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tion. I then have a soft drink and go to bed sometime between nine and ten." An Impressive Temple The place where we live will be really comfortable or not depend- ing on whether it possesses the following four characteristics: (i) to live in a society which practises Dhamma (ii) people to live amongst virtuous (iii) to have sufficient food (iv) to be sheltered peacefully Consequently, Novice Shane was very happy to be there. He was much impressed by his stay there. He said, "I think I have had a great opportunity. Now I am staying here In New Zealand does have nothing like this. Not even so many friendly people.' Concerning the food, he said, "Oh! like Thai food but I cannot eat the food that "peht- peht" (is very hot). I can eat food that's a little bit hot... not very hot!" "For the Scriptures, I'm learn- ing them just through discussing them with people and talking, but mainly here I just meditate. I think that meditation is a good thing. It's relaxing... I like it very much." As regards the temple ground, he said, "I had only been in a car, when I came here to see the grounds around the temple, I thought, were very beautiful. The temple is very beautiful. It is very impressive. Besides this, what I really impresses one is the fact that so many people come here to meditate, to see, to visit, to become monks and novices... a lot of people!" มกราคม ๒๔๗๒ Looking Forward to Coming Back Novice Shane planned to leave Wat Phra Dhammakaya for Wat Pran Buri on November 20, and to resign novicehood on November 22. Next, he planned to go on a trip to the north-east of Thailand to learn more about Thai culture and people. Then he will come back to Pran Buri School in December. He will return to New Zealand in February 1989 to go to University. Then he will come back again. He hopes, "I'll return to New Zealand at the end of February to read Law in Valentine University. And after five years in the university I want to come back to Thailand again. Attaining to Dhammakāya At the end of the eighth day of his meditation, Novice Shane asked his teacher. "Why is there something like a lotus on top of my inner body's head? Why has the body become crystal? Why has the cloth slanting down from the shoulder become crystal?" The teacher did not answer his questions for fear that he will have more doubts, but told him to keep on concentrating at his centre for something new to waiting happen. On account of his rapid pro- gress in meditation, the teacher kindly wished to help him make progress as much as possible. Hence, On November 19, his last day of meditation at the temple, the teacher strongly cheered him up so that he would have great effort to keep on sitting meditation. Fortunately, he attained to Dhammakaya inside the Kalyanamitra.org night. It took him only twelve days of meditating. Before his leaving. Novice Shane revealed his intention, "I hope I can keep doing meditation every day. I'll try the very best to do, maybe an hour every morning, an hour every evening. Really, it brings me inner peace... improves my understanding of life and the world." Moreover, he started to per. form Kalyāṇamitta's duty by ex- pressing. "I think coming here is a very worthwhile experience. I'd like to say that to as many people as I can, that each one should try to come to stay here for a while to learn as I did." On behalf of the ven Dham- majayo's disciples, we-Kalyāṇamitra Magazine congratulate Novice Shane on his success, and look forward to his return in the near future. maybe not sooner than five years ahead! Despite saying that he has no religion, Novice Shane took chance to study and practise Dhamma. As a result of his medi- tating according to Dhammakaya technique, he has achieved realiza- tion to a certain degree of Ultimate Reality. Hence, no matter whether on belongs to a religion or not, the point is that one's real happiness results from one's own Dhamma practice... not from materialism! กัลยาณมิตร na