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Precious
words and sermon by
Venerable Luangta Maha Bua Yannasampanno
At Wat Pa Luangta Bua Yannasampanno Pavilion
On the day he kindly visited the monastery (20th December 2004)
[First part, Venerable Luangta Maha Bua ("Luangta") talked
with Pra Acharn Chan, the abbot]
"LUANGTA" asked about the Tigers’ Home Project….
"After completion, what would be next?"
| PRA ACHARN: |
When they are there, if they have offspring, we
will release their offspring back to the forest. |
| "LUANGTA": |
And how will they go, or they will come back to men again. |
| PRA ACHARN: |
There are academics from universities helping in the project.
They may implant microchip that will put them under monitoring
when being released to the forest. |
| "LUANGTA": |
People come incessantly, right, during daytime people keep
on coming or how. |
| PRA ACHARN: |
Yes, people come incessantly. |
| "LUANGTA": |
They come to see tigers, animals. Are there many types of
animals in this monastery? |
| PRA ACHARN: |
There are 19 types altogether. |
| "LUANGTA": |
That’s no joke, those tigers, deer, common barking deer, brow-antlered
deer, Sumatran serow, peacocks. |
| PRA ACHARN: |
There are brow-antlered deer, Sumatran serow, wild boars,
peacocks, hog deer. |
| "LUANGTA": |
Do they come once a day? |
| PRA ACHARN: |
One time in the morning when monks wash their bowls, and another
time in the evening around 5 p.m. There will be more in the
morning. Most of them are boars. |
| "LUANGTA": |
What do they get to eat? |
| PRA ACHARN: |
The food left from tigers’ cage. |
| "LUANGTA": |
Do they have enough to eat in the evening? |
| PRA ACHARN: |
It’s enough in the evening, but a bit swollen. There are melons
in the evening, green melons. |
| "LUANGTA": |
Ah! So this monastery becomes the animal feeding place, several
types. Anyway, it’s good to have food for them, as there are
a lot of animals, like hundreds of boars. That is no joke. Come
in the morning, and then again in the evening. Are they looking
fierce? |
| PRA ACHARN: |
They will have a leader taking them here, his name is Laem
(Sharp). I give him the name Laem. He fought with the old leader
and gored the old leader to death. He himself was wounded on
the back. So, he becomes the new leader. That’s why I give him
the name Laem. |
| "LUANGTA": |
I see. By the way, what’s the name of the old leader? (The audience
laughed). See! they also have leader, animals also have leader.
And how about the old one? |
| PRA ACHARN: |
The old one died because he was smaller and was defeated. |
| "LUANGTA": |
There shouldn’t have any snakes, if there are boars. |
| PRA ACHARN: |
Yes, sir, no snakes. |
| "LUANGTA": |
If there are boars, there are no snakes. Boars will eat them
up. Boars see any kinds of snakes as their food. So, no snakes,
if having boars. |
| PRA ACHARN: |
Recently there are some common bronzeback; the quickly creeping
one, green cat snakes. But there are no more this year. |
| "LUANGTA": |
Yes, where there are boars, there are no snakes. I ask the
question because in the past at Wat Nakhamnoi, there were plenty
of snakes, all types. There were a lot of king cobras, pythons.
Now, no more, all eaten by boars.
What I think is for the benefit to animals and further passing
as legacy. That’s why there must be walls. If there are no walls,
all gone, nothing left. Even animals in the monastery won’t
be left, all killed, all kinds of stealing, trapped or others.
Here, surrounded by walls, is safe. Everything in the monastery
is safe.
Wherever a forest monastery is, animals are plentiful, as it’s
a safe place to these animals. At Wat Pa Baan Taad , it’s people
place. Big animals cannot be left here, as there are people
walking here and there. Last time there used to be plenty of
snakes, king cobra, cobra, banded krait. Not much people then,
so, snakes and monks stayed together. During daytime, monks
and snakes ran into each other many countless times. Nothing
ever happened, they went their way, and monks just walked past
them. Because that’s my instruction, it’s instruction, not teaching.
“No teasing, touching, watching”. Since these animals will not
see that as playing, they will take it seriously. They will
be vindictive. When having a chance, they will strike. So, I
had to be careful. When encountering them, any monks must do
the same, unresponsive. When they got out, passing until their
tails disappeared. Snakes in this monastery would be very tame.
Among all snakes in this monastery, king cobra seemed to be
very tame, like a pet getting into the kitchen. When monks were
drinking hot water (in the afternoon), he would get into the
middle, creeping through, paying no attention to men. When there
were more people, I couldn’t help thinking that some might tease
these animals. Then, these animals would be vindictive and bite
people to death. So, those snakes had to be taken to release,
7-8 king cobras. I can’t remember about others, can only somewhat
remember about king cobra. All those stayed with me were like
pets, not afraid of people. Wherever we walked to, they just
stayed put. When we were on the way, they crouched. When we
passed, they went on. No teasing, no playing, so, they became
familiar and not afraid. King cobras seemed to be tame to people.
When taken for release, with the sack opened to get them out,
they were reluctant to go. They still would like to stay with
us. It’s such a pity. We released them in a safe place, in the
safe forest area like caves or something, e.g. Klongplain Cave.
Now no more because there are plenty of people. I am afraid
that it will be dangerous to people, so not any snakes kept.
Last time snakes were plentiful at Wat Pa Baan Taad, now no
more.
Here people come and go incessantly because it’s a place for
people who are interested in animals. Our monks here..is there
any Dhamma practice? |
| PRA ACHARN: |
We have the meditation practice every evening at 7 p.m. here.
We listen to the tapes of teachers, listen to the live broadcast
from Internet from Suansaengtham. There is a radio station here
in front of the monastery, to transmit and receive and broadcast
in Kanchanaburi, 1 kilowatt. |
| "LUANGTA": |
Dhamma on radio is broadcast widely, every day. Monks shall
pay attention to meditation practice. For Wat Pa Baan Taad,
practice has always been stern. No one can get beyond the
hall into monks’ area, except the two men who serve monks.
There has never been moderation in the practice. Even if I
help the nation, when necessary, monks can only help temporarily
for a period of time. After that, they must go back to the
forest, no involvement. We are very stern about the practice.
There must be nothing to affect our Dhamma practice. To help
the nation is another thing. That is my matter, I won’t trouble
monks. Let them practice. Unless when it’s necessary for monks
to help. Normally it will be like that. Monks will do the
meditation practice all the times.
Only Dhamma will keep the world serene. Apart from that, there
is nothing that will keep the world in serenity. There is
only the burning defilement. Whether one will be knowledgeable
or not, it’s only a knowledge of prisoners. What is any good
for that? The knowledge of prisoners is worthless. It does
not bring happiness and prosperity to the world. Since there
is nothing apart from Dhamma, Dhamma covers all. How can the
knowledge of prisoners be superior to Dhamma? Dhamma covers
all, contemplates more thoroughly than the world.
Birth and death have been here for such a long time. It’s
nothing to be excited about. Concentrate Dhamma in the mind.
Let Dhamma thrive in the mind. Mindfulness, wisdom, should
always be placed in the heart. Contemplate the emotion of
the mind is the first priority…this is called..the Great Danger…
is in the mind. It has been taught to concentrate the great
danger at the MIND. Then, the great virtue will appear, that
is Dhamma. Mindfulness will appear first. Mindfulness, wisdom,
patience;….perseverance and tolerance are in contemplation
with mindfulness and wisdom, with recollection and discernment
to live in composure. The emotion of the mind is the great
cause. It will think all the times, mostly will be about defilement.
Dhamma cannot be revealed. Dhamma must be nurtured. The main
thing is mindfulness. Don’t let it think much about anything
that cause harm to self. To think only merit, repeatedly,
steadily, so that the moral thought, i.e. Dhamma, will weigh
more. The evil thought, causing defilement and desire, will
gradually decrease. Then, we will feel serene.
Serenity is in the heart. Anxiety is in the heart. Suffering
is in the heart. Happiness is in the heart. Therefore, it
has been taught that the great cause is in the mind. To contemplate,
there..the Great Cause.. the MIND, with Dhamma. Don’t let
it imagine in the baneful thoughts, but to think in the Dhamma
way. Enhance Dhamma in the mind. Serenity will then appear
in the mind, with grace. It will see the amazement, much or
little, depending on the mind of the person who practices.
Apart from that, it will only be burnt by defilement. Therefore
we should place emphasis on persevering practice. Now then,
it’s time to leave. There is nothing else.
I come just to visit the tigers, haven’t come for a long time.
So, today I pay them a visit. There are several tigers. Fierce
animals become endearing, lethargic. When seeing me, he got
his hand out instantly. But I had been cautious, out instantly
but not touching me. Last time I didn’t watch out. I was walking
outside the cage. He was in the cage. While I was walking,
he paced by. I thought he wouldn’t do anything, as he strolled
like a gentleman, a gentle tiger. When he walked past me,
there he went, stroke me on the back. I looked at him, but
he just walked there indifferently. He was still polite. He
had already stroke me on the back, but I still couldn’t help
loving him. He just paced by while I was walking. When getting
out of my sight, there he went, from the back, out and striking.
That gave me a pain on the back. So, this time I must be careful.
Out he came, but I knew already. Thus, it didn’t reach me.
I didn’t get near him this time. I kept my distance from him.
Out he came, it should be the same tiger as last time. It
is very fast. Tigers, they are fastest.
I am leaving now. There is nothing, just to visit the tigers.
Keep on practice, be well and happy, do the meditation. That’s
all. From here, I will go straight back to the monastery.
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