Transforming the Paddy Field
into a Sacred Land

In his new life as a monk, Luang Phaw Dhammajayo, presently Phrarajbhavanavisudh, was very disciplined in the monastic codes of conduct and studied very hard the Lord Buddha’s Teachings.   During all of this, he also gave sermons to laypeople at ‘Ban Dhammaprasit’ (Meditation Centre in Wat Paknam) instead of Khun Yay on a regular basis.  Until ‘Ban Dhammaprasit’ became so overcrowded that people had to sit in the street to be able to listen to his sermons, it was now time for the community to relocate to a bigger area.  It was up to Luang Phaw Dhammajayo’s team which consisted of special young men and women who had comprehensive knowledge of the world and the perseverance to complete any tasks given.

On the Magha Buja Day of 23^rd February 1970 (2513 B.E.) was the ground breaking day of the construction of Wat Phra Dhammakaya.  The construction budget was only 3,200 baht along with 80 acres of land which was donated by Khun Ying Prayad Phaetayapongsa-Visudhadhibodi.  The team helped each other to build the temple giving all their effort, working hard to their utmost capability, willing to devote their life for the benefit of Buddhism. They even economized their daily expenses by consuming simple food, only what was necessary for energy and not for pleasure.  Nevertheless, their hearts were still fulfilled with encouragement that they would achieve the goal despite not being able to see any solutions at that time.  One of the main problems throughout the construction was raising the necessary funds.

In reference to the construction of Wat Phra Dhammakaya, Luang Phaw Dhammajayo stated, “With all the necessities that have been donated to the temple, laypeople have paid homage to the Triple Gem and then made a resolution prayer powered by the merit of having made these donations, therefore we must make full use of all necessities that have been given.”

For this reason, all the construction of Wat Phra Dhammakaya has been done to withstand the test of time.

Its simplicity in design was to ensure low-cost maintenance and yet is still able to keep its refined elegance.  These buildings are symbols of Buddhism for people to come and pay homage to.  The chapel is an example of this simple economical elegance as well as being one of the most used buildings at Wat Phra Dhammakaya.

For instance, the concrete that was used in the construction of the chapel was not any ordinary concrete. The best sand had to be selected from the sand dunes on the coast line and transported up the Chao Phraya River via barges.  The concrete itself had to also be the best quality.  Once the mix was available, it then had to go through rigorous testing to ensure long-lasting quality and only when the specialist team had given its approval would the construction continue.  Even with the outer wall of the chapel, the gravel that was used had to be selected by hand.  It had to be the whitest and purest and similar in size to a grain of rice.  At that time, the supporters and locals were so impressed with the attention to detail that they chipped in and helped select the gravels with their own hand.