V-Star :- The First Western Girl who will be the president of Kathina Ceremony

The future world is in our hands
The First Western Girl who will be the president of Kathina Ceremony
Edited from the V-Star Challenge session

In the Inner Dream Kindergarten Program broadcasting on DMC

 

 Miss Muriel Kaegi Maurer or Nong Joy

 

Muriel Kaegi Maurer or Nong Joy, 18 years old, has visited Dhammakaya Temple with her mother since she was 9 years old.  Her family had come to Thailand to trace the Lord Buddha and seek a temple teaching meditation for their inner peace.  When they had gone to Dhammakaya Temple and Nong Joy meditated in the Main Buddhist Chapel, she said that this temple is okay for her.  Nong Joy told her mother that she would like to stay here and not move to anywhere.  She also told her mother that she loves Dhammakaya Temple.  She decided to study in Thailand because she would like to go to Dhammakaya Temple.  She has lived in Thailand for six years.  Her Thai is better and she can easily interpret English for Luang Phaw.

 

 

When Nong Joy was 9 years old

Nong Joy began to think and would like to be the president of Kathina Ceremony after she had seen Mr. Sahuachai Wai from Hong Kong being the youngest president of Kathina Ceremony at age of 6.  In addition, Luang Phaw had persuaded her to be the president of Kathina Ceremony so she has prepared to be the president of ceremony for one year.  She has already booked the temple to arrange the ceremony.  That is Sobsawan Temple in Bangpahan district, Ayutthaya province.  This temple was one of the training temples in the 100,000–Monk Mass Ordination Project.  And Nong Joy has set to arrange the Kathina Ceremony on Saturday November 6th, 2010.

Mrs. Elsbeth Maurer or Nong Joy's mother (Left) and Nong Joy (Right)

The residents in Ayutthaya province have been excited very much when they know that there is a Swiss girl being a president of Kathina Ceremony.  They have installed the big vinyl billboard to public relation for many months.

Phra Maha Somsak Sirivanno, the abbot of Sobsawan Temple

The Most Ven. Phra Maha Somsak  Sirivanno, the abbot of Sobsawan Temple, unveiled that “This Kathina Ceremony will really work and match the Most Ven. Phrarajbhavanavisudh’s desire.  The Most Ven. Phrarajbhavanavisudh has strong intention to wake people to do good deeds and restore the community, social and world morality.  Now, he does not teach only with Thai people but the foreigners.  When more people are interested to study the Lord Buddha’s teaching, it is the good symbol that Buddhism will be spread all over the world.”

In this ceremony, Nong Joy has intended to speak the Kathina Offering Speech in three languages which are Thai, Pali and English without script.  Nong Joy unveiled that “I am inspired by Nong Am who is studying at Sotsuksa Debaratana School.  Even though Nong Am can not hear anything, she can speak the Kathina Offering Speech without script.  Nong Am has to try more than me and she can do it. So I must be able to do it.  I have told my friends and teachers – Westerners, Chinese, and Japanese – at my school what the Kathina is and how important it is.  When I think of the ceremony day, I am so happy that I will be the first westerner president of Kathina Ceremony.  Everybody will speak the offering speech following me.  That is so great!  I will persuade my friends to attend the ceremony.  I am sure that I can do it because Luang Phaw told that I can do it, so I must be able to do it.”