The 1st Jamgon Kongtrul lived from 1813 until 1899 and is revered worldwide to this day as one of the most brilliant stars in the galaxy of scholars and saints from Tibet.(1) He became learned in the ten ordinary and extraordinary branches of knowledge, and it became his responsibility to explain and compose texts, which incorporated a great number of teachings from both the old and new traditions, including the lineages of oral teachings, hidden treasures (terma), and teachings of pure vision.(2)

❀ Buddha Shakyamuni’s Prophesy ❀

Jamgon Kongtrul Lodrö Thaye was prophesied by Buddha Shakyamuni in the Samadhirajasutra and foretold in many Treasure Teachings by Guru Padmasambhava. The following line from the Lankavatarasutra is taken as a prophecy referring to him: “In a later age there will come a great hero, called Lodrö the Guide, a teacher of the five sciences.”(3)

❀ Jamgon Kongtrul’s Family ❀

Jamgon Kongtrul was born into a Bönpo family on December 14th in the year of the water-horse in Rong-gyab. This little village is situated near Pema Lhatse, which is one of three sacred mountains in Do-Kham, East Tibet. His father, Yungdrung Tenzin (an illustrious Lama of the Kyunpo clan) was killed in a war that raged in his homeland. Jamgon Kongtrul’s mother, Tashitso, married Sönampäl after her husband’s death. He was a lay practitioner of Bön and transmitted the teachings and rituals of the indigenous tradition of Tibet to his stepson.(4)

❀ A Terton ❀

The 1^st Jamgon Kongtrul was supposed to be a Terma Revealer, a Terton (revealer), just like Chokgyur Lingpa, but after seeing how the very ancient, sacred Termas of the past had been lost from this world he decided to preserve the past Termas by compiling them into volumes. He formally requested Chokyur Lingpa to please see if Guru Rinpoche would allow him to begin, while he also realized that by doing this work it might well mean that he would have to give up his own Terma that he was suppose to reveal during this time.

A few days later Chokgyur Rinpoche replied to the 1^st Jamgon Kongtrul, “Guru Rinpoche is very happy with your proposal. Please proceed.” That is how we have the the Rinchin Terdzod today. Guru Rinpoche granted his permission for the 1^st Jamgon Kongtrul to give up his duty of being a Terton (revealer) in paving the way for the 1^st Jamgon Kongtrul to compile the Termas of the past.

❀ The Five Great Treasures ❀

Jamgon Kongtrul Lodrö Thaye the Great authored and compiled more than ninety volumes of scriptures. They are referred to as “The Five Great Treasures, mDzöd chen lnga.” In the chronological (and not hierarchical) order in which he composed them, they are:

“Shecha Dzö, Shes bya kung khyab mdzöd – The Encompassment of All Knowledge“ (an extensive compendium that succinctly elucidates the logical progression through the study and practices of the paths taught in Sutra and Tantra and the final fruition);

- “The Kagyü Ngagdzö, bKa’ brgyüd sngags mdzöd – The Treasury of Mantra of the Kagyü School” (a compendium of practices, ancient and new Tantras, accompanied by the completion stage of the Tantra, the rites of empowerment, and various authorizations);

- “Dam Ngagdzö, gDams ngag mdzöd – The Treasury of Precious Key Instructions” (the collected instructions of the Eight Great Lineages practiced in Tibet. These teachings reveal the essence of Jamgon Kongtrul’s open-mindedness since they are a collection of instructions gathered impartially from other sources rather than from his own summary of them);

- “Rinchen Terdzö, Rin chen gter mdzö – The Precious Treasure Teachings” (a collection of the Termas that Jamgon Kongtrul found, gathered, compiled, and arranged for initiations with the help of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and Chogyur Lingpa);

- “Gyachen Kadzö, rGya chen bka’ mdzöd – The Treasury of Vast Teachings“ (a collection of writings, such as praises and advice, as well as compositions on medicine, science, and so on).(5)

❀ Like A Second Buddha ❀

The 1st Jamgon Kongtrul served all traditions of Dharma without any bias, through his teaching, practice, and activity. At the age of eighty-seven on January 19, 1899, he passed away.(6)

References:
[1][3-5] take from the Kagyu Golden Rosary, http://bit.ly/db1h5e
[2 & 6] http://www.jamgonkongtrul.org/namthar1.htm

Kyabje Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche

❀ This Precious Human Body ❀

The body we have right now is called the precious human body.  In this world there are countless sentient beings and among all of them, the best one is this precious human body, which is very hard to obtain again and again. It is impossible to obtain a precious human body through demerit. It is only through the accumulation of merits in your past lives and the residual of incredible great positive karma that we can arrive in a body like this.

Having being born as a human is like arriving on an island of jewels. But if we don’t take any of them and just keep our hands crossed and go home empty handed, then what really is the point? So how do we make this precious human birth meaningful? It is only through practicing the spiritual path that one can make this precious human body significant. Without which you are just an ordinary human trapped in an ordinary human body.

And why is this human body called precious? It is because of this body, that we can listen to precious teachings when they are explained and subsequently put them into practice. But if we waste such a precious thing like this, there is truly no greater loss than that. If we don’t practice the dharma then we are no different than an animal. So truly and honestly we should really persevere to practice the dharma.

❀ Practicing the Dharma ❀

To practice the dharma means having trust, diligence and being wise/intelligent. Trust means having complete trust and confidence in the Dharma, the teachings and in the one who taught the teachings, the Buddha.  Therefore having complete trust in the Buddha and the Dharma. Complete trust in the Sangha, the ones who upholds the teachings and therefore a feeling of gratitude towards the Sangha.  We need to trust in these three (Buddha/Dharma/Sangha).

Diligence means, in any kind of job you do, if you begin and do not finish then it is never completed. Therefore what carries you to complete that job is called diligence.

And being wise/intelligent is first of all what we gain from listening to teachings, from thinking about them and than later applying them. So when you hear something and you gain some trust and confidence then you have some insight that is called the knowledge through learning. And then when you think it over, the knowledge through reflection and finally the knowledge through meditation practice and having full confidence and trust in it. It is for that reason invincible to have trust. If one mistrusts then that is a great defect.

If one has no compassion and trust it is very hard to penetrate the very heart of the dharma. It is like someone who when seeing Buddhas and bodhisattvas flying in the sky think they are just showing off and when seeing a creature lying on the floor with it’s intestines flowing out and saying oh it’s his karma, everyone dies.

❀ Devotion and Compassion ❀

Compassion and devotion shouldn’t just be a show. And shouldn’t only be of lip service. It should be from the depths of our heart. Trust towards the teachings of the Buddha should be with pure appreciation. We need to have the kind of trust which is penetrating so that tears comes out of our eyes and the hairs on our body naturally stand, a kind of feeling difficult to remain in. Simply by uttering some empty words wont’ suffice.  When thinking of other beings you should have the kind of compassion thinking that they are all my parents and yet they don’t know what to do, they create immense pain and suffering for themselves, yet they are not aware of it. They have no idea about the ultimate truth, the true state of Samadhi. So they wonder from one life to the next in the endless chain of samsara. Therefore, the ones who are filled with overwhelming compassion for sentient beings and with unwavering devotion for the enlighten ones; they will without any doubt receive the blessings of all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas. Just to pay lip service and superficially act as if one pities sentient beings and respects the enlighten ones is not enough to receive the blessings. It has to be with hundred percent sincerity. So here are some signs of receiving the blessings, and they are when you no longer have to try to feel kind and compassionate, as it will come spontaneously and you no longer have to try to be deliberately respectful, as it will come spontaneously as well. Those are the signs. With a natural trust in the teaching and the consequences of karma, that is the real accomplishment of dharma practice. That is the real siddhi.

❀ Receiving the Blessings ❀

You may not be having a lot of knowledge and information of the dharma but if you have real trust in the three jewels and you have kindness towards other beings and acutely understand that in this life, nothing last forever, then you have already received the blessings of the three jewels. Otherwise just to know a lot of teachings can sometimes really resolve in nothing but conceit. Or thinking I have practiced so much and so many years of Shamatha and Samadhi. People who have a lot of practice behind them usually become more miserly and stingy. This is proof that the teachings have not taken affect. So what is the main mission at stake? It is after all about buddha-nature, which is the very identity within which the bodies, speech, mind, qualities and enlighten activities of all the Buddhas are complete. Actually the body, speech, and mind of any sentient being have its source or origin only in the body, speech, and mind of all the awakened ones. This unchanging quality is called the vajra body, the unceasing quality the vajra speech and the unmistaken quality, the vajra mind. The indivisible unity of these three is exactly what buddha-nature means.

❀ Buddha-nature ❀

If we don’t recognize or acknowledge in our own experience what is the unchanging quality of this buddha-nature, then it is more or less like entering into the entrapment of the physical body of flesh and blood, our speech being entrapped within the movement of breath to become voice and voice that appears and disappears. Our consciousness becomes fixated upon a perceiver or the perceived. In other words, fixation on duality that arises and ceases for each moment, in other words, thoughts that come and go, one after the other in an endless string of thoughts continued from beginning less time and just goes on and on. That is how our normal state of mind is. If we don’t recognize our own nature in this very lifetime, we are then incapable of capturing our natural seat of unchanging self-existent wakefulness. Instead, we chase after one perishable thought after the other so that samsara becomes endless. Being overpowered by this involvement in thought day and night, life after life. Unless you become free of conceptual thinking, there is absolutely no way to truly awaken to enlightenment.

❀ The Supreme Method ❀

Great peace is when the conceptual thinking subsides or calms down. And there is such a way for that to happen. The thoughts which are an expression, while thinking if you truly recognize that you are in natural phase, which is buddha-nature, at that same moment, any thought vanishes by itself leaving no trace. That brings an end to samsara. So the basic way for that is the supreme method, once you know that one method is there anything superior to that you need to know? And this way is something, which is already attained in your self, it is not something that we need to get from someone else, by bribe, search for and finally find. It is not necessary at all. Just recognize your own natural phase and you have already transcended the six realms of samsara. That way is what one asks for when asking a master to please give instruction on mind essence. This is the most precious which one doesn’t need to search for outside, it is in your self. This is called the Buddha being placed in the palm of your own hand. That is an analogy which means, at that moment, you don’t need to seek for the awakened state somewhere else. If you line up all the money and wealth of the whole world in a big heap on one side and on the other side the recognition of buddha-nature, the nature of our own mind then what is more valuable if you were to choose between the two? Obviously, you should without a doubt choose recognizing mind essence as being much more valuable. This is called the amazing Buddha within.

If you have a wish-fulfilling jewel and yet don’t use it, then the endless samsara lies before you. Isn’t there more trouble? This is something we really need to think about. This is the real crucial point. If we didn’t have this innate buddha-nature, who can actually blame you. This buddha-nature, it is the identity of the three kayas of all Buddhas.

And in closing:

Although my mind is the Buddha, I failed to acknowledge it
Though the essence of thought is Dharmakaya, I failed to recognize it
Though the innate natural state is uncontrived, I failed to sustain it
Though this naturalness is the true state, I failed to trust it
So Guru, please look upon me with compassion and grant your blessings
That I may quickly turn my mind towards the dharma
And have no obstacles on the path and quickly have diligence to practice

* The above teaching was given at Nagi Gonpa by Kyabje Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche with Erik Pema Kunsang as his translator.

❀ ORGYEN DORJE DEN (ODD) IN ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA ❀

Invites you to join them for a historic Dharma event.

ODD Shrine Room

❀ VENERABLE GYATRUL RINPOCHE ❀

Venerable Gyatrul Rinpoche

At the request of Venerable Gyatrul Rinpoche, Yangthang Rinpoche will bestow the transmissions of the Rinchen Terzod.

❀ THE RINCHEN TERZOD ❀

The Rinchen Terzod, the Treasury of Precious Termas, was compiled by Jamgon Kongtrul the Great with the blessings of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and Chogyur Lingpa. The precious collection includes many of the major termas that had been discovered before 1889 and is extensive. It will take over three months to confer the entire cycle of hundreds of empowerments.

❀ VENERABLE YANGTHANG RINPOCHE ❀

Venerable Yangthang Tulku Rinpoche

Yangthang Tulku Rinpoche is an emanation of the great Vimalamitra and the immediate reincarnation of the Terton Dorje Dechen Lingpa. Rinpoche is a main lineage holder in the Nyingma Tradition and one of the most highly respected Buddhist teachers in the world today. Gyatrul Rinpoche says that …“Yangthang Rinpoche is truly a precious jewel.”

❀ SUPPORT ❀

Please consider becoming a sponsor for this rare and auspicious event. Your generosity and support for this program is greatly appreciated! For more information and to register please contact: orgyendorjeden@gmail.com

❀ GREEN TARA ❀

One of my main mantras for my morning practice is the one devoted to Green Tara, The Swift Liberator, The Lotus of Wisdom, the principal female manifestation of virtue and enlightenment in Tibetan Buddhism. She is the ACTIVE principle of compassion and in paintings she is represented in the process of stepping from her lotus throne in order to help sentient beings. To westerners, having a female form representing compassion may seem natural but in traditional Tibetan Buddhist iconography the male form tends to represent compassion while the female form more often represents wisdom. Tara bucks that trend.[i]

Green Tara is capable of bringing all activities that benefit others to fruition. In Tibet she is the most important deity, the Bodhisattva who’s name means ‘she who ferries across’, ‘she who saves’, or ‘star’.[ii] Green Tara lengthens the lives of her followers, protects us during our earthly travels, and guards us on our spiritual journey to enlightenment. It is said that her compassion for living beings is stronger than a mother’s love for her children.[iii]

❀ I Bow Before You, Green Tara ❀

I do three full prostrations in front of Green Tara before praying to her as this helps me to observe and contemplate the nature of my heart/mind so it becomes still, one-pointed, and able to gain insight into the changing flow of my experiences. By bowing I am also raising up Green Tara higher than my own personal ego-self. Before I recite the Green Tara mantra I ask for certain wishes, one of them being that she take care of the feral cats I help to feed, that “they all find safe, dry, and warm places to sleep, and that they never know hunger and experience love.” I care about those three cats, the “59th Street Cats,” as we call them, as if they were my own children.

❀ Princess Is Missing ❀

One of these cats, “Princess,” the only female and the most tame, the one I can pet and is very affectionate back to me, went missing for nearly a week. (I would often sit and pet Princess while reciting the Green Tara mantra quietly under my breath. She liked it and always purred loudly.) I sent out an email to the four other feral feeders and none of the other women had seen Princess at feeding time either.

❀ Fooled By My Feelings ❀

My Precious Princess

I began to worry about Princess, “Who had her? Was she all right? Was she safe and dry inside someone’s home and being fed?” I didn’t want my mind to go to terrible places so I had to block out images of her being hit by a car or being taken in and then being treated cruelly. I couldn’t help but wonder why Princess had gone missing on me when I had been reciting the Green Tara mantra for her protection and dedicating the merit of saying it to her and the other two cats each day. How could Green Tara let me down? I started thinking about what it means to have faith and started to realize I had very little faith in Green Tara as far as Princess and the other feral cats were concerned. I began to question myself, “Why am I reciting the Green Tara mantra? I can read all I want to of Green Tara but is she me? Am I her? Is it an energy outside of me? Is it both? After all of my praying for the protection of Princess and her buddies something worse shouldn’t have happened to her, right?”

❀ Please Show Me A Sign ❀

I told Michele, one of the other women who feeds the 59th Street Cats, that I planned to drive around the neighborhood where Princess lived. I planned to walk around calling out her name to see if she would come running to me like she used to do. Michele said she’d meet me with “missing” fliers for Princess and we could go hang them in the area to see if someone might have spotted her. All during this time I thought very strongly, “What does it mean to have faith?” I started to realize I need to believe in Green Tara as something bigger than me, the deity she is and and not just an energy inside of me. Michele and I agreed to meet in an hour and I went to take a shower, still in deep contemplation about Green Tara and my missing Princess. After showering I went to my altar and did my prostrations before Green Tara, I asked, “Please Green Tara, give me a sign, something about Princess, let me know she is all right. If she is not happy where she is at now, please let her come back to me.”

❀ My Story Has A Happy Ending ❀

Green Tara Brought Princess Back

I met Michele at the building where we feed Princess and she had already posted one flier at a nearby grocery store. We walked to the back of the building together and I expected that Princess wouldn’t be there. We each called out for Princess a few times and then suddenly she came running to us from the corner of the large empty parking lot. That afternoon she had been hiding behind many stuffed, green garbage bags around the dumpster. The sun was shining but the air was chilly and we thought that the bags probably provided a good windbreak for her while she sunned herself. I was so happy to see her I cried a little inside as I reached down to pet her as if nothing had changed. She was healthy and she purred. I said out loud to her, “Princess where have you been? We’ve been worried. Next time you leave like that you need to tell us where you’re going.” Inside I questioned myself, “Is this an answer to my prayer Green Tara? Is this about having faith? You’ve definitely show me a sign, now I should believe?”

❀ What Does It Mean To Have Faith? ❀

In Buddhism, faith is built through years of perseverance and proper understanding of Dharma. Green Tara’s Buddha nature is indifferent from our own, which is within. Green Tara’s activities are vast, something we haven’t achieved, and are without. So, we pray to her and sometimes our wishes are not seemingly answered, at least not in the way we thought they might be. This is mainly due to the essential element of karma, or it could even be an inappropriate wish.

❀ Karma And Control ❀

What I had forgotten but need to always remember as a Buddhist is that all sentient beings have their own karma. Karma is not the same thing as ‘fate.’ Karma is the results of previous actions in this life and in the past. I had forgotten that Princess has her own karmic fruition to face. I know I can’t control any situation but I still want the best for Princess and I’ll do whatever I can to make her life easier. At the time I didn’t know how far to go, how much to believe, when one says have faith in Green Tara, the active principle of compassion, how will she answer my prayers?

❀ Mind Nature Of Buddhas And Sentient Beings Are Indifferent ❀

From a western point of view, being ‘indifferent’ usually means that someone doesn’t care, that they have no feelings one way or the other, and having no feelings is generally seen as a bad thing in the West. It doesn’t have the same meaning in Buddhism. At the same time, if we had no feelings, wouldn’t we be heartless? If our actions were based on doing what’s right without consideration of another’s feelings wouldn’t that seem cruel? In Buddhism the practice of praying to Green Tara or another deity isn’t teaching us to not have feelings, it is teaching us to not be fooled by our feelings.

If we study the nature of our mind further we’ll find it’s like a mirror. If we placed a flower before it the image of the flower will vividly appear on the mirror, but when we take away the flower, the mirror is still a mirror. The quality of the mirror is not tainted at all by witnessing the flower. Mind is simply fooled by our senses, fooled by our concepts.

We are often fooled by our feelings. We need to look at things the way they are, the way it is. It’s all right to feel the things we feel but we need the realization that if we are together with our loved ones one day we will be apart from them. When we are born into this world one day we will surely die. Having clarity of the reality of painful situations we then understand, and we have a choice in how we’ll respond and react in the world. In Buddhism the point of our praying is to gain MINDFULNESS, praying becomes a form of meditation for us rather than merely petitioning a higher external force for what we desire.

❀ Praying For Princess ❀

I missed Princess while she was gone yet I continued to pray for her well being. I thought if someone had taken her into their home and they loved her, well, then I am happy. I naturally share some qualities with Green Tara, but not seeing it is one thing that makes me a sentient being and not a God.

Reciting the Green Tara mantra helped me to calm my mind and in fact probably helped Princess return to me that day as I became mindful of our situation- Princess is a feral (homeless) cat, who fends for herself and finds shelter in the wild of the city. She also has her own karma from her past and present to live out. I no longer pray that Princess return to me each week but I still pray for her protection. No matter what happens next my faith is restored. The devotee of Green Tara may recite even the short mantra of ten syllables whenever needs are being denied and she will hear it and respond.

Being mindful will help one calm their mind…Mantras will only manifest their powers when one’s mind is calm. Remember this.

**NOTE- It’s been another week and Princess has disappeared again. She came back to me for a few minutes one day, two weeks ago, after I prayed to Green Tara for a sign. The most I can do now is to continue loving her while I pray, to take care of her when and if she does come back to her feeding area, and remain mindful of our situation together.

***Many thanks to my faithful friend Hermit who helps me to understand Dharma and myself better, and thank you to Michele Nelson, a volunteer at the fixourferals.org serving Alameda and Contra Costa counties in California, for providing me with the great pictures of Princess and for helping me get the images to show up in my blog again.

[i] Green Tara Mantra – Wildmind.org
[ii] Tara – Khandro.net
[iii] Images of Enlightenment, Tibetan Art in Practice

“Of Buddhahood’s abundant crop, compassion is the seed.
It is like moisture bringing increase and is said
To ripen in the state of lasting happiness.
Therefore to begin, I celebrate compassion.”

From Chandrakiriti’s Introduction to the Middle Way (Shechen Publications, New Dehli, 2004)
© Translation by the Padmakara Translation Group.

What is the Buddha Seed that is said to be in all living things? It is our compassionate nature, sometimes well developed and sometimes remaining dormant. Even animals are said to have this Buddha Seed, however animals rarely get a chance to develop it.

What is compassion? Compassion has nothing to do with a sentimental view of life. It is not like pity, which is a feeling of sorrow and sympathy for the misfortunate. Compassion urges us to take bold, strong, and courageous action, to feel the suffering of the sufferer and to release them from their suffering, no matter their status in society, whether it’s a relative or a stranger, friend or perceived foe, animal or insect. It is said that it is because of this Buddha Seed that all living beings will eventually become Buddhas. True compassion cherishes all of life.

In general it is easier to care about the happiness of our friends and relatives, but much more difficult to feel compassion for those who we consider against us and who do things in the wrong way, hurting themselves and others. And while many people have pets and love them as dearly as a family member or loyal friend, they feel more pity for their condition than true compassion.

What is the difference between self-centered compassion and true (selfless) compassion? While a mother cat will rescue her kitten from a certain danger, this is not seen as true compassion as all mothers, human and animal, would attempt a rescue of their child whether they behaved good or bad. Therefore, most of us practice a very biased and limited compassion that has more to do with our attachment to the suffering being and our needs, than it does for wanting the others genuine happiness. Simply put, we want them to feel better again so that we do as well.

Wayne Smallman in his post, “Is Altruism The Illusion Faith Seeks?” on his “Blah, Blah Technology” website refers to the puzzling behavior of a leopard who saved a baby baboon after it killed the baboon’s mother, and believes that what he called “altruism” to be useful only in preserving evolution. I argued that since most of us humans are more like our chimpanzee brothers, or the leopard who saved the baby baboon, we have little hope for evolution if our needs alone are the motivating factor to do any kindness. It is only by the ripening of the Buddha Seed through personal development and lots of practice, (many acts of selfless compassion), that true compassion can be realized. But we’re all born into life understanding and acting on different levels of compassion, most of us allowing our environment to shape our mind even further.

In Buddhism it’s believed a human is re-born into the animal realm because of the person’s own ignorance, or stupidity, stemming from their wrongly held views and blind obedience to a person, group, or cause in their past human life. (See my blog post “Animal Love” to read more about this.) Humans have many more opportunities for advancement than animals because of our ability to develop true compassion. Because animals act mostly in their own self-interest they stay trapped in their realm for eons, or at least until their negative karma is dissolved.

It is the motivation of the mind that determines whether an action taken to help the suffering being is selfish or selfless.

While a rescue dog in Haiti who sniffs out the living from among the dead in a pile of rubble is certainly a hero when he finds someone alive, the dog is trained to do this job by rewarding him for when he gets it right. Certainly there is merit earned for saving a life, but this is much different than an animal with no training who feels the suffering of another, longs to stop their pain, and takes bold action to stop it. While some might argue that their dog would do the same thing as the dog in this video, the truth is that all dogs are not created equal, and neither are people. In humans and in animals, this kind of compassion is said to ripen over many lifetimes of experience:

Dog Saves Dog

Thousands of YouTube viewers around the world watched this savior dog bravely risk it’s own life on a busy highway, using his paws to pull an injured dog to safety. (That hurt dog unfortunately died.) The savior dog lived but the highwaymen who were there when it happened couldn’t find it after the event. It was like the savior dog disappeared. If we could all be as selfless in our compassion as this unwanted and unloved mutt, who reached out to help the suffering of another, the human race might take one step closer to Nirvana.

Transference of merit is giving, specifically. If one wants to give the merit to oneself, on need not say anything. There is no need to say ‘let me be rich, let me be good, let me be free from debt.’ If you make merit you will be rich anyway. You are the one who does it, so, you are the one who gets. There is no need to mention the name when you give it to your parents. When the child makes merit and attains wisdom, the parent also receive it because the are close to you. Parents are within you. the more merit you make the more it reaches your parents. If you have your own child, who is good and wise, you are automatically pleased. There is no need to say anything.

The word is n~a~taka~nan~ca and means to ‘all relatives.’ Whoever is your kin will receive it. Even kin from your past existence, not this existence, also receives it. If you know someone and you like each other, united, acquainted, understand each other and help or depend on each other; then it is called n~a~taka~nan~ca. Kin from all places is combined.

Sometimes, someone may not be your relative in this existence. But you do not know whether he has been in your relative in a previous existence or not. If you happen to like each other, thinking the same thing, you may have been relatives in the past existence. Since you have been apart for a long time, just re-united, you may have a vague memory. But you can still be relatives according to the above meaning. The relation of husband and wife in the past existence can be applied in the same way.

If you were not relatives in the past, but you support each other now, you can be relatives in the future.

Written by Phra Dhepsinghupacariya

Nowadays, the world is highly developed technologically to the point where man can build satellites and rockets to the moon. Still, man cannot answer the question that has been asked from past to present. The question is whether man is reborn after death. What is the state of consciousness after death. Some people believe that life ends at death. This school of thought is called Uccheda-dit.t.hi.  Another group believes that life is permanent. They are classified as Sassata- dit.t.hi. In Buddhism, both groups are classified as wrong view or Miccha- dit.t.hi. Buddhism believes that life will be according to karma, that is each person’s deeds. As for the question whether man is reborn after death and what is the state of consciousness after death, try to consider the answer from the following stories.

THE MIGHT OF A VOW

This is a true story which happened in front of this temple. There used to be a large tamarind tree now has since died in front of the lane that used to be a buffalo path. At that time I was not ordained yet. Uncle Come told me about this when I was a boy coming to play here.

There were two people. One lived near Wat Ambavana. The other lived further to the north. They loved each other. Their names are not to be mentioned because they have been dead for 60 years. They loved each other dearly.

They made a solemn oath pledging to each other that they would only have *one love* and would not love anyone else. At this point, I would like to leave this with you. Do not make an oath when you love someone, not even a vow.

The woman made an oath to the man. The man also pledged to the woman that they would marry each other. Not long after that, the woman died of fever. She was still concerned through the might of love. She was continuously concerned for that man, wanting to take him as her husband. Although she was dead, her desire was still the same because they had made a vow. Since they loved each other, when the parents did not give consent they decided to elope. It was harvesting time then. They went to reap the rice crop in Bangchan together. They agreed that the man would come for her at 8 o’clock in the evening at the tamarind tree in front of the temple. The woman agreed.

Coming back from reaping the rice crop, the woman got dressed and came to wait before 8 o’clock. When it was 8, the man arrived. It happened that the former fiancee had come instead. She asked why he was late. The man replied that he was on time. They hurried way. The dead fiance was disguised as the new woman that he planned to elope with. She intended to take this man as her husband.

Finally, the man said, “You go first.” The woman said, “No, let me follow because if you go in front and they come after us and shoot I will be in the rear and will die first.” The man was outwitted. So, he led the way. At that time, on both sides of the road it was woodland and a rough area. They ran together until they arrived at the forest at Wat Phra Gaew, north of Wat Ambavana. Peculiarity of this temple was that the Presiding Buddha image was in the Image Hall.

While running along, the man heard a funny nibbling noise. He asked, “Eh! What are you doing?” The woman said, “That’s all right. Hurry up, lest they follow.”

A while later, there was a funny nibbling noise again. He could not figure out what it was. So, he turned around. He saw the woman peeling off her own skin and picking up worms from underneath to eat. Her eyes were hollow sockets.

He ran for his life, lacking wits even to say “araham.” as protection. The ghost appeared as his late fiance blocking his way, saying “You shouldn’t have. Where will you run away from me?”  The man remembered that it was his late fiance. He could not even think of the word “araham” or “Buddho”. He ran wild and jumped into Uncle Come’s house. The ghost stretched out her hand to clutch his neck and twisted. He died there and then. Uncle Come’s house was north of Wat Ambavana.

This is the “sightseeing” of life. That man lacked mindfulness because he had not practiced meditation, lacking mindfulness and clear consciousness. I leave it with all patrons. In the end he had to be her husband. But in this case I do not know if and how they become husband and wife in which existence.

BANGRACHAN BATTLEGROUND

Previously, Bangrachan Battleground manifested a lot of might. When anyone had fetched water from Ajahn Dhammajoti’s well, to put in their car radiator, it exploded. Anyone who had stolen anything from there had to return it. Anyone who had taken carved bricks from the area had to take them back.

But people still wanted the bricks to grind and mix with other material for making amulets. I was able to get a nine-mark brick when Mr. Pook Rikshkasem was the Governor of Singhburi Province.

Once, many years ago, the late Ecclesiastical District Officer of Dermbang Nangbuad District visited Wat Ambavana. He wanted some of the bricks. So, he spent a night here. In the morning, he rode out on the back of a motorbike to get the bricks and put them in his kitbag. I was not sure if he wanted to take them to make amulets or for something else. Just as he was about to cross Supanburi line, Dermbang Nangbuad District, they made a left turn to Ta Chang market. The motorbike skidded. He got a cut on the head. But he picked up the bricks and stayed the night at his sister’s house at a sugar cane farm. That night, there were loud mysterious cries heard. So, he had to return the bricks. This was a past incident.

People who die while angry, die on the battleground by the power of anger, became ferocious demons. No one can take anything from that place. I told Mr. Pook Rikshkasem that if he built a fortress and a temple and set up a bridge construction project, ferocity could be reduced. The construction was gradually completed step by step. His Majesty was invited to celebrate the completion of the fortress. HRH the Crown Prince was invited to install the temple’s boundary markers. After His Majesty made merit, souls of the demons were born. Ferocity has been reduced. This may be true according to Buddhist principle: those who die while angry become ferocious.

If a person dies while in good temper and with a meritorious mind, he cannot be very fierce. If he dies while angry, he stays there and is fierce.

Take the example of a couple who dropped by this temple. The man accused his wife of committing adultery. Driving his Mercedez-Benz out of the temple, they went on quarreling with each other. When they arrived at Bang Pa-In, he thought, “Let’s not live any longer.” So, he drove into the rear end of a truck carrying logs. They died on the spot through the power of anger. The place has had a ferocious atmosphere to this very day.

The story of the tamarind tree in front of the temple is  similar. It manifested magical power. When the well was dug up and the cremation ceremony was arranged to transfer merit to the deceased, the tree there died. The place has become clear. A meditation training institute was set up. And there is no sign of ferocity like before. I leave this as food for thought. There is clear evidence.

THE POWER OF GREED

I have often told the story about one person who observed Uposatha precepts for more than 30 years, presented more than 100 kathina robes and unceasingly presented forest robes. Yet she became a hungry ghost after death. That was because her mental state was not good. It did not separate. It was still attached to her possessions, through the power of greed with a lot of ignorance.

That old lady was more than 80 years of age. She was very rich. She divided her assets and gave a part to each child. She loved the youngest daughter a lot. So, the portion to her was large. The eldest son did not get much. But he moved up to Chiangmai, established himself and became rich. He kept his legacy. But the sister got married. Her husband squandered the assets away in gambling. The mother was afraid that her daughter would be in trouble. So, she asked for the legacy back from the son, through the power of greed. Having received the assets, the youngest daughter gave them to her husband to gamble away also. The mother died of grief. Through the power of karma, her mind was tarnished and as merit did not help, she had to go to hell first.

She is still a hungry ghost and cannot find any place to be born yet. She has to serve her time as a hungry ghost until the end of the karma. Then she will be born in heaven because she presented more than 100 kathina robes and plenty of forest robes. She has to undergo the result of the karma that she did first. The karma was asking for the legacy from the elder son and giving it to the younger daughter, enabling her to give it to her husband in turn to gamble away.

This is a sin. Her mind was attached to it. She could not separate form and name because she had not meditated. Her wisdom was at the mundane level only. Moreover, her wisdom was clouded by ignorance. When she died she went to hell. Now she is a hungry ghost through the power of greed. She continues to come to possess people and has not gone elsewhere.

At Wat Ambavana there are 4 or 5 former monks who have become hungry ghosts and come to receive the merit transferred on every Buddhist holy day. I am not sure if any of you have seen them. I asked, “Aren’t you reborn yet?” They said, “No, sir. My karma has not ended.” They come to beg around here, Luang Tah Fueng for one. Another one is called Luang Tah Gao. He is still around and comes every Buddhist holy day. His place is yonder, beside the Uposatha Hall. He comes to receive the share of merit from people who offer sanghadana. He also peeks about the meditation hall to see if there is any practicer who has attained higher states. He then approaches to beg for a share of merit. Anyone who has not made progress has never been asked. Hungry ghosts do not go to the house of people without virtues and fortunes. A hungry ghost can enter any house like a beggar. Can a hungry ghost enter the Uposatha Hall? Yes! But demons cannot.

If we have virtues and merit in our house, there will be deities protecting us. Demons, ferocious giants or spirits cannot enter. There is no need to find protective gadgets, ask the monk to write magic script nor spread magic sand. They cannot enter. If we chant and pay homage to the Buddha every day, also regularly practice meditation and radiate loving-kindness, those spirits cannot come into our house.

The only type of spirit that can enter is a hungry ghost. The door to hungry-ghost land is greed. So, they are like beggars, who can enter anywhere to bow and beg for a share of merit.

When we practice meditation, our grandparents or ancestors who have become hungry ghosts normally come to ask for merit. Anyone who hears the cries of a hungry ghost can be sure that he is your relative. If you do not hear it, then he is not your relative. Those who hear the cries, prepare to radiate loving-kindness to him. He is sure to be your relative crying for a share of merit. So, transfer the merit to him.

Not every relative from any existence goes to heaven after death. I leave you thus.

Written by Phra Dhepsinghapucariya

I have heard that a novel is derived from real life. What I’m going to relate now could be a soap opera in someone’s view. But someone may realize that touching the taste of dhamma and accomplishing the purity of this stream is beyond narration.

Almost half of my life has been lived, passing through happiness and suffering, I have always been proud of myself, full of confidence and ready to take on any dare in life. I thought I was successful in all aspects, although each aspect was earned after going through difficult obstacles. I had always been tired. I spent most of my life with my grandma. My parents were just my birth-givers. Grandma loved me more than herself. Grandma was everything in my life. I loved her more than anyone else in the world. Grandma was a righteous person with a dhamma mind. She made alms giving a habit.

Although I was close to grandma, I steered away from her habit. I believed that I myself was a kind of priest. I was never a follower of any religion in particular, at the same time never denied its validity. I could almost count the number of times I had chanted. Is it necessary to pay homage to what we cannot see? Is there really a next life? Who can confirm this? I never raised my hands to pay respect to anyone I didn’t have faith in. Even a monk. I had to be sure he was a good monk before I paid respect to him.

I never thought that there was any one better than my self – not even my own parents. I was always aggressive to my own parents. I often had a row with my father while he was alive, despite the fact that he was known to be very stern. He used to drive me out of the house when he was very angry with me. But I was not afraid. I stood my ground in order to aggravate him even more.

I had a special faith in King Rama VI, since the time I had paid homage to His Replica, wishing for a certain job and got it unexpectedly. The day I had a row with my father, I ran upstairs to tell Him that I had been unfairly punished. I made a wish that He would make father leave home within 7 days. After that, my father really had to leave his own home.

My father returned home again. This time he returned just to let the children look after him, while suffering from a malignant disease. I never looked after him. I smiled inside satisfactorily, thinking that I had won, even beating father. I have to tell this story because I want every one to know that I sought revenge even from my own father. When I had a row with anyone and the case went past heated arguments, I always thought that I would get back for it. That one day, I would embrace him, smile at him and stab him in the back with a knife, making him frighten to death within my arms. This should be enough to explain the strong vengeful trait in me.

I have had to have operations since I was young such as a tonsillectomy, an appendectomy, a cystectomy, bile stone removal and finally a hysterectomy. Every time that I knew I had to have an operation, I never showed any fear at all. On the other hand, my mother seemed to be worried about everything. It had never occurred to me why I had to be hospitalized so often. Later, it was so often that I got bored with myself, that my physical health was the burden. Comparing my education and the jobs I had, I had been lucky, that I had never had any supervisor except a direct boss. The longest job I had had for 12 years was hotel job. I like very much to provide service to others. I always take good care of people around me except my own mother. I speak to mother as if I were possessed by an evil spirit. I can always be contemptibly mean with mother. However, mother has never once reciprocated my evil. She endures all my badness. I have never been spanked at all. I can refrain from talking to mother for a long time. It seems as if it is my happiness to see her suffer. It gives me a kind of satisfying feeling.

I asked my mother for an amount of money to buy myself a new car, though she had to use an old one for a long time. At the beginning she disproved, until I wrote her a letter reprimanding her with tortuous words. I got a new car like I wanted. I won again. I want to tell you more bad things I’ve done to my mother. But I think this is enough for you to imagine  the ungratefulness I’ve shown to a lady who gave birth to me. If I go on, the length of my story will be many times longer than the length of a double roll of toilet paper.

I am quite surprised with my own prophetic signs, which are rather accurate. No one believes it when I tell them. I tell myself that I do not want to eat any food leftover from some one else’s meal or from offering. I do not like to receive blessing from sprinkled holy water.

With all these evil, yet I like to make donations. On my 36th birthday, I bought good quality 5 tier food containers of the same number as my age, filled them with savories and sweets and brought them to poor school children. Every one of them thanked me with tearful eyes, not much different from mine. Perhaps, I have made merit, too, but not very much. I don’t know when I will get the result of that merit. But I see the fruit of my donation immediately. I always help the poor. I can give them all I have at that moment. I am always happy to make merit or give donations. It is strange that I am against it when I think about it.

The last time that my karma clearly bore fruit was when everything I did met with obstacles. Close shaves occur every day. I was on the verge of giving up, not wanting to fight anymore. A couple of close friend visited me at the hospital and hosted me in Pattaya for my convalescence. I had a real rest. All I did was eat and sleep. For almost five days, I had been coaxed to turn to the temple and dhamma. But it sounded like a farce and non-sense to me. In order to stop their insistence, I told them that I would go to observe the Precepts as they wished.

On my last day in Pattaya, I presented a monk with cans of lychees, which I brought from Bangkok with me. I met this monk accidentally. After telling him my birth date, he told me that I would die. I was not affected much accept thinking that he was funny. But I asked him if there was any way to help. He told me to light candles and incense sticks to pay homage to the Buddha. Then he told me to lie down, covering me with white cloth. He told me to think that I was dead. After a short while he removed the cloth and told me to lie with my head pointing to the opposite direction. This time he told me to think that I will be reborn and I should make a wish for myself. I thought that was fun. So, I joined in the game by making a wish for me to be kind, honest and not taking advantage on anyone. I did not have time to add my wish to be rich before he removed the cloth.

That day, I donated all the money in my purse just because I thought he helped to perform the ceremony for me. On my way back to Bangkok, I did not know how I accepted to go to Wat Ambavana for Precepts observance. In fact, I used to go there only when my friend went to observe the Precepts. I had never been interested in anything at this temple at all. It was strange that my friends had neither questioned nor objected.

Upon return, I told my mother and others that I would go to observe the Precepts. People around me were surprised to hear this news, as if they had heard that the sun would rise at midnight. I was sure I could go to observe the Precepts, as if I had been called to do it. I went out shopping for white clothes and prepared everything like I was going to stay long. I did not know why I wanted to ask for my mother’s pardon. A day before I left, I took a clean wash basin full of water to wash my mother’s feet. I paid my respect at her feet, telling her that if there had been anything I had done wrong since I had been born, making her sorry or cry, I begged for her pardon. My mother said she forgave me everything. Friends at the office drove me to Wat Ambavana.

Upon entering the temple, I told the nun that I had set no leaving date yet, without realizing why I gave such a statement. After a two-day stay, I felt if I had gone mad to come and learn “right stepping”, “left stepping” or “sitting down”. I did not get anything at all. This place was like a lunatic asylum. People who came here were insane. I would be ashamed to tell anyone that I had ever come here. I intended to make a long distance call to a friend to come and pick me up.

But that night I had listened to the sermon by Luang Poh Phra Debsinghapura-cariya without being sleepy at all. His sermon lasted till 11 p.m. I asked myself how I could listen to the sermon. His words sank deep down in my heart, not passing from one ear out the other like before. That was the first time I had listened to a sermon from beginning to the end without feeling like listening to the sermon at all. On the other hand, I felt like I was being reprimanded by a father, a very stern father. I did not move at all. Again, I asked myself, “Was I forced so?” I began to dare even Luang Poh. Well, everybody said he was advanced spiritually. What does that mean? I wanted to know. Somebody told me as well that Mae Yai, one of the Precepts observers who was looking after us, knew about the past and the future. What a farce! Set up a fortune-telling office if she could. What kind of ability could she have when she was that old? My mind and body were against dhamma practice a lot. I began to feel tired and to despair, daring both Luang Poh and Mae Yai.

When I was about to lose patience, I talked to Luang Poh mentally,  “Let me have the power enough to keep meditating until the end of the session.” I opened my eyes at the end of the session. It might have been a co-incidence. The next day I put him to test again. What was the result? I opened my eyes like before! The next person was Mae Yai. She came up to practice meditation a little bit after 5 o’clock. I tried to walk as close to her as possible, making a wish for her power to enable me to meditate until 6 in the morning. I opened my eyes at six, sharp. The next day she came at about the same time. I wished for her power again. Who would believe that I opened my eyes at the same time. At this point, I began to be afraid that co-incidence did not happen all that often.

The next Buddhist holy day, Luang Poh gave a sermon. I was listening just like before. After a long while, I felt like I was being forced to weep. I tried my best to resist. And then my palms were clasped together up to the forehead in salutation manner. I made a bow towards Luang Poh. A few minutes later, I bowed towards Mae Yai, while closing my eyes. That time I put my clasped palms up to the mouth level and bowed down to the floor like a bent-back old woman. I was conscious all the time. I could hear the sound of people around me. At the same time, people who sat near me must have heard the noise of my sob. But I was surprised they kept still. I cried of being sorry, asking myself why I had been so. Why did I have to weep? Why didn’t I resist? It was like a force that I could not fight at all. That night, I felt that I had been punished for insulting them both. I began to be afraid then. Not of ghost like before. I was rather afraid of sin. I was conscious of sin. What had happened to me? How could I have been so change?

The next day I put an effort into practicing meditation. I missed my mother a great deal. I saw my own bad deeds, one after another, mushrooming. I began to be sorry for my own actions toward my mother. Why was she so kind to me? On the day I asked for her pardon, I should have been trampled instead of forgiven. I wondered which part of hell would I be?

But I still keep on being rebellious. There was another monk, whom I happened to meet. On the first meeting, I criticized him mentally for not being proper, because he told me that I was obstinate. If I used it right, it would be useful. I was not satisfied at all. But I kept quiet. The next day, I felt despair again. So, I asked for his power. What was the result? That day I could meditate in trance until I could feel it. What was it then? Who exactly was that monk? I had to arrange for a set of candles and incense to offer him as a way of begging for his forgiveness.

On the eve of my scheduled leaving date, I prepared a lei to offer as homage to the Precepts and told Mae Yai that I would leave the day after. She asked me if I could stay for two days more. I did not know how I accepted, as I had stayed for 9 days already. That was quite long for those who knew me. But for me,  it was the most valuable time in my life. I had not been counting time to the leaving date at all. I only knew that my responsibility was waiting. Then I learned that on the day I had originally planned to leave, a newly disrobed monk was hit by a car just a bit further along the temple gate. Oh! My! If that day I had left, what would have happened to me? After I heard this news, my feeling told me to offer my grateful thanks to Mae Yai. She had just saved my life.

Even so, the last two days were my rebellious period as before. I had an alarm clock with me, thinking if I could wake up without it at 3.30 a.m. for two consecutive days, I would give it to the nun who registered me for this dhamma practice session. The last day I had an occasion to give this alarm clock to the nun according to my intention. I have many more of this kind of story. But, as I said, people would think that I have written a soap opera. Today, now I want to go and tell everybody so that they realize that there is karma. If you do good deeds, you will get good return. If you do bad deeds, you will get bad in return.

I promised Luang Poh that I would not return to sin any longer. I asked for his blessing that goodness would not leave me and sin would not return. I was reformed through punishment and was really afraid.  I have just learned that the fruit of dhamma practice is opening up my eyes. It makes me know myself, being ashamed and afraid of wrong doings. I do not dare to say how much I have changed. But from hardly chanting before, I have chanted the virtues of the Buddha, more than the number of times Luang Poh advised me to, without counting. People around me look at me with strange looks, like on the day I told them that I would go to observe the Precepts. But the strange look today is radiated with bliss in my new life – the bright life without the poison of sin in mind and the mind that blossoms from the taste of dhamma. Now you have read my story. Don’t you want to know if you can come to practice like I’ve done, how valuable an asset you will receive on your return? It may be even more than what I’m receiving now.

And finally, I would like to make a wish to the Buddha, thanking him for giving the Dhamma to me. It is like nectar that pours into my life. I would like to make a wish to Luang Poh  Phra Debsinghapura-cariya, Mae Yai and all the nuns, including those who look after me at Wat Ambavana and those who have taken me here to know the taste of dhamma. The power of you all will direct me away from sin. And perhaps, towards the end of my life I may come back to reciprocate the favour of all benefactors here.

A True story… Written by Sisya Dhadasiha

At Wat Ambavana, there are deities protecting and assisting in welcoming meditation trainees. Those who have been relatives or the blessed ones can be in contact with them.

It was an astonishing story when The National Office of Primary Education, Ministry of Education organized a class for school principals at Wat Ambavana. A group of 4 – 5 old headmasters wanted to drink hot tea. But the temple boys always served iced tea, which the principals did not like at all.

Soon after, it happened that Mr. Tongyoi, the business manager appeared to welcome them with cups of hot tea. He wore a white suit like what he had worn during the propitiation ceremony for construction of the Uposatha Hall. Three of them appeared together. They retreated after greeting the principals with hot tea.

That group of headmasters followed after them and ask a monk at the cremation hall if he had seen three people going out that way. The monk replied that there had been no one there. So, they walked further along until arriving at the merit-making hall and saw the photograph of Tongyoi there. They were able to identify the person who had greeted them with hot cups of tea.

When a person dies he has to be born immediately, whether he is born as a hungry ghost, demon or deity. Some people do not understand and so think of them as ghosts. Tongyoi has become a sacred deity.

While he was alive, Proprietor Tongyoi Chalotorn participated in the construction of the new Uposatha Hall and the large Presiding Buddha image in the Uposatha called “Luang Poh Chalotorn”. The small Presiding Buddha image, called “Luang Poh Samret Phol”, is ancient and has existed since the old Uposatha Hall.

I knew that Mr. Dum Wanich of Pak Bang had joint karma with Proprietor Tongyoi. They would assist each other in the time to come. I told Proprietor Tongyoi to ride in a car driven by Dum and said, “Within the next seven days from now, do not drive at all.” Mindfulness told me that Proprietor Tongyoi would be dead from a car accident.

Mr. Dum Wanich was a son of parents of Laotian descent in Po Ka village. They incurred debts and had mortgaged all their farmland.

It just happened that Army Staff Officer Wasant Panich, disciple of this temple, was given the duty to conscript soldiers for Vietnam War. I previously asked him to call Goh, the son of my great aunt, who lived north of my house, for service in Vietnam also.

Dum Wanich was a poor man, driving for people in Pak Bang. He came to drive for me some times. He told me, “Luang Poh! I am so poor. I have farmland but my parents have mortgaged it. I have no money to repay the creditor.” I suddenly thought of something, saying, “Tomorrow, be prepared to go to be trained in Kanchanaburi before going to the Vietnam War.”

Colonel Wasant happened to come to the temple. I asked him if it was possible to replace Goh with Dum because Dum Wanich used to be a soldier before. On the next day, a group of recruited men went to Kanchanaburi for training. After that, they went on to Vietnam. He spent two years in Vietnam, earning enough money to redeem the farmland for his parents.

It was time when Dum Wanich had to serve Proprietor Tongyoi and look after him while he was ill. Dum Wanich returned from Vietnam with plenty of money. He did not drink or smoke. He was a good mechanic. Having redeemed the farmland, he intended to stay with his brother in Bangkok to sell “pa-tong-go” (Chinese doughnuts). If I had not done him a favour, I could not have possibly held him back.

I asked Proprietor Tongyoi to see me and told him not to drive. Then I asked Dum Wanich to drive for Proprietor Tongyoi, which he did. The Proprietor was very glad that he could ride comfortably. He was the branch manager of Krung Thai Bank and owned 2 rice mills and one ice factory.

However, that day was the time for him to die. Mrs Sumal forgot that I had requested Dum to drive Mr. Tongyoi and instead sent Dum Wanich to Bangkok, driving her van, to buy some trees to be planted. Mr. Tongyoi was home alone. There was an urgent phone call inviting him to be the judge of a boat race. He accepted. Having forgotten that I had asked him not to drive, he got dress in jacket and tie, then drove his Mercedes-Benz to the race.

At 8 o’clock in the evening, his time was up. A truck belonging to the Department of Irrigation, with a full load of earth, was park on the shoulder of the highway. The Proprietor did not see it. He ran into it at a speed of 120 kms/hour, without putting the brake on. Bang! Into the rear of the truck! His neck was dislocated. His gun was also lost. But he was not dead. In fact, he had to die then. But he did not die instantly because he received the fruit of his previous merit in building the Uposatha Hall and the Presiding Buddha image. That extended his life for three more years, enabling him to transfer the rice mills and ice factory to his son. While in the hospital, he thought of his business and said, “Luang Poh, I’m thinking of selling the present ice making machine and replacing it with a new German machine. Then I will change the milling machine for better production.” He died just after he had finished doing so.

When he was in a bad condition from the car accident, I went to see him. He was a bit cheered up. Then I said, “Why are you in this bad shape? You have made a lot of merit. You helped build the Uposatha Hall, the image hall and the Presiding Buddha image. Now you must have your head shaven and your neck weighed. It is like being paralyzed. Why?” I used meditation, noting ‘thinking’…’ thinking.’ Then I knew that his bad karma had come to its results.

When he was young he drove a tugboat called ‘Rung Rueng Chalotorn’, pulling cargo barges from Pak Nampo to Bangkok. He stopped the boat when he arrived at Ban Paeng because he had a Laotian girl friend there. The Vietnamese villager on the opposite side of the river (south of Wat Ambavana) brought turtles to sell to him. He used turtle as food to go with liquor. The Proprietor was the one who killed the turtles himself. He put a piece of wood into the turtle’s mouth, pulling the head out from the shell and hitting it in the head to kill it.

After I finished the story, the Proprietor cried until he fainted. When he was conscious he said,  “That was true, Luang Poh. I’ve forgotten that I killed hundreds of turtles. On the tugboat’s return trip, I stopped for the night in Ban Paeng. There was a theatre for Li-ke (Thai musical folk drama) and an old fashioned movie theatre. The Vietnamese village was on the opposite side of the river from the Laotian village. When the Vietnamese villagers saw my boat, they brought live turtles to sell. I pulled out the head and hit it to kill it. My wife and children did not know about it.”

Having said that, Proprietor Tongyoi was sobbing, “Luang Poh! How do you know this? When I was young I didn’t even know where you were.” When he was young I had not been ordained yet. Mindfulness informed me. If you keep practicing for a long time, the result will come in this way.

Mrs. Galong is another deity. She used to be a hungry ghost who came here with one of the reconstructed temple buildings. She came to practice meditation and had become a deity. There is a story about Mrs. Galong going to rescue her relative in the North from committing suicide.

The story is like this. One wealthy family had lived together for a long time until the children grew up, graduating with Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees. Later, the husband took another woman. There was a row. The husband left the house. The wife was so depressed that she was about to drink insecticide in an attempt to commit suicide. As she was lifting up the glass, a hand knocked the glass out of her
hand.

Just before that, she had felt the house shake slightly. Then the glass was knocked out of her hand. The wife was startled because she did not know the beautiful lady who had come to strike the glass. The lady said,  “You should not have thought of committing suicide because of a trivial matter like your husband having an affair. Why should you? If I hadn’t been your relative, I would not have come to help you at all. If I hadn’t saved you in time, you would have been dead already.”

Then the lady apparition instructed, “Your husband and you have come from different places. Do not scold your husband. If you do so, I will not come to help you again. You will have to drink insecticide or hang yourself. You should come to meditate instead. If it hadn’t been because we were relatives, I wouldn’t have come to save you. I’m in a hurry. So, I’ll leave you now. Wishing you happiness.” As she was about to leave, the wife asked, “Wait a moment, please. Where do you live?”

That lady said, “My name is Galong. I live in Wat Ambavana, Singhburi.”

Written By: Phra Debsinghapur-acariya , also known as Jarun Thitadhammo