In ancient times, many scholars searched for the way to escape the cycle of
suffering. Sacrificing everything from their material wealth to their lives, they continued to build up their merits (good deeds to purify one's body, speech and mind) from one life existence to the next in order to reach Nirvana. The same was true for Luang Por Wat Paknam. He saw that life is suffering and to accumulate material wealth is also to suffer. He wished to find the way out of this suffering, and wisdom came to him as he made the decision to become ordained for life.

After his ordination, he devoted himself to Buddhism. He was a pure holy man, an expert in both learning Buddhist scriptures and practicing meditation. He searched for the true Dhamma and found the Dhammakaya within on the full moon night in the tenth month after 11 years of his monkhood.

Luang Por explained that the way to reach Dhammakaya is to cease the active process of thinking~~~cessation is the key to success. The way of controlling the mind is by keeping that mind at the seventh base, the center of the body, and subsequently, all that once was unclear will become clear.

After his discovery, Luang Por Wat Paknam disseminated the Dhammakaya
teaching while continuing his own "cessation" to an advanced and deeper level
until he found the cause of suffering, the way to eliminate that suffering, and to "the ultimate Dhamma."

He focused first on the source of suffering, as it would show the way to eliminate suffering itself, and only after its end would true happiness, a state where a being no longer dwells in the cycle of life and death, surface. Therefore, Luang Por Wat Paknam was willing to sacrifice everything, including his life, to find this source of suffering.

In later years, Luang Por’s teaching of Dhammakaya Meditation was passed
down to Khun Yay Chandra Khonnokyoong, who also studied Dhammakaya Meditation all her life. She was the champion of Dhamma, pure physically and
spiritually. She was able to meditate to such an advanced level that Luang
Por Paknam once referred to her as" second to none" or in other words, "the
best of the best". Khun Yay became the teacher of meditation to help people see the light of life, find the way to escape suffering, and reach Nirvana.

Without Luang Por Paknam, Dhammakaya Meditation might never exist. Without
Khun Yay, Dhammakaya meditation might never be known to people whose purpose in life would, in turn, remain "cloudy" forever.

Because of the masters of Dhammakaya Meditation, however, people are able to
see the light of Dhamma that places their lives on the path of righteousness
and leads them to prosperity.

Today is a great day for us to continue the study of the Dhammakaya teaching
of the Buddha. Therefore, the full moon night of the tenth month (the day
of Dhammakaya discovery) is set aside as the Dhammakaya Master Day for the
lay people to show their gratitude and honor Luang Por Wat Paknam~~~the one
who, 84 years ago, discovered what the Buddha had seen.

Thus, we should meditate until our minds reach the cessation stage to find
the Dhammakaya within, and remember our masters, from Khun Yay Upasika Chandra Khonnokyoong to Luang Por Wat Paknam, to the Buddha, who had attained Nirvana.

Archives : World Meditation Day
Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta
The self is one's own refuge : Inner Triple Gems
New Year Blessing
New Dimension in the Creation of World Peace
Finding Contentment and Attaining Dhammakaya
Letting Go
Outer Contentment / Inner Peace & Happiness