Survival of Buddhism and the Dhammakaya Temple : หน้า 185/207

hoped that future generations would study Buddhism to gain a correct understanding of the realities of life. Thus, if our ancestors were still alive, we can imagine how they would feel about our careless disregard for the old temples they built. The large number of old temples being abandoned made me wonder: How much longer will Buddhism survive in Thailand? The situation of abandoned temples and the corrupt attempt by powerful groups to use temple lands for profit provoked my interest in the survival of the Dhammakaya Temple. I am deeply concerned about this Temple. Escaping from such a crisis and the endless attacks it faced for over two years is a miracle. Incredibly, the Temple remained standing in the midst of social pressures and an unfavorable climate, both of which were instigated by the media. Most people have only known or believed one side of the negative news and ignored the whole truth. How did the Dhammakaya Temple avoid becoming the largest abandoned temple in Thailand? The Temple’s followers practice the core of Buddhist principles in order to protect themselves from harm. Consequently, the Temple escaped the tragedy of abandonment. These Buddhist principles are the key to explaining temple abandonment in Thailand. The Dhammakaya Temple was founded by disciples of the Great Abbot, Luang Phaw Wat Paknam, Venerable Phramonkolthepmuni.9 I finally understand and conclude that the answer is to hold a high reverence for his teachings. There was a monk, a disciple of Luang Phaw Wat Paknam’s, who told me that when the Great Abbot was still alive, he taught his followers to build a temple using the “Three Sacred Formulas.” Later, Venerable Luang Phaw Dhammajayo, the present Abbot of the Dhammakaya Temple, followed this great teacher’s wisdom and successfully built the Temple. While teaching his monks the same sacred formulas, it was also necessary for him to demonstrate and work alongside his monks in order to be a good exemplar. 1) The first sacred formula is cleanliness. Luang Phaw Wat Paknam explained, “When the temple is clean, people who intentionally come to make merit will be assured that every penny of their donations will be spent in the right way.” “Initially, the donors may have planned to donate 10 baht (less than one US dollar) before coming to the temple. However, when they arrived, every corner looked clean and comfortable for meditation, for walking around, or for relaxation to the point of falling asleep in the temple hall. This display of cleanliness and comfort would impact the amount 9 The founder of Dhammaakyara Meditation, he rediscovered the technique of meditation which was the original mainstream of Buddhist Practice, knowledge which had disappeared five-hundred years after the Lord Buddha passed to Nibbana. The Warm Hearted Family Abandoned Temples and Prosperous Temples