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cheaper they will be accessible to the middle-class and almsgivers will become few and far between. The amount of alms given in Bangkok is already insufficient for all the monks to survive. If the present condition continues with our own homes full of vice and degradation, not only Buddhism will suffer, but our children’s education too, as well as the behaviour of those in society.” Buddhism moved with the times and the reputation of Dhammakāya was even spread abroad by travellers coming to Luang Phaw for blessing before making international trips. Without telling anyone Luang Phaw had long nurtured the wish to spread the teachings of Dhammakāya in the international community. At a time when transport to the temple had not even advanced to the level of a roadway, Luang Phaw was making far-sighted plans to acquire an aeroplane for the temple, to send monks off to countries abroad to spread the Dhamma and on the return trip to carry those foreign initiates who wanted to come to Thailand to be ordained. One of the first bhikkhus from Wat Paknam to travel abroad was Thitavedo Bhikkhu who paid a short visit to England in 1953. Through connections at the Buddhist Society of London he was introduced to a learned journalist and lay Buddhist teacher by the name of William Purfurst (aka Richard Randall) who planned to take ordination as a monk. Thitavedo made the arrangements for Purfurst to undertake training for ordination at Wat Paknam and acted as his guide and translator when Purfurst flew out to Thailand in February 1954. 128