Phoenix Swan-Dragon

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CASE STUDY

Phoenix Swan-Dragon

I pay my highest respects to you, Luang Phaw.

I am a Dream in Dream Kindergarten student and have never missed the program on DMC. Every time I see the great teacher through DMC, you are always charming. Every word that you speak is truly full of love and kindness for all Dream in Dream students around the world. Therefore, no matter who they are, if they have an opportunity to listen to a case study, there seems to be a magnet that pulls them to watch the program from beginning to end. And finally it inspires them to improve their lives. I would like to ask for the great teacher’s kindness to dream in dream about my case study.

My maternal grandfather was from mainland China. He traveled by ship, doing business between Thailand and China 13 times. He finally decided to ask my grandmother to begin a new life with him in Suphan Buri province with the hope that, one day he would have enough money to settle and return to China again. He wanted to die in China because it was his birth place. From that point, no matter how much money he saved, he exchanged it into Chinese money and saved it. Unfortunately, his wish was never fulfilled. Although he had a talent for doing business and his diligence was not inferior to anyone, luck did not seem to be on his side. When he saved enough Chinese money to fill a large suitcase and thought he could easily settle in China, something unexpected happened. When the established Kuomintang government in China lost the war, the Chinese money that my grandfather had been saving for a long time was canceled. It suddenly became worthless pieces of paper. His hope to return to China was postponed with no future date and there was no sign that it could be accomplished. But my grandfather really wanted to return to his birthplace. Finally, at the end of his life, he passed away in front of the Chinese Vegetarian Hall on the last day of the Vegetarian season at the age of 79.

My mother has had a difficult life from when she was young. She had to help my grandparents since she was 8 years old by picking chilies and selling dessert at the market. After she married my father, she sold fruit at the Pak Klong market. She began with nothing and was despised by people in the same profession. During that time, my mother slept only 2-3 hours per day. Some days she only had a bag of coffee. She worked so hard until her blood became so thick that she was unable to move when she lay down. The insecticides in the fruits were absorbed into her body making her itch all day and all night long. She had to be treated by acupuncture in China until she was healed. She saved up until she had a lot of money in a trust fund. Unfortunately, it seems like it was her kamma. That trust went bankrupt. My mother lost many millions of baht.

Not long after the trust went bankrupt, it seemed like her bad luck and retributions were combined. One day in the afternoon, all the family members were downstairs. That day, a thief had just finished stealing from our neighbor’s house and wanted to stop by our house, too. He stole all the diamond jewelry and cash in our drawers.

Later, after my mother recovered her business, she began exporting fruit. But then, a durian farm owner in Chantaburi province hired someone to threaten to kill her. Sometimes she made a lot of money. Other times she lost almost everything. But every time she lost so much, there would always be someone there offering help although they never met or the situation would change so that she would be able to start over again and get past the crisis. Now, she is 67 years old. Her health is not well. She is diabetic and had surgery because her pelvic bone hit a nerve.

My father has had a difficult life since he was young because his father passed away when he was only 11 years old. He followed a fishing boat out to sea and worked on everything he could in order to earn money to support himself. Later when he was grown, he helped my uncle sell shrimp paste at the Pak Klong market. He worked very hard for money. My father almost died twice. The first time was when he was 20 years old. There was a tumultuous Manhattan rebellion. The navy brought in ships to surround Tah Tian port and fired cannons into the shipyard. My father was hiding in that area and his back was hit by specks of the cannon. The shrapnel from the cannon was buried in his hip bone. At the time, my uncle took him to the hospital. But when he got there, the doctor just let him sleep and he suffered from the injury for 7 days. He almost died. My uncle had to move him to have surgery at another clinic. The wound from the cannon shrapnel was so big that the nurse could reach in with her hand. Finally, he survived but he almost could not walk because the shot almost completely cut the artery in his leg.

The second time, while he was in China preparing to return to Thailand, he almost died because of his kidney problem. He had to quickly go to the hospital in China. The doctor said that if he had flown on the plane back to Thailand, he would have died on the plane. Later, he decided to undergo an operation for a kidney transplant. I had the opportunity to take him to see Khun Yay Acharaya to ask for her help. When she saw him, she took his hand. I was thinking about asking her if the operation was going to be dangerous, and if it would be successful. But she said that he would not die and that she would help, before I even said anything. When I heard that, I feel very relieved. He also wore a locket of Khun Yay to the operation room. Amazingly, the doctors thought the operation would take at least 4 hours, but it only took ½ hour to finish. Now my father is 75 years old. The new kidney is still in good working condition with no side effects.

I first came to the temple in 1983, while I was studying at Suan Kularb High School. I later passed the entrance exam to go to Chulalongkorn University as a communications major. In the first few years while I was studying, I behaved very badly. I drank alcohol everyday, and when I got drunk, I did not go home.

I was a drunkard for 2 years, until 1987. I saw a brochure for the Dhammadayada training program at the Dhammakaya Temple and I decided to join the 15th annual training session. Although this was a short term ordination, it was like a beginning point that led me to know the goal in life and the path to pursuing perfections.

After the training was over, I became a totally different person. I quit drinking alcohol completely. One time, I had made a promise to remain single in front of Luang Phaw. But I was not successful. I do not know what happened, but I felt like not being single anymore. This has been on my mind since then. I would like to use this opportunity to ask for forgiveness from Luang Phaw.

Presently, I am married and have one son. My mother and I have a business exporting fruit. But I never forget to accumulate merit with Luang Phaw. I try to do it continuously, having not missed a single merit for the past 10 years. And every time I make merit, I make a wish to follow Luang Phaw to the special merit circle of Tusita Heaven, in the Bodhisatta area.

Questions:

1. When my maternal grandfather was still alive, he saved a lot of Chinese money. But in the end, the money he saved was cancelled. What kammic retribution caused this? Where did my maternal grandparents go after they died? Have they received the merits that I dedicated to them?

2. My paternal grandfather likes to drink alcohol, gamble, and smoke marijuana, but my paternal grandmother is well-mannered. Where did my paternal grandparents go after they died? Have they received the merits that I dedicated to them?

3. Why was my mother’s life so difficult from the time she was born? She had to work hard, and struggle against many obstacles in her life.

4. What actions did my mother perform in her past life? Each time her life was terrible, there would be someone who would help her or there would be a situation that would allow her to survive the danger each time. But each time she would reestablish herself and her live would improve, she would become poor again. And then she would become rich again. It has been like this for many cycles. What kamma caused it? Why is it that when the cycle improves, everything is much better than expected? But when the cycle worsens, it is like she does not have anything left?

5. What kamma did my mother do to lose all the money she had in that bankrupt trust, which she earned with great difficulty? And then at around the same time, a thief stole all her valuables at her house?

6. What merit did my mother do to make her a strong person? Even though she works harder than most people, she is still able to do it. What kamma caused my mother to have diabetes and have her pelvic bone hit a nerve? And what merit must she do to intervene in this kammic retribution?

7. What kamma did my father do to be shot in the back with cannonball shrapnel and was left to lie in the hospital for 7 days without surgery, almost dying? What kamma did he do to have kidney disease but was able to undergo a kidney transplant. He did not have to undergo kidney dialysis like other patients. When he was undergoing surgery, Khun Yay went to help my father. Is this correct?

8. I have undergone surgery on my nose once before because my nasal bone curved and blocked respiration. Currently, I still have congestion in my nose. What kammic retribution caused the bone in my nasal passages to block my breathing? Is there a way for me to correct this kamma so that I am completely cured?

9. Must an occupation that will make a person rich be related to the merit that one does in one’s past life? For example, if a person has made merit with land, then that person needs to do business in real estate. And what special merit have I done in the past? Will there be a way for me to be wealthy in this life?

10. How did I pursue perfections with the group in my past life? What position did I have in the dhamma army, in the last Buddhist era? Did I come down to pursue perfections with the group for a 2nd time? Do I have a previous plan for ordination? If I wish to ordain for a long period of time in every lifetime, will I be able to do it?

11. What relationships did my wife, my son, and I have in our past lives? How have my wife and son pursued perfections with the group? It is possible for them to be wealthy in this life?

12. I have one very close friend who I have joined in making every single merit with. We never miss even one merit. What relationship did we have in our past lives? He often has symptoms of a weak heart and is easily tired. What kammic retribution caused this? What must he do to be cured from this disease? How has he pursued perfections with the group? Does he have a strong plan for ordination? Currently, he wants to ordain for the rest of his lifetime and study the higher level of Dhammakaya. Does he have the merit to do this?

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 maternal grandfather had a lot of Chinese money, but in the end, the money he saved was canceled. It became worthless pieces of paper because, in his past live, he had donated but tended to regret it later, and often asked for the money back as well. This kammic retribution sent its effects when he had no merit, because his regrets came to receive this money, making it worthless.

Your maternal grandparents died and became regular-leveled earth sprites, and live in a certain earth sprite village, because of the merit they did as a part of tradition, for example, paying respect to ancestors and having the heart to help relatives. They have received the merits you dedicated to them and it has made their condition better.

2. Your paternal grandfather likes to drink alcohol, gamble, and smoke marijuana. He died and went to the 5th Major Hell. He is not able to receive merits at this time. But his merits will wait for him in Purgatory.

Your paternal grandmother is well- mannered. She died and was reborn as a human being. She is not able to receive merits.

3. Your mother has led a difficult life since birth, working hard, struggling with very many life obstacles because, in her past life, she had made donations in social welfare but still did not believe in merit. She believed that one can become successful with only a mind and two hands. Also, she did not give regularly. Each time she was going to help someone, she would take a long time to make the decision. This kammic retribution sent its effects.

4. Each time your mother’s life seemed to get worse, there would be someone there to help or the situation would make her survive the danger because, she has merit from social welfare and caring for relatives, which came and helped her.

But when she would reestablish herself each time, her life would become worse again. She would be poor and then rich, and then poor, like this for many cycles, because when she made merit in social welfare or with her relatives, she would do it fully. But when she felt crestfallen, she would think that she should not have given the money. This made the kamma of stinginess from other times, intervene. This kammic retribution sent its effects.

When the cycle gets better, she makes more money than expected and when the cycle worsens, she barely has anything left, because of the kammic retribution that I mentioned.

5. Your mother had to lose so much money that she earned from working hard because the trust went bankrupt, and then a thief stole all her valuables at around the same time because, in her past life, she had stolen valuables twice from a relative that had put valuables in a jar and then buried it. This kammic retribution sent its effects.

6. Your mother is a strong person even though she works many times harder than most people because, she is diligent and in her past life, when she made merit in social welfare, she liked to donate rice and food. This kammic retribution sent its effects.

She had diabetes and her pelvic bone hit her nerve because of kamma from her past life. She had killed animals to make food and had worked animals too hard, even though the animal is already old, such as old cattle. This kammic retribution sent its effects.

7. Your father was shot by cannonball shrapnel in his back and was left to lie in a hospital for 7 days without surgery nearly losing his life because, of the kamma of hunting different animals, as a sport in his past life. Or sometimes, he would release birds from cages and then shoot it with an arrow when it flew, until it fell and died. This kammic retribution sent its effects. But much of the kamma has been used. It is only leftover kamma, which is why he did not die.

He has kidney disease but was able to get a kidney transplant and did not have to suffer through kidney dialysis like other patients because, in his past life, he was very good in archery. He had competed with others in an archery competition, with the competitor’s house and land at stake. And he won that competition. So, he took the house and land but set a portion aside to donate. This made the competitor’s family get into trouble.

This kammic retribution caused him to have kidney disease. But the merit he made and the perfections of Khun Yay Acharaya helped correct the kamma, making him survive and not have to go through kidney dialysis.

8. You had undergone nose surgery once before because the nasal bone curved and blocked respiration. Currently, you have congestion in your nose because of the kamma of torturing enemies in your past life. In the last Buddhist era, you had been a soldier of the king who ordained. You had captured enemies to torture, by pushing their heads into water, so that they would give up information or just to satisfy yourself. This kammic retribution sent its effects.

To correct this, you must make every single merit, by giving, observing the precepts, meditating, and releasing fish and animals. And then frequently dedicate these merits to those you exploited. Heavy will become light. Also, you must be careful with the insecticides that you spray on fruit.

9. Having an occupation that will make you wealthy is related to if we had done that occupation in our past lives. For example, in making merit with land, when the merit sends its effects, you will be successful in real estate. But merit is what brings success. If you do it well in your past lives, it will send effects for you to be wealthy by different means.

Therefore, you must diligently accumulate a lot of merit in your current life so that it will connect with your old merit and the path of wealth, and it will bring success in your life and in business.

You have pursued perfections with the group as a supporter for many lives. You have merit from ordaining for a short period and had thought of ordaining for a long period, by thinking that this lifetime would be the last that you would have a family. You have thought this way for many lives. But you still have not done it. In the last Buddhist era, you had only come down to pursue perfections once.

If you wish to ordain for a long period, you must have more spirit than this. That is, if you are able to think it, you should be able to do it. Then you will be successful.

11. You, your wife, and your son have all been father-mother-child since the last Buddhist era. You had pursued perfections together.

Your wife and your son have pursued perfections with the group as supporters.

12. You and one of your closest friends have been close friends for many lives now, including in the last Buddhist era. He had been the solider of the king who ordained and had also ordained for a short period.

Your close friend has a weak heart and is easily tired because in the last Buddhist era, he had been a soldier of the king who ordained and supervised prisoners of war, making them work too hard. This kamma sent its effects.

He should accumulate every merit as much as possible, and dedicate these merits to those he exploited. Also, he should regularly exercise and he will slowly get better. He has pursued perfections with the group as a supporter and has ordained for a short period. His disposition is similar to yours, which is, boredom, desire, etc.

You meet with the group again in this life. You should strongly intend to pursue perfections fully in every merit and make wishes to follow the group to the special merit circle of Tusita Heaven, in the Bodhisatta area. Do not allow yourself to stray.