Phrathepyanmahamuni

Phrathepyanmahamuni (Thai: พระเทพญาณมหามุนี) is the abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya in Thailand and the president of the Dhammakaya Foundation.

Childhood

He was born Chaibul Sutthipol on the 22 April 1944 to Janyong Sutthipol (his father) and Juree Sutthipol (his mother)^[1] At Suan Kularb School, Bangkok, Thailand, Chaibul during his adolescence, started to be interested in Buddhism.^[2] Having matriculated from Suankularb Wittayalai School (Secondary) in 1963, Chaibul was enrolled in the Faculty of Economics, Kasetsart University.

While in college, he became a student at the Meditation Centre of Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen. It was here that he first met the Buddhist nun Chandra Khonnokyoong, one of the most respected Buddhist Meditation teachers at that time. Under Kuhn Yay's supervision, Chaibul attained a certain level of knowledge of Buddhism.^[3]

Chaibul also got to know many fellow students both in Kasetsart University and in other universities who were interested in practicing meditation. One of these early acquaintances later became his assistant in the endeavor to establish the Dhammkaya Buddhist Centre. His assistant was Mr. Padet Pongswardi who became a Buddhist monk and is now well known as Phrabhavanaviriyakhun, the Vice-abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya.

Youth

After his graduation from Kasetsart University with a B.Sc degree in Economics, he was ordained at Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen on the 27th of August 1969.^[4] Since the early days of the Phrathepyanmahamuni has ordained, he started teaching Dhammakaya meditation. He has taught the people what the Dhammakaya is and Dhammakaya have existed within everyone. He is a teacher in the specialized approach to meditation known as Dhammakaya meditation. In the beginning, the meditation courses were carried out at a private lodging called 'Baan Dhammaprasit' within the compound of Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen. On 23 February 1970, the group moved to a plot of donated land in Pathum Thani Province. Ven. Dhammajayo and a group of devoted Buddhists transform the site into a wooded parkland with a system of canals.^[5]

Controversies

Phrathepyanmahamuni has experienced his share of controversy. In 1999^[6][7] and again in 2002^[8][9] he was accused of charges ranging from fraud and embezzlement to corruption. Social critic Sulak Sivaraksa criticized him for promoting greed by emphasizing donations to the temple as a way to make merit.^[6] Widespread negative media coverage at this time was symptomatic of Phrathepyanmahamuni being made a scapegoat for commercial malpractice in the Thai Buddhist temple community in the wake of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis.^[10][11][12] In 2006 The Thai National Office for Buddhism cleared Phrathepyanmahamuni of all accusations^[13] when he agreed to return all the alleged embezzled funds to the name of the temple. He was subsequently restored to the position of abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya.^[14]

Allegation of involving embezzlement and money laundering

According to Department of Special Investigation (DSI)'s press conference on 29 October 2015 after the completion of its investigation on the Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative (KCUC) scandal and its links to Phra Dhammakaya Temple, Pol Lt Col Pakorn Sucheewakul, head of the DSI's Finance and Banking Office concluded into the case.

He state that The DSI investigators found that Supachai Srisuppa-aksorn, ex-chairman of the cooperative, was accused of having fraudulently authorised 878 cheques worth 11.37 billion baht in total for seven to eight groups of people and legal entities. The money trails of Wat Phra Dhammakaya, Phra Dhammajayo (Phra Thepyanmahamuni), and Maharattana Ubasika Chan Khonnokyoong Foundation and monks related to these groups showed they had received cheques from the credit union in 21 instances between 5 March 2009 and 15 Feb 2011 totalling 1.2 billion baht.

He also concluded that "The acts of Phra Dhammachayo and these groups were considered embezzlement or aiding and abetting others to steal because there had been no financial obligations between the cooperative and these groups of people." The case report would be submitted to public prosecutors to decide whether to file charges against anyone else. ^{[15][16][17][18]}

Present

Phrathepyanmahamuni influenced millions of people within Thailand and worldwide to practice meditation form of Dhammakaya. He set up the Dhammakaya Open University in Azusa, California in 2003 to offer degree courses in Buddhist studies. He encouraged Thais to quit drinking and smoking through the activities of Anti-Drinking and Anti-Smoking program. World Health Organization (WHO) presented the 2004 World No Tobacco Day Award to Phrathepyanmahamuni in recognition for his achievement of activities of the Anti-Drinking and Anti-Smoking program on 31 May 2004^[19]

Phrathepyanmahamuni persuaded Thai Youths to come to the temple and participate in various community and social services. Hundreds of people participate in various activities annually. Up to present, these programs have been in existence for almost two decades and a total of tens of thousands of young Thai people have ordained while almost five million young Thai people have participated in such activities.^[20]

His movement has expanded to over eighteen countries worldwide. He has also established a Buddhist satellite network or Dhamma Media Channel (DMC.TV) with a 24-hour-a-day Dharma and meditation teachings broadcast to the audience worldwide.

In 2006, the World Buddhist Sangha Youth (WBSY) committee unanimously agreed to present the most honorable Universal Peace Award^[21] – the highest award in commemoration of year 2550 B.E. – to Phrathepyanmahamuni (Ven. Dhammajayo Bhikkhu), the president of Dhammakaya Foundation whose work in dissemination of Buddhism for more than 30 years is vitally recognized.

Phrathepyanmahamuni is the third royal title bestowed on this monk by the Thai Royal Family in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the work of Buddhism in Thailand. The dates and title of promotions within the royal order are as follows:

See Also

• Phra Dhammachayo faces theft, money laundering charges
• Thai monk defies arrest BBC News, August 24, 1999
• Phra Dhammakaya Temple Controversy Bangkok Post, December 21, 1998
• Temple of Profit, ABC Australia,
• The Stairway to Heaven is All Booked Up
• Nirvana for Sale? : Buddhism, Wealth, and the Dhammakaya Temple in Contemporary Thailand

References

Publications

English language

• Luang Phaw Dhammajayo (2006) Pearls of Inner Wisdom: Reflections on Buddhism, Peace, Life and Meditation (Bangkok: Dhammakaya Foundation) ISBN 978-974-947830-1
• Luang Phaw Dhammajayo (2007) Pearls of Inner Wisdom: Reflections on Buddhism, Peace, Life and Meditation (Singapore: Tawandhamma Foundation) ISBN 978-981-05-8521-1
• Luang Phaw Dhammajayo (2007) Tomorrow the World Will Change: A Practice for all Humanity (Singapore: Tawandhamma Foundation) ISBN 978-981-05-7757-5
• Luang Phaw Dhammajayo (2008) Journey to Joy: The Simple Path Towards a Happy Life (Singapore, Tawandhamma Foundation) ISBN 978-981-05-9637-8
• Luang Phaw Dhammajayo (2008) Lovely Love (Singapore, Tawandhamma Foundation) ISBN 978-981-08-0044-4

Biographies

• Tawandhamma Foundation (2007) The Sun of Peace (Bangkok: New Witek) ISBN 978-974-88547-9-3

External links

• The Sun of Peace
• Information
• Recognitions