His determination

ปณิธานหลวงพ่อปัญญา

1.     My Body and my life belong to Ratanattaya.  I am a complete slave of Ratanattaya.

ร่างกาย ชีวิต เป็นของพระรัตนตรัย ข้าพเจ้าเป็นทาสพระรัตนตรัยโดยสมบูรณ์

2.     My objective is to disseminate the Buddha’s teaching.

ความมุ่งหมายของข้าพเจ้าอยู่ที่ การประกาศคำสอนของพุทธศาสนา

3.     I am dared to speak the truth in any occasion.

ข้าพเจ้าจึงต้องเป็นคนกล้าพูดความจริง ทุกกาลเทศะ

4.     I will do anything to dissolve the absurd custom of rituals in Buddhism and bring along the correct comprehension to the Buddhist.

 ข้าพเจ้าจักต้องสู้ทุกวิถีทางเพื่อทำลายสิ่งเหลวไหลในพุทธศาสนา นำความเช้าใจมาให้แก่ชาวพุทธ

5.     I do not wish for prosperity for my own keep, except for four requisites just enough to live a life.  Any benefit generated from my effort is meant to be distributed among the masses.

 ข้าพเจ้าไม่ต้องการอะไรเป็นส่วนตัว นอกจากปัจจัยสี่พอเลี้ยงอัตภาพเท่านั้น  หากประโยชน์อันใดที่เกิดจากงานของข้าพเจ้า  สิ่งนั้นเป็นงานที่เป็นส่วนรวมต่อไป

6.     I demand that only those who follow dharma discipline are my colleagues.   Others are not.

ข้าพเจ้าถือว่า คนประพฤติตามหลักธรรม เป็นผู้ร่วมงานของข้าพเจ้า นอกนั้น ไม่ใช่

Now you know about Luang Poh Panyananda ‘s determination.  I invite you to continue studying his biography, the example of one who lives a life as determined.

The late Luang Poh Panyananda, also known as Phra Bhram Manglacharn, is considered the father of Buddhist preaching and propagated dharma in the purest form. He was among the first group of monks to introduce the podium-standing teaching of Buddhist faith in simple language replacing the seated traditional preaching in Pali, which the new generation was at a loss to understand.

Born in Pattalung province, Luang Poh Panyananda was born Pun Sanaechareon, to a farming family, the Phatthalung native quit secondary school to support his family.  He ordained as a novice at age of 18 at Wat Uppanantharam in Ranong province. He entered the monkhood at Wat Nanglard, Pattalung province when he reached the age of 20. In 1932, he joined an Italian monk, Lokanath, on his bare-footed pilgrimage to India and Europe to disseminate the Buddha's teaching but returned toThailand after spending a few months in Burma. In 1937, he resided at Suan Mokkh in Surat Thani's Chaiya district. 

By then, he met the late reformist Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, with whom he shared dharma brotherhood and commitment to reform popular Thai Buddhism. While Buddhadasa chose his hometown to be his dharma headquarters, Luang Por Panya decided to wage his battles right in the mega city where materialism was at its strongest. How hard did he work? In 1988 alone, he delivered more than 700 speeches on dharma. More than 650,000 books and 5,000 tapes of his talks have been distributed free.

While other monks play safe by avoiding politics, Luang Por attacked wrongdoing by people in high places head on, using dharma to point out how they strayed from Buddhism.

"I do not attack individuals, I clarify what is right and wrong," he once said about his principle. "It is also a matter of how we say it, not only what we say."

From 1949 to 1959 he disseminated Buddhism in Chiang Mai, giving sermons every Sunday and on the sabbath day (Wan Phra), and reaching out to those outside the city. He became known from his distinctive preaching style and attracted younger people by making dharma simple and giving examples and citing recent news items to illustrate his points.

In 1960, he was invited to be the abbot of Cholaprathanrangsarid Temple. His pioneering work in doing away with the Thai custom of rituals, supernatural arts, sacred and magical charms and guiding temple-goers towards real Buddhism, earned him the title "Reformer of Religious Rites".

He also sought to demystify ordination rites, banning pre-ordination entertainment and processions and setting up cost-saving temple rules for a monthly group ordination day. "To have an audience with the Buddha, why take a detour? Why not walk straight to him," he asked.

Luang Poh Panyananda also put a halt to monks reciting prayers in Pali in front of the coffin at funerals, pointing out that the dead can no longer hear and that it was the duty of monks to relieve the sadness of the relatives. Instead, he initiated funeral sermons conveying the all-important message that life is impermanent.

Although his reforms have not been widely adopted in Thai temples, Wat Cholaprathanrangsarid became popular for its reformed rites and was selected as one of the Best Temples by the Department of Religious Affairs. Luang Poh Panyananda also won several awards.

Phra Panyanandamuni, the abbot of Wat Panyanandaram in Pathum Thani and a disciple of Luang Poh Panyananda, says Luang Poh dedicated his life to spreading the essence of the Buddha's teaching and lived what he preached. "Even in his daily life, he never did anything nonsensical. We never saw him sipping tea. He drank only water." Phra Panyanandamuni has continued in his mentor's footsteps with no-frills Buddhism. He is also organising the "Open Temple on Sunday" project, which aims to draw Thai people to get closer to Buddhism as well as regular youth camps that encourage young people to live wisely in today's world and not become slaves to materialism.

If the clergy are looking for ways to restore the public's faith, there is no need to search far and wide. Just visit Cholapratan Temple, where people are thronging every day to bid farewell to the late Panyananda Bhikkhu. Their message is loud and clear. Despite the avalanche of modern changes, what people need from the clergy remains quite simple: they need monks who live the Buddha's teachings. The ones who show by example how to apply the teachings to ease greed, anger and illusion. Monks who use public faith to serve the public good.

That was how the late Panyananda Bhikkhu lived his life before he passed away on Octobeer 10^th, 2007 at the age of 96 years and 5 months. He spent 76 years in monkhood. It was why he stood tall in the clergy. Luang Por Panya, as the revered monk was affectionately called nationwide, spent 76 years in the monkhood weeding out superstition and ceremonial frills from core Buddhist teachings, as well as making dharma more easily accessible to the urban public. Doing by showing, he turned Wat Cholapratan into a model temple where it is a no-no for monks to smoke, sprinkle sacred water, act as fortune-tellers or distribute amulets to the public. To cut waste and luxury, Luang Por modified costly ordination and funeral ceremonies to become simple and practical affairs while maintaining the essence of the religious rites of passage. For ordination, the monks-to-be had to pass the prayer tests to show their determination to enter the monastic life. For funeral rites, wreaths, food and entertainment were prohibited.

Meanwhile, the traditional yawn-inducing sermons in Pali were replaced by dharma speeches with relevance to current events and modern angst.

Luang Por also initiated temple weddings during which the brides and grooms received dharma teachings on their proper marital role and relationship. When the wife was expecting, the couple would return to the temple again to receive dharma on parenthood.

In addition, he initiated the sending of dharma books and tapes at New Year's to turn the often wasteful celebrations into meaningful ones.

Atammayatarama Buddhist Monastery or Wat Atamma follows his footsteps in Dharma teaching whilst remains an active and helpful to the community that it belongs.

Here is Luang Poh Panyananda’s speech, noted by Ajarn Rhitti, during the openning of Wat Atamma.

“พวกเราที่อยู่ซีแอ๊ตเติ้ล ได้พร้อมใจกันจัดหาที่ดินเพื่อสร้างวัดนี้ขึ้นมา วัดนี้ ชื่อ วัดอตัมมยตาราม เป็นวัดที่สร้างขึ้น เพื่อประโยชน์ เพื่อความสุขแก่ชาวโลกทั้งหลาย  แม้จะยังไม่สมบูรณ์ ยังไม่เรียบร้อยตามแบบของวัด  แต่ก็ใช้ได้แล้ว  เพราะมีสถานที่ร่มรื่น โดยเฉพาะที่บริเวณนี้ เหมาะมากเพราะมีต้นไม้ใหญ่  มีความร่มรื่น มีแนวป่าเขียวสดแวดล้อม ทำใหไม่มีเสียงรบกวน  เรามานั่งแล้วก็เกิดสมาธิในการที่จะรับฟังคำสอนด้วยดี  เราควรจะถือโอกาสมาพักผ่อนที่วัดเป็นครั้งคราว  เวลาใด  เรามีปัญหา  มีเรื่องยุ่งใจ  เราก็ควรจะมาวัด  การมาวัดก็เพื่อศึกษาแนวทางการดำเนินชีวิตให้เกิดสติปัญญา  เกิดความรู้  ความเข้าใจ  ไม่ใช่มาเพื่อเรื่องอื่น  ถ้ามาเพื่อเรื่องอื่น  ก็ไม่ชื่อว่ามาวัดของพระพุทธเจ้า เรามาวัดของพระพุทธเจ้าต้องมาเพื่อการศึกษาหาความรู้ ความเข้าใจ  ในสมัยโบราณคนไปเฝ้าพระพุทธเจ้าต้องการไปฟังธรรมกันทั้งนั้น  ไม่มีใครไปดูดวงชะตาราศี  ขอน้ำมนต์ หรือขอศีลขอพรจากพระพุทธเจ้า แต่ไปขอแนวทางปฏิบัติ  ว่าจะปฏิบัติตนอย่างไร  จึงจะมีความสุข  จึงจะพ้นความทุกข์  ความเดือดร้อนในชีวิตประจำวัน  เขาไปกันอย่างนั้น พระศาสนาจึงได้เหลือมาจนถึงพวกเราในทุกวันนี้”

“Our people in Seattle put efforts in acquiring land to build this temple.  The temple is named Atammayatarama.  It is collaborated for the benefits and happiness of all humankind.  Though the meditation hall is not 100% complete and not in order for a model temple, the monastery is good enough for Dharma activities due to its usable shady area.   Especially, over here are big trees, surrounded by greenery and woodland.  It brings serenity to embrace our minds and consciousness to focus on the Buddha’s teachings.  We should take some time to have a retreat at the temple.  Whenever we feel worried or depressed, we should come to the temple as a mean for studying the way of life.  It is meant to awaken mindfulness and wisdom.  It is meant to bring knowledge and inspiration.  If people come for other purposes, they are not here for the temple of the Buddha.  In the ancient days, people traveled to pay a pilgrimage to the Buddha because they all wanted to listen to Dharma sermon.  No one was there for fortune telling, holy water blessing or benediction from Lord Buddha.  They were there to ask for guidance of life, what they should practice to achieve happiness and to avoid suffering in their daily life.  They were there for these very reasons and this is how the religion has been passing down till present.”