Luang Pu Wat Paknam
PHRAMONGKOL THEPMUNI
(Sodh Candasaro, 1884-1959)
The Rediscover of Dhammakaya Meditation
"Making a living is such a hard thing indeed, to go through such an ordeal just to avail oneself of a day's wage. Material wealth is so ingrained in a man's values that he loses touch with the reality and true purpose of life. Does society so despise the un-made man to ostracize him until he can earn himself riches? In the end, everyone must die. My father has died. My relatives have died. And when they died, they could take nothing with them. What is the point of having all these possessions when you can't take them with you to your grave? Everyone must die. One day, I, too, must die. Haven't I learned from those who are dead?"
When great fear of death appeared in his mind, nothing in the world could comfort him. Only the thought of becoming a monk gave him hope that it could lead him to the answer of the true purpose of life. Then he made a firm wish.
"Please don't let me die before I have a chance to ordain.
Once I ordain, It will be for life"
This incident is what a 19-year-old young man, Sodh, viewed life differently and wanted to find answers. The thought of becoming a monk never left his mind, but he could not leave his family for himself right away. He took three years of hard work to ensure that his mother and family had sufficient wealth to live on. As he freed his concern about the financial security of the family, he was ready to work on the fulfillment of his wish.
When the time came, he entered his monk's life at the age of 22, receiving "Candasaro Bhikkhu", which means the One with a Bright Radiance like the Moon, as his monastic name. He was ordained at Wat Songpinong, a Buddhist temple in Suphanburi, Thailand, 60 miles west of Bangkok.
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He spent years in his early monastic life for academic studies with perseverance. It was not easy for any student back then because they had to attend classes that were held in different temples where the teacher resided. Monk Sodh must travel miles on foot and boat to attend classes each day.
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Despite his busy studies, he never ceased to pursue his meditation study and practice. He spared his time and kept meditating every day since the day he was ordained. He sought out various masters known for their meditation to practice with them. After eleven years, his realization of not having tasted the delight of the ultimate Dhamma attained by the Buddha struck his mind.
"Upon this sitting, if I cannot attain even a small part of the ultimate Dhamma realized by the Lord Buddha, then I shall sit unmoved in this spot... or die in the attempt. May the Most Exalted One show me compassion and grant me the least and easiest of thy Enlightened Knowledge. Should my attainment of thy Enlightened Knowledge bring harm to Buddhism, don't grant it to me; but if it can benefit Buddhism, then, O Lord, please grant it to me. I shall be thy champion to uphold the greatness of thy Teachings until the last day of my life."
Monk Sodh made this great deal of himself that he rather die if he could not attain what the Buddha has attained. It was during a heavy rainy night on the full moon night of the tenth lunar month, 1917. While sitting cross-legged, preparing his meditation in front of the Buddha statue inside the main chapel, he noticed a line of ants on sight. Concerning the ants, they might come and disturb his meditation, so he used kerosene nearby and began to draw a circle with his finger around himself to prevent the ants. He then realized he was willing to give up his life in pursuit of the Dhamma, so why should he still be afraid of these ants? He put away the kerosene bottle and continued to meditate.
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His mind began to settle as he meditated into the night. The bright and clear sphere he saw earlier (prior meditation that morning) reappeared at the center of his body and became even clearer and more radiant. As he meditated, the clarity of the sphere increased until it was as lucid as a flawless sphere of crystal. The brightness grew more intense until it outshined the midday sun. He contemplated on this sphere for hours, from early evening until well after midnight, not knowing how to progress to the next level. (In all of his past meditation training, there had been no master who had reached this level of experience, and therefore, none of them would have been able to guide their students on how to deal with such a phenomenon.)
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He focused his attention at the center of the bright sphere. Then, coming from the silence at the center of the sphere, there arose the gentle sound of the ancient words, 'majjhima-patipada,' a term from the ancient Pali meaning 'Middle Way.'​
'Majjhima-patipada'
Middle Way
He thought to himself: "Ah ... the 'Middle Way'! From my Scriptural study, we define this as a way of life that steers between the two extremes of asceticism and sensual indulgence'."
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But now, this sound came directly from the center of his body. The center of the sphere was becoming inordinately bright as if it were the source of all the brightness in his body: bright, intense, cool, and soothing. The illumination blazed so that the brightness increased enormously, and deep in the sphere's brightness, he knew something else existed. Then he realized that the term 'Middle Way' must have a hidden meaning. That tiny spot at the center of his body might be the doorway to hidden inner dimensions. He wondered:
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"Could this be the Middle Way? The tiny bright spot is right in the middle."
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He then tried an experiment: contemplating deeper and deeper at the center of the bright spot. It started to expand until it reached the size of an egg yolk. Meanwhile, the former sphere also gained in size until it became so huge that it reached the horizon and faded away. Another one appeared when he contemplated deeper at the center of the new sphere. He continued this experiment, concentrating deeper at the center of each successive sphere. More and more spheres appeared —thousands of them, each replacing the last as if shooting from a water fountain. As he meditated deeper, each new sphere was brighter and more apparent than the previous.
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Going deeper, he could see the transcendental nature of himself- the so-called "transcendental body" — a crystal clear inner body that resides within every human being. As his mind continued to be perfectly calm and still, several transcendental bodies appeared, one after another, each new one bigger, brighter, and more beautiful than the previous one. Finally, a supremely bright and pure image resembling that of the Buddha appeared. It is in the form of the Buddha sitting deep in meditation, the crest of his crown shaped like a lotus bud, an image brighter, more transparent, more beautiful, and more marvelous than any Buddha image in the world.​
It was 'Dhammakaya' —Body of Enlightenment.​
Arriving at this stage of experience in meditation is called "attaining Dhammakaya".​
'Dhammakaya': Body of Enlightenment
Through this marvelous experience, Monk Sodh discovered that the seed of Enlightenment exists at the innermost part of every human being. All humans have the Buddha-nature and the potential to become a Buddha. (The word "Buddha" means Awakened One. It is used to call one who reaches the completely enlightened mind of Dhammakaya)​
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As he contemplated further, with a mind as bright and clear as a mirror, a voice echoed from the center of the Dhammakaya with these words: "This is right!" Feeling elated, he muttered to himself:​​
"Ah, it is so hard like this ... how could anybody perceive it? It is beyond perception, memory, thought, cognition. One would not attain it through these. Perception, memory, thought, cognition ... all these things must come to a standstill and be united at a single point. Once the mind "stops", these things cease to be. Once they cease to be, attainment can be realized. This is the real thing. This is where the link is. Everything must come to the right balance point before attainment can happen."
'Stop' is the key to success.
Explanation: Once the mind stops wandering and reaches a standstill state, the hindrances obstructing attainment will disappear. Once that happens, attainment is possible. Later on, he came up with the maxim, "'Stop' is the key to success."