. Does each person’s name come from his/her past actions? Does my name in this life and in the last Buddhist era have the same meaning?

11. Will the merit from making cartoon make me have heavenly wealth shaped like cartoon? If not, how will it be?

12. Where did the thought of “making cartoons,” which actually led me to make cartoons, come from? How have I pursued perfections with the community? How was my meditation experience in my past life? Why does my close friend call herself a “he” in her thoughts? How has she pursued perfection with the community? How was her meditation experience in her past life? What relationship did we have in the past? Did we both come down to pursue perfections twice?

I pay my highest respects to you.

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 grandfather was a strict person because of his duty in capturing thieves. In addition, living in an agricultural society, he always controlled his animals by hurting them. So he had this habit with people, too. However, he wasn’t born as a giant (yaka) in his past life.

Because of his actions in this lifetime, after he passed away, he was reborn as a high ranking giant (yaka) because of his furious temper and the merit he accrued from his traditional Buddhist practice. He received the merit you dedicated to him and has become wealthier, has a golden castle and looks more handsome. He does not have any fangs except for when he gets angry.

2. You father and mother could not continue their relationship, because they had only pursued perfections together up to this point. Also, in this lifetime they have an unequal level of faith (saddha), precepts (sila), and opinions (dithi).

Your mother has to pay the debt by herself because of kamma from her past life, when she was born a man. As a man, she had made her wife pay off the debt alone. This is the retribution from what she had done from her past life.

The Buddhist nun knew from her own “experience” that when levels of faith, precepts, and opinion are not equal, the wife will leave the husband to become a nun. Many people came to see your mother who were in the same situation.

3. Your father does not believe in Hell or Heaven, but still offered the Kathina Robe and robes to temples. He had once donated to cast 10 Buddha images for his son. Currently, he still drinks and smokes cigarettes. With the amount of merit he has accrued in this life, we can only determine it on the day he is going to die, whether or not the merit will support him first. If it does, he will be born as a giant in Chatummaharajika (1st level of heaven and his duty is to punish those in hell). He might also be reborn as an “earth sprite.” Or he can go to Purgatory where hot copper liquid will be poured down his throat.

He had occasionally pursued perfections with the community as a supporter in his past lives. He usually followed the invitations to do the merit. You should invite him to do so just as you have been doing. You also need to find a kalyanamitta that he will listen to and you could do the merit under his name and make resolutions for him to return to pursue perfections with all his might by abandon all sinful activities.

4. Your mother had nephritis because in her past life she was born into an agricultural society. She had mixed the lower price produce with the higher price produce in order to make a higher profit. But she does not have any kammic retribution that would cause her to die.

She had pursued perfections with the community as a supporter but according to her might and mood.
Before this lifetime, she came from a very bright place.

5. Your brother made a vow with the monk teacher that he would practice celibacy for the remainder of his life. If he cannot keep the vow, his resolution plan will lessen.

In the last Buddhist Era, he had been born a nobleman. He had pursued perfections with the community as a supporter. But he had only a short term ordination merit and the habit of inconsistently pursuing perfections has followed him.

He became a doctor because his father wanted him to be one. He does not want to disappoint his father.
Since he is a doctor now, he should be a kind and merciful doctor who treats the patient in both body and mind, following the right principles.

6. You, Luang Na (your uncle who is a monk), and your aunt used to be relatives who supported each other and pursued perfections with the community.

They have both pursued perfections as supporters. Luang Na has ordained in old age like this for many past lifetimes now.
In the last Buddhist Era, they both attained the Dhammakaya within, able to return to the special merit zone of Tusita Heaven. But they were reborn only once to pursue perfections as a human being.

7. You got into many motor vehicle accidents resulting in head injuries several times because in the past life you were a soldier and had always injured your enemies in different parts of their bodies.

The doctor found a tumor in your brain at first but could not find it later, because you did not have a tumor.

8. You have a sty in your eye every year and have an infection in your eyes often because in your past life, you were born a man. You liked to hide and see women taking baths. You also liked to make your eyes look mean to your employees or those who you supervised in order to threaten them.

The “black mole” on your eye is from the same lifetime when you liked to look for mistakes in others, from when you were both an ordained person and a non-ordained person.

The “dream” you had was just an indication that it was going to happen. But what happened had nothing to do with the dream.

9. Your left knee was infected because in your past life, when you were a soldier, you had stuffed a cloth into the mouth of your enemy so that they would not make any noise and, sometimes, you would hurt them with your knees.

You have small bumps similar to 10 baht coins along the inner section of your arm. This arises as a result of the kamma from your past life when you were ordained. You tended to throw mounds of trash in the temple causing others to have to pick up after you. For example, you would sweep leaves into mounds in the middle of a path, but you would not finish. Or you would leave things lying around in the temple on a regular basis.

10. You are curious about names. Names are a result of many different things. For example, names that arise from Dhamma are “Nemittaka names.” The name, “Buddha” arises when the Lord Buddha attains Enlightenment. “Dhammakaya” arises with Dhamma.

Names can arise with merit. For example, you can make merit and make resolutions to have the name of “Siddhatta.”
Names can arise from popularity in the world. For example, your name has nothing to do with your name in the last Buddhist Era.

11. The merit that arises from creating cartoons can become cartoons with gems, if you wish, when it turns into celestial wealth. But if you do not wish this, it does not have to be this way because merit is a successful base.

For example, you may have sculptures of beautiful cartoons that are made of gems.

12. You have pursued perfections with the community. In the last Buddhist Era, you were a soldier of the king who ordained. But you cheated on so many women. Later, you ordained following the king who ordained. Upon ordaining, you performed the duty of spreading the teachings for the remainder of your life. Your meditation experience was that of a clear Dhamma sphere and clear Buddha image, able to return to Tusita Heaven. You were reborn twice in the last Buddhist Era. But the kamma from being a cheater in the many lifetimes you were born a man caused you to be born a woman in this lifetime.

Your close friend tends to call herself a “he” in her thoughts because of the familiarity that she has with being a man in her past life.

She has pursued perfections with the community in her past life. In the last Buddhist Era, she was a soldier of the king who ordained. She was a close soldier friend of yours because you both had the same personality of liking women. Later, she ordained following the king who ordained. Upon ordaining she performed the duty of spreading the teachings for the remainder of her life. Her meditation experience was that of seeing a clear Dhamma sphere and clear Buddha image, able to return to Tusita Heaven. She has been reborn as a human being twice in the last Buddhist Era.

Having met with the community in this lifetime, you should strongly intend to pursue perfections with all your might in every merit, and make resolutions to follow the community to the special merit zone of Tusita Heaven, in the Bodhisatta area. Do not allow yourself to stray from the community.