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Contents
Foreword - The Sun of Peace 11
Preface 16
Biography The Most Venerable Phrarajbhavanavisudh 18
(Luang Phaw Dhammajayo) BorntoRestoreHarmony 20 AChildhoodLifeMovingforwardliketheCurrentofWater 22 HisBigChildhoodDreams 25 TheSearchfortheAnswersofLife 27 SparksofAnswers 28 TheSearchforaTeacher 30 DiscoveringaTeacherwhoshowedHimtheWaytoPeace 32 UnderstandingLife'sGoal 35 PerseveranceinMeditationPracticeuntilTruePeaceisObtained 38 MovingTowardstheSaffronRobe 42 TransformingthePaddyFieldintoaSacredLand 46 SpreadingPeacewiththeGreatFaithofHumankind 50 TheUtmostGratitudetowardstheTeacher 54
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Peace Projects of Phrarajbhavanavisudh 58
Training Programme and Dhamma Teaching to the Public 63
DhammaTeachingonSunday 64 WeekendMeditationRetreat 67 MeditationRetreatProgrammes 68 MeditationRetreatProgrammesforForeigners 70 TrainingProgrammeforPublicandPrivateSectors 72
Youths and the Future of World Peace 74
DhammadayadaTrainingProgramme 78 YouthMoralDevelopmentProject 90 VolunteersforBuddhistWorkProject 92 DhammaQuiz:PathofProgressProject 94
Peace starts from within the family 104
HomeofLightProject 106 KalyanamittaHomeProject 110 MeditationPracticetoBlessTheirMajestiestheKingandtheQueen114 CreatingWorldPeacebyabstainingfromdrugsandbadtemptations118
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Peace among Buddhist Monks 122
TrainingBuddhistMonkstobecomeDhammaTeachersforWorldPeace124 PaliStudiesGraduateCongratulationsCeremonyformonksandnovices128 TheSystematicTrainingProgrammeforSpreadingBuddhism 129 "TrueMonk"BuddhistStudiesContest 131 Scholarshipawardsformonks,novicesandstudents 133
Humanitarian Aids 136
Donationofferingceremonytohelp266templesofthesouthernprovinces137 TsunamiRelief 141 FloodRelief 144 ColdWeatherRelief 145
Posit ive Media in the Age of Globalisation 146
DMCChannel 148 Productionofvisualaidsandpublications 152
Extending True Peace to the World Cit izen 154
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Collaboration with International Organisations 176
The Award of the Determination of Truly Making World Peace 178
Creating Peace Together in the Era of the Sun of Peace 186
World Peace Begins With Inner Peace 192
Byknowingthemind,youarediscoveringthepathtoserenity 196 Ifyoudonotknowyourownmind,howwillserenityarise? 198 Findingyourmindisnotadifficulttask 200 Youcanfindserenityifyouknowthewaytocontrolyourmind 202 Trainingyourmindtobeatthecentreofthebody 204 Trainconstantlyandyouwillseechanges 206 Innerserenitywillspreadtobecomeexternalpeace 208 DiligenceinpursuingtheDhammaofpeacewillleadtoserenity 210
Meditation for World Peace 218
Contributors 224
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Foreword The sun of peace
T hesunisagreatsourceofenergy.Itleadsthesolarsystemaswellthe celestial bodies. The sun’s rays benefit all. The sunlightgoodvaluetothecreaturesoftheearth.
Fromthegenesis to thedemiseofearth’screatures, thesunceaselesslysustaining lifeonearth.Thesunmoveson itspaththroughtheendlessprovidingitssustenancewhileundernobody’scontrol.No matter how much time may pass, all of us earthly denizens exist inlight.Itisalifeforcewhichthesunbestowswithoutouraskinguntilweimmenseworth.If we only imagine that the setting sun will not rise again as it alwayscomprehenditsvastvalue.Thesunoffersitskindnesstotheworld,itslightenablinghumanbeingswarmthandsafety.YetallthesethingsonlyhavebenefitsforourexternalButthisworldhasapersonwhohasdevotedhislifelikethesun;sendingmaking it possible for all people to know the truth about life; enablinginthecorrectmanner,tobefreefromsuffering,toattainpeace,andtohelpThis person resembling the sun of the mind, he isThe MostVenerable
h
(Luang Phaw Dhammajayo), a faithful disciple of the Lord Buddha whofulfilhisduties,dedicatinghislifeforalmost40yearscreatingbenefitsforworld.He started with a small group that had almost nothing. He had todemonstratedgreatforbearanceinthefaceofmanypeoplewhodidnotacttoreceivepraiseoranyotherformofrestitution.He continued to show great diligence and confidence in his efforts tominds,changingtheblindnessofignoranceintothehappinessthatarisesandathoroughunderstanding.HeledpeopleandthosearoundthemtowiththeteachingsoftheLordBuddha,bynotdoingevil,byonlydoingmind.Heemphasisesthatwhenthepeopleoftheworldactinaccordancewithpeacewillarise. Foralmostfourdecades,LuangPhawDhammajayohasbeingswithcontinualcompassion.Hehashelpednomatterwhetherthismental problems, without considering anyone’s nationality, religion,Hehasdevotedhimselfphysicallyandmentallytobuildanassemblyforheartofavirtuousfriend.Hehassuccessfullyinvitednumerousdisciplesworktogetherforpeace.It isasLuangPhawDhammajayooftensays: thesuccessachieved isnotall those who provide their collective physical and mental strength to
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Themostimportantthingisthathehasintroducedeveryonetotheinnerextraordinaryknowledge:theprinciplesofmeditationforachievingenlightenment.Thisknowledgeallowsustoleadourlivesinhappinessand
These principles start with making the mind still at the centre of theoriginalpurestate.Furthermore,hehasbeenanindustriousteacherandmanyothersthroughthevariousprojectshehasdeveloped,workingtobodyandmind.
Theperformanceofhisdutiesmakeshimlikeashiningsunthatactswithintentionsinordertoproducehappinessandpeacefortheworld.
On this, the auspicious occasion of Luang Phaw Dhammajayo receivingPeace Award from the All Indian GandhianWorker Society in 2005, thefromtheWorldBouddhistSanghaYouthin2006,andtheAtishDipankarthe Bangladesh Buddha Kristi Prachar Sangha in 2007, I, thecommittee,alongwithLuangPhawDhammajayo’sdisciplesfromaroundfor permission from him to publish his biography and an account ofThis will be an example of his worthy conduct for his disciples andworld.
It isagiftforallpeoplewhoarereadytojointogethertosafeguardthewarandkilling,until it ispossibletohavelastingpeace. Italsoprovidespeopleworldwide.Thisbookalsoreassuresyouthatthereisadiscipleofprepared to walk with you until the world has finally attained beautifulhaveachievedinnerpeace.
I would like to express my sincere thanks to Luang Phaw Dhammajayofor us to pursue this effort. I would also like to thank those whothose who funded the publication costs. I wish that you will always beGem,thatyouwillhavehappiness,materialandspiritualprosperity,thatsun, that you will have your own peace, and that your peace will rapidly
Mr.AnantAsavabhokhin
StockExchangeofThailand’sBestCEOoftheYear,BusinessweekMagazine’sStarofAsia,2003LayChairmanoftheDhammakayaCetiya
OnbehalfofthePublicationCommitteeandLuangPhawDhammajayo’sDisciplesWorldwide
3March2007
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Preface
“Allpeoplearefromonefamily.Webreathethesameair,
Drinkwaterunderasinglesky,Beholdthesamesun,moon,andstars.
WewilllivetogetherinthisworldfromourbirthUntilthelastsecondofourlives.”
TheMostVenerablePhrarajbhavanavisudh(LuangPhawDhammajayo)
madethesestatementswithhisheartrepletewithgoodwillfortheNomatterwhattheirnationalities,languages,religions,orethnicities,
hehasgreatdiligenceinleadingthepeopleoftheworldtodiscovertrueinnerhappinessbymeditation.
Whenthehumanmindisfullofhappinessandcompassion,worldpeacewilltrulyarise.
Throughoutmanyyearshehasconductedhislifeinpursuitof
thesegoodintentions.Everywordthathehastaught,everyvirtuoushehasperformedtopresentagoodexample,theseinspire
hisstudentstofollowhisgoodintentionsinordertoreachthedayweall
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The Most Venerable Phrarajbhavanavisudh (Luang Phaw Dhammajayo)
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Born to Restore Harmony
Phrarajbhavanavisudh (Luang Phaw Dhammajayo) wasSuthipol on Saturday, the 22nd of April 1944, the firstmooninthe6thmonthoftheLunarCalendarat6p.m..
small house located on the banks of the Chao Phraya River aPaeng, in the district of Promburi, within the Province ofJanyong Suthipol, worked as an engineer at the IndustrialMinistryofIndustry,andhismotherwasJureeSuthipol.
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This led to the recollection of a dream his mother once had that tookwheretheylivedbeforemovingtoSingburi.Whilepregnant,shedreamtofPichit,called‘LuangPhawPetch’thatthepeoplerevered.Hepresentedandsaid,“Thisboy isaveryspecialchild.Pleasetakeverygoodcareoffor the people in the future.” Later, she dreamt that she received a veryandshecleanedandpolishedituntilitwasevenshinier.Whilepolishingbright glow that radiated across the whole city, making it bright with
Herdreamsbroughthappinesstoeveryone inthe family,especiallyherthe intention of supporting his first child to attain maximum progresscouldbearolemodeltoeveryone.
The day Chaiyaboon was born, an auspicious event occurred. All of hisandhadnevervisitedeachotherforalongtime,wererestoredtofamilytheirfirstnephew.
The birth of baby boy was an auspicious event for harmony, like rainground,restoringitbacktoasmoothsurface.
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A Childhood Life Moving forward l ike the Current of Water
S incehisfatherwasagovernmentemployeewhohadtodifferent provinces, Chaiyaboon was raised by hisBecause he had to move on a regular basis, his father,
boy’seducationandfuture,registeredhissoninthefirstgradeSchool,aboardingschoolatSao-ShingshainBangkok.This was a good fortune for this young student. The owner of theattending,whowasofroyalblood,hadnochildrenofhisown.Helovedasked the boy’s father if he could adopt him to be his heir. Sincebeloved son of the family, his father declined the offer. However, thewould always bring him to the Sra Pratum Palace.This allowed him thecustomsofroyaltyfromthattimeforward.Italsogavehimthechancetomakingmeritwithmonksregularly.Thiswasthestartoftheboy’sinterest
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In 1950, his father received an order to relocate to Phetchaburi.from the school owner since he was transferring to Aroonpradit Schoollivingwithhisfatherforalittleoverayear,hemovedtoSarasitPithayalaischoolstoodinBanpongDistrict,RajchaburiProvince.Hisfatherallowedhearted and generous teacher, Samarn Sang-Aroon, until he completedWhen he was thirteen, Chaiyaboon passed the competitive entrancetenth grade at SuankularbWittayalai School in Bangkok. He was one ofwhopassedthetestfromapooloffivehundredcandidates.Sincehewastime, he learned howtoeconomizeandsave.Therefore, thisexperienceconfidentand responsible in thishediffered fromotherboyswhogrewHis childhood experiences prepared him for his important future tasks,finallyreachedhisdream.
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His Big Childhood Dreams
Chaiboon’s Utmost Dedication to Attaining Knowledge ofStartofAttainingKnowledgeofBuddhism.
Young Chaiboon was eager when it came to acquiring knowledge, andfree time gaining more knowledge at bookstands or at the marketsbefound.HelikedtospendtimeinandaroundKhlongLodandSanamteenagershisagewhoonlywanted tohave funallday long. Hecouldt-shirtwithhisfavouriteshorts,readingbooksfromvariousbookstands.Dhamma,hewouldfindhimselfreadingthemoverandoveragain.Therefinedhisthoughtssothathecouldbetterunderstandthesufferingofof important people were read repeatedly, so that he was able tonames and contributions.These prompted questions in his mind: Whygoaloflife?Thesequestionsweretooadvancedforsomeonehisage.Heinajournalattheageofthirteen:
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“IfIweretopursuesecularinterests,IwouldwanttoattaintheI were to pursue religious interests, I would like to reach thedisseminateBuddhismtothewholeworld.”Whocouldhaveimaginedthatayoungman’sdreamwasgoingtocomepresent day, this person has become a revered Abbot who has broughtpeacethroughmeditation,andshoneitacrosstheworldtopeace-lovers
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The Search for the Answers of Life
While he was attending Suankularb Wittayalai School,listen to Dhamma lectures, from many scholars, andandhisfriendstoestablishaBuddhistYouthSociety.
wereDhammalectures,asfarawayasLanAsokeatMahathatplaces,healwaysattended.
Ashebecameateenager,hisappetitetolearnmoreDhammaincreased.time,hewouldalwaysstealawayto tranquilplaces tocontemplate thehismind.Whywereweborn?Wheredowegoafterwedie?DomeritandandstudiedBuddhisttextsthatsaid:KnowingonlytheDhammaoftheenough.It is likehavingonlyoneeye.Onewillbeonlyanexpert intheknowledge,butwhateverbenefitsmaybegainedbythatisneverknownintopractise.Then,morequestionswillremain.
Heregularlygazedatthevastskyasifhewastryingtofindtheanswersresideddeepinhismind.Hedifferedfromotherpeopleofhisagewhohaving fun, thoughts of the future and wealth, having a life partner, ordetermined eyes of young boy, behind those dark glasses, he wasof finding answers. He continuously researched various books, andmanywellknownscholars.
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Sparks of Answers
Then one day, he came across a book titled,was written in the format of a sermon by The GreatPhramongkolthepmuni (Sodh Candasaro) or Luang Pu
was one particular quote:“If one wants to follow in the righthas to practise until one gains complete comprehension and
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Theword“Dhammakaya”appealedtohim.TheGreatMastersaid,“Dhammakaya is the Buddha.” He even referenced a Pali term from the(aham�itipi,”(Pali)toconfirmthattheBuddhaistheDhammakaya.AttheshowedaconfirmationthatWatPaknamwasabletoteachuntilattainingand understanding.”This statement delighted him because he knew he
Later, he read an article in“Vipassana Bantuengsarn” that spoke aboutofKhunMaeAcariyaChandra,anexpertintheDhammakayaMeditation.a disciple of Phramongkolthepmuni (Sodh Candasaro), Luang Pu WatChaiboontowanttolearnmeditationatthetemple.Fromthatpointon,PaknamtostudytheDhammakayaMeditation.
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The Search for a Teacher
I n1963,attheageofnineteen,hewaspreparingtotaketheentranceuniversity-levelstudies.TheyoungmanmadeadecisiontogotoWatto meet Khun Mae Acariya Chandra to study the Dhammakaya
at thetemple,heaskeddifferentpeople,“DoesanyoneknowKhunMaeoneknew.Theytoldhim:“ThereisnoKhunMaeAcariyaChandra.ThereisChandra.” This made him think that these were two different persons.concentratedhiseffortsontheentranceexam.HepassedtheexamandUniversity.Inthefirstsemester,hewasveryfocusedinhisstudies.Later,attheendofthoughts of meeting Khun Mae Acariya Chandra resurfaced. So, hePaknamagaininOctober1963,butwasstillunsuccessfulinlocatingher.that,ifhewantedtolearnhowtomeditateseriously,heshouldlearnfromwould be glad to teach the Dhammakaya Meditation Technique. Afterperiod of time, he discovered, from a fellow meditator of the same age,ChandrawasTeacherChandra.So,hewastakentomeetTeacherChandra.theopportunitytomeetoneanother.
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Discovering a Teacher who showed Him the Way to Peace
When he first met Khun Yay (Khun Mae Acariyafifty-three years old. She looked like an ordinarythin, but whose eyes were brilliant and bright; a
extreme knowledge. She was firm, strong, powerful, andAlthoughshewasnoteducatedor literate,shecouldprovideto deep Dhamma questions. Her profound answersthem stop and think and removed them from the strongworld.
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On their first meeting, the young man believed that he had found thesearching for, for such a long time. Therefore, he requested, withstudent.Later,KhunYaysaidtohim,“YouaretheonewhosebirthLuangasked me to request during the World War period.” This statement waswordsthatKhunYaysaidwereaccuratesincehewasbornduringWorldFromthatpointon,ChaiboonfeltconfidentthathehadchosentherightknowledgehereceivedfromKhunYayenabledhimtoaddressandsettlequestioned. This also inspired him to spread the peace found inThishelpedmakethebigdreamthathehad,whenhewasachild,comeAnydoubtsorquestionsthattheyoungmanhadinhismind,hewouldwouldbeabletoanswereverything,aboveandbeyondhisexpectations,evenhigher.ThisencouragedhimtospreadBuddhistteachingsandbringwholeworld.
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Understanding Life ’s Goal
On the first day of meditation practice with KhunYay,the new student asked was:“KhunYay, does heavenKhun Yay simply answered, “Yes, they both exist.
real.I’vebeentherewhenIwenttohelpmyfather.Myfatherhe drank alcohol daily and would get drunk. I requestedDhammakayatohelpbringmyfatherintoheaven.Wouldyouwillteachyouandwecangotheretogether.”
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Itwasaclearanddirectanswer thatwascompletelydifferent fromanybefore. This indicated the confidence she had in her experience, andher own. This is because Khun Yay had meditated in the MeditationandmonkswhentheGreatMaster,LuangPuWatPaknam,wasstillalive.were selected by Luang Pu Wat Paknam because they had remarkableAtthattime,KhunYaymeditatedwithdeterminationforsixhoursduringnight.Shehadsuchsuperbresultsfromhermeditationexperiencesthatextolled her among other meditators with: “Daughter Chandra is the
AftermeditatingwithKhunYay foronlyashortamountof time,youngdiscoveredtheanswerstothequestionshehadsoughtforsolong:“Whyisthetruegoaloflife?”Theresultsfrommeditationprovidedtheanswerspursueperfections,andNibbanaisthehighestgoalofeveryone’slife.”
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Perseverance in Meditation Pract ice unti l True Peace is Obtained
I nordertofullygraspandunderstandtheanswers,hehadhis life to the study of Dhamma. His daily life revolvedmeditation. Everyday at 6 a.m., he would make his daily
University to Wat Paknam, which required him to take threeWhetherhesatorstoodinthebus,hewouldalwaysclosehisuntilhereachedWatPaknamataround8a.m.HewouldthenKhunYay in order to continue the next lesson on meditationHereturnedtoKasetsartUniversityataround10p.m.
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Even during the early hours of the morning, at 3 a.m. when most of hiswouldwakeuptomeditatebecauseof favourablesilence,andhisbodywouldmeditateinanareawherenoneofhisfriendswouldseehim.But,wouldwakeupinthemiddleofthenighttousetherestroom.Whentheyblanket, they would be startled. As they knew that he was meditating,ortellanyone.Oncehisfriendsbecamemorefamiliarwiththis,hestartedclosestto,togomeditatewithKhunYayattheWatPaknam.Later,ashislarger, his friends who were seniors and juniors followed him to theWhen itcametostudyingattheuniversity,aneducatedgraduatetendsstudy needs to combine both worldly knowledge and Dhammanecessarytohelponeearnaliving,andDhammaknowledgeistoinstructandtoeaseanydoubtaboutthesecretsoflifesuchas,“Wheredowegoand hell exist? How do we prove it?”This profound knowledge was notbut it was derived from the Lord Buddha’s wisdom. This causedstudyofDhammamorethanstudiesintheclassroom.Evenonthedayhethemorning,hewouldtakethebustogotomeditate intheafternoon.graduated.
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With a determined attitude towards meditation, along with his respectteacher, young Chaiboon excelled in his progression when it came toKhunYaygreatly.Evenpeople,whopractisedmeditationwithKhunYayhisproficiency.Hence,KhunYaywascomfortableinallowinghimtoleadpatronsandsupporters.
Once he meditated deeply and attained inner peace, his confidence inBuddhism continued to increase. He saw that the fruits of meditationfromtheirsuffering,andhadindisputablyansweredthemanyunresolved
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Moving Towards the Saffron Robe
L ater, young Chaiboon came to a clear realisation that thenottrulykeephumankindfromsuffering,orbeabletoattaintruewisdom derived from meditation could help. He then decided to
permissiontobecomeordainedasamonk.KhunYaynotonlyrefusedhisordination, but also urged him to finish his degree first. She reasonedknowledgeable in the world, and be a scholar in Dhamma, too, so thatBuddhism once you have ordained. You can’t be dependent only onfollowedherrecommendation.ThroughhisrecollectionofKhunYay’sbenevolenceforthekindnesssheteachingsofDhamma,alongwithanacttodemonstratehisgratitude,on1968, Chaiboon wanted to present a gift to her by making a vow ofcelibate for the remainder of his life. This was considered the mostperson who wishes to advance consistently in his meditation, it isdegreeofpurity,pertainingtochastity,andremovealltheburdensoftheKhunYaywasverypleasedandhappywithhisgreatdetermination.Shehereffortsindevotingherselftoteachingandmentoringhim.
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IntheAprilof1969,ChaiboongraduatedwithaBachelor’sdegree,withaEconomics.Afterreceivinghisdegree,heimmediatelyinformedhisfatherforlifeintheBuddhistmonkhood.It took a considerable amount of time before his father accepted andordain, since he kept his promise of completing his college educationHismotheralso rejoiced inhisordinationwithgreat joyandelation thepermissiontoordain,sothathecouldextendthelivelihoodofBuddhism.27 August 1969, a full moon day on the ninth month of the lunarasMr.ChaiboonSuthipoldonnedthesaffronrobeandbecameamonk,chapel of Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen. The Most VenerableSomdejphramaharatchamangkalajahn, Abbot of Wat Paknampreceptor, Venerable Phrakrupipatdhammakanee was his seniorat the ordination, and Venerable Phravicheankawee was his junior(Anusavanacariya). He received the monastic title“Dhammajayo”, whichDhamma”.
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Lateron,LuangPhawDhammajayoreflectedhisthoughtsonordination“OrdainingasaBuddhistmonkisnotaneasytask,justsimplydonningaenough.Onemusttrainoneselftotake227preceptsaswellasthedailyin accordance with monastic disciplines. If one wishes to attain fullfromordainingonemustbeable tobea refuge forBuddhism,not just
Suchsolidprinciplesarenotsoeasilycomeby,onemuststudyandtrainsignificance of the Lord Buddha’s teachings. Based on thegrasps the concept of Luang Phaw Dhammajayo’s words one will haveone’s life to Buddhism. His sole purpose in becoming a monk was toBuddha all over the world. His ordination was a great example thatcomeandordainashedidandthistraditionstillcontinuestothepresent
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Transforming the Paddy Field into a Sacred Land
I n his new life as a monk, Luang Phaw Dhammajayo wasthe monastic codes of conduct and studied very hard inTeachings. During all of this, he also gave sermons to
Dhammaprasit’ (MeditationCentre inWatPaknam) insteadofregular basis. Until ‘Ban Dhammaprasit’ became sositinthestreettobeabletolistentohissermons,itwasnowcommunity to relocate to a bigger area. It was up to Luangteamwhichconsistedofspecialyoungmenandwomenwhoknowledge of the world and the perseverance to complete
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On Magha Puja Day the 23rd February 1970 (2513 B.E.) was the groundconstruction of Wat Phra Dhammakaya. The construction budget wasacresof landwhichwasdonatedbyKhunYingPrayadPhaetayapongsa-helpedeachothertobuildthetemplegivingalltheireffort,workinghardwilling to devote their life for the benefit of Buddhism. They evenbyconsumingsimple food,onlywhatwasnecessary forenergyandnottheir hearts were still fulfilled with encouragement that they wouldbeing able to see any solutions at that time. One of the main problemswasraisingthenecessaryfunds.In reference to the construction ofWat Phra Dhammakaya, Luang Phawallthenecessitiesthathavebeendonatedtothetemple,laypeoplehaveGemsandthenmadearesolutionprayerpoweredbythemeritofhavingthereforewemustmakefulluseofallnecessitiesthathavebeengiven”.construction ofWatPhraDhammakayahasbeendone towithstand the
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Itssimplicityindesignwastoensurelow-costmaintenanceandyetisstillelegance.ThesebuildingsaresymbolsofBuddhismforpeopletocomechapelisanexampleofthissimpleeconomicaleleganceaswellasbeingbuildingsatWatPhraDhammakaya.
Forinstance,theconcretethatwasusedintheconstructionofthechapelconcrete.ThebestsandhadtobeselectedfromthesanddunesonthetheChaoPhrayaRiverviabarges.Theconcreteitselfalsohadtobeofthemixwasavailable,itthenhadtoundergorigoroustestingtoensurelong-whenthespecialistteamhadgivenitsapprovalwouldtheconstructionouterwallofthechapel,thegravelthatwasusedhadtobeselectedbywhitestandpurestandsimilarinsizetoagrainofrice.Atthattime,theweresoimpressedwiththeattentiontodetailthattheychippedinandwiththeirownhands.
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Spreading Peace with the Great Faith of Humankind
Wat Phra Dhammakaya rapidly grew, along with theofitssupporterswhichhadgrowningreatnumbersyears. So much that the original 80 acres were not
accommodate the community and therefore its size wasthepurposeofservingasaWorldMeditationCentre.
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The very first meditation hall, accommodating only 500 people (namedfilledtoitscapacityinonly5years.Thenumberofpeoplewhoattendedfastpacesimilarto‘BanDhammaprasit’.Peopleendedupsittingoutsideorder to be able to participate in any religious ceremony led by Luangwhen it rained, people would sit outside to listen to him, obviously thislong and it was decided that a new meditation hall would need to becapacity thatch roofed Meditation Hall was built, but in only a shorthappened, over-filling with people. Then, it was decided that thelarger staging area for meditation and ceremonies. Therefore, thewiththehelpofallof itssupporters,wasbuiltwithinanareaof500,000host300,000people.Eventothisday,thebuildingisstillbeingexpandedbeen utilized as the main staging area for all religious ceremonies sinceHaving seen the number of supporters regularly increase, Luang Phawbuildthenextphase,whichconsistedofthe‘MahaDhammakayaCetiya’,andTheGrandMeditationStadiumbothdesignedtolastforathousand1,000,000squaremetersinordertoserve1,000,000monksandlaypeoplewhowillregularlycometopractisemeditationinthefuture.
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Theday1,000,000peoplefromovertheworldcometomeditateatMahawill be the day that the people of the world will stop, think and askpeoplehavegatheredinoneplacetomeditate.Theimagesthattheyseeintotheirheartsandtheywillstrivetofindtheanswerforthemselves.Beside the Maha Dhammakaya Cetiya structure, in order to pay ourTeacher, theMemorialHallofPhramongkolthepmuniandtheMemorialAcariya Maharattana Upasika Chandra Khonnokyoong are used as ameditation and for all people to come and pay homage. Around theMaharattana Upasika Chandra Khonnokyoong’s dining hall was built intoofferfoodtothecommunityofmonks.Currently, Wat Phra Dhammakaya is a centre for Buddhists all overthe main staging areas for major Buddhist ceremonies worldwide.thegreatdevotionanddedicationofLuangPhawDhammajayoandhiswas bestowed a High Royal Order of the monastic ‘Raj level’ by Histo be recognised as a leading monk in meditation with the titleDecember1996(2539B.E.).
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The Utmost Grati tude towards the Teacher
E very success and achievement of theDhammakaya, whether it was thetemple site, creating a religious
dissemination of Buddhism for the purposein the minds of humankind, was possiblesignificantandimportantfigurebehinditall.Yay, the teacher who provided Luang Phawwith the wisdom and illumination insupport and encouragement to performuntilherverylastbreath.KhunYay’stremendoussignificanceisimmeasurable.only fitting that Luang Phaw Dhammajayo extolledwith this title: “Our Great Teacher Khun YayChandra Khonnokyoong, the Founder of Wat Phra
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Khun Yay departed from this world on Sunday the 10th of SeptembergratitudeandrespectthatLuangPhawDhammajayohadforKhunYay,henovicemonks,andupasakaandupasikaofWatPhraDhammakaya,alongYayworldwide,tojoininbodyandmindinthemostperfectandmajesticandcremationheldon3rdFebruary2002.Thiswasagestureintendedtogratitude and to declare KhunYay’s significance for the whole world tolightingceremonywas thebiggestandgrandesteventeverheldatWatestimated500,000participants.Itwasalsothefirsttimethatover100,000from over 30,000 temples throughout Thailand, had ever congregatedthe cremation ceremony for Khun Yay. As a way to demonstrate theirother countries travelled across many miles in order to participate incongregation of this great a number of monks had never happened
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Thatdayisconsideredthemostwonderfulofdays.ItwasthedaythatallYay demonstrated their enormous gratitude to her, and also had thepresence of over 100,000 monks. It was an auspicious occasion to haveofferingstoamonasticorderofover100,000monks.Itwasalsoauniquehavehadthechancetocontributetoallthemeritsandreceiveblessingswhichisconsideredtobeanauspicioussound.
EventhoughKhunYayisnolongerwithustoday,PhrarajbhavanavisudhDhammajayo, continues to devote and dedicate all his time and effortamount of work, and to preserve and carry on the wisdom ofYayreceivedfromLuangPuWatPaknam,andtransferredtoLuangPhawtocreateaninnerhappinessthatcandeveloptoalastingpeaceonearth.done,andeverythingthatLuangPhawDhammajayoproceededforwardprimarygoal:PeaceonEarth.
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Peace Projects of Phrarajbhavanavisudh
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“WorldPeace,Itcannothappenthroughoneperson.
Wecannotaccomplishitalone.Itcomesfromthethoughtsofallbeings.
Excludingnoone…”
ThesearethewordsthatshowtheintentioninthemindDhammajayo. He wishes everyone in this world willlife. For this reason, he dedicated his entire life to
staff that could perform the duty of Kalyanamitta, each as apeople of the world. He began with a small group of peoplegoaluntilnow,thereareseveralhundredthousandsofpeoplevalueofmeditationandsharethesamegoalofWorldPeacebyfromwithin.
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Luang Phaw Dhammajayo realises that human beings are the mostone of the most important factors for guiding society in the future. HehumanbeingsbyutilisingtheknowledgeofBuddhismtodevelopone’sand to do good deeds. By starting to teach everyone to avoid the badtaking advantage of others, and harming each other. By avoiding badbringpeacetotheworld.
Another way is to teach everyone to do all kinds of good deeds toeveryone around us. Because if one performs good deeds more often,untilitbecomesagoodhabitintheirminds.Therefore,aslongashumandeeds,thenwecanensureaworldpeacethatwillendureforever.
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Thelastwayistoteacheveryonetoto purify their minds by practisingwhich is most important becausethe method of training one toto be aware of greed, anger andanger and delusion will forcedeeds. Besides this, meditation canwillpower to do more and moreLuang Phaw Dhammajayo initiatesactivities by using three principles:human beings to avoid bad deeds;them to do good deeds; andby meditation. These are thewhich can bring love and a bettertohumanbeings.Starting fromthethe smallest unit in society, we caneverlasting peace on earth. All ofare aimed at reaching the goal ofWe therefore need to publicise Dhamma to people directly and workBuddhist and other spiritual organisations both inThailand and around
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Training Programme and Dhamma Teaching to the Public
SincethebeginningofbuildingWatPhraDhammakaya,the temple was heavy, but one that Luang Phawbeing the most important: training and teaching
many virtue training programs together with building theas;
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Dhamma Teaching on Sunday EverySunday,thosewhocometovisitWatPhraDhammakayafrom seeing people in white with joyful minds.The image ofwalks of life regardless of sex, age, career and some of themdifferentplaces,withdifferentcultures,andspeakingdifferentmeditatingtogetherhappily.LuangPhawDhammajayoalwayshimself. These are the images that are always visible at Wat
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Currently, every Sunday, about 10,000 people come to meditate at theSunday of every month there are about 30,000 people. On BuddhistPujaDay,VesakDayorKathinaCeremony,aspecialceremonytakesplacesession. Usually over 200,000 people come to attend the meditation The temple is prepared to serve breakfast and lunch for everyone, alsooffering refreshments in the evening for people who are from theThis is to support people of any status in their meditation practice. Allthose who can support them. Morning activity will be a meditationwillbeDhammateachingforpeopleasaguidelineforlivingtheirlives.
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Weekend Meditation Retreat
Weekend Meditation Retreat at Wat Phra Dhammakaya is onandSundayatnocost.Thisisforpeopleofallages,maleandadults, who love to meditate and want to train to increase
simplelifestyle,observingtheguidlinesoftheretreatandtobeabletoEachyear,thereareabout100,000peoplewhoattendthisprogram.Theyatthesametimeareabletotrainthemselves.Thiseffectivelyhelpsthembadtemptations.This isthewaytobringgoodnesstothemselves,their
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Meditation Retreat Programmes
These programmes are designed for those who wouldaway from the hectic world and spend more time onmeditation. Luang Phaw Dhammajayo, through his
day meditation retreat programmes, held in peacefulParticipantsmustobservethe8PreceptsandmeditateduringMany participants experience inner peace and invite their friends andprogrammeshopingtheywillexperiencethesamepeaceandhappiness.
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Meditation Retreat Programmes for Foreigners
L uang Phaw Dhammajayo’s vision is not to bringpeople, but also to the world at large. He alwaysthis world should have an equal opportunity to attain
of their race, religion, language, nationality or culture. Inameditationretreatprogrammeentitled,“TheMiddleWay”toapply online through “www.meditationthai.org”. Only a yearstarted, the programme has provided meditation instructionfrom32countries.At the conclusion of the programme, participants have a bettermeditation.Theyexperienceinnerhappinessasneverbefore,andresolvemediation regularly after the programme has ended. Many of themLuangPhawDhammajayo’svisionandbecomeapartofhisteamtobringthroughmeditation.
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Training Programme for Public and Private Sectors
I fall working people, no matter who they may be orwhether part of the government sector, state enterprisessectors, recognise the benefits of practising meditation,
maintain their elevated state of mind, society and countriesefficientlyandeffectively.At present, many government sectors and public organisations haveparticipate in morality development programmes and meditationProgrammes for Virtuous Teachers” for those teachers who have a keypeace.When teachers have a clear understanding of meditation and itsthisknowledgetotheirstudents.Henceweareonanacceleratedpathto
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Youths and the Future of World Peace
L uang Phaw Dhammajayo pays special attention toproblemssincetheyarethefutureoftheworld.Worldout of reach if our next generation has a tendency to
themselves.Heisawareofouryouths’significantroleinworldpeaceandhasinitiatedDhamma to youths of all ages, from elementary grades to college levelTheobjectiveistointroducetherightwayoflivingtoyouthsaccordingtoTheseprojectsinclude:
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Dhammadayada Training Programme
The Dhammadayada Training Programme was firsttraining was initiated by Luang Phaw Dhammajayopromoting ethics and morality among youths, in
education.Educationalonecannotadequatelycultivateethicsperson.
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A wise person who is highly educated may use knowledge and skills inexample,theuseofadvancedphysicsintheproductionofnuclearbombsinflictedapermanentwoundinmankind.Hence the cultivation of a consciousness of goodness in students iswisepersonwillcombinebotheducationandmorality,andinturn,bringthereby using knowledge in a creative and beneficial manner, which isTheDhammadayadaTrainingProgrammeemphasisesbothpracticalandtrainingusesBuddhistprinciplesasatemplatefordevelopingethicsandbelievedthatBuddhistprinciplesareoneof thebestprinciples thatcanfull development of youths. After training, the trainee will have a firmmoralityandbecapableofefficientlyincorporatingtheseprinciplesintoThetrainingperiodcoincideswiththesummerbreakatuniversities.Thecollegestudentswhosearchforaself-improvementprogramme.Duringin a tent, learns Dhamma, strictly observes 8 Precepts, and meditatesmonth. This particular training period is to prepare each trainee for hisphysically,verbally,andmentally.
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Trainees who pass the months training will qualify for the massmonth.This lastmonthofDhammadayadatrainingprogrammefocusesunderstanding of Buddhism both theoretically and practically. Theordain according to tradition, but rather ordain to self-train themselves(morality),samadhi(meditation),andpanna(wisdom).AfterfinishingtheMonks disrobe, again becoming laypeople, but who are equipped withreadytobringprogresstotheircountry.Since1972,theDhammadayadatrainingprogrammehasofferedtrainingstudentseveryyear.Theoriginalprogrammehasbranchedout intothe
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1.Dhammadayada training and mass ordination programme collegemalestudentsduringthesummerbreak -DhammadayadaTrainingandmassordinationprogrammeforcollege -Dhammadayada Training and mass ordination programme for high -DhammadayadaTrainingandmassordinationprogrammeformiddle -Dhammadayada Training and mass ordination programme for
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2.DhammadayadaTrainingandmassordinationprogrammefor -Dhammadayada Training and mass ordination programme for the Lent -DhammadayadaTrainingandmassordinationprogrammeforpaying Dhammajayo.ThisprogrammeopensforDhammadayadawhoonce andordinationprogramme. -SpecialDhammadayadatrainingandmassordinationprogramme(for gratitude to the King, or as requested by private or governmental
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3.InternationalDhammadayadaTrainingProgramme This trainingwasdesignedformale foreignersofallageswhowouldmonksornovicemonks.Theprogramme isconducted inChineseandmonth. Thetraineewillmeditateintensivelyduringtheprogramme.Theywillmeditation into their lives,andalso their familymembers,colleagues,Thiswillcreateauniversalpeacefulenvironment.
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4.SummerTrainingProgrammeforFemaleStudents Dhammadayada training and mass ordination proves to substantially ofmanytrainees.LuangPhawDhammajayorecognisesthebenefitof and kindly extended the Dhammadayada training programme to inthesummerof1986.Thetraininglastsfor1-2months.Thetraining and austere practices. There have been around 400 participants each into2agelevels: -Dhammadayadatrainingprogrammeforfemalecollegestudents -Dhammadayadatrainingprogrammeforfemalehighschoolstudents
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In conclusion, the initial Dhammadayada training programme hasprogrammes.Allprogrammeshavesuccessfullyimprovedtheethicsandthus providing good citizens for society. Between the years 1996-2006participantswhohadjoinedatleastoneoftheDhammadayadatrainingrecord keeping during 1972-1995. Nonetheless the total number of100,000.
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Youth Moral Development Project
Childrenfromallage-groupscanjoinprogrammeswhichand simultaneously absorb some good moral valuesactivities,suchas:
1)DhammakayaYouthClubwhichassistsintakingcareofchildrenagedtheir parents to the temple by setting up suitable activities for them tolistening to stories with morals, and fables, and at the same time get toManners and discipline can also be learned. The club runs activities on2)MobileProject forDhammaStudywhichaimstoeducatemiddleandBangkok, including its suburban areas so they get to learn the LordCurrently, there are about 20 schools and institutions covered in the3)Youth Creativeness Development Project founded in 1991.“Wat Phraseven-dayprogrammetoeducateandcounselgirlsandboys,aged9-11.programmeistoenablethemtolearnstandardsofbeingagoodpersonspiritual life. It teaches children to be creative and extroverted, and toteamintheirgroups.
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Volunteers for Buddhist Work Project
Luang Phaw Dhammajayo has created many activitiesopportunities for younger people to come into closerat the temple, especially on important religious days.
numbersofpeoplecometojoinsacredeventsandeachtime,mission successfully with the aid of volunteer workers whoas facilitators forvisitors. It isbecauseof theirdedicationandnot do without them.Volunteers are generally students who,parents or teachers, come and help out at the temple onareofffromschool.Volunteersnotonlyhelp the templecarryoutmanysuccessfulprojects,concepts through sacrifice, respect, humility and responsibility, whenlearn through compassion and hard work to advocate Buddhism.Wheneducation and start earning a living, many of them still come back andcontinuing volunteer work at the temple. They also coach futureThis iswhycurrentlythereareabout10,000volunteers fromallwalksofDhammajayo creates better younger generations and is still able togenerationsofvolunteers,withastrongmoralbasethatwilllastforever.
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Dhamma Quiz: Path of Progress Project
Withintoday’strendsinsociety,theenvironmentisfulland exposes our young children to negativeDhammajayo is very concerned about that fact, so
project of the Dhamma Quiz. This activity can stimulate thestudy amongst youngsters. The Quiz programme givesDhamma (Buddha’s Teachings) in detail. It brings the “38Teaching into light by simplifying them, so that people canadaptittotheireverydaylives.
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Even though each Quiz Competition may last only one day, youngspend quite some time studying Dhamma before hand. They in turnwithout knowing it.This positively affects their train of thought, speechstudentswillstarttouseDhammaastheproperguidelinefortheirwayofbadtemptations.Besides,theywillalsomakethemselvesusefultosocietyTheDhammaQuizProgrammecalled‘PathofProgress’hasbeenastrongto become alert in Dhamma studies, which subsequently has effects onviewpoints and moral behaviour. We find that most young contestantswillimproveatschool,andrespecttheirteachersandparentsmore.Theyattitudestowardspeople,andarebetterbehavedthangroupswhoneverProgramme.Dr. Nath Pantumanawin, Assistant Professor, and the research team ofonthereflectionoftheresearchofDhammaquiz“PathofProgress”,haveimprove the behaviour of the student in society.The administrator andagreed that this is the activity that gives the best result from their hard
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YouthswhoparticipateintheDhammaquizallfeelthepositivechangespreparetostudyandwanttoparticipateinthequizcontinuously.Someimpressions;
“ThoughIcannotwintheQuiz,IamhappythatIhavealotas“NotAssociatingwithFools”.Iwanttotakethequizagainyear. Even if I can not attain the perfect score, I still gainsatisfiedandhopetheycontinuetohavethisprogramme.Ifus, we are willing to do it and are happy to do it.” (Arri“Since I started to read the book, The 38 Blessings of Life,(forme).ItbenefitsmeandupliftsmymindasIreadallthethrough. It calmsmymindand Ihavegoodthoughts.Thelet us know the way of life in different situations.having negative thoughts, but if we stop and think aboutBlessings of Life, we can stop some bad actions. Theare that we can test how much understanding we haveWehavetousecommonsensetoanswersomequestions.
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Inmyopinion,theDhammaquizistheactivitythatshouldhavealotofwaytodevelopthecountry indirectly.Beforethequiz,participantshavemost people overlook a good book like this one if no one suggests toDhamma Quiz Contest is the best way to make people read the basicpeople’s minds and is an indirect way of developing the country.Thereandonlygoodpeoplecandevelopthecountry.Theprizeisjustabonus;(Ms.ChanphenSiriwan,SeniorHighSchool)“I’m very impressed with this contest. The quiz is not so difficult. It isourlife.Thebookteachesuswhatisgood;whatisnotgood.Anyonewhohave a cheerful mind and it will make them happy.” (Ms. Kavinna
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Even though youths are not Buddhists, they will also gain benefit fromDhammaQuiz,assomeonesaid:
“I’ve realised that this contest benefited me in differentnot a Buddhist, I’ve still learned about the 38 Blessings ofeasywhenwehavereadthebook.Itgivesussomeideasoflives.Thiswasthefirstcontestinmylife.NextyearifIhavethe Path of Progress test again, I will read the book andbeneficial to me. I’m thankful to my teacher who gave mePath of Progress quiz.” (Ms. Sujanya Khetjarassang, 11th
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The“Path of Progress” Ethics Quiz Contest receives royal grace from HisThailand,whokindlybestowstheFirstPlaceHonouruponthefirstplaceTheAwardofHonourforfirstplaceintheteacherandprofessorcategoryPrimeMinister.TheMinisterofEducationalsoprovidescertificates.Thereinternationalorganisationssupporting thisprogramme.TheparticipantsEthics Quiz Contest has increased exponentially from hundreds tothousand each year. The number of participants jumped from tens ofMost recently, in 2006, there were 4,732,291 participants from 19,839Mostschools inThailandhave incorporatedthe“PathofProgress”Ethicstheir curriculum. The outcome proves very satisfactory for all sectorsan improvement in youth morality and behaviour. The programmeproblems includingdrugusage, improperactivitiesasgiven intheRoadprematuresexualactivities,etc.The“Path of Progress” Ethics Quiz Contest was honoured as one of theand Non-Violence of the Century” by UNESCO. The program was alsopresentationandshareexperienceswithrepresentativesfrom1,600Non-at the “Future of our Children” conference in September 2000, Geneva
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“Human Security and Dignity: Fulfilling the Promise of the UnitedYork,USA,theEthicsQuizContestwasselectedtopresentunderthetitle,AspectofPeacefromYouththroughMaturity”.The presentation impressed representatives from internationalTheyhadstudiedthe“PathofProgress”EthicsQuizContestprogrammeit to improve their moral development programs for the youth in theirtestimonythatLuangPhawDhammajayohastherightvisionforcreatingethicsandmoraldevelopmentinyouth,anapproachofgreatinterestto
Additionally,LuangPhawDhammajayohasaplantoexpandtheprojectboth Thais and foreigners in Thailand and abroad to participate in theQuiz Contest.The International Ethics Quiz Contest will be held for the2007.The“Path of Progress” Ethics Quiz Contest will be conducted in 4Chinese,Lao,andThai.TheInternationalQuizContestisateamcontest,of three familymembers.Theobjectivesarenotonly topromoteethicsand understanding within participating families. True world peace canandhappyfamilies”.
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Peace starts
from within the family
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Home of Light Project
Home of Light is another project that worked hand intocreateapeacefulsocietyinThailandandtheworld.initiated in 1999, the year Thais commemorated the
MajestytheKingofThailand.ItaimedatconvincingbothThaidovirtuousdeedsasatributetoHisMajestytheKing,andtothemselves through a shared effort among families, temples,
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This project played a key role in teaching and guiding youths with theto teachings from Lord Buddha. The project’s purpose was to improvebeautiful culture; and instill their love in the nation, religions, and HispermanentlyuniteThaisociety.The project lasted for 2 months from December 1999-January 2000.participants from 16,853 institutes across the nation. The activitiesby each participant: students, teachers, and parents. Each memberLight” signs for each family. The family activities included chanting,asatributetoHisMajestytheKing.ParticipantsalsojoinedtheceremonybirthdayanniversaryofHisMajestytheKing;wroteletterstofelicitatethespecialactivitiesorganisedbytheirinstitutes.
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The virtue journaling activity within the short two months proved toparticipants. They were more joyful and responsible, had moretheir free time beneficially. They were more willing to lend a helpingbefore. These good behaviours were also a consequence of theirbytheirparentsandteachers.
Many families benefited from this project; parents decided to quitgambling,sincetheywereawarethat theirchildrenwere lookingupto“HomeofLight”wasaverysuccessfulproject. Inthefuturewheneveryfamilyandschooltoworktogethertopromotevirtuousdeeds,wewillallincreasinglygoodcitizens,whoareourbestresourceforcreatingworld
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Kalyanamitta Home Project
K alyanamitta Home Project (Home of Good Friendstowards world peace, was created from the vision ofDhammajayo.Itstressedthefactthatweneedtofirst
happiness within the family, the smallest unit of society.Theto bring Dhamma to the family. Their understanding offrombadinfluencesandnormswhichareabundantincurrentunder the motto “wherever you turn, you will see
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The word“Kalyanamitta” means good friends or true friends who wishadvisethemtodovirtuousdeeds.Themembers’objectiveistobringatandfriendstochantandmeditatedailyforatleastonehour.Theprojectwhen family members get involved in creative activities promoting loveAtthebeginningoftheproject,asign“Kalyanamittahome”wasgiventoAnyonecanparticipate;theywillonlyhavetogatherfamilymemberstoprayerroomineachhouse.Theprayerroomshouldnotonlybetheplacefamily-uniting place where the whole family can accrue merit. Otherto monks every morning, making merit at nearby temples, and learningUptothepresenttime, theprojecthasextended loveandhappiness toin Thailand and abroad. The numbers of participants are continuouslyrealisation that one cannot be the only good person in society, itenvironmentandoursocietywithKalyanamittaaswell.ItisthereforeourKalyanamittatoeachother;subsequentlyourcommunityandsocietywillharshness.
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Meditation Pract ice to Bless Their Majest ies the King and the Queen
I nthevariousauspiciousoccasionsofHisMajestytheKingtheQueen,LuangPhawDhammajayohas invitedpeoplepractice together in giving blessings to the monarchs,
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Thenovicemonkordinationceremonyon8thFebruary1998atWatPhraa blessing to His Majesty the King related to His 70th Birthdaygovernment employees, soldiers, policemen and the general publicaltogethertotalling13,842participants.
On 7-9 August 1998, the Upasikakaew ceremony (laywomen’s retreat)MajestytheQueenandexpressinggratitudetowardsour“Mother”.Overthis ceremony as participants. It was a great historical moment forThai
On 1-3 January 1999, the Upasokkaew ceremony (laymen’s retreat)MajestytheKinginthe13worldwidecentresofWatPhraDhammakaya.participants joining in this project, composed of both Thai and
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On January 29-31, 1999, Luang Phaw Dhammajayo organised theretreat) to offer a blessing to His Majesty the King related to theofHisbirthday.Therewerealmost200,000participantsbothlaymenandChannel11ofThailandbroadcastthisprogrammefor2hours.Luang Phaw Dhammajayo once said that apart from the gathering ofpeoplewhositandmeditatetogethercreateapowerwhichcomesfrommind. This power will eventually affect the whole world because allatmosphere as the axiom:“Picking flowers reverberates to the stars”. Hethat the more there are people who practise meditation, the more thebetter.
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Creating World Peace by abstaining from drugs and bad temptations
Drugs and the path to bad temptations (i.e. gambling)creating world peace. They undermine both thefitnessofthoseenslavedtothem.Theysubsequently
happinesswithinthefamily,societyandtheworldeconomy.
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Whenthereisnopeaceinafamilybecauseofdrugsandtheroadstoruinworld peace will unfortunately remain a dream. Hence Luang Phawcampaign“No alcohol No tobacco”.The campaign has been successfullyactivities included pouring away alcohol and burning cigarettes. The2004 the “no alcohol no tobacco” activities were organised over 1,000from over 100 universities across the world. From these activities theresmokers who quit drinking and smoking, as well as some alcohol andsale of these products, some liquor manufacturers completely closedOne of the very memorable examples was the closing down of abiggest winery in the northeast in Nakornrachasima and Srakaewwinery shutdown, over 100,000 bottles of wine (7 million Baht in value)completely.
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Luang Phaw Dhammajayo’s“no alcohol no tobacco” project campaignsandbadtemptations:whicharecausesofunhappinesswithinthefamily,campaigns made an owner of the largest prostitution house inhisbusinesswasasourceofsocialproblems.Theproblemsstartedfromsociety and eventually the country. He decided to close down hiswhichbroughtinmanyhundredthousandsofBahtamonth.
Furthermore, the owner of the largest cock-fighting pit in the centralclosedownhiscock-fightingpitwhichbroughtinaheftysumofmoney.learningDhammafromLuangPhawDhammajayowhodoesnotsupportconsequencestowardsoneselfandsociety.
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Peace among Buddhist Monks
I nadditiontothedirectteachingoftheDhammatoadultsandyouths,Dhammajayo is supporting the training programme for monks androle models in doing good deeds for humankind. There are many
suchas;
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Training Buddhist Monks to become Dhamma Teachers for World Peace
I norderforhumankindtoattaininnerpeace,itisnecessarywho can point out the right direction. Buddhist monksteachingandguidingtheworld.Buddhistmonksalsoact
people in the world can follow through until they can attain
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For this reason, Luang Phaw Dhammajayo has set a policy for BuddhistDhammakaya to receive training enabling them to have a strongoftheprecepts,andgoodmoralvaluesarisingfrommeditationpractice,amenable monks, and can be beacons of faith for followers and to beBuddha’sDhammasothattheycanbringtruepeacetotheworld.Besides setting a strict policy for the Buddhist monks to practiseDhammajayoalsofullypromotesthestudyofBuddhisttheoryformonksDhammakaya, by establishing The School of Buddhist Doctrine. The1985 allowing monks, novices and interested laypeople to learn bothlanguage. At present, there have been a total of 5,890 graduates,laypeople. It is considered to be a large teaching centre which yieldshasalwaysbeenacknowledgedbytheThaiBuddhistmonkhierarchy.
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During the course of their education, Luang Phaw Dhammajayo wouldvalueoftheirstudiesoftheLordBuddha’steachings,andwantsthemtostudies. Moreover, he wants students to study diligently and regularlyto know the truth of the Lord Buddha’s teachings, not just to pass theshouldpayattentiontomeditatingregularlybecausetheoutcomefrombetterunderstandingoftheacademicstudyofBuddhism.
Beyond the intention of developing monks to become true monks,theory, conduct, and liberation, Luang Phaw Dhammajayo hasordertomaintaintheincreasingprosperityofBuddhism.
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Pali Studies Graduate Congratulations Ceremony for monks and novices Thisceremonyhasbeentakingplaceeveryyearsince1988.Thepurposeand novices who have graduated from the highest level of Pali studies.and encourages monks to study Pali. It is known that achieving the 9thextremely challenging feat. Pali students have to devote themselves tolearning grammar, memorising the vocabulary and studying for thethey are also devoting themselves to studying the Lord Buddha’sbecome quality instructors of Dhamma and will lead people to practise
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8 8 The Systematic Training Programme for Spreading Buddhism
The Systematic Training Programme for Spreadingas, “The Kalyanamitta Monk Training Programme”,is teaching Buddhist principles to laypersons to
knowledgeanddirection,andtogiveopportunitiestomonkstrainingprogrammetobetterperformtheirdutiesinguidingthroughoutthecountry.
The Systematic Training Programme for Spreading Buddhism began inclasses completing the Programme.There have been 8,090 monks fromthecountrythathavecompletedthisProgramme.Therehavebeen2,385themselvesasnon-smokingtemples.This Programme not only increases the knowledge of Buddhist doctrineparticipants,butalsogivestheBuddhistmonkswhoarescatteredaroundopportunity to meet and share their experiences in the teaching andpromotes strong relationships amongst each other, beneficial for thepeace throughout the world, by following the Lord Buddha’s peacefulreallydoesbecomeapeacefulworld.
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“True Monk” Buddhist Studies Contest
OnApril22nd,1999(2542B.E.)andonApril22nd,2001Luang Phaw Dhammajayo introduced a BuddhistMonk”basedonatext“TrueMonk”whichcomesfrom
reference. Over 100,000 monks from all over the countrycontests at the Assembly Hall of Wat Phra Dhammakaya,
Thecontestservestoemphasisetheaimandidealsofordination,whichisand the self-discipline of following the principles of maintaining theand obtaining wisdom. Not only that, such self-discipline benefits thebecome role-models for others, an inspiration to follow the monks andbringharmonytoself,family,society,country,andtheworld.Thetwocontestsarepartof theRightView inBuddhism.The laypeoplea rare and historical image of a congregation of one hundred thousandDhammajayohasdescribedsuchgatheringofmonksbysaying:
“Monks and novices are the heart of the worlduniverse.Thisisthesignoftruehappiness”.
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Scholarship award for monks, novices and students
Luang Phaw Dhammajayo recognises the importance of educationthe Sangha Order and the office of general education. He hasfor monks, novices, students and their institutions from 1991 to
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Humanitarian Aids
I n creating world peace, an important virtue in one’s mind istimeswhenthecountryand itspeopleexperiencenaturaldisasters,hasneverremainedindifferent.Hebroadcastsnewsofsuchsuffering
peopleofThailandandtheworldcanhelpthevictims,whichreflectsthecompassionineveryone’sconscience.
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Donation of fering ceremony to help 266 temples of the southern provinces
Theinterminableunrestsinthesouthernprovinceshavecausedtroublesas they can no longer perform their monastic responsibilities.They lackfor survival. With compassion and care for the monks and Buddhism,established the donation offering ceremony for the temples in the 4Songkla province) for a total of 266 temples.The event has been taking2005(2548B.E.)andwillcontinuetotakeplaceuntileverythingreturnsto
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8 ThisprojecthelpseasethesufferinginthelifeofthemonksandnovicesItalsogivesencouragementtothemtostandfirminthisregionandbeainspirationtotheBuddhistsinthe4southernprovincestocontinuelivingPhaw Dhammajayo realises that in times of danger for Buddhism,indifferentandinsteadsearchforapeacefulsolutionfollowinghiswords,with equanimity, unite for Buddhist matters”. Now is the time for theunite like the only sun in the sky. With such unity, no danger canensure that Buddhism will continue to shine the light for the people of
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Tsunami Relie f
When the southern provinces ofThailand were confronted withpeople lost their lives.LuangPhawDhammajayodirectedtheFoundationtodeliverrequisitesforthevictimsandserveasco-
government and NGOs and as organiser of the commemorationPhuket on 5th January 2005 (2548 B.E.) and in Pangha on 19th Januaryceremoniesfurtherservedtogiveencouragementtothevictims.
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Flooding Rel ie f
When there is major flooding, Luang Phawthe Dhammakaya Foundation to help withand suffering of the victims, especially in the year
The most severe flooding had caused suffering to manyLuang Phaw Dhammajayo had directed the Dhammakaya FoundationClub to deliver the essentials and take care of the health of the victims.withthiseffortsincethefloodingbeganandcontinuedtodosountilthemanymonths.Over5millionitemshavebeendeliveredtothevictims.
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Cold Weather Rel ie f
Whenthereisseverecoldweather,LuangPhawDhammajayohasDhammakaya Foundation to deliver blankets to the peoplethatexperiencesevereweathersuchasLoei.Manypeoplelack
the cold weather and must rely on bonfires. Many lose their lives every
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Posit ive Media in the Age of Globalisation
I n the age of globalisation, televised media have ahuman minds. Most television networks tend to offerthatcontainextremeviolenceandimmoralcontents.This
especiallyyouth,toabsorbsuchviolenceandimmoralityandintheworld.Forthisreason,LuangPhawDhammajayohascreatedpositivemediaforwithmeditationwhichwillnotonlymakepeacebutalsoputoutthefirefirst step towards achieving individual peace of mind which leads to
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8 DMC Channel
Thepositivetelevisedmedia,whichhasbeeninitiatedbyDhammajayo under the name DMC (Dhammakayabroughtbenefitstomanydiverseaudiences.
At the moment DMC broadcasts 24 hours a day in every region of theof resourcefulandcreativeprogrammeswhich issuitable forviewersoftranslated into a number of languages such as English, Chinese, Laos,Japanese,Cambodian,etc.ThistrulymakesDMCaglobalchannel.Every Monday to Saturday from 19.30 to 22.00, Luang PhawprogrammecalledDreaminDreamKindergartenSchool. It isbroadcastpopular programme with viewers around the world. The programmeLawofKarma.Imagesandsongsareusedtoillustratethecasestudy.Thisviewers understand the show more easily but also makes it more
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DMCcausesviewersaroundtheworldtoperformmeditationwhichisthehappinessinoneself.AlotofThaiandforeignviewersareabletodiscovermeditationtaughtbyLuangPhawDhammajayoandtheyalsoapplythetheirlives.An example can be made of the people of the Solomon Island whoseunaware of meditation. After they had known about meditation fromwhichtheyhadneverexperiencedbefore. Itmadetheir livesbetterandmeditationisthewaytocreatethetruehappinesswhichcanbeachievedofnationality,religionorethnicity.
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NotonlyisDMCpopularforresidents,ithasalsoexpandedtopeopleinpolicestations,hospitalsandevenprisons.The ideasof individual’sandexpandedtoeverygroupofpeopleincludingstudents,police, doctors,prisoners,whosefreedomhasbeentakenaway,yetdiscoveringinternalprisoners who have listened to Dhamma talk from Dream in Dreambehavemorepeacefully.
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8 Product ion of v isual aids and publications
Luang Phaw Dhammajayo is aware of the necessity of using visualpublications to spread Buddhism; therefore, he has created avarietyofmediasuchasDhammabooks,monthlyjournals,tapes,
vision,radioprogrammesandcommunitytelevisionprogrammes,etc.
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Extending True Peace to the World Cit izen
With the awareness of the great benefits fromLuang Phaw worldwide both Thai and foreignmeditationandaskedLuangPhawDhammajayoto
monkstoteachmeditation.
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WithhiskindnessforThaipeopleinforeigncountriesandforeignerstobeand practise meditation, Luang Phaw Dhammajayo decided to chooseupasaka and upasika who had language skills and were well travelled.ofBuddhismtoforeigncountriesbycreatingthefirstBuddhismcentrein1992. Now there are 60 centres in 29 countries, over several continentsEurope,Oceania,AsiaandSouthAfrica. North America: There are a total of 13 branches in the North Europe:Thereareatotalof16branchesin9countries. Asia:Thereareatotalof21branchesin15countries. Oceania:Thereareatotalof8branchesin3countries. SouthAfrica:Thereareatotalof2branches.
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Each centre has regular meditation practise and activities includingon every first Sunday of the month, dedicating merit to the decreased,creatures,improvingstandardsinthecentres,andanyotherpreparationsceremonies. In addition, people are invited to meditate and practise
Moreover, a number of courses have been opened for foreigners topreventing temptations, such as pouring away alcohol and burningmeditation course set up for students and the Dhammadayadaforeignpeople.
TheestablishmentofMeditationcentresinforeigncountriesistoprovideto practise meditation continuously. The benefits are finding truearoundtheworld.
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Views from the Followers :
L astSunday,January21,2007,Ihadthepleasureofbeingpresentatof theopeningof theDunedinMeditationCentre. I feel that theand the presence of Buddhist monks and devout Buddhist
benefittotheDunedincommunity,totheSouthIslandofNewZealand,worldpeace. IwanttothankTheMostVenerablePhrarajbhavanavisudhDhammajayo Bhikkhu) for his wisdom and generosity in founding theDr.ElizabethGuthrieAssistantLecturerDepartmentofTheologyandReligiousStudies,UniversityofOtagoDunedin,NEWZEALAND
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T hebenefitsthatIhavereceivedfromthepracticeofmeditationarehas relieved serious stress problems from which I previouslyhelped to solve certain philosophical questions which I have
Thirdly, it has opened up the great chasm of collective unconscious,innerexperiencesavailabletodetachedawareness.Dr.JeffreyWilsonAssociateSupervisorandResearchConsultantUniversityofSydney,AUSTRALIA
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I first met the Abbot Dhammajayo in November 2006. In theheartformankind.OnceIheardthathewouldlovetoseeeveryoneandgainpeaceinside, Iwasoverwhelmed. InAfrica,wehaveamix
theAbbotincludeseveryoneinhisvisionofworldpeace.Whenhesays,innerpeace,”itissooutstandingandinnovative.Meditationissosimplelongerthan2weekstocalmdownandbecomepeaceful.Thankyousothat you have sent monks to teach meditation in my country.We oweRonaldHutchisonBusinessmanJohannesburg,SOUTHAFRICA
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I wouldliketothankLuangPhawDhammajayothemostforguidingusansweringwhywewereborn.LuangPhawhasrestoredBuddhismDhammakayameditation,aimingattheattainmentoftruehappiness
singlehumanbeing.LuangPhawteacheshisstudentsregardlessofrace,belief, so that they can learn how to accumulate merit and pursueattainmentofDhammakaya.Sukasem–MaitrijitSupannanonTaipei,TAIWAN
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L uang Phaw Dhammajayo is compassionate. He cares the others,happyandattaininnerpeace.HehasestablishedDMCchannelinteachings to propagate Buddhism daily. So, people know
leading to inner happiness and profound knowledge in Buddhism.programs can learn about Dhamma, and they praise that Buddhism istheyare impressedthemost is theteachingofnon-violence.This is themakes the world free from trouble. If everyone in this world watchesLordBuddha’sDhamma,hisorherheartwillbecoolandcalm. Nowarpathtotrueworldpeace.MadamKumtanRatanasamaiStrasbourg,FRANCE
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Collaboration with International Organisations
R ealising the importance of collaboration withand institutions that desire to make world peace,Dhammajayo has also collaborated to produce
organisationsas:The Dhammakaya Foundation was endorsed as a non-governmentaltype, by the United Nations in 1986, and presently the foundation hasECOSOC type. Dhammakaya foundation has been joined with andUnited Nations in various aspects such as peace, youth, education,collaborationoverthepast20years.
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Dhammakaya foundation has also been a member of The Worldand the World Fellowship of Buddhist Youth (WFBY) since 1986. Thehas participated in many activities and has taken part in managerialfoundation’s delegations to operate in several positions of the boardsfoundation is also co-ordinating with Buddhist organisations andother religious organisations in Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Bangladesh,Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Italy, Great Britain, and the
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The Award of the Determination of Truly Making World Peace Regarding successful works of Luang Phaw Dhammajayo inrecognition has been given by many internationalhonoursandawardsuponLuangPhawDhammajayosuchas:
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Honorary Doctorate Degree in Buddhist Studies fromVidyalaya, Bangkok (under H.M. the King’s patronage), given to(VenerableDhammajayoBhikkhu), ReceivedDecember5th,1994.
OutstandingAwardforexcellentsocialworkwithinthecommunitycontributionfromtheUnitedFoundationSocietyofThailand ReceivedNovember25th,1994 Honourable plaque from the operation centre for defeating drugDistrict ReceivedJune1st,2003The operation centre for defeating drugs usage, Klong Luang District,presented an honourable plaque to Phrarajbhavanavisudh for hisoperation centre. By continuously cultivating morale to people living inwhichisthelocationofWatPhraDhammakayasinceitwasestablishedincounteringofdrugswasachievedsuccessfully.
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TheWorldNoTobaccoDayAwards2004fromWHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) considered the work of Luanghas been teaching morality and integrity to people, freeing them fromNo-Smoking and No-Drinking campaign gatheredThai people to resistespecially alcohol and cigarettes.This campaign has been continuouslyuniversities and the Kalyanamitta network, including Christian, Islamic,organisationsandhasextendedaroundtheworld.
These activities go beyond the borders of countries and religiouspeople realise the negative consequence of alcohol and cigarettes inconcerns. Therefore, WHO considered presenting to Luang Phaw“WorldNoTobaccoDayAwards2004”on31stMay2004.
Honorary Mahatma Gandhi Award from the Akhil BharatOrganisationAkhilBharatRachanatmakSamajOrganisationconsidersthatLuangPhawdedicatedtomakingpeaceintheworldthroughthepeaceofBuddhism.integritytopeopleregardlessofgenderandageforover40years,Luangconceptualises that real world peace emerges from inner peace comingFurthermore,theinstillingofmoralvaluesprojectfortheyouthproveshisworld such as the Path of Progress Dhamma Quiz Contest which wasDhammajayoandalsogainedacceptancefromUNESCO.ThecommitteesagreedtooffertheMahatmaGandhimedalforpeaceon22ndApril,2005.
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HonorificPlaquefromSenate Offeredon23rdFebruary2005
ThisawardofferedtoLuangPhawDhammajayoisfromthegenerosityofFoundation donating relief materials to Tsunami victims with his deepwho needed help and mental support in the moment of disaster. Inand mourning to the victims from Tsunami disaster was held atJanuary 2005 and Takuapa Stadium, Phang nga on 19th January 2005.and unity amongThai people and foreigners. H. E. Suchon Chaleekrua,senate,istherepresentativetoofferthehonorificplaquetoLuangPhaw
HonourablePlaquefromthePrisonDepartment OfferedonOctober13th,2004
Regarding the Prison Department’s appreciation of merit and the contributiontowardsthePrisonDepartment,LuangPhawDhammajayogaveDMCsatellitesPrisons across the country. DMC satellites brought Dhamma to refine andtheirsuffering,andcultivatemorals.Wheninmatescomebackintosociety,theybecome good people in society and the nation. Therefore, the PrisonDhammajayo a plaque in order to endorse the kindness of Luang Phaw
HonourablePlaqueforNationwidefloodrelief wasOfferedon3rdDecember2006and7thJanuary2007On 3rd December 2006, the representative group from the 4 provincesdisaster in Ayudhaya, Aongthong, Singburi, and Chainath, all agreed toandProvince-symbolsouvenirtoLuangPhawDhammajayo,thePresidentFoundation, who made merit to many of the flood victims in manyandcontinuouslyprovidingthemedicalmobileunitforseveralmonths.Furthermore, on 7th January 2007, a representative group from Therepresentatives from many organisations in the 4 provinces whoPathumthani, Suphanburi, Nonthaburi and Nakorn Pratom all agreed toand provincial souvenirs totalling 41 awards.The awards consisted of 3education, 18 awards from Pathumthani, 7 awards from Suphanburi, 11Prathom,and2awardsfromNonthaburi.
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UniversalPeaceAward
World Buddhist Sangha Youth (WBSY) is a world class Buddhisthas many members who are Buddhists from every Buddhist sect;Vajarayana. Buddhist leaders from different countries all agreed thathighly dedicated and makes tremendous benefits to Buddhism. TheBuddhism propagation project has been receiving great acceptance
WBSY,therefore,offersthegreatachievementofUniversalPeaceAwardAwardgrantedontheoccasionofthecelebrationofBuddhism2007,atSriLankafromthe2ndto5thofDecember2006.
TheofficialawardofferingwaspresentedbythedelegationofSriLankaRatchapaksaontheMaghaPujaDay,3rdMarch2007.
Creating Peace Together in the Era of the Sun of Peace
WatPhraDhammakayaandDhammakayaFoundation,Phaw Dhammajayo, are currently organisingimprovesocietyinavarietyoflocalities,bothwithin
country,withgreatdedication.Allactivitiesarea resultofhislivetogetherhappilywithbrightmindsfromtheinnerlightofwaitingtoshineouttobecometrueWorldPeace.Wat Phra Dhammakaya and the Dhammakaya Foundation, under theDhammajayo, continue their determination to spread World Peaceof related activities. They are prepared to collaborate with variouscreateandsustaingoodness.Theyarewillingtodedicatealltheirphysicalintellect, knowledge and talent so that the world population canLuangPhawDhammajayooncesaid:
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“IncreatingWorldPeace,asinglegroup,asingleteamorcannotdoitalone.Everyoneintheworldmustbeapartpeacefromthebeginning. Ifsomeonebelieveswhathecreate peace, he should continue. But we must do itpeace to happen in this world. The Lord Buddha said,Sukham”.(Pali)Thereisnogreaterhappinessthanstillingwhat everyone wants, but it cannot be created alone.must help. It has to arise from the thought of everyEvenasinglepersoncannotbeleftout.Everyonehastoway and work together in a frugal but highly effectiveneed to spend money. Just close your eyes lightly andwill come true. It begins with stilling the mind at thesetting an example inspiring other people to do thehappenbeforeoureyesandbeforewecloseoureyesto
“World Peace will arise when everyone meditates. Sincetimeperiod,weshouldbeapartincreatingpeaceinthis
leavethisworld,weshouldfeeljoyousandproud”.
Message from Founder and Secretary General of WBSY ItwasagreatlyinspiringoccasionfortheWorldBuddhistSri Lanka to organize the Third General Conference of theYouth during 2nd - 5th December 2006. The internationalconstructively shared the idea under the title ‘Tolerance andthe conference, the 2550 Buddha Jayanti award ceremony isPresident of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa to remarkablyoutstanding Venerables who dedicated themselves for TheUniversalPeaceAward,thenoblestpeaceprizeoftheJayanti award was conferred upon most Ven.Dhammakaya Foundation and the abbot of Wat Phrarecognize his wonderful success in establishing the truepeace which was developed individually through his diligentpropagation. On everyday his enthusiastic Dhamma students
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agesaroundtheworldattendtheclass‘DreaminDream’,thethe world. His promotional teachings arouse everyone to beactionagainstthelawofkamma,theuniversallaw.Themindthe simplest meditation technique introduced by MostPhrarajbhavanavisudhpracticallyprovedbyall,irrespectiveofbelieves to be an efficient method. The clean, calm andbase of the individual peace gradually enlarge from one tonationandfromnationtothepeaceintheworld. Onbehalfofthe2550BuddhaJayantiAwardcommitteeIexpress my congratulation to Most Venerableofworldpeacepromotionalthroughthe innerpeaceandforAward,thenoblestpeaceprizeandthesimplestreflectionto
Iwishandpray,lettherebepeaceintheworldandletallhappy.
SriLanka ( Ven. Mugunuwela AnuruddhaDecember4,2006 SecretaryGeneral, WorldBuddhistSanghaYouth
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R WORLD PEACE
BEGINS WITH INNER PEACE
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Happinessiswhatallhumanbeingsseek.Aphilosopherhistory up to the present and define happinessconcepts and theories. But this philosopher cannot
Who has achieved or discovered true happiness for human
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Ibelievethatifwelookateachindividualperson,wewillseeofthesamecomponents:ourphysicalbodyandourmind.Weby giving it beverages, food, and the finest things. But if oureven if it is amused or pleased by some form oftrue happiness? If our body is in pain, constrained by illness,true happiness? But when we learn how and act to attainbody and the mind, people can find happiness within
Andtheycantell themselves that this is truehappiness.Theentiretyofhappinessandthepurposeofourexistence.Wecanconductourlivesinmanner until all people obtain a lasting inner peace. This is thetowhichLuangPhawDhammajayohasdedicatedhimselftobuilding.
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By knowing the mind, you are discovering the path to serenity
I fsomeonecomestoaskaboutthefundamentalsofbusinessstrategy,detailsofeverystepforobtainingefficiencyandprofit.Orsomeoneprincipals a newly-elected official should use to lead a country.You
this as an expert in political science. Or someone might ask fortravel foravacation.Youwouldbeable toelucidateclearlyabouteverylocationfortravel.Buthowwillyouanswerifsomeoneasksthelocationbe even more astounded if someone asks“How is your mind?”Will youmatterlikethissoclosetoyourownbeing?
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If you do not know your own mind, how wil l serenity arise?
Theresponsibilitiesofdailylifeareconstantlypullingyourwithexternalforcestoyoubecauseyouarefixatedonfor great successes in your investments. Or you are
aboutchangesinpoliticaleventswhichmighthaveanimpactinwhichyouareengaged.Andintheend,youstillcannotprovideagoodanswerforthequestions“How is your mind?” This is because your emotions are caught up inhavenotyetlookedinsideyourselfandhavenothadyourfeelingsturntoeven though the physical body and the mind are present in people ofincludingyou.Thetruthisthatifthebodydoesnothavethemind,yourcorpse.
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Finding your mind is not a di f f i cult task
Comfortably lean up against the back of a chair and gently closeYouarefeelingallyourthoughtspassingthroughyourmindoneaboutwhichyouareproudandmatterswhichareproblemsyou
This is a normal occurrence which almost everyone in the worldthisworldandwearenottheonlyoneswhohaveresponsibilities.Soyouin the midst of a wave of various thoughts. You must try to calm youreven if this requires great resolve. And even if this calmness lasts onlyyour mental priorities until you are focusing on only one thought at aarenearingthesourceofgreatinnerenergy.Itisasourceofpureenergyknowyourmind.
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You can f ind serenity i f you know the way to control your mind
K nowing the mind by trying to focus on only onelike an easy task. But when you attempt to do this,cannot accomplish this goal immediately. And it is
this mental focus continuously. This is because we areto get, what we want to have, what we want to be, until wethesedesires.ThesedesiresleaveyourmindconstantlylackingSometimes feelings of annoyance and irritation arise. Or a personfeelingshehaskepthiddeninside.Orintheoppositemanner,sometimesamusement,andsatisfactionwithyourboundlessenchantmentorsweetthesevariousthingsdisappearandyoureturnbacktothetrueconditionsmakes you give up. Sometimes you seem to be happy. Sometimes youAndyouwillprobablyremaininthiscycle.Youshouldtrytoreducetheseone another, regulating them to be in an appropriate balance. Youknowyourmindandthetrainingmethodforcontrollingyourmind.
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Training your mind to be at the centre of the body
At the moment you close your eyes, temporarily forgetthatoccupyyourmind. Makeyourselffeelasthoughof thoughts, clear. Then breathe in and out deeply,
observe that the physical point at which your breath ends inis the point of greatest comfort and clarity. This point is thediscover your mind. In truth, this is the centre of the bodyThen imagine you have a round, clear, and bright crystal, like a middaytimestarshiningitstwinklinglight,atthecentreofyourbodyoraroundWhileyouaredoingthis,variousthoughtsmayenteryourmind.Remainshort mantra, the sound of which will seem to emerge from the brightbody.Forexample,usetheshortmantra“SammaArahang”or“Clearandmantra many times until you feel free of these various thoughts, exceptstartingtotouchthebrightnessandinnertranquillity.
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Train constantly and you wil l see changes
This training method appears to be a beginner’s lesson.way constantly, at all times and in all positions bybright crystal ball and quietly repeating the mantra
becomessecond-nature.Andyouwill findthatyouarediscoveringsomethingamazing, thatyoubody and your mind, that you are witnessing the gradual start of gooddevelopments. Even if you do not feel these results in one or two days,Youmustmaintainyoureffort, likeatreeyouareplanting.Theseedwilllittle sapling into a fully-mature tree.This process is gradual, it requiresits progress by measuring how many centimetres the tree grows each
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Inner serenity wil l spread to become external peace
The many thoughts swirling around dissipate until thereremaining. And intheend,your feelingsbecomeonebrightcrystalballinthecentreofyourbody.
Whenthisoccurs,youwillfindpurehappinessandtranquillity.Itwillbeafind on your own. And it is a happiness which anyone can achieve,ethnicity, language,orreligion.This isauniversalhumanhappiness. It isdoesnotneedtoseekorpursuefromexternalfactors.Anditisimportanthave a body and a mind. Only one starts to practise, one will start tocontrol the mind so that it exhibits beauty and appropriate qualities.others’feelingsandhowtocontrolyourdesires.Andyouwillbeabletoand wrong, good and evil. And if people in your family, in society, orpractiseasexplained,allofthemwillbeabletotellthemselvesthatthisiscalled“innerserenity”willcause“externalpeace”,apurepeacewhichdoesweaponsorvictoryinwar.
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Diligence in pursuing the Dhamma of peace wil l lead to serenity
The first training lesson described already is meditationpathforbuildingpeaceinhumansociety.ThisisthePhrarajbhavanavisudh (Venerable Dhammajayo
spreadthismethodofmeditationpractisesothepeopleofthemarvel in each of them. This knowledge is not a nonsensewhichapersoncanperform.Apersoncantrulyseetheresults
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The human mind has great power but if a person’s mind is stilldelusion, human beings will fight with, compete with, and exploit oneofhumankind, thereareconflictsandwars ineveryera.What is therealdestruction?Itisbecausethehumanmindhasnotachievedserenity,thepeace.AsLuangPhawsays:“Thehumanmindcanbethestartingpointofbothwarandpeace.Iftheoriginatingfromgreed,anger,ordelusion, feelingsthatarethecauseofand fighting which have exploded from the barrels of guns around thefor human beings, all these originate with the fire found in people’sIt is like the small flame from a lit match that spreads to burn down antime,whenthehumanmind iscalmandcool, fullofconsciousnessandwillarise.Theresultispeaceforindividuals,forfamilies,forcommunities,nations,andfortheworld.Itisworldpeacethatarisesfrominnerserenity.theimportantcauseofworldwarorworldpeace”.
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Meditation for World Peace byLuangPhawDhammajayo Startbysittinginarelaxedhalf-lotuspositionbyplacingyour left leg, your right hand on your left hand. The indexshould touch the tip of your left thumb. Place your handslap.Sitwithyourbodyandheadstraight. Ifyoucannotsit insit in a chair or on a sofa. Adjust your position so you feelfeel your breath and circulation are flowing freely. Close youryouareabouttofallasleep.
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Then take 2-3 deep breaths. Inhale deeply, so you feel the air in yourWhenyouareinhaling,letyourselffeelasthougheverycellinyourbodyhappiness and joy. When you are exhaling, release every one of yourmoment to let go of these various concerns. Then breathe normally.mind,youcanstarttorelaxyourbody.Relaxeverymuscleinyourbody,tipsofyourtoes.Relaxyourentirebodyatallpoints.NopartshouldbeYoushould feelclear, light,andatease.Thenmakeyourmindcheerful,bright. Empty your mind, free it from all thoughts. Make it seem asin a clear and wide-open space, a place full of freedom and peace.of internal organs, that it is clear and hollow.You might feel that yourhavebecomepartoftheatmospherearoundyou.Thenbringyourmindbody,inthemiddleofyourstomach,atalevellocatedtwofingerwidthsnecessary to find the exact point at the centre of the body. Simplygently and softly in the area at the centre of your body. Do this whileyourbodyandyourmind.
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Whenyouhaverelaxedyourbodyandmind,startgentlyenvisioningana clear, perfectly round and unblemished crystal ball. It can be any sizemiddaysunorlucidasafullmoon.Visualizeiteasilyandcalmly,withoutarise, without compelling its appearance. If it is not clear, do not besimplyletitoccur.Andkeepyourmindcontinuouslycalm,atrestandstill.support yourself with a mantra. Let the sound of the mantra slowlyclear crystal ball at the centre of your body. The mantra is “Sammamakethemindpureanddetachedfromallformsofsuffering.OryoucanBright”, Recite the mantra continuously while observing the crystal ballbecomesstill.Thenyouwillstoprecitingornaturallyforgettorecitetheremain is the imageof thecrystalballappearingclearly in thecentreofserenely maintain your concentration to sustain the image, with a mindtimes.
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If you have an internal experience that differs from what you normallyagitated or happy. Keep your mind unperturbed, just observedispleasedwithwhatyousee. In theend,yourmindwillbecomemorecentre of your body.Your mind will enter the centre of your body, thetrue happiness, and awareness. This awareness is profound internalwithcontinuedmeditation.Youwill reachthepuritythat iswithinalloforigins.Thispurityissomethinguniversaltopeopleacrosstheworld.
When your mind is still, there is happiness in your meditation. Beforeperform loving-kindness meditation, send good wishes to others, andrestoftheworld.StartbyunifyingyourmindsothatitisstillandattheFeel that you love and send good wishes to everyone in the world. Letclear, bright crystal ball that embodies the power of love and good
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Let this crystal ball expand beyond your body in every direction: right,below.Letitspreadoutineverydirection.Letitbeamindthatwishesalland able to attain ever greater happiness. Wish that all beings willattain the utmost happiness which arises from meditation, meditationpurity that resides in all of us.You can bring this purity into your dailyliveswholesome,fulfilling,andrepletewithgoodness. ItwillbenefityouLet the crystal ball of your mind expand beyond your body until itare both near to and far from you. Let it expand to encompass youreverlargeruntilitreachesthesky.Dothisuntilyoufeelthatyourmindisandgoodwishesforyourfellowhumanbeingsoneverycontinentandin
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Letyourmindconnectwithallbeings.Letthemonlyhavehappiness.Letworldprosperandbe fullofgoodpeoplewhowork for truehappinessLet the power from the purity of your still mind at the centre of yourwhoaresufferingbecauseofwar.Lettheirsufferingturnintohappiness.lasting. Let it be the case that the peoples of the world stop exploitingLet people’s minds change from darkness to become rich in love and
The energy of purity that comes from meditation is a pure power.Thisthe atmosphere. It dispels flaws and darkness in our human minds soLet us conduct our lives correctly in happiness with good minds, andtrueworldpeace.
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The Sun of Peace Contributors
HonoraryConsultants: Phrarajbhavanavisudh(Ven.DhammajayoBhikkhu) Phrabhavanaviriyakhun(Ven.DattajeevoBhikkhu)Consultants: Ven.ChatchaiChattanchayo Ven.AmnuaysakMunisakkovv Ven.RonnapobJotilabho AnantAsavabhokhin BoonchaiBencharongkul PrakobChirakiti(Ph.D) VannaChirakiti MettaSuvachitvongExecutiveEditors: Ven.SanchayaNakajayo WichayaTriwichienandTeam SuparatVinaiwat WalailuckMongkolkawil SupakijNantarojanaporn PeterWong
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Editors: Ven.NielBhaddakho Ven.PaulSobhano Ven.AekarinApishato AaronStern(Ph.D) AchanunAsavabhokhin ChanidaJantrasrisalai JenniferKitilJenarewong Jo-AnnSainz(Ph.D) LucilleKluckas MarcHubbard RaymondKilby SalinNimmanhamin SarineeVorasubin SiripornSirikwanchai(Ph.D) SunisaCharoenpakdee SuparatBencharongkul Around-the-worldNewshawkTeam Translators:
Ven.WiratManikanto AnchaleeStern AungkanaVoraphankit JarinKamphonphanitwong PanaddaThanasuansan PhataraInlarp
RichardTimer SarinratanaSukhabutr ShinavitSukhawat SithChaisurote SugandaCluver SupaneeKude SupichayaPanprasert TawatchaiPetchsinto ThiranopWangkijchinda VeerachartSiriwattanapat WarapornChettabudr WiwatKamolpornwijit(Ph.D) WorawitSiriwattanapatPhotographicEditors: Ven.ChaiyotYasawangso Ven.PairojBoonyapasoProofreaders: Ven.BurinThitakusalo Ven.SuchinSuchino Ven.AnuchitTikkaveero Ven.PisitJittasutdho RaymondKilby
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Art&GraphicDesign: Metta Suvachitvong and DM&S Co., Ltd., Jongkol Viriyawong,
Tanit Chokpipatporn, Suvit Klubsri, Sakon Lersin, Duangrudee
Illustration:PhotographicCentreandPhotographicEditors,
BuddhistArtDivisionandAnimationTeam
FirstPublished:3March2007
6,000copies
AllRightsReserved:TawandhammaFoundation
P.O.Box122 KhlongLuangDistrict PathumthaniProvince THAILAND12120 www.tawandhamma.org [email protected]
PrintedinThailandby: NewWitekCo.,Ltd.
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The Flag of Victory
Aworldofobstacles AnunchangingpictureofCanbesurmountedbyyourstrength Compassion,Thebattleisalreadywon StrengthWhenyourmindissetonvictory TowhichwebowNoburdenistooheavy AswewalkdownapathofNochallengeistoolarge WeareunafraidForthemindtoovercome OurdebttoyoucanneverAtreeshadesuswithitsbranches ThestrengthofourbondThemountainstandsfirmagainstthesky MillionsofwordsInthemidstofthunderousstorms WewillcontinuedoingThebannerofDhammaunfurlsand WithdevotionandaYou,TheSunofPeace,shineon Untilweshineaspurelyas
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