The big merit from offering the meals to the monks and novices

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The big merit from offering the meals to the monks and novices

Dhammakaya Temple and all branches around the world have over 3,500 monks and novices. This is the good chance for you who are interested to make and accumulate big merit by offering the meals to the monks and novices together. The ceremony takes place at the Master Nun Chand Khonnokyoong Refectory in Dhammakaya Temple. For more information, please call 02-831-1000.

The Master Nun Chand Khonnokyoong Refectory - The Dining Place for Monks and Novices

Offering the meals to the monks
The Lord Buddha taught in the Kindada Sutta that people who offered food were the energy providers. So you should not overlook this kind of big merit because the Lord Buddha had taught that the king is bigger than his people, ocean is bigger than all rivers, the moon is brighter than all stars in the sky, the sun is hotter than all conductors and the Lord Buddha’s monks are the richest fertilized merit field for the congregations. The monks are the excellent merit field of the world, we should not miss this merit so that, ladies and gentlemen, please offer the meals to over 3,500 monks and novices of Dhammakaya Temple and all branches around the world.

“All kinds of starvation do not happen to me.”
Phramongkolthepmuni (Sod Chandasaro)

Once, Luang Phu went for the morning alms round. He did it until late, but he got only one ladle of rice and one banana. He reached his residence with tiredness because he had not eaten anything for 2 days. When he started to eat, suddenly he saw a very thin dog which it had not eaten for many days. Even though Luang Phu was very hungry, he was still kind to the dog. So he gave a little rice and half of banana to it. The dog ate only rice but did not eat banana. Luang Phu thought that he did not know that the dog wouldn’t eat banana. He thought to bring the banana back but he also determined that it was not appropriate because he had decided to give it. Even if he wanted to bring the banana back, there was no one presenting an offering either. From this incident, Luang Phu had made a wish that all kinds of starvation do not happen to him, after that he got food from the morning alms round so much that he could give the other monks as well.

The Meal Offering Ceremony at The Master Nun Chand Khonnokyoong Refectory

Luang Phu became the abbot of Pak Nam Temple in B.E. 2459. He built the scullery for monks and novices because he determined to save the monks and novices’ time. The more time they had, the more Dhamma they studied and practiced. It also opened the chance to the congregations to make merit from offering the meals as well. The congregation could do it very easy, just inform their intentions and offered money to the temple volunteers. The temple would tell its cooks to prepare the meals ready for them to present it to the monks.

The fruits of offering meals to the monks and novices
Luang Phu kindly taught that the donors would get a lot of merit because the monks were the excellent merit field and the richest merit sources for the merit seekers. If the donors wanted big merit, they should offer it indefinitely or not specify the receivers, and kept their minds calm.

“Hundreds of people come, I feed them all
Millions of people come, I feed them all and moreover…
For those who are my disciples,
If you want to have big merit with me,
Hundreds of you act as the temple’s owners,
Millions of you act as the temple’s owners.”
The Master Nun Chand Khonnokyoong
The Founder of Dhammakaya Temple

The Master Nun Chand Khonnokyoong Refectory
The Master Nun also had the same determination as Luang Phu’s one. She would like to offer the meals to the monks and novices without letting them to go out for the Morning Alms Round. When they did not go out, they would have more available time to do the monastic works and duties fully, so, the Master Nun had built the scullery. When she passed away, the Most Ven. Phrarajbhavanavisudh built the Master Nun Chand Khonnokyoong Refectory for the monks and novices. The temple has brought the little dome which used to use it once on the Master Nun’s cremation day to be the top dome of this refectory. This is to remind of her kindness about the building of scullery and refectory at Dhammakaya Temple.

The Front View of the Master Nun Chand Khonnokyoong Refectory

On January 19th, 2003, the temple piled the first foundation of the refectory and in the next year there was the sacred sign opening ceremony on January 19th, 2004. This refectory can support up to 6,000 monks and novices. Therefore, you can participate in the ceremony of indefinite offering the meal to the monks at this refectory everyday at 6:30 a.m. or 10:30 a.m.

If you are interested to make this merit, please call 02-831-1000. Thank you and rejoice in your merit.

Translated by Chadawee Chaipooripat