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Dhammachai Day – Victory Announcement Day
Back in 35 years ago, on August 27th, 1969 at the main chapel in Pak Nam Bhasi Charoen Temple, a guy determined to be ordained as a monk. He sacrifices his life to Buddhism because of his high aspiration. He intentionally makes merit and pursues the perfections concerning the Great Man’s body because he knows that the qualities and properties of the Great Man’s body are best and suitable for the highest goal – the Utmost Dhamma.
That day was the Most Ven. Phrarajbhavanavisudh’s ordination day, the monk who is like the sun of peace or the sun of Dhamma shining Dhamma light to the world.
That day was the Most Ven. Phrarajbhavanavisudh’s ordination day, the monk who is like the sun of peace or the sun of Dhamma shining Dhamma light to the world.
The Most Ven. Phrarajbhavanavisudh (Luang Phaw Dhammajayo)
The Most Ven. Phrarajbhavanavisudh’s highest aspiration
“Oh!...the celestial beings at the Black Cliff, I who wears the saffron robes, the victory flag of Arahants, have stuck the war flag and announce here that I will fight the enemies (defilements, mara) by Dhamma. On the sacred peak where the great celestial beings reside, I can tell you from my heart that I will sacrifice my life for Buddhism and pursue the perfections again and again to free me and all beings from the sufferings. Even if there is still one being not going to the Nirvana, I will not stop fighting, still live like this and keep helping the beings. I would be the last one to go to the Nirvana.”
Dhammajayo Bhikkhu
The Most Ven. Phrarajbhavanavisudh’s old name is Mr. Chaiyaboon Suthiphol. He was born on Saturday April 22nd, 1944 at 18:00 p.m. at a house on the Chao Phraya riverbank in Ban Pang sub-district, Phrom Buri district, Sing Buri province. His father was the senior technician of the Industrial Factory Department named Mr. Chanyong Suthiphol. His mother was Mrs. Churee Suthiphol. On his birthday, his relatives who had never talked to one another for a long time became reconcilable because each of them was happy to have the first nephew or grandchild.
His birth was like the auspicious time of harmony. It was like the rain falling on the dry clay, the clay becomes soft and the surface is not separate.
Due to his father was an official, so his father had to go to the country for work. Mr. Chaiyaboon was brought up by his mother and relatives when he was young and had to move to other places many times. Later, his father considered about his education in the future, so his father brought him to pay respect to a teacher of Talaphat Suksa School for her mercy. Mr. Chaiyaboon began to study grade 1 there.
How lucky he was! The school owner who was in the noble family and did not any child loved him very much so that she wanted to adopt him and gave him the legacy. But at that time his father had only one son, so his father loved him very much and not let her to adopt him. However, the school owner still loved him and usually brought him to go to Srapathum Palace. This made him to learn the noble manners and customs since then. At the same time he could follow to make merit and pay respect to the monks until he was familiar with many monks and loved to study Dhamma since he was young.
In 1950, his father had received the command to move and work in Petchaburi province, he had to go away from the school owner because his father brought him to live together there. He went to Arun Pradit School and studied grade 4 there about one year, then he moved to study at Sarnsit Pittayalai School in Ban Pong district, Ratchaburi province. It was the famous school and his father brought him to pay respect to Ms. Saman Saeng-arun, a kind teacher. He studied there until graduated grade 9.
At that time he was 13 years old and he could pass the exam to study grade 10 at Suan Kularb Vittayalai School in Bangkok. There were over 500 students taking this exam but the school selected only the best 150 students and he was one of them. However, his lifestyle changed. He had to look after himself, learn to save and spend his money. This made him strong, confident and responsible which was different from many boys who grew up from the rich families and had many facilities.
Due to his family’s financial situation was not good, he had to save his money and spent it only for his food. He could not buy any toys like other children and someday he had only rice to have at lunch. The difficulties during this period made him strong and ready for the big and hard work which has been his dream since he was young and it becomes true in the present time.
Mr. Chaiyaboon loved reading but he did not have enough money to buy at that time. When he had available time, he usually went to read at the first bookstore and read the book that he wanted until the owner expelled him. Then, he went to the second bookstore and read the same book until the owner expelled him again. He did like this until he went to the last bookstore, read the same book and finished reading it. He did it many times and one day he found a book called “Dhammakaya” which was written by the Most Ven. Phramongkolthepmuni (Sod Chandasaro)’s sermon. In this book, there was one sentence that if someone wanted to follow by the Lord Buddha in the right way, he had to practice until he could know and see. In the end of the story, there was the confirmation that if you studied at Pak Nam Temple, you could see and know. These sentences made him happy like he found the right way so he strongly wanted to study and practice at Pak Nam Temple. Suddenly, he thought that where Pak Nam Temple was.
In that magazine, He read and found that Mother Lookchand was the nun who could teach meditation, so he went to Pak Nam Temple and asked about her but he did not find. However, someone told him that there was only the Master Nun Chand, unfortunately he thought that she was not the same person he was asking for. When he did not find the Master Nun, he decided to go back, read the books and took the exam. Finally, he could pass the Entrance exam and became a student of Kasetsart University.
When he was a freshman, he went to Pak Nam Temple again and studied meditation with other teaching monks. He knew later that Mother Lookchand and the Master Nun Chand was the same person. So, he found the person who could make his dream become true. He loved and respected to his teacher very much and always called her “Khun Yai”, means grandmother in Thai, which sounded more familiar than “Teacher.”
When the time passed by, He meditated better and better and became expert in meditation. He could do as good as he wanted and also knew and saw Dhamma by the Lord Buddha’s way. He also knew that only the Right Meditation could help all beings from the sufferings and dangers in the cycle of reincarnation and brought the beings to meet the everlasting happiness, the Nirvana. He asked the permission from the Master Nun to be ordained for more Dhamma studying and the nun granted the permission after he graduated from the university. On the Master Nun Chan’s Birthday Anniversary in 1968, he paid back her kindness by taking oath to be a celibatarian for whole life which was the precious gift for her.
After he had ordained for a while, he said about the ideology of monastic ordination that being a monk was not easy, only wearing the saffron robes did not mean the wearer was a good monk. The good monk had to do the monastic daily routines and keep the 227 monastic precepts well. Each monk’s ordination would bring more merit to him if he could support the religion, not only rely on the religion!
When he was a freshman, he went to Pak Nam Temple again and studied meditation with other teaching monks. He knew later that Mother Lookchand and the Master Nun Chand was the same person. So, he found the person who could make his dream become true. He loved and respected to his teacher very much and always called her “Khun Yai”, means grandmother in Thai, which sounded more familiar than “Teacher.”
When the time passed by, He meditated better and better and became expert in meditation. He could do as good as he wanted and also knew and saw Dhamma by the Lord Buddha’s way. He also knew that only the Right Meditation could help all beings from the sufferings and dangers in the cycle of reincarnation and brought the beings to meet the everlasting happiness, the Nirvana. He asked the permission from the Master Nun to be ordained for more Dhamma studying and the nun granted the permission after he graduated from the university. On the Master Nun Chan’s Birthday Anniversary in 1968, he paid back her kindness by taking oath to be a celibatarian for whole life which was the precious gift for her.
After he had ordained for a while, he said about the ideology of monastic ordination that being a monk was not easy, only wearing the saffron robes did not mean the wearer was a good monk. The good monk had to do the monastic daily routines and keep the 227 monastic precepts well. Each monk’s ordination would bring more merit to him if he could support the religion, not only rely on the religion!
Translated by Chadawee Chaipooripat
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