Story told by Phrarajabhavanavisudh (The Most Ven. Dhammajayo Bhikkhu)

Khun Yay Acharaya Chandra Khonnokyoong was born on a Wednesday that was 5 days ahead of the full moon of the second lunar month in 1909. Khun Yay was the fifth of nine children in the family. Her father, Ploy, and mother, Pan, were well-to-do farmers in Nakhonchaisri, Nakhon Pathom Province.

Since early childhood, Khun Yay was extremely diligent and hard-working that was hard to find anyone to compare. At her teenage year, she failed to witness her father’s sudden decease, thus, could not beg for forgiveness before his departure. Hence, she was very determined to meet him somewhere afterlife.

In 1937 Khun Yay heard of Luang Pu Wat Paknam Bhaseecharoen who was teaching disciples to visit hells and heavens by the power of meditation. She then decided for renunciation, leaving home for Wat Paknam to learn meditation. Her plan was step by step, starting from being a servant of the house that the mistress was an important supporter to the Wat. This was a chance to learn meditation with the meditation teacher from the Wat. Finally in her meditation she attained “Dhammakaya.” Dhammakaya is the (inner) body of Enlightenment. With the power of Dhammakaya, she could help her father in the realm of hell. Later, she could live at Wat Paknam and enter nunhood ever since. With her nature of determination, her meditation went up to intermediate and so advanced that she studied ‘Vijja Dhammakaya’ (the high level of Dhammakaya Meditation) in person with Luang Pu Wat Paknam (Phramongkolthepmuni).

She won the reputation for her meditation progress. It was one day that the Great Abbot Luang Pu Wat Paknam praised Khun Yay that her meditation was as profound as “Second To None.”

Khun Yay, as one of the students of Luang Pu Wat Paknam, was in the forefront in meditation learning. Luang Pu was the founder of Dhammakaya Meditation while Khun Yay was the one who passed on Vijja Dhammakaya (or the Knowledge from attaining the Dhammakaya) from the Great Abbot to Luang Phor Dhammajayo (Ven. Dhammajayo Bhikkhu). Luang Phor himself is determined to propagate the teachings of Buddhism together with Dhammakaya Meditation to all mankind.

That is to say, Khun Yay Archaraya Chandra Khonnokyoong is the founder of Dhammakaya Temple. Khun Yay is the key and is the whole factors of progress of Dhammakaya Temple.

Second To None

Wat Pra Dhammakaya had been steadily and successfully implementing various training programs. Therefore, it was clear that more and more people from all walks of life are showing an interest in learning the Buddha’s teachings —theoretically and practically. It was also evident that this movement had shown growth and great potential. Consequently, the temple had to continuously train its personnel, to disseminate the teachings, and to simultaneously build the temples. In doing so, more and more people, including monks, novices, laymen, laywomen and workers, were joining the group.

During this period, Khun Yay’s health was was declining. At eighty years, she could barely walk around the temple as she previously had. However, she could still check the tidiness around the temple by riding on her tricycle. Her diligence and strong-minded character were key to her qualifications as a virtuous builder.

The First Golden Statue of Luang Pu Wat Paknam

Luang Por Dhammajayo wanted to pay respect to Luang Pu Wat Paknam. He always believed that because of the determined intentions of Luang Pu Wat Paknam, he was able to rediscover the Dhammakaya teaching which had been lost for years. Luang Pu Wat Paknam rediscovered this precious knowledge on the full moon night of October 1917 by pledging to dedicate his life to Dhamma. Without his great effort, we all wouldn’t have known or learned about the core of Buddhism, the real happiness of mankind, the root of wisdom, and the only way to reach Nirvana.

For these reasons, Luang Por Dhammajayo was considering building the golden statue of Luang Pu Wat Paknam to show his gratefulness towards his teacher with a place where his disciples would be able to offer their respect.

“It is a great idea to build such a statue. I have devoted my entire life to teaching all disciples and to building up the temple for the last 20 years. I never take a rest. I even suffered from malnutrition and became ill. My real dedications go to Luang Pu Wat Paknam, honoring his devoted life to Dhamma. All I have done, however, was only the spiritual part. To show my respect to him in tangible forms, I’ve not found my way yet. I, therefore, fully agree with Luang Por Dhammajayo to build the golden statue for Luang Pu Wat Paknam. I rejoice in the merit. I will try my best to find those highly virtuous persons to jointly build such image,” said Khun Yay.

Luang Por Dhammajayo, Khun Yay, and other disciples from all over the country jointly decided to show their respect and gratefulness by building the one-ton statue of Luang Pu Wat Paknam from pure gold. The ceremony was held on Makha Puja Day on February 25, 1994, and was presided over by Pra Dhammapanyabordee, the present Abbot of Wat Paknam.
Within that same year, Luang Por Dhammajayo was also considering building the Great Dhammakaya Cetiya. The Cetiya would be the center for Buddhists from all over the world to practice and learn Buddhism. Khun Yay totally supported his proposal. Although she was physically weak, her heart was still as strong as ever, and she was always ready to join with her disciples.
Besides the Great Cetiya, Luang Por Dhammajayo was also contemplating building two more buildings, namely the Monastery of Phra Monkolthepmuni (Sod Candasaro) — where the golden image would be placed, and the Dhammakaya Assembly Hall (meditation hall), to accommodate more than 100,000 people during those religious days. These three projects were worked on simultaneously. At the same time, the teachings of Dhammakaya had also been gradually spreading throughout the world from Asia to Europe, North America, Australia, and Africa.

Although Wat Phra Dhammakaya was established more than 30 years, the construction, the spread of Dhamma teachings, and the personnel training programs still continue

Luang Por Dhammajayo and his disciples had wanted to complete the three projects as soon as possible, while their beloved Khun Yay was still alive to acquire more merit. If these constructions were done in time, she might be able to see them. Those projects would fulfill Khun Yay’s intentions and duties assigned by Luang Pu Wat Paknam: to create peace through meditation all over the world.

Khun Yay, who was almost 90 years old, asked one of her disciples to give her a ride to see the progress of the construction of the Great Dhammakaya Cetiya to be completed shortly. No matter how great those obstacles were, with the devotion of all the virtuous builders and having Khun Yay as the center, they were successful.

Two years later, Saturday, April 22, 2000, was the first celebration date of the Great Dhammakaya Cetiya. Khun Yay, who was 91 years old, could no longer walk on her own and required the use of a wheel chair.

On the celebration day, a driver showed her around the Great Cetiya throughout day and night. From her blissful eyes and a proud smile, she watched the golden Great Dhammakaya Cetiya shining with more than 300,000 Dhammakaya images. The Cetiya was surrounded by hundreds of thousands of monks and novices as well as disciples in white garments. All of them came to jointly celebrate this great achievement which was reached after many difficulties and challenges.

She had finally seen the completion of the Great Cetiya before she passed away on the morning of Sunday, September 10, 2000.

Khun Yay was the principle disciple of Luang Pu Wat Paknam. She was assigned to promote Dhammakaya meditation to all people throughout the world by linking such assignments to Luang Por Dhammajayo, who had the same goal.

Khun Yay, whose heart was purified by the greatest virtue, had been doing innumerable great things for our society and nation.
She was a perfect role model for the next generation of virtuous builders to follow. Khun Yay was the key person for all the success of Wat Phra Dhammakaya. Without Khun Yay, there wouldn’t be one of the best temples of today. This was, ultimately, the great achievement of Khun Yay, who indeed was “second to none.”

First Kalayanamitra

Khun Yay Chan Khonnokyoong is a Buddhist nun who had been taught meditation by Luang Pu Wat Paknam since she was 29 years old until he passed away in 1959. At that time, all of his disciples were asked to continue teaching Dhammakaya meditation.

When Khun Yay Chan began to practice meditation with Luang Pu Wat Paknam, her great meditation teacher, she saw that other meditation students had been criticized for not paying close attention to their concentrating on their meditation. She did not want to be criticized herself, so she practiced very hard not to be criticize by her teacher.

She focused her mind on meditation and had been an excellent example to students on how to love meditation. In Luang Pu’s lifetime, there were meditation periods and Khun Yay would meditate for six uninterrupted hours. She would spend her entire life in meditation. This is why she is the expert in Dhamma (best meditator). Even Luang Pu Wat Paknam considered her to be second to none.

Kalayanamitra means “good friends who always guide and support us”. Having Kalayanamitra is the path of success. Having good friends who offer beneficial advice will help one to achieve this success.

I am who I am today because of Khun Yay Ubasika Chan Khonnokyung, who is my first Kalayanamitra. I met her when she was 53 years old. The first time I saw her, she was an ordinary, thin, older lady, until I really looked into her eyes. They shone with decisiveness, freshness and purity which came from her virtue. I knew then she could be my meditation teacher, and asked her to accept me as one of her students. I have witnessed her ideas and her life style of cultivating only good deeds. Since 1961, I have not seen her be discouraged or give up on anything. Her intention to pursue good deeds has continued to increase. I only hear her encourage others by offering her support and shoring them up when their resolution falters. She is a genuine positive-thinking person because of her meditation experience. She always says, ” It can be done. It is possible. It must be complete.” Whatever she says, she does. Whatever she does, she says.

Her virtues that I have often seen are her diligence, cleanliness and purity. She is clean physically, spiritually and mentally. In her place, the furniture is simple and uncluttered. Some was made from others’ discards, cleaned and repaired to make serviceable for her. This reflected her choice of solitude and little need for “things.”

Her speech, from the first time I met her, until this day, has not changed. She will speak only Dhamma, and of doing good deeds. If I did something inappropriate, she taught what should have been done or what should be done. What she told me has helped build up my spirit to strengthen my influence and character. When close to her, I feel the peacefulness of being sheltered by a big, strong tree. My mind is at peace because I have absolute understanding—-she can read my thoughts and feelings. It always fosters my concentration in meditation and helps build my wisdom. My teacher’s speech is direct, honest and brief. It is the best of words. When she finishes speaking, there is no doubt, no unanswered questions. Once, there was someone who misunderstood her and scolded her for hours. She remained quiet, listening intently. I have never heard her argue, nor have I ever seen or heard her anger.

Most people who came to her wanted her help. With kindness, she helped everyone, both the living and the deceased. She helped with family problems, illness, business difficulties and other life crises. She would sit and listen to the problem. Then she would tell the person to meditate also while she helped to fix the problem. After a few days, the person would come again to report that the problem was resolved.

Khun Yay has now reached the venerable age of 91 and because of illness and her age, is no longer actively teaching. She continues to live as a nun in the temple and serves as an inspiration to countless people. Khun Yay was born in a time when studying was only for the males of the family in the old Thai tradition. Therefore, her accomplishments in educating herself and becoming a meditation teacher are all the more impressive and moving. She has touched and shaped countless lives, and inspired so many to lead lives of peace, inner happiness and meditation. Khun Yay Chandra Khonnokyoong, a daughter of middle class farmers Mr. Ploi and Mrs. Pun in the Nakornchaisri district of Nakorn Pathom province, Thailand was born in 1909. She is the fifth of nine children and the most restless of all. Because of it, her father had said “Of all the children, I will punish Chandra the most”

Mr. Ploi had a farm of around 8 acres and Mrs. Pun had around 5 acres nearby. When Khun Yay was a child, she had to bring food to her parents in the fields. She had many friends and was beloved by all. Every evening before the sunset, she would herd the buffalo back. Sometimes in the field, boys would sing songs to attract girls’ attention, but her father did not like it, and told Khun Yay not to get close to those boys.

Khun Yay’s Childhood

The farmer’s life had trained Khun Yay to be diligent. She had to help her parents all day long. Like other country children, she was very close to her parents. She had had no schooling, so she could not read nor write. In those times, it was not common for females to study, and most girls in the country never had the opportunity.

Khun Yay was a sincere child who loved to go to the temples. She was very diligent about making sure that there was no weeds in her fields. The rice yield in her fields produced more than those of others.

Everyday, the sun would rise at about 4 in the morning. Khun Yay would wake up to herd the buffalo to the fields. She loved to look at the sun rising on the horison and always thought to herself, “Sun, where do you come from? Can I ride a buffalo to the sun?”

Ven. Dhammajayo Bhikkhu told of his impression: “Imagine a girl sitting on a buffalo, herding them out, even before the morning light. After the sun had risen, she saw it as the other farmer’s children did, yet her thoughts were very different from the others. She thought about riding to the sun. She yearned to know where it came from and where it went. These are not typical thoughts. It is the nature of the wise, the very introspective, the same as Buddha.”

Her reputation of great diligence had spread throughout the village. Her male neighbors tried to compete with her, but never went to the fields as early as she always did. Finally, they give her a nick name, “Iron Shins.” Because of her diligence in helping her parents in the fields, their financial status was better than most farmers. They were not in debt, even though the average farmer typically was in debt.

Khun Yay saw married life of her parents. It combined both happiness and tears. Because her father was addicted to alcohol, he would buy a bottle of liquor every night. When he did not drink, he would be so kind. But whenever he drank, he would always argue with his wife. Her mother had a very successful phrase to stop him from making loud noises when he got drunk that whenever it was said, her father would stop drinking and being so loud: “Sparrow, you live in my nest.” Just hearing this phrase made her father very angry and he stopped what he was doing. (One of the dominant habits of the bird ‘sparrow’ is it always lives in the vacant nests of other birds)

Her father lived under her mother’s roof which was his shame. He was afraid of losing his dignity and he feared being looked down upon by others. When he heard the phrase, he would ask the children whether it is true, or whether she had really said those words.

One day, her drunk father was sleeping under the house ( a country house has a very high floor to protect from flooding). He was mumbling and snoring so loudly that it bothered the family.

Her mother shouted down the same phrase “Sparrow, living in my nest, you mumbled something?” Khun Yay wanted them to stop arguing, so she said “Mom did not say that.” At that moment, her father became furious with Khun Yay and cursed her to be deaf in her next 500 lives.

His curse has stayed on Khun Yay’s mind ever since. She believes the parents’ blessings were sacred. They would come true if spoken. The curse had the same effect and would condemn her. In Thailand, it is the tradition to ask forgiveness before a person dies so that we will feel free from anything we might have done to disturb their lives, so she decided to ask forgiveness from her father before he died.

Later on, her father became so ill that the family had to feed him for many months. The children took turns caring for him. On the morning of his last day, as she was feeding her father, he suddenly went into a coma. At that time she was only 12 years old and did not know what would happen. She called for her mother and left for the fields, because of her diligence in keeping the farm productive.

Khun Yay worked hard in the fields unaware of the passing time. When she came home after a long day, she saw everybody crying over her father’s death. Her siblings blamed her for not staying home. Everybody had already apologized and asked for his forgiveness, except her. She was very, very sad, even though she had taken very good care of him when he was ill. However, in her mind it was not enough; she had not asked for his forgiveness.

His death profoundly affected Khun Yay’s life. Most Thai people believe in rebirth. Since she had not had the chance to apologize to her father, she worried about her father’s curse on her. She was afraid it would come true in her next 500 lives. Since then, she has wished to go to her father in the other realm where his soul went.

As time passed, the overwhelming desire to ask for his forgiveness always stayed on her mind. She started looking for a meditation teacher who could teach her to go to the realm that her father lived in his next life.

In 1927, she was 18 years old. She heard about Luang Pu Wat Paknam, who can teach people to attain Dhammakaya. With Dhammakaya, people can go to heaven, or to Nibbana (Nirvana). They can go to the realm where the souls of people who died still live. Even more, with Dhammakaya, they can go and talk to and touch the soul of the dead, the same as humans do. Dhammakaya can even help people in hell, and in heaven to stay in a better realm.

Meeting Khun Yay Tongsuk

Khun Yay Tongsuk knew when Khun Yay attained Dhammakaya (body of enlightenment), because she saw it in her meditation. After attaining Dhammakaya, Khun Yay continuously practiced it until her mind was very peaceful and very bright to the level that could go to Heaven and Hell. She told Khun Yay Tongsuk, “I want to see my father, but I don’t know where he is.”

Khun Yay Tongsuk said, “It’s not that hard.” Right then, she taught Khun Yay to use Dhammakaya to reach her father. With Khun Yay Tongsuk guidance, Khun Yay’s mind slipped out of her physical body—-her body and the Dhammakaya’s were the same. She was floating in Hell. Having reached there, the Hell Fire was burned out and the torture machines had stopped. There, Khun Yay saw her father, who was very thin, wearing no clothing. He lost his energy, even the ability to respect Dhammakaya. When he tried to raise his hands to show respect, they failed. Khun Yay saw her father clearly.

Khun Yay Tongsuk advised her on how to help him, and Khun Yay did it. Khun Yay prayed for the good deeds of Dhammakaya to help her father. Once she had done that, Dhammakaya took him to Heaven. Khun Yay saw Heaven clearly. She saw the angels and her father’s house, which was far smaller and darker than that of the other angels.

While her father was living as human, he did both good and bad. The good deeds he had done were represented by the house. Because his mind was not so clear, his house was the way it was. He did the good deeds according to his willingness and that was not very much, so the house was not big. Since he also drank, that resulted in his having to live in Hell. When Khun Yay helped him leave Hell, Khun Yay Tongsuk advised her to use the good deeds of Dhammakaya to expand his house.

Moreover, his body became an angel with the decorations and servants and bright house. Khun Yay Tongsuk taught him to pray “Samma Arahung.” If he didn’t do that, he would fail again. He promised he would not fail, because he didn’t want to be in Hell again. He didn’t want to be tortured by drinking the extremely hot liquid. Drinking this liquid would dissolve his body, and then he would be reborn again and again for a long time.

Khun Yay had her chance to apologize to him. Her father had paid respect to Khun Yay’s Dhammakaya and he accepted her apology. He told her, “I spoke in anger, but I had no intention for you to lose your hearing. If it remained in your mind and caused you distress, I accept your apology.” He paid respect to Dhammakaya for helping him out of Hell.

“You have come so late.”

When she attained Dhammakaya and could help her father from Hell to Heaven, she was very happy. She didn’t desire anything more, because attaining Dhammakaya gave her happiness. It is the happiness that could not be found in this world. Later, Khun Yay told us of her feeling that it is the true happiness. Even when someone offered her gold as tall as her height to stop her from the meditation she was doing, she had to pass.

Khun Yay thought of doing more chores to please the house owner, so she could ask to be allowed to meditate at Wat Paknam for about a month. With this thought in mind, she worked even harder to please the house owner.

She had talked with Khun Yay Tongsuk and when the time came, she asked for permission. Khun Nai Leab agreed, as long as Khun Yay returned in a month. Khun Yay did not say anything, so the house owner thought she would return. At long last, Khun Yay Tongsuk brought her to Wat Paknam.

That night, Khun Yay dreamed she was standing on the side of a very wide river. There was a boat bringing her to the other side. There, she saw a big, beautiful Bhodi tree which offered nice shade. Once she reached the other side, she went to sit under the tree’s shade. It felt very peaceful and then she awoke.

The following afternoon, a Thursday, she met with Luang Pu Wat Paknam for the first time. Luang Pu (a pronoun of the Thai senior Buddhist monk called himself and was called by others) was teaching in the Hall, which was close to the kitchen. When Khun Yay Tongsuk introduced Khun Yay to him, he looked up and when he saw Khun Yay’s face, he said, “You have come so late.”

Luang Pu said that because he had been waiting for the advanced meditators team. He sent her directly to the very advanced Dhammakaya meditation group. Joining this Dhammakaya meditation group during that time was not easy. There were tests from the senior meditators with questions that a normal human could not answer. All the questions were beyond the ability of human’s knowledge. Only the ones attaining Dhammakaya would be able to answer. In Khun Yay’s case, she did not have to pass the test. Luang Pu just let her in.
However, she got sick in the first week after coming to Wat Paknam. While sick, the Dhamma experience was lost to her and she was left with only her desire. Even this situation couldn’t shake her peaceful mind. She believed Dhammakaya was still with her, it was just her body that was weak. It left her mind unclear, unable to see Dhammakaya. During this time, however,her mind was in the peaceful place as always.

Now, her life changed, her body was weak and her Dhammakaya was altered. However, in the Wat Paknam, she received Loung Por’s kindness, and her Dhammakaya was recovered. She told us later that she was confused and could feel Dhammakaya fading. Luang Pu sensed this, and he said, “Chandra, you keep your mind at the center; always keep your mind at the center.” “Yes”, she answered and did it. She said, “It’s in my body, it is just that my body is sick and confused.”

Luang Pu asked Khun Yay later, “Is your mind at a standstill?” When she was asked that, she was afraid but answered “yes” and immediately, from confusion to clarity, her mind was brightening. It was at peace and could see clearly.

Luang Pu continued, “See anything?” “I see, clearly.” Khun Yay was afraid of his questions. When he walked up the stairs, the voice came from another room. The wall had a hole in it for him to order across the room. Only faces were seen through it.

Although entering the very advanced Dhammakaya meditation group was not as hard for Khun Yay as for others, living at Wat Paknam was not easy. Since Khun Yay was the newcomer, she not only had to adjust to the new place, but also to the people there. Her life was very hard. Everything given to her was used, old, and torn. She happily cleaned them and used them, thinking only of their purpose. The bed’s leg was broken, and it was not usable any longer. It also stank and had mites living in it. She happily took it, thinking that she wanted to use this bed to rest. Rest would refresh her mind and then she could use that power to meditate.

She did not have any servants, money, or jewelry. She had only her positive thinking, her two hands, and her mind. She was not a carpenter, but when she had to fix the bed, she did it with perfection. She cleaned her things so they looked new. Even though the bed was cleaned, some of the mites were still living in the bed. At night, they would bite Khun Yay. Her sleep was restless all night long.

People who do not have a good night’s sleep can be very irritable. If someone says or does something improper, there could be some violence. Khun Yay was different. She had a small jar, like a crystal cup, next to her bed with a white cloth to cover it. When the mites bit her, she put the mites in the jar, and covered it. In the morning, she let them go outside, and she did this until her bed was clear of the mites.

The senior meditators liked to see this. It became a club of who wanted to see the cleanliness, eventhough it was not beautiful. The cleanliness emanated peace—like the flowers in the garden, without a sign “You are welcome to look.” They still drew people to get close to see and smell them.

Khun Yay’s old bed was the same. It was as if the cleanliness from her mind moved to her hands, and to her bed, and then to the viewers who looked at her bed. Her bed was the center of the club for those who wanted to sweep and touch it.

The senior meditators would not let her help with the food. Because she was thin, had long hair and deep-set eyes, people seeing her thought she was sick with tuberculosis (a prevalent epidemic at that time) and were afraid of contracting it. When it was mealtime, The cook unwillingly gave Khun Yay the food. She had to experience this every day.

She taught herself as if she were both teacher and student. She was there to meditate. She left the house to study Dhammakaya meditation. Every meal was for Luang Pu Wat Paknam and everybody who willingly gave the meals to him. Luang Pu was kind enough to let her and the others eat.

It was normal for those who cook to always be very tired. They had to wake up in the morning and set everything up. They had to stand in front of the heat and divide everything up evenly. It was not her business to pay attention to the action of the cooks. Her duty was to eat to keep her healthy. When done, she would use that power to meditate and to study the advanced level of Dhammakaya meditation.

While others thought that Khun Yay was ill from tuberculosis, Khun Yay thought that others’ thinking about her was good, so she could eat by herself and could have more privacy. She didn’t have to deal with anybody else. While eating, she simultaneously put her mind on the peaceful spot (at the center of her body). While washing the dishes, she also meditated and brought the brightness from meditation to clean her mind.

This experience showed her desire to study Dhammakaya meditation, disregarding any obstacles.

Becoming a Nun

Through Deepening Inner Experiences, Khun Yay Becomes a Nun.

After Khun Yay was well, Luang Pu started to ask more questions about Khun Yay’s meditation experiences. Khun Yay was very afraid, which she had never felt before. She told us the first day she went to the high advanced Dhammakaya meditation group and was tested by Luang Pu Wat Paknam that she wanted to run out right then. The first question of Luang Pu Wat Paknam was:

“Chandra, When I walked pass the temple, I saw a pigeon on the roof. It looked back and then looked forward. Why did it do that?”

Khun Yay told us she was severely shaking and her heart was beating so quickly. She was afraid she might answer too slowly. She tried to stop her mind at the center of her body. When she saw the whole story via her meditation, she answered:

“It looked back to see the direction it came, so it could remember the way. It looked forward to see the destination it was going to find its food.”

Luang Pu Wat Paknam moved from the easy questions to harder ones. The next day he asked:

“Chandra, Luang Por came from the dinning room, seeing a man with a disable leg. I need you to check if his dreaming body had a disabled leg too.”

Khun Yay found the answer for him. If the answer were right, he would say, “Yes, that’s it.” But if it was wrong, he would just keep quiet. He asked these questions until it was extremely hard; such as asking about the other religion’s beliefs, which she would never know because it was beyond her knowledge, but she answered appropriately.

Luang Pu Wat Paknam liked to ask Khun Yay questions. Once he asked, “When you go to the dining room, is your mind in the center of your body?”

Khun Yay would have to keep her mind there all day long, even at night. Her feeling was getting deeper and deeper. Until she sat on Khad-Ru bed (the state reached when the meditators’ body doesn’t hear or feel anything surrounding it; where one’s mind goes down deep to inner peace already and where the meditator won’t hear any sounds).

The Khad-Ru bed is like a stage where the monks sit during the teaching. When Khun Yay meditated at night, she had a mosquito net covering her, and its size was enough for Khun Yay to sit with a straight back during meditation. Her bed was just small enough for her body. It is the reason why Khun Yay meditates with her back so straight. If she lost her concentration, her body would slightly lean toward the mosquito net. The mosquito would bite her immediately. She controlled herself to sit up straight.

“Khad-Ru” is the state when the mind comes to a complete standstill 100%. It would move from the physical body to the inner bodies. When the time was up, the mind was pulled back. Khad-Ru would enhance the mind to be clearer, brighter and more powerful. The mind was enlarged so that the meditator would know more.

At night, some of the senior meditators would bring in the pillows. Luang Pu Wat Paknam had the big mosquito net set up for every meditator to sit under. Some slept, while some stayed awake. Some received the knowledge, some did not. Khun Yay was different. She was so focused and became an expert. She saw some of the seniors ask Luang Pu to visit their homes, or to go to the ceremony back home. Only her he would not allow to leave.

When she wanted to go to the town, because she was in the high advanced Dhammakaya meditation group for so long, she went to ask Luang Pu’s permission,

“Luang Por, I want to go downtown.”

“Why do you want to go there?”

“I want to get the dessert”, Khun Yay said.

“Ok, I’ll bring you some.” The next day, that dessert came to her.

Days later, she said, “I want to have durians.” (Durian is a tropical fruit and the most popular among Thai people)

This time, Luang Pu said, “Visualizing durians are in your stomach. When you want to eat, just meditate and think about it.”

Khun Yay truly missed going out, but amazingly, when she visualized the durians at the center of her body, people brought durians to the temple the next day. Visualizing the things you want at the center of the body is the successful source—success happens. The success is in the center of the body. Visualize what you want here.

Studying more and more about Dhammakaya meditation, Khun Yay had not wanted to go anywhere. The world outside was not as interesting as the inner world. She wanted to know about the inner world more and more. She did this for a long time, moving from the beginner status to the expert status, to the head of “Khad-Ru.”

After almost staying a month at Wat Paknam, it was time for her to go back to be a butler for Khun Nai Leab. As her meditation experience grew stronger, she did not want to go back, so she talked to Khun Yay Tongsuk and said, “I don’t want to go back.”

“I will not go back either, Skinny. We’d better take the veil to become nuns.”

Khun Yay Tongsuk called Khun Yay “Skinny” because Khun Yay was so very thin.

“How are we going to become nuns?”

“Rent the veil.”

They shaved their heads and became nuns that night. Luang Pu liked it for there were not many meditation students who had excellent inner experiences. He did not want them to go back. However, he was pleased because his leading meditation students were doing their jobs studying inner experience.

The next day, the house owner came to pick her up but she only saw the two nuns sitting in front of Luang Pu. The long hair was gone. Their faces and skin were very radiant from the light of inner experience (Dhammakaya).

The owner was speechless, because of her respect to Luang Pu. She just looked in their face. When Luang Pu left, the owner asked Khun Yay, “Why did you become a nun?”

Khun Yay did not answer. She silently istened in peace.

The relationship between Khun Nai Leab and Khun Yay was shown clearly when Luang Por Dhammajayo told us: “About 10 or 20 years ago, I don’t remember exactly, when Khun Nai Leab was 85 years old I saw her talking to Khun Yay. Whenever she met Khun Yay, she would say “Chandra, you said you’d come back, then you never did.”

Later when Mrs. Leab was close to dying, Khun Yay was invited to the house. When she saw Khun Yay, she said again, “Chandra, you said you’d come back, then you never did.” In the end, Mrs. Leab donated some of her money to Khun Yay.

Khun Yay had talked to Luang Por Dhammajayo of this matter. She had not decided at first she would want to be a butler all her life. The reason she decided at first was that she wanted to study Dhammakaya meditation with Luang Pu Wat Paknam even with the hard life she had endured. She had not wanted this career in the first place. Back home in the country, she had everything she wanted or needed and more. Thus, she did not go back to being a butler in Bangkok. She continued studying Dhammakaya meditation at Wat Paknam.

The place to study Dhammakaya meditation in Wat Paknam was called “High level of Dhammakaya meditation study.” It was a big building having a roof and two sides. In the middle of that, there is a small wall separating people. When sitting, the other side could not be seen. This wall would separate the monks and nuns, so they would not know each other. Luang Pu Wat Paknam would sit with the monks. At that time, there are about 30 monks total. Nuns and women who observed 8 precepts all together were about 30 also. On this wall, there was a hole for Luang Pu to order or through which to ask questions of his meditation students. Only his face could be seen.

The Meditation Workshop

They were divided into 2 groups. Each group meditated twice a day for 6 hours during the day and 6 hours at night. From 6pm to 12am, from 12am to 6am, from 6 am to 12pm, and from 12pm to 6pm.

Luang Pu picked Khun Yay to lead the evening group. He knew that Khun Yay loved meditating, and that she was strong, though her physical appearance indicated otherwise. The evening group started at 11:30pm to 6am and again from 11:30am to 6pm.

Luang Por Dhammajayo said about this: “Think about it, Khun Yay did not know the writing. She could not read, but her followers (meditators) in the same group could. Yet she could find the right answer for Luang Pu Wat Paknam, until he was so pleased with her that he appointed her to be in charge of the group. It was because she took it seriously. She did not complain, did not say anything, even when somebody complained about her.

Only Luang Pu did not complain about her and that pleased her. She would not give Luang Pu reason to blame her; the others’ comments she did not care about. She did everything correctly so that Luang Pu would not be disappointed nor blame her for anything wrong.

When she had studied the high level of Dhammakaya meditation for 2 years, World War II started. Luang Pu Wat Paknam used his Dhammakaya meditation and his meditation students to help the country and the humans to stop the war and the killings. He helped Thailand to escape from the dangers. He ordered the Dhammakaya meditation students who firmly attained Dhammakaya to help. Some threw the bombs away. Some had the enemy see the important place as forest, and the sea as a town.

While meditating, Luang Pu would check the schedule of the bombings. If someone else answered, the other students would just listen but not act, but if Khun Yay answered, they( the other people who lived in Wat Paknam) would turn the lights off at that time so that the pilot wouldn’t see their buildings. This was because they believed in her ability to see the truth.

Luang Pu Wat Paknam ordered his students to sweep the bombs away. If someone failed to do so, he would call “Kee-Tai.” He called this to everyone.

“Kee-Tai” is a type of fuel. To light the fire, you had to knock down the ashes until reaching the part that was full of oil, and then light the fire. When the fire started to get small, you had to knock down the ashes again.

For the students to be referred to as”Kee-Tai, meant that without the teacher’s push, they would let their minds become distracted. Sometimes thinking of the Dhammakaya, sometimes unable to. Some went sight-seeing. When called they would come back. Khun Yay was not that like that at all. She was inside all the time because she was afraid that Luang Pu would blame her. For the Dhammakaya meditation leader, the blame was like going to war and ending in a draw with no win, no loss.

One day, Luang Pu ordered “Chandra, you go sweep the bomb.” Luang Pu would look into every sweeping. When Khun Yay received the order, her mind became one with her Dhammakaya, and not excited. However many the bombs, she would keep sweeping them patiently. Only one thing in her mind, not to give Luang Pu reason to call her “Kee-Tai.”

During World War II, there were many bombs dropped on Bangkok. Some were very afraid and ran back to their house. That was why Luang Pu locked the doors at the High level of Dhammakaya meditation study room. Khun Yay was not afraid of this. When it was time, she would meditate without any problem.

Meditating at night required more from Khun Yay. If her mind and body were not as strong as metal or diamond, she would not last long, Khun Yay said with a smile. She studied high advanced level of Dhammakaya meditation without a worry about the war. Even living in that period was hard. The clothing worn was old and torn. She did not have any more to change into. The food that they used to have then was not sufficient. Moreover, there was a massive flood all over Thailand. Khun Yay still kept on meditating and got through that difficult time.

Even Khun Yay’s appearance looked like she was not strong, but when she was meditating, her mind would glide easily to the inner experience. Khun Yay’s body was like the container of all the powerful Dhammakayas .

For the rest of time, Khun Yay was very happy with meditating. She never thought of anything else, except how to go to the highest level of Dhamma. When she was still strong, she would tell her close followers:

“Who wants to go to Nirvana (Nibbana), go first. Yay will not go yet. Yay wants to eliminate all the evil (in one’s mind) first.” She said this and then continued to improve her meditation to go deeper and deeper.

During the time of Luang Pu Wat Paknam, he and his students would meditate around the clock. Whether in peacetime or wartime (World War II), the advanced meditation students meditated in 6-hour shifts day and night.

During World War II

However, Khun Yay would not quit at the end of her 6-hour shift.

Demonstrating her dedication, she would wait for another half-hour and listen to the Dhamma question and answer sessions held by Luang Pu Wat Paknam and the head of the next shift.

This elite meditation group of students took turns round the clock in meditation sessions using their inner stillness and tranquility to fight evils. Despite Khun Yay’s skinny and fragile appearance, on the inside existed a powerful mind and inner eyes full of strength and determination.

During World War II, the Allied Forces heavily bombarded Bangkok. Yet, Khun Yay was neither daunted by the fear caused by the bombings nor the hardships caused by the shortage of supplies. Khun Yay never complained; she just sustained her life practice of ultimate inner peace and enlightenment.

Loyal to Luang Pu, Khun Yay followed his every instruction. Luang Pu told his advanced meditation students that “Daughter Chan is second to no one.” This honor brought Khun Yay true joy and was her greatest delight. Luang Pu had never bestowed this compliment to anyone else.

Khun Yay’s calm disposition gave her an edge over the other meditation students. Her determination and perseverance made her the best among them.

Luang Por Dhammajayo Bhikku kindly told us a story about an event which demonstrated Khun Yay’s faultless serenity.

One day Luang Pu Wat Paknam received a very beautiful peacock-feathered fan. He held a raffle and asked the hundreds of meditation students to draw a ticket in order to win this fan. Instead of being excited about this event, Khun Yay calmly continued to meditate. She kept her mind at the center of her body and simply made a wish for the fan. Being the last to draw the raffle ticket, Khun Yay could not even read, although she had picked the winning ticket. Imagine how miraculous this was for Khun Yay to have won the fan. Everyone in the room broke into laughter since, coincidentally, Khun Yay’s last name means peacock feather.

Yet, the fan did not remain with her for long. Only one day following the drawing, Khun Yay Thong Sook, her first meditation teacher, asked for the fan to offer it to the monks. Constantly being generous, Khun Yay gave the fan away.

However, Khun Yay did not always excel at everything. One day Luang Pu Wat Paknam asked her why the Salid fish (a kind of river fish in Thailand) tasted so good. Khun Yay was stunned by Luang Pu’s question, since he usually only asked about Dhamma. Typically, she never thought about the taste of any food. She would just eat at mealtime when she was hungry. Luang Pu rarely laughed, but on that day he did so heartily.

The Order of the Great Master

In 1954, Luang Pu called a meeting among his students from both inside and outside the temple to speak of his passing in five years. He ordered his students to make the Dhammakaya meditation known all over the world which would be beneficial for all.

Five years later, his prophecy came true. Luang Pu came down with a serious illness and became bedridden, surrounded by his student monks.

Unfortunately, Khun Yay was unable to be by his bedside. Luang Pu was very strict when it came to his disciplines. Nuns were not able to stay close to the monks. Yet, Luang Pu instructed Khun Yay to carry on the teaching of the Dhammakaya meditation. Luang Pu passed away on February 3, 1959 at three o’clock in the afternoon.

Without Luang Pu as their moral leader, many of the students went their separate ways. Some stayed in the temple area, while others joined other temples. A few returned to living as ordinary people.

Khun Yay chose to stay with her first meditation teacher and to care for Khun Yay Thong Sook in a small three-story house in Wat Paknam. Khun Yay Thong Sook was diagnosed in the final stages of uterine cancer. Her symptoms were severe, bodily fluids that oozed out of her body had an unpleasant odor and kept everyone, except Khun Yay, away from her. Khun Yay attended to every need. Khun Yay was grateful to her first meditation teacher who had taught her how to reach inner peace (attaining Dhammakaya within).

When feeling healthy, Khun Yay Thong Sook had traveled tirelessly around the country spreading Dhammakaya meditation and had many disciples. Returning home, exhausted, Khun Yay Thong Sook knew she would always get the best of care from Khun Yay.

Being terminally ill, Khun Yay Thong Sook often mindlessly said many unpleasant things due to her fever. Khun Yay just listened with a peaceful mind and never took offense. Administering to her ailing meditation teacher, Khun Yay treated her gently and made her feel as comfortable as possible. She would sprinkle Thai perfume on to the teacher and help make Khun Yay Thong Sook presentable to receive her students.

On the last day of Khun Yay Thong Sook’s life, alone with Khun Yay, she rested her head on Khun Yay’s lap. Khun Yay Thong Sook was especially calm that day and as she looked up at Khun Yay, she simply said “Go with Dhammakaya,” and was gone.

Beloved Khun Yay Thong Sook received the best and most beautiful funeral from her students. Khun Yay showed her deepest gratitude to her first meditation teacher by hosting and inviting all Khun Yay Thong Sook’s disciples to arrange the finest funeral Khun Yay could prepare.

At the funeral, Khun Yay had some free time to ponder about Luang Pu Wat Paknam’s last order. She had promised herself she would find that special someone who would carry on Luang Pu Wat Paknam’s legacy and spread the Dhammakaya teachings to all the world.

Her wish came true one day when she me with a young student. This young man had made excellent progress in meditation practice. She told herself that this man must be the one.

Teaching Dhamma & Meditation

This young man was Luang Por Dhammajayo, who at the time, was a teenager studying at one of the best known high schools in Bangkok, Suankularb Vidhayalai School. Even at a young age, he stood out from the crowd. He was always asking himself questions such as why human beings were born and what is the purpose of life. In fact, he started seeking answers to these questions by the time he was thirteen years old. He spent most of his time reading books and attending meditation sessions at the temples. When he was sixteen, he read an article about Khun Yay and Khun Yay Thong Sook in a journal. He was so intrigued by the story, he thought Khun Yay might hold the keys to his questions that were locked up in his mind.

Although he lived close to the temple, he had never had the chance to visit Khun Yay. At the age of eighteen, he had the opportunity. According to Luang Por Dhammajayo’s expectations, the temple would be a clean and tranquil place that was ideal for meditation. Unfortunately, Wat Paknam was surrounded by buildings and houses with lots of people bustling around. Disappointed, he gave up the search for Khun Yay. While he was leaving the temple, he had a brief encounter with Khun Yay. They both stared at each other but no word was said since he did not know who she was.

Having given up the idea of finding Khun Yay, Luang Por Dhammajayo chose not to return to the temple and directed all his time and attention to his studies at the university. Yet, these two questions still haunted him and made him more curious.

In October 1963, during school break, he returned to Wat Paknam and asked around for “Mother teacher Chandra.” No one knew Khun Yay by that name. An elderly monk invited him to practice meditation with another monk who taught Dhammakaya meditation technique rediscovered by Luang Pu Wat Paknam.

Although he could not understand a thing the monk said, he did feel great inside. Two weeks later, armed with a clear intention and a strong resolve, he sought Khun Yay and this time met her. She was a thin nun, with a warm smile and bright eyes full of determination. Khun Yay told him to come back the next day. That was enough to make him ecstatic.

Early, the next morning, when Luang Por Dhammajayo met with Khun Yay in the small house that once belonged to Khun Yay Thong Sook, she mysteriously told him she had been expecting him for a long time. He did not think too much about this at the time but just followed what Khun Yay taught him and focused on meditation. As time went by, those two original questions that had led him to her no longer seemed important.

Luang Por Dhammajayo quickly became Khun Yay’s favorite meditation student. She always took time to explain things to him. He was the first to call her, “Khun Yay” (or grand mom in Thai), which pleased her.

Once he asked Khun Yay why would she chew Mak (a palm date which Thai people in the old days chewed to strengthen teeth but made them black). She soon quit this habit after his comment.

Along with her favorite student, Luang Por Dhammajayo and other meditation students, the number of students steadily increased and outgrew Wat Paknam. At the age of sixty, Khun Yay founded a new temple in the Patumthani province called Wat Phra Dhammakaya. Currently, Khun Yay’s favorite student, Luang Por Dhammajayo is the Abbot at Wat Phra Dhammakaya.

The Formula for Successful Meditation

In the beginning of Luang Por Dhammajayo’s studies, Khun Yay often cheered him up by telling him the formula for successful meditation:

Follow: to follow her suggestions.
Keep doing: to keep meditating every day, and in every manner.
“Follow and keep doing” is the formula for success on the path of enlightenment.

Other than teaching meditation to those who were interested, Khun Yay would also help people with their problems through Advanced Dhammakaya meditation. Even though some often challenged her, Khun Yay, always a merciful person, would still aid them.

Once Luang Por Dhammajayo told her story :

“Khun Yay’s visits to Hell and Heaven seemed easy to her, as if she had taken only a couple of paces. Whenever anyone asked her about a relative who passed away, she would meditate for a brief moment and answer frankly about his extistence afterlife. She would reply, ‘Your relative with this name, while being a human, had done this deed. Now he is in Hell and suffers the consequence of his action.’ Then Khun Yay would visit Hell, bringing her virtues (as a result of committing good deeds) to that relative. After taking the sufferer to a happier realm, Khun Yay also taught him to meditate and warned that if he abandoned meditation he would return to the suffering realm. Later, Khun Yay delivered the message to the living that the soul no longer suffered and now lived in a better realm. And she said that the soul thanked the living relative for the good wishes. Also, Khun Yay mentioned that the living needed to keep committing good deeds and shared the virtues with his late relative.”

Luang Por Dhammajayo continued:

“I often heard about Khun Yay’s experiences using her Dhammakaya to help those who passed away. Yet, sometimes living relatives who asked Khun Yay to help had not known about bad karma committed by those people. They only knew of the good deeds, but after their own scrutiny, they realized that what Khun Yay told them was true.

Once someone told Khun Yay of his coming surgery. Khun Yay meditated for a few minutes and said ‘Why would you have surgery? Nothing is wrong with you’.

He then argued that he had made an appointment with the doctor. Khun Yay said, ‘Fine. During the surgery, keep reciting the mantra quietly in your mind: Samma Arahang’.

After the surgery, he told Khun Yay the doctor could not find anything wrong. So Khun Yay said ‘Good. Now you know what it feels like.’

Some stories seemed unbelievable. The things Khun Yay knew often shocked those who just met her. Once a couple came to her and Khun Yay greeted them with: ‘you should stop gambling’. The husband was surprised, thinking his wife had told Khun Yay. Yet his wife claimed ‘I just met her, the same as you.’ Although some people often did not take Khun Yay seriously, they discovered later that what she said was always true.

One of Khun Yay’s students was a teacher whose husband was very stubborn and did not believe in Hell and Heaven, but he kept reciting a mantra daily, just in case they did exist.

One day he came to Khun Yay and said ‘Khun Yay, I have a strange story that I want to tell you. And I need your suggestions.’ He said that he had slept at a house in countryside, out on the patio.

It was a bright night and he could see everything clearly. A dense smoke rose from the floor and materialize into a human form. He could see it clearly and it was as high as a mature palm tree. Then it stepped across the house and suddenly disappeared.

He saw it, but did not know what it was. He had gone to many temples, but the answers were not clear, usually containing the word ‘might’. Some said ‘you imagined it’. While listening, Khun Yay meditated accordingly. At the end of the story, he asked ‘Khun Yay, do you know what it was that I saw?’

Khun Yay answered ‘what you saw was Peta. (A kind of ghost) That Peta is your relative.’ He argued ‘My relative wouldn’t be a Peta.’ Khun Yay was silent, but he continued asking, ‘Why is he a Peta?’

‘Your relative was a deacon. He cheated and stole the temple’s properties. After his death, he was born as a Peta.’

He claimed ‘I don’t have any relative who is a deacon. Can you tell me his name?’

‘Rasamee,’ Khun Yay said.

‘I don’t have any relative named Rasamee. My relatives have a better name.’

He brought his hands together and bowed to show respect to Khun Yay before departure.

Many months later, he came back. ‘Khun Yay’ he said, ‘I discovered that I did have a relative named Rasamee. He was a deacon before he died. He had cheated the temple but I still do not believe that Peta exists!’

As these stories showed, the trips to Hell and Heaven were usual for Khun Yay. When Luang Pu Wat Paknam was alive, he always trained Khun Yay and other disciples who understood Advanced Dhammakaya Meditation to help others. Relatives of the dead would often come to the temple to cultivate virtues and share them with the souls to help their loved ones move on to a better realm. Luang Pu Wat Paknam would tell his advanced disciples to meditate in order to help those who passed away.

I often asked Khun Yay about her trips to Hell and Heaven if they were difficult for her. She said the trip just required her to stop thinking and bring her mind to become one as Dhammakaya within. It required more and more meditation until Dhammakaya encompassed the realms of earth, heaven, and hell. At that point, the mind would become very powerful. Just as you were looking at a ‘Makham Pom’ (Myrobalan) in your hand, you could see all its sides. Those with Advanced Dhammakaya meditation could also see all things in other realms as clearly as they saw myrobalan in their hands. In saying this, Khun Yay opened her eyes and pointed around the room, explaining to me that we must know our possessions: tables, cabinets, bed, and stairs in our house. We must know their locations. We must see all, so we can answer when people ask what is inside our house. The same is true for the mind. We must know our mind.

By herself, Khun Yay had to see clearly all the things inside. She did not want to miss any answer. Because she was somewhat afraid of Luang Pu Wat Paknam when she was his student, Khun Yay trained herself so as not to be called inept by him, as she had heard him did with some of the students.

Khun Yay thought that she would not give Luang Pu any reason to call her that. Thus, until Luang Pu Wat Paknam passed away, he never called Khun Yay ‘Khi-Tai’ (Luang Pu used the word ‘Khi –Tai’ to call his students who didn’t pay attention to improve their meditation and needed Luang Pu to motivate them.)

Khun Yay was like a good horse which, seeing other horses being beaten because of wrong-doing, could train itself and not make mistakes. Khun Yay was diligent in her studying and meditation, and as a result of her great effort, Khun Yay became the role model in the advanced meditation practice.”

Khun Yay was always healthy and active even though her body was lean and fragile. After Khun Yay Thong Sook passed away, however, Khun Yay’s health began to deteriorate. In a short period of time, she became seriously ill, and many people gradually stopped coming to see her except for one of her meditation students who brought her to his home to take care of her.

Luang Por Dhammajayo visited Khun Yay at the house. Since the house was not accessible by car, Luang Por had to walk for miles to visit her. No matter how difficult it was, he never stopped. His great ambition was to learn Dhammakaya meditation from Khun Yay.

With his cloth soaked with sweat, Luang Por arrived at the house after a long walk. During the visit, instead of asking her how Khun Yay felt, he frankly asked her about his unsolved meditation problems.

Khun Yay, who was bedridden at the time, willingly taught Luang Por while he sat at her bedside. Despite her illness that even forced her to cover her whole body with a blanket, she persisted in teaching Luang Por.

After Khun Yay fully recovered, she returned to Wat Paknam. Luang Por continued his meditation with her everyday. Whenever Khun Yay had guests, Luang Por would either sneak out to take a nap in a hall or count the number of Buddha images around that hall, noticing their styles and skimming through the names of those who donated the images. Luang Por would also walk pass the tombstones located along the wall. Having read the names, he reminded himself that everyone must die in the end, regardless of social or monetary status.

With no doubt, Luang Por believed in what Khun Yay taught him. No matter what she said, he would strictly follow her instructions. His philosophy while studying Dhamma was, “Today, I have learned this much. Tomorrow, I will have to learn more.” His meditation led him to find the truth of life.

Luang Por wanted to be ordained

Having learned and practiced higher Dhammakaya meditation, Luang Por experienced inner peace that filled him with bliss.

Luang Por never got angry, no matter how much other people bothered him. He would be able to talk with them calmly with no anger or thoughts of retaliation, as he remained completely neutral.

Luang Por’s thought was pure from wrongdoing and thus his mind was at peace. Because of this state of mind, he understood that sorrow cannot exist when a heart is full of happiness, for both emotions cannot occur simultaneously just like light that cannot be where darkness is. Therefore, one should seek inner peace and happiness to avoid sorrow, and one could sustain this happiness through meditation.

The more Luang Por learned about Dhammakaya meditation, the more he saw its value. The meditation enabled him to find answers to any mysteries. He believed that conventional knowledge could not free humans from sufferings. It could not lead him to Nirvana. It could not give the answers to the question of why we were born. Through Dhammakaya meditation, however, these questions could be answered. This was the reason why Luang Por wanted to be ordained. Thus he asked for permission from Khun Yay, but she insisted that he should finish his college education before becoming a monk. Khun Yay wanted Luang Por to be a graduate in both the material and the spiritual world. In doing so, Luang Por would be able to contribute greatly to Buddhism.

Still, during the break in his freshman year, Luang Por decided to leave home to study Dhamma intensively. At the time, he was still living in Petchaburi province where his father was working as a government official. On the night he decided to leave home, Luang Por paid a farewell respect to his father in front of the house without waking him up, for he knew that his father would never let him go.

Luang Por left home without any money, hoping that he would get a ride from someone. He got on the train with no ticket, but luckily, Luang Por met one of his good friends who gave half the money that he had to him. The friend also invited Luang Por to stay with him when they both arrived in Bangkok.

His place was a warehouse. The first floor was a storage filled with hundreds bags of sugar. There were cockroaches and other pests. The upper floor was the place where Luang Por and his friend lived. Every morning, his friend went to study at Thammasat University while Luang Por was learning Dhammakaya meditation from Khun Yay.

One day, while Luang Por was meditating with Khun Yay, he knew that his father was coming. Fearing his father who did not want him to study meditation or become a monk, Luang Por quietly sneaked out to avoid him.

Hiding on the 3rd floor of Pariyat School (a school for learning Buddhist scripts) of Wat Paknam, he prayed to Luang Pu Wat Paknam and asked for his help so that no one would find him there. He then fell asleep.

In the meantime, his father accused Khun Yay of many charges, but Khun Yay remained silent. Khun Yay was chewing Mak (betel nut), while listening to his father’s reprehension without saying anything. Finally Luang Por’s father gave up and left. The key to success here was endurance. Without it, the situation might result in serious dispute or violence. So when one faced such problem, Khun Yay’s suggestion was to keep quiet and start meditating.

Khun Yay had encountered this kind of situations many times. The only response from her was silence. Luang Por was impressed by her inaction and tolerance as he wondered how could a person like her exist in this world.

Sometimes Khun Yay said: “You can scold at me as much as you want, and I will be listening. Once you feel better, then you can go home.” After that statement, Khun Yay sat with her legs crossed and began meditating. If such condemnation took longer than normal, Khun Yay would occasionally open and then close her eyes, but as usual, Khun Yay would never respond to any charges or accusations. Luang Por noticed that Khun Yay’s face was always bright and shiny.

Luang Por’s father stopped supporting him financially. Therefore, Khun Yay became the one who asked for funding from various sources to support Luang Por, and some came from meditation students who already graduated. Thus, he was able to pursue his studies without any financial problem.

Luang Por once said “Because of Boon (merit from practicing meditation and being a good person.), I was able to graduate without any support from home. I believe that if our mind is always focused in Boon, it will help and support us.”

Later on, Khun Yay taught Luang Por the advanced Dhammkaya Meditation and how to lead a group to meditate. Luang Por tried his best by getting up very early in the morning and practicing regularly. When Luang Por was 20 years old, he was the youngest of Khun Yay’s students, but the one with the most advanced Dhammkaya meditation. He had gone far ahead of those who had come earlier. So, Khun Yay let him be the leader in the sacred event of Puja Khao Phra on every first Sunday of the month and also in other religious ceremonies. Luang Por would always lead the religious activities while Khun Yay would meditate to support him. He had gained great respect from the seniors, and no one ever disapproved of him.

Baan Dhammaprasit

Many people were interested in learning meditation from Khun Yay. Especially on every first Sunday of the month, there were so many people that her house could not accommodate all of them. Many had to meditate outside and some had to sit on the water tanks. At that time, Wat Paknam was also planning to build a canteen for monks at the place where Khun Yay’s house was situated, which meant that her house had to be dismantled.

Because of these reasons, Luang Por Dhammajayo and Luang Por Dattajivo convinced Khun Yay to build a new house, and both of them gladly accepted the responsibility of raising the fund.

Khun Yay told her students about the merits of building a meditation place. One who donates even a single nail, a plank, or a piece of brick to build such a place for mind purification (meditation), would get tremendous amount of Boon because the place would become the center of purity for people. In turn, such Boon would help one understand Dhamma. Luang Por Dhammajayo really wanted to earn the Boon, so he started saving his money by skipping lunches for many months. Together, Khun Yay’s students could collected 58,000 Baht, a sizeable amount in that time, and Luang Por Dhammajayo was very proud of the result.

Still, even though they could find enough funds to build the new place, Khun Yay had to work extremely hard to relocate the house and supervise the construction.

The new house had 2 stories, and it was located at the northern section of Wat Paknam. During the construction, the abbot of Wat Paknam (whose current rank is Somdetphra rajamangklajarn) fully supported the project by assigning Phra Prommolee, the former assistant abbot of Wat Paknam and the former abbot of Wat Rajaoros, to oversee the construction. Also, the vice abbot of Wat Paknam at that time, Pra Bhavanakosolthera ( Luang Por Lek), himself a master of meditation, kindly named the house “Baan Dhammaprasit,” (Dhammaprasit House) implying that the place was where Khun Yay would teach Dhamma to all who visited.

Baan Dhammaprasit was completed by the end of 1967. It was the most modern house in the area. The place was remarkably clean and in order as Khun Yay took very good care of the house.

Khun Yay was exceptionally diligent. She loved cleanliness; she had great discipline and always related herself to Dhamma. One day Luang Por Dhammajayo noticed that Khun Yay was scrutinizing the stairs. Curious, he asked Khun Yay, “ what are you looking at?”. She said, “ I just wanted to see if there is any dust”. He then asked why she had to do that, and she responded, “Once you make the place completely clean, your mind will be clean as well. And this will help us to quickly learn Dhammakaya meditation”.

Khun Yay’s house and its surroundings were clean and orderly, and her belongings were always plain and simple. Also, Khun Yay often fixed and reused many things considered as trash by others.

From the empty paper bags used to hold fruits and other things, Khun Yay would neatly cut them into squares and stock them for future uses. She would put a piece at the bottom of a trashcan. After she threw some trash in it, she would cover them with another layer of paper; she would do this until the can was full, thus covering unpleasantness and making it easier to clean up.

Khun Yay’s living room, bedroom, and meditation area were essentially the same room; the place was always clean. An example of such cleanliness can be seen from her first aid medications, which she stocked in a small box in the room. Every bottle in the compartment was orderly placed, and even though the compartment did not have a cover, there was no dust in it.

Her clothes were also spotless. Before being ordained Luang Por Datta once asked Khun Yay, “Why do your shirts look much whiter than mine? Yours have been used for years but mine are newer and better quality but they still can’t compare to yours.”

Khun Yay looked at him and answered, “ I came from a peasant family. I don’t have many clothes so I have to wash anything immediately after use, and this prevents any dirt to be permanently stained on my clothes and makes it easy to clean. Once they are dry, I will quickly collect them. Otherwise the sunlight will damage the color. That’s why mine always look clean.”

Luang Por Datta also said that since he was born he had never seen anyone who really cared about cleanliness as much as Khun Yay. Usually, Luang Por threw away his own rag once it became dirty, but he realized that Khun Yay washed a rag so cleanly that it looked even better than his shirt. He felt embarrassed about this and tried to change himself since then.

Usually, Khun Yay would start teaching Dhamma at Baan Dhammaprasit from morning until 8 PM everyday. Her students include many types of people from children to adults. They would typically arrive at Baan Dhammaprasit around 6 PM and Khun Yay would start teaching onward.

Around mid 1967, while Luang Por Datta was meditating, he was sick and had symptoms of nausea and hard breathing. Khun Yay said that the black magic and alchemy, which he used to practice before, caused his sickness. She told him, “since you have been practicing this black magic for years, your ex-master tries to obstruct you from changing.”

Luang Por Datta anxiously asked Khun Yay, “Am I in big trouble?” She said, “You have to choose between the old and the new meditation technique . If you choose Dhammkaya meditation you have to devote your life to learn Dhamma. The Buddha did the same thing. Are you ready for it?” Luang Por Datta confidently affirmed, “Of course, I am.”

From that day forward, Luang Por Datta put great effort into meditation as Khun Yay assisted him. And so the symptoms gradually faded away but not completely. This happened because deep inside, Luang Por Datta still did not want to give up his old practice. Khun Yay told him, “you can’t fully recover from the symptoms because you are still attached to the black magic, which is not Dhamma. But this is all I can do for you. Now you have to help yourself by meditating frequently.”

Not so long after joining Baan Dhammaprasit, Luang Por Datta started to invite many Buddhist Club members from various colleges to learn meditation from Khun Yay. On every first Sunday of the month, when the offering ceremony of a spiritual meal to the Lord Buddas took place, the students were busy preparing for the ritual. Since Luang Por Datta was the “big brother”, he was not so busy as the others, so he quietly helped them by placing all scattered shoes that were left in front of Khun Yay’s place in order. After the ceremony was over, everybody was impressed when they found their shoes nicely arranged. They all appreciated it without knowing who did the work. Luang Por did not say anything but he was blissful.

Khun Yay sometimes assigned Luang Por Datta to teach Dhamma or host some guests. Luang Por Dhmmajayo once said that the reason why Khun Yay assigned Luang Por Datta to these tasks was because Luang Por was a modest and grateful person who always took the initiatives. He never got angry when Khun Yay criticized him. Also by nature, he was a faithful, dedicated person; such characteristics made him a qualified teacher.

One evening at Baan Dhammaprasit, Khun Yay started teaching meditation. About 10 minutes after the session began, Khun Yay went into the bathroom, stayed in there longer than usual, and then came back to meditate. When the session was over, Luang Por Datta went to the bathroom and saw that the bathroom floor was completely clean and dry. He noticed that whenever he went in, the bathroom was always in the ready to use condition, although there were some people using it before him. (In those days, most Thai people did not have flushing toilet. They had to clean the toilet by pouring bowls of water into it; the water from the bowl always scattered and the bathroom floor got wet.)

Because of his curiosity, Luang Por Datta wondered what Khun Yay did when people closed their eyes while meditating. So, during a meditation session, he opened his eyes to watch Khun Yay. Seeing that she was not there, he then went to look for her; and to his surprise, he found that Khun Yay was cleaning and wiping the bathroom. Luang Por Datta felt miserable from what he saw since he and other students had made the bathroom floor wet and unknowingly caused trouble for Khun Yay.

Later on, when Luang Por had a chance to talk to her alone, he asked, “Khun Yay, why did you do that?” She gave him a very clear answer, “I’m already old, almost 60, you know. For aged people, our feet can’t grab the floor as good as when we were young. So, it’s very easy to slip. If I am not cautious enough, I might easily fall down. And if my head hits the floor, it’d be extremely dangerous for an aged person like me. So, I just wanted to prevent that, rather than let it happen.”

Hearing her words, Luang Por Datta was very touched by her thoughtfulness. Although he hadn’t known her for a long time, she made a great impression on him that would be impossible for Luang Por to forget.

As more young people became interested in studying Dhamma with Khun Yay,

she tried to convince them to remain celibate. Usually during meditation sessions, Khun Yay would talk to her students about committing good deeds, building merits, and about the next life. Khun Yay also spoke of the benefits of maintaining an unmarried status. Luang Por Dhammajayo once said,

“Khun Yay stated that since an unmarried person may do anything he wishes, his life is like the life of a bird that may fly freely to wherever it wants. A single man who earns100 Baht can use all his income as he alone chooses. If he is married but has no kids, he can still probably use most of this 100 Baht.

However, as soon as he has one child, he may use only 50 Baht. With 2 children, he may spend only 25 Baht. If he has 3, he might face overwhelming expenses and massive debts. A child looks cute when young. Once grown up though, he/she becomes stubborn, and such stubbornness only increases with age. Try to imagine how much difficulty you would face after getting married. So why bother with it at all? Being single, you can do whatever you want. You can easily learn Dhamma and earn great merits!”

Khun Yay used to tell Luang Por Dhammajayo (before his ordination): “You should not keep any secrets from me. I am like your parents – the only difference is that your parents are concerned about your well-being in this life, while I look beyond that. I am worried that you might not see me or Luang Pu Wat Paknam or learn Dhammakaya meditation in your future lives.”

From that day forward, Luang Por Dhammajayo kept no secrets from Khun Yay.

He always told her everything, even though he sometimes knew that he would be reprimanded. Khun Yay, however, would not criticize him with rage, but with

tranquility. She would meditate and then ask Luang Por to carefully reconsider his inappropriate acts. She would then describe to him how he would be affected by those deeds in this life and the next.

Luang Por Dhammajayo explained, “Khun Yay often talked of the past, the present, and the future lives. Ever since I have known Khun Yay, she never

gossiped about anybody, even though such behavior is quite normal for humans. Though some belittled Khun Yay, she never responded—just kept silent.”

Once, as Luang Por Dhammajayo was leaving, Khun Yay spoke bluntly to him,

”Don’t commit yourself to anyone – being single is the best.” Luang Por was surprised that she knew beforehand whom Luang Por had been going to see. It

seemed that every time he was about to make any commitment, Khun Yay would remind him of maintaining his bachelor life.

Every year, her students would celebrate Khun Yay’s birthday. In the old days, Thais followed a lunar calendar year, so Khun Yay’s birthday changed from year to year. On January 10, the anniversary of her birthday in 1968, Khun Yay told 10-15 of her students who stayed behind after a meditation session, “You are my beloved students. Since you always practice meditation seriously, you have made significant progress in your meditation. However, I will love you even more if you quit smoking.” After hearing her request, those who were smokers, including Luang Por Datta (before his ordination), threw away their cigarettes and vowed that they would never smoke again.

On the same day, after everybody else had left Khun Yay’s place, Luang Por Dhammajayo remained behind. In her presence, he made a vow of celibacy, which overjoyed Khun Yay. Every year afterward, many others followed suit by taking a vow of celibacy at Khun Yay’s birthday celebration. Later, however,

Khun Yay decided to stop this practice because some of her students could not do what they had promised. This would have been very harmful to them, not only in this life but also in many lives to come.

In those early days, when students were meditating at Khun Yay’s place, both males and females sat together. Khun Yay recognized some problems with this situation and discussed them with her students. She wished them to remain pure and help in disseminating Buddhism in the future. Consequently, she separated the male and female students, and this arrangement has been used at Wat Pra Dhammakaya ever since.

Choosing Role Models

Khun Yay first picked qualified role models to lead other people in learning Dhamma. She chose Luang Por Dhammajayo as the male role model, and after his successful training, Khun Yay started teaching Luang Por Dattajivo to follow Luang Por Dhammajayo. Khun Khengkhae Jirachutiroj, or P’Kheng (P’, in Thai, means elder sister/brother), was also the female role model. She was a faithful laywoman whose parents had taken her to meditate at Wat Paknam since she was twelve years old. P’ Kheng had a close relationship with most of the female students, so Khun Yay picked her to lead them and always told P’Kheng to take very good care of the students. Khun Yay emphasized, “It is inappropriate for my students to fall in love among themselves.”

Every day around 8 PM after the meditation session, P’Kheng would leave with all the female colleagues/meditation students, and approximately 10-20 minutes later, the males would be allowed to go back. However, if any male had to leave earlier, then Khun Yay would ask him to go and would have the females wait a while before allowing them to depart.

This example showed that Khun Yay carefully considered the issue concerning the close relationship between male and female students that might have developed. P’ Kheng strictly followed Khun Yay’s guidelines, and because of this, no sexual relationship among Khun Yay’s students at Baan Dhammaprasit ever occurred. Better yet, her students’ promises to remain celibate were faithfully kept.

This was one of Khun Yay’s methods of disciplining people for the duty of expanding the knowledge of Dhammakaya as she promised Luang Pu Wat Paknam.

Luang Por Datta told us:

“There is an astonishing fact about Wat Phra Dhammakaya that no one knows. Before building the temple, Khun Yay had spent time creating the working group and preparing the leaders. The amount of time spent on this was not one or two days, but almost ten years. It was a long preparation.

As a result, we had time to think through and carefully plan the entire project. Most important, though, we had time to share and unite our thoughts, perspectives, and behaviors. Consequently, no conflict occurred, and we always knew what the groups wanted and what they were planning.

Khun Yay followed the wish of Luang Pu Wat Paknam to disseminate the Dhammakaya Meditation. He once told Khun Yay, “Daughter Chandra, there are still many who will be able to attain Dhammakaya within. So you should stay here (at Wat Paknam) to continue teaching meditation.” While Luang Por was still alive, Khun Yay had to practice meditation six hours during the day and six hours at night. She did not have much time to talk with others. After Luang Pu Wat Paknam passed away, Khun Yay did not have to meditate as much. This gave her some time for herself, and she decided to shift her role by moving to Baan Dhammaprasit, where she continued her meditation and teaching.

Everyday, Khun Yay followed a fixed schedule. From 4 in the morning until breakfast time, she would meditate alone. Around 8:30, she would again meditate, but this time as a teaching tool. The door would be opened then, and if there were people who came to visit, she would tell them to meditate in order to clear up the mind. Afterward she would talk with them.

At first, some people were uncomfortable with this, but they did follow the rule. The people who initially came to visit Khun Yay were mostly those who needed various forms of help from her. There were very few college students who visited then.

Some asked Khun Yay to cure their ill children, while some had lost their spouses and did not know where to look for them. Others wanted to convey Boon (merits) to those who had passed away, so they asked Khun Yay to direct such Boon to them.

If Khun Yay had given these people what they wanted right away, they would not have really received what they were supposed to from coming to see Khun Yay. So, she told them to meditate first. In this way, they could not find any excuse not to learn Dhamma (meditation). Khun Yay would then use her experience to teach and assist them. Those who could attain Dhammakaya would normally return, bringing more friends along with them.

About 5 to 10 minutes prior to the end of each session, Khun Yay would talk with her eyes closed to her students about their issues that she saw in her meditation. She did this without mentioning names. The advice she gave usually helped the students, for everyone’s mind was already calm and clear at this moment. This was how Khun Yay trained her first group of students in the beginning.

By the time the training of the second group started, many rules were already in place. When Luang Por Dhammajayo arrived, Khun Yay disciplined him especially hard so that he would become the role model for others. When Luang Por’s training advanced to a certain point, she asked him to persuade his friends to join the group. It was then that I was brought into the group. After that, I also spread the word to my friends, and more people joined the group.

The training of such young people was the right method of disseminating the Buddhist teaching. The Buddha, in his past lives as the Boddhisattava, also trained such young groups of people to continue the work of Buddhism. Two of such men, in the Buddha’s time, were Phra Moggallana and Phra Sariputta.

It is important to note that Khun Yay was different from such people because:

1) She was a female.

2) She had no earthly knowledge(formal education), but she never gave up learning. She trained Luang Por Dhamma, me, and other monks for almost 10 years before actually starting the work on the temple.”

Luang Por Datta’s words above showed that Khun Yay was truly committed to complete Luang Pu Wat Paknam’s mission. Although Khun Yay could not read or write, she was the teacher of numerous educated people. During this time, Luang Por Datta often told Khun Yay about his dreams, and occasionally, she used these dreams to teach her students. Once Luang Por dreamed of being in a boat with 4-5 people. With no engine, Luang Por Dhamma controlled the rudder at the rear while Luang Por Datta stood in front, looking for people struggling in a river. Wherever Luang Por Datta pointed, Luang Por Dhamma would go there to pick up people. Then when the boat was full, they would go to the shore, empty the boat, and return to help others again.

Tragically, one time the boat was carrying too many people and it flipped. The raging river consumed everyone except Luang Por Dhamma, Luang Por Datta, and one other person that had been with them throughout the experience.

Khun Yay then interpreted the dream for Luang Por Datta, “That is your duty.

You once made a wish together with Khun Chaiyaboon (Luang Por Dhamma) that you two would help people just like those nobles (Ariyans) in ancient time.

Many were lost or taken away because they did not have enough will and determination. They would join us for a while but later leave the group to lead mundane lives just like others. I can’t help them with that, Khun Dej. You are the mast of the boat while Khun Chaiyaboon controls the direction. But don’t overestimate your ability. You can only do so much. If the task is too enormous, it will be too difficult to accomplish, and if the task is too small, it becomes a waste of time.” Luang Por Datta asked Khun Yay to help the friends that had fallen into the river, but Khun Yay only replied, “Evil has its way; it’s impossible to change that now. The plan has already been set.” So, he could only listen, as he had no idea what to do.

In April 1969, Luang Por Dhammajayo graduated from Kasetsart University. Along with worldly knowledge, Khun Yay saw that Luang Por Dhammajayo should also have knowledge of both theoretical and practical Dhamma disciplines to become wise and strong, both physically and mentally. Thus, when Luang Por made a decision to become ordained, Khun Yay was joyous. All her emotions were reflected in her eyes and smiles, as they could not be contained. Later on in the evening, Khun Yay cheerfully told everyone about the good news and all of them were exultant.

On August 27th, 1969, a full moon of the ninth month, Khun Chaiyaboon became Phra Dhammajayo Bhikkhu. The ceremony occurred at Wat Paknam, under the supervision of Phra Thepvaravedhi (now Somdej Phramaharatchamangkalajahn, the present abbot of Wat Paknam). Khun Chaijaboon was given the name “Dhammajayo” which meant “the one who conquers with Dhammakaya”.

Devoting his life to Buddhism, Luang Por Dhamma has never left the monkhood. He is determined to pursue the dream of Luang Pu Wat Paknam to spread the knowledge of Dhammakaya meditation to the world. After becaming a monk, Luang Por continue to go to Baan Dhamma Prasit to practice meditation as usual, and he spent even more time learning advanced Dhammakaya meditation from Khun Yay.

Khun Yay was the person who made the plan, which began right after Luang Por Dhammajayo’s graduation.

He would be ordained, after which a small meditation center would be founded, with a temple to follow. The number of people to join the meditation sessions at Ban Dhammaprasit had gradually increased, especially on the First Sunday of the month. The space was filled by those who came for Dhamma. The first floor of the building however, was reserved for preparing food and requisite offerings that would be sent upstairs.

Shortly after, even the first floor was also filled with the crowd. On every first Sunday, people were also allowed to stand or sit on the lawn to join the offering of spiritual meals to The Buddha ceremony, when there was not enough space upstairs.

The number of participants kept increasing until there was not enough space to accommodate them. With the aim of spreading Buddhism, Khun Yay then started thinking about founding a temple. 50 rais (approx. 20 acres) would be enough. She assigned one of her disciples; Upasika Tawin Wattirangkool to contact the landlord, whose daughter was also Upasika Tawil Wattirangkool’s friend. Thankfully, the landlord kindly donated the land, 196 rais (approx. 78.4 acres) at Khlong Luang district, Pathum Thani province , to Khun Yay without any costs. That generous millionaire was Khun Ying Prayad Prattayaponsavisudhadhipbodi.

After receiving the land, Khun Yay had to devotedly meditate in order to bring in the sacred assets. Luang Por Datta once said, “People with high advanced Dhammakaya meditation can meditate to bring celestial treasure to the land that was going to build a temple.”

“When we started building the temple,

Luang Por Dhamma wanted to make it big,

So it could accommodate lots of people, lots of monks.

Khun Yay said “So it be. How many do you wish?”

Luang Por said clearly “Not a lot. Just a thousand monks,

A thousand novices, a thousand each of Upasakas and Upasikas”.

Khun Yay therefore said, “So it be”. Then, Luang Por said

“Yay has to bring in the celestial treasure.”

Khun Yay replied clearly ” I meditate every night and ask for the Buddha to bring in those celestial treasure to build the good temple.

If you have hundreds of followers, I can feed hundreds.

If you have millions, I can feed millions;

they won’t be starving. While I’m still alive, I would do my best “. She always used her advanced meditation to encourage people from her insight to come to the Temple to practice meditation. This was Khun Yay and her endless kindness towards all disciples.

Moreover, her students decided to publish a book, called “Walking to Happiness”. Inside was the collection of the pioneer group of students’ autobiographies about how and what made them decide to join the team. Since Khun Yay couldn’t write one of her own, she chose telling her stories to Luang Por Dhamma and Upasika Tawin Wattirangool, who would write it out for her. Before the construction was about to start, Khun Yay called all her disciples for a meeting. There, she pointed out to her students the problems that might come up once the work started.

“We are about to found a temple. And the temple we are going to build is quite a large one. When we decide to do this, we have to do our best. Therefore, what we can’t avoid is the upcoming problems and conflicts. The thing is, some of you will have a fight or disagree with the solution. That’s not an option. So, I’d like to ask you now, if any of you think that when you have a fight or disagreement, you can’t refrain from being angry, please go to sit at the back now. And for those of you who think that, when you have a fight, or have an argument with someone and you wouldn’t hold it against that person, please come to sit with me”.

At that time, Luang Por Datta was one of those who sat in the front, he didn’t move to the back. And for those who sat at the back, they didn’t move to the front either. Luang Por Datta hence had gained the trust of Luang Por Dhamma and Khun Yay in taking care of the land and the construction, while Luang Por Dhamma and Khun Yay themselves were busy taking care of fund-raising and financial support.

Many people had great faith and confidence in Khun Yay, but were not certain of Luang Por Dhamma’s monkhood. This was because Luang Por was still young, and had been ordained for only one year. So, not only did they not have faith and confidence in him, but they would also say something that showed their disbelief in Luang Por Dhamma as well. Also, all the money they had at the start was 3,200 Baht (bout US $ 160 in 1970). Absolutely, all of them, especially Khun Yay, had to take on such a huge burden.

At that time, the future-temple land was one of those barren rice fields. The soil was all parched due to the heat. There was nothing there at all, except the horizon and the blue sky. Luang Por Dhamma once said; “In the old days, Luang Por was standing on a barren field which is not the front of chapel. There was an old gentleman standing next to Luang Por. Luang Por told him of the building project and costs. Luang Por pointed to the east and said, ” There will be the chapel.” Opposite to the chapel will be the Bell Tower. Luang Por pointed straight ahead and said, “That will be the monk’s residence and so forth.” Hearing of the temple-building project on the barren rice fields, that gentleman thought it was the plan of someone with a very great imagination and laughed out loud; then said that Luang Por was too ambitious. Luang Por did not reply, but prepared to dig small canals around the plot of land to indicate the temple construction area.”

At the beginning, the project was supported by several government agencies. For the foundation excavation , which was one of the very first tasks, they got some help from the Irrigation Department, who sent the equipment for digging the canals. The Civil Engineering Department of the Royal Thai Air Force built the roads to the temple while the Civil Engineering Department of Ministry of Interior helped design the buildings and infrastructure.

The initial day of the construction project was on Makha Puja Day, 1970. Khun Yay planned everything adhering to Luang Pu Wat Paknam’s wish to disseminate Dhammakaya Meditation throughout the world. Luang Por Dhamma was an in charge of every responsibility from designing, to fund raising, to the gathering of people.

During the construction period, some times there was a money shortage. They did not have enough money to pay for the workers. Khun Yay solved this problem by doing meditation again. Luang Por Datta recorded this milestone event in the book ” Khun Yay’s Story”.

” One day, we were short about 10,000 Baht. The payment was due on the next day. I asked Khun Yay how much money we had. She said around 1,000 Baht. I was very worried. However, Khun Yay said, “Go to meditate. I have already asked for the money from the Buddha”.

“I followed Khun Yay to meditate, but couldn’t rest my mind in peace because of the anxiety and worry about the financial crisis. That day, Khun Yay did mediation longer than usual, from 6 to 9 pm. After I finished meditating, I talked to myself: ‘If we don’t have the money by tomorrow to pay the workers, we will be in deep trouble.’”

Nevertheless, Khun Yay insisted that she saw, with the insight from her mediation, that I would get the money. I didn’t know what to do, so I left for the construction site, with the assurance to come and get the money tomorrow. Back at the temple construction site, there was a man sitting in front of the door. After asking him some questions, the story became clear. His father assigned him, before he died, to donate 30,000 Baht for building the temple. He had been waiting since 7pm but couldn’t go in because we had closed the door and gone upstairs to meditate. Khun Yay was always right. The money she saw existed, both in meditation and reality, due to her wish.

Luang Por Datta then quit his permanent job so that he could fully dedicate his time and energy to taking care of the construction. Many problems kept coming up. From time to time, thieves came to steal boats, or whatever they could take away. Besides, people in the neighborhood did not quite understand what this group of people were doing, and why they were building such a big temple. The suspicion and the perplexity in the news from various media left the neighborhood more and more outraged.

The situation inevitably pressured Luang Por Datta and his team. One day a thief had already taken one boat. Then later, another boat that was placed beside the small residence, was also stolen.. Luang Por Datta investigated and finally found out who the thief was. Luang Por was so angry, because not only did that person steal things from them, he even asked Luang Por Datta for a duel. This caused the existing tension to intensify.

It seemed like the merit helped prevent him from doing bad things. On Sunday Luang Por Datta went to Baan Dhamma Prasit to practice meditation as usual. But this time, he also brought his anger with him. On the next day, which was Monday, when Luang Por Datta was about to leave, Khun Yay told him to stay for a while, “You all must be very tired. Please don’t go back yet. Let’s do more meditation here.” So, Luang Por and others stayed for 2 more days. On the last day after they finished meditating, Khun Yay was making a wish longer than usual. Luang Por Datta, noticing that, was very curious.

“What did you wish for? Why did it take so long?”

“I wished that, in all the future lives, no matter how many enemies there are, they won’t be able to kill me and my students. Also, I wished that my students and I wouldn’t want to kill any living things, even those small insects.”

Luang Por Datta smiled with understanding at the informal warning of Khun Yay and agreed. Later on, Luang Por referred to that event in the book, “Khun Yay’s Story”.

“Khun Yay knew what I was thinking. She didn’t explicitly say it out loud but she used Dhamma, which was a magic thing, to teach me. She knew me very well. She knew that I was a hot-tempered person, and wouldn’t give up, especially if I wasn’t the one who did wrong. That time, I totally gave up the idea of revenge. When my mind was cleared because of the meditation, I realized that I shouldn’t be careless, causing more trouble. When I listened to Khun Yay’s wish, I went back with a very clear and peaceful mind.”

The temple building project went on for nearly 24 hours daily. For the most part, we did the land improvement, which often caused everyone to argue due to the different opinions. When we had meetings, Khun Yay wouldn’t participate in them, but every time, she would be around there, watching the situation. If the meeting started to be very tense, she would stop the ongoing meeting with a simple yet powerful voice, “The meeting would take a while before we get to the conclusion. Let’s meditate”. Finally, everyone ended up practicing meditation with Khun Yay for 2 hours. After they were done, having a clear mind, Khun Yay then let them continue their meeting.

Sometimes, when the topics seemed to cause a strong disagreement, Khun Yay would say, “Today’s weather is not so good, very hot and humid. May be you should do meditation with me for a couple of hours first. When it becomes cooler, you could start the meeting then”, or sometimes, “Let’s not carry the meeting today. Let’s arrange flowers to worship the Buddha”. When it happened like this, that night there was no meeting at all.

The next morning, Khun Yay told them to practice more mediation. Sometimes, she put off the meeting for a few days before letting it resume after the stressful moment had passed, and every one had their minds calm and purified from meditating. Even though they had different opinions on the meeting topics, they were compromising with the calm and clear minds and the meetings were completed successfully.

Khun Yay was the one who should get all the credits. She was illiterate, but knew everything. She was the best one who knew how to control all situations due to Khun Yay’s capabilities and her power to manage things at the right time. Thus, she was the beloved one and the great leader to all her disciples no one could ever be compared to her. We can proudly say that Wat Phra Dhammakaya’s establishment was completed because of Khun Yay’ s support and guidance.

After the soil digging to show the boundaries of the temple was completed, Luang Por Dhamma invited people from Baan Dhammaprasit to come and see the construction site. After they saw that things had started to fall into place, many of them wanted to offer their support . Luang Por told us the secret was that Khun Yay would meditate and from her insight saw the real donors. Then Luang Por would invite such persons to donate for that building.

In the beginning of 1970, Luang Por Datta vowed to stay celibate. That meant he wanted to be ordained. After his vow, he was still busy with the construction, yet did not think about becoming a monk. Khun Yay was worried that he wouldn’t be able to fulfill his vow.

“You can’t be a layman because you’re too generous. Whatever you have, you’d give it to others. If you have a family, your marriage would be a true hardship , just like Vessantara*. You were born only to pursue perfection. Be ordained and you’ll succeed in everything you wish for. The knowledge in Tipitaka (the teaching of Buddha) is real and you are able to see and realize it yourself. Let’s choose a date for your ordination.”

*Note: Vessantara Jataka was one of the previous lives of the Buddha. Prince Vessantara was born to exercise his virtue of generosity to such an extent that he was prepared to give away not only wealth and other cherished possessions, but also his kingdom, his limbs and even his children and wife; and he was ever ready to sacrifice his own life wherever such sacrifice would benefit humanity.

Luang Por Datta also wrote of this in his book, “Khun Yay’s story.”

“I remembered when I became a teenager, I started being attracted to girls. I even asked my father for permission to get married. He didn’t say anything, “If you want to, go ahead but give me an answer, what Dhamma would you have to teach your wife and kids? I give you 7 days to think about it”.

“I read a lot of Dhamma books but only the parts that I was interested in; those that were about miracles and supernatural power. Never was I interested in the general Dhamma (teaching) about living one’s life. That night, I was thinking about many things. On the next day, I told my father, ‘I won’t get married.’”

That time, I didn’t get married because I didn’t know Dhamma but after I met Khun Yay, learning Dhamma both theoretically and practically, I should be able to get married. I didn’t know what Khun Yay had planned in her mind. I was looking for a marriage opportunity, but wasn’t successful.

I just realized that I knew a lot of things, but didn’t know about myself. Khun Yay was very smart to point it out for me how I was not fit for the worldly life. So, I was able to see myself clearly.”

Moreover, Luang Por Datta described the feeling he had when he first met Khun Yay and the people at Baan Dhammaprasit; that the living style there was specially warm. Khun Yay was the center of everyone, like a mother and father at the same time. He was very happy that he could ask Khun Yay about anything. Whether he was happy or sad, Khun Yay knew his thoughts without having to ask. Yet, he still had fun, and didn’t have to strictly behave himself.

He felt safe and protected like a child under Khun Yay’s supervision. Nothing could harm him. Having friends he could talk about what he didn’t know about Dhamma, he felt that this was with his real family. That made him realize the time had come for him to become a monk, an heir of the Buddha.

Therefore, on December 19, 1971, Luang Por Datta became a monk. After the ceremony, it seemed like everything would go smoothly as he planned. However, Luang Por Datta had to adjust himself to things he hadn’t expected. For example, he often paid respect back to Khun Yay as he always did before he became a monk.

On the one hand, Khun Yay felt very comfortable to pay respect to the person who once was her student. Khun Yay often told Luang Por not to make her sinful, which caused Luang Por to carefully consider how he acted to Khun Yay.

After Luang Por had been ordained for a while, Khun Yay asked Luang Por for a favor.

“After I was ordained, Khun Yay asked me to observe the following rules until I had been a monk for 10 full years:”

“1. Please don’t go out for invited meals at anyone’s house, especially overnight visits.

2. Don’t go to teach Dhamma outside our temple, not even at the government offices, if it hasn’t been 10 years from now. You can’t keep up with them, you don’t know what their motives are.”

I respected Khun Yay, but didn’t believe in her explanations.

I strongly was self-confident that I could keep up with anyone but because of my respect for Khun Yay, I did everything as she asked. Nowadays, thinking of this, I feel utmost gratitude for Khun Yay. I have been able to be who I am today because I strictly followed her advice”.

Khun Yay didn’t categorically describe Dhamma to Luang Por, since she never went to school. However, because of her deep and true knowledge in Dhamma, Luang Por Datta properly learned about the regulations for newly ordained monks.

At this time, Luang Por Dhamma and Luang Por Datta still came to Baan Dhammaprasit to practice meditation as usual. Although Wat Paknam was not so strict about accepting a visit from laypersons, Khun Yay was. The rule was still the same as the one they had when Luang Pu Wat Paknam was still alive. Those who wanted to make a visit, either Luang Por Dhamma or Luang Por Datta had to see them at Baan Dhammaprasit only. If the visitor was a female, Khun Yay would be there listening all the time. Therefore, both Luang Pors could continue their duties without any disturbance.

After Luang Por Datta had been ordained for a week, Khun Yay let him practice giving a Dhamma talk.

“During my first year, Khun Yay said,

“Now you’ve become a monk, you have to teach”.

“Yay, I haven’t taught anyone before.”

“Teaching is not really difficult. You can do it. Try to recollect how you trained yourself.

Use your experiences so that you can cope with the problems to teach the audience. They are just the same as you; they have the same defilement as you do. There is only one method of eradicating defilement. Tell them how you did it. That’s enough; you don’t have to say anything deep. When you tell them what you know, you also teach yourself at the same time. Do this for a while, and your teaching skills will improve.”

From this passage, it is obvious Khun Yay knew how to train and teach people simply. Later on, it became Luang Por’s guidance for training himself. Besides letting him practice teaching, Khun Yay also asked Luang Por to greet and talk to laypeople.

“During my first couple of years, Khun Yay was the person who trained me how to greet and talk to laypeople. Sometimes when they visited Khun Yay and Luang Por Dhamma wasn’t there, Khun Yay told me to do this job. When they asked Khun Yay questions, she would tell them to ask me, saying that I was a monk, had graduated from a university and gone to study abroad, and that she herself didn’t know how to read or write”. Then she turned quiet, leaving me to answer those questions. After they left, Khun Yay would go over how to answer questions properly and correctly.”

At that time, Khun Yay had to train Luang Por Datta for 2 years before he could answer laypeople’s questions perfectly and he has, still now.

After the temple’s construction had been going on for a while, Luang Por Dhamma planned to teach Dhamma both in theory and practice to the public. The objective was to develop people’s minds, which would play a crucial role in the improvement of the qualify of life. Khun Yay passed down the idea of a Youth Moral Training Program to Luang Por Dhammajayo while he was asking her for the permission to be ordained. Khun Yay explained to him that to be a morally good person, one should be both worldly and religiously trained in order to maintain a happy life. Khun Yay planned to build a team that would spread the Dhammakaya meditation as previously promised by Luang Pu Wat Paknam. For above reasons, the Youth Moral Training Program and the Mass Ordination Ceremony for University Students Project were started in 1972. There were 60 students from various universities who were successfully trained through the program. They had to strictly follow 8 precepts and sleep with mosquito nets in small tents. They strictly trained themselves by meditating on the future-temple construction site. The place was just being developed from the barren rice field and was without trees or buildings. They were the temple’s first training programs ever and they have continued since that early time.

It has been clearly seen that nowadays the participants of the moral training program have deeply realized the importance of following the Buddha’s teachings. Such concepts have significantly changed their attitudes and mindsets. They have paid more attention to studying and behaving properly. The changing attitudes of the participants have brought happiness to their parents and teachers. The project will greatly benefit society and the nation as a whole. In 1973, Khun Yay , Luang Por Dhammajayo, and staff moved from Wat Paknam to Wat Phra Dhammakaya ( previously known as “Soon Buddacakpadibatdhamma or Dhammakaya Meditation Center). It was also the second year of Luang Por Dattajivo’s monkhood.

When the construction was almost completed, Khun Yay told her students to grow banana trees around the monks’ residences. Luang Por Datta, as usual, was curious to know why Khun Yay specifically wanted to grow the banana trees. He said; ” I hope she doesn’t want me to eat all of them”. Khun Yay responded quickly, “Those trees are provided for your exercise when you get upset. Since you are now a monk, whenever you are upset or frustrated, release your frustrations by pulling, pushing, or kicking the banana trees for your exercise.”.

From that day forward, when Luang Por saw those banana trees, he always smiled to himself, thinking of what Khun Yay had taught him. This showed that Khun Yay truly knew how to teach him to be a good monk. His anger would automatically disappear whenever he saw those banana trees.

One day, while Luang Por Datta and Khun Yay were surveying the site, she saw an inappropriate manner of the workers. Both were teenagers, a boy and girl, who were throwing small pebbles at one another. Both of them were single. They really enjoyed what they were doing. Khun Yay told them “Stop now!” and then told Luang Por Datta, ” You shouldn’t let those guys behave that way. It will jeopardize our reputation in the future”. She then continued, ” They will start by throwing stones, then hitting each other with sticks, and then using hands and gradually touching the whole bodies. Eventually that would lead to an affair.” This really showed how Khun Yay always was a far-sighted person.

Luang Por Datta then continued, ” Later on, Khun Yay fired many workers who behaved improperly to prevent unwanted problems that would jeopardize the temple’s reputation (workers’ affair in the temple) in the future. That’s why the temple has continued to adhere strictly to this rule.”

After Buddhist Lent in 1973, the monks, who were responsible for the construction, started moving from Wat Paknam to stay permanently at Wat Phra Dhammakaya. Phra Kru Palad Bhubate Janapinyo, one of Khun Yay’s meditation disciple since Baan Dhammaprasit, who was ordained into the monkhood at Wat Paknam and oversaw the construction work said, “Before moving to Wat Phra Dhammakaya, Khun Yay would collect all the items which were donated to Luang Por Dhamma, and ask Luang Pee (a title to call the monk, like Venerable in English) Silavanno (at that time still a layman) to deliver those to Wat Phra Dhammakaya. Because of all the moving to a new place, even clean water was difficult to find. So we first would have to retrieve water from the nearby canal, and then put a special chemical to clean the water. After the impurities settled to the bottom, we would then boil the water. After being boiled, some impurities settled to the bottom so we then had to carefully pour it out before drinking. Life on that day was very difficult.”

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