The Search of Study

Biography: episode 3

 

 

The Search of Study

 

.... After receiving answer from the fellow monk, Candasaro returned to his room and wanted to know the exact meaning of the word, Avijjapaccaya; literally, caused from evil. He knew the meaning by word but it seemed that only meaning itself did not satisfy him. So, he went to his mother for asking a support for traveling to Bangkok, and made his mind not to ask any support from her again. It was true in the future, when his mother was cheated by a merchant and ceded the whole house, and he brought his mother to stay in Paknam Temple until her last day. At the end of that vassa, monks are free to travel again; Venerable Candasaro Bhikkhu left Songpinong Temple and enrolled at Chetupon Temple (also known as Wat Bodhi) in Bangkok. There he had continued his study in Pali scriptures. He accompanied his fourth brother, Phook, to study Pali with him but he faced one of his lost here. One such night in his fourth year of monkhood, he dreamt that a shadowy man appeared and offered a bowl of sand. He took a pinch while his brother took two handfuls. This dream was like an omen to tell him that he would face with something change. A few days later, Candasaro felt ill suddenly and removed to another temple for medication. But his brother died a few days later after being taken back to Songpinong. This lost did not waive him from studying but Candasaro thought this could be a sign of suffering; he should perform his utmost study to find the end of suffering without knowing that he would achieve it after the eleventh year of monkhood.

 

 

Moving to Chetupon Temple alone in this time made Candasaro had many difficulties. Sometimes, it was insufficient food to feed all the monks. Some days, his total sustenance for the day would be a single orange. Some days, he received no food at all. The first day on his almsround, he came back to the temple with an empty bowl. The second day was no difference. He began to wander about the death, he thought;

"At least if I strave to death through the heartedness of the city-folk, I will be a martyr stirring them a pity so that the rest of the monks might have sufficient food in the future"

On the third day of going for an almsround, he returned to the temple with only a ladleful of rice and a banana. Weak and fatigued from the last two days of empty stomach; Candasaro went back to his room and began to have it for the first meal in three days. Appearing reflected upon his food, a mongrel mangy meandered in the view- so emaciated that its bones seemed to show through out of its skin. It might have been starving for days. Today might be its last as same as his. He said to the mangy;

"You and I have reached utmost starvation. If we both have no food to be in stomach for today, we might have died. I will share half of mine to you."

Then, he threw a half of rice and banana from his alms bowl to the dog and made the solemn wish.

"Through this power of generosity in the face of such adversity, may starvation never again across my path- ever. Through the purity of my precepts and these truthful words may I never again return from almsround with an empty bowl”"

 

From that day forth, however, through his purity of Precepts and Forthrightness- he was never return with the empty bowl from his almsaround anymore. He always had more than enough food to share with his fellow brethren.  With this experience in facing the difficulties, it reflected Candasaro that Bhikkhus should not have worries in lacking of foods. This let him to vow;

"One day, if I receive sufficient support from benefactors, I will build a kitchen so that the monastic community can put all their energies into the Dhamma and Scriptures study. They can meditate without worrying about the next day meal will come from. "

 

 It would take a decade for Candasaro’s dream to be true.

 

 

An academic of scriptures in that time of Siam did not have an institute like what we have in the present. Monks had to search for teachers by themselves; it was no difference to Candasaro. He had to study one lesson in Chetupon Temple and crossed the Chaopraya River to another lesson in Arun Rajavararam Temple (known as Temple of Dawn). His consistency and perseverance stirred many of the regular passengers to faith. Many invited him to receive their alms regularly. Others offered him to pay a living expense. The most faithful of his supporters was a female peddler named "Nuam" who took to serve him with breakfast and lunch daily.  For years later after Candasaro became the great abbot of Paknam temple, Nuam went bankrupt. He recalled about her goodness and support, he took Nuam to stay in the temple until her last day.  This is one of his outstanding moralities that he always showed his gratefulness.

 

 

For years Candasaro traveled to various schools to study scriptures. More and more people inspired by his diligence. One day, he was invited to establish a private institute of Pali School in Chetupon Temple; this was a revolution of Pali study in Thailand. He invited Venerable Mahapi Vasuttamo, a talent monk of Pali Grade V, as a permanent lecturer. Candasaro catered for as many as ten students and teachers in his institute at his own expense, and taught Pali up to Grade V. As he could set up the establishment, he left the institute to be the temple’s belonging and travelled on his own.

 

Even though, he devoted himself in studying Pali, he always made himself a time to meditate as well. In those days, he used technique learnt from his co-preceptor, Venerable Nong. On the first week of the month, he was free from studying, he always travelled to several temples for finding new teachers. His masters are foremost Buddhist meditation masters in that time; for example, Venerable Prasanghavaranuwongsee (Eam) Rajasiddharam Temple, Bangkok, Venerable Singh Lakorndham Temple, Thonburi, Venerable Pramonkoltipmuni (Muy) the abbot of Chakrawat, Bangkok, etc. All of them are famous among meditation students in Thailand that time but Candasaro could complete all of their results in meditation with the same level of all teachers within a short period. All of his masters received the same question from Candasaro, "Venerable sir, Is there any thing more that I can learn from you?"

 

All of them would answer, "I cannot teach anything further to you. You have known all of my teachings and now are my equal. Come and teach alongside me!"

 

But He thought, "My knowledge is too superficial to qualify me as a meditation master" and humbly refused to teach. He left all meditation masters and travelled alone, finally he decided to go back to Songpinong temple for being closed to his mother and to pay attention for teaching Pali Scriptures to younger monks as well. Again, he established Pali institute in Sonpinong Temple in his eleventh year of monkhood- the institute is still exists today under the foundation he set up.

 

 

episode 1: Life and Time

episode 2: Ordination

 

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