Dhammakaya tradition

The Dhammakaya Movement is a movement connected to several temples which refer back to Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen in Bangkok for their ancestry. Luang Por Dhammajayo and Luang Por Dattajivo, the current abbot and vice-abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya, were students of Maechi (nun) Chandra Khonnokyoong. She in turn was a student of Luang Pu Sodh Candasaro, the meditation master who developed Dhammakaya meditation and the abbot of Wat Paknam. Other temples, such as Wat Luang Phor Sodh Dhammakayaram, also have their roots in Wat Paknam.

Newell has pointed out that the term "Dhammakaya Movement" itself is problematic, because it has been used "without distinguishing between the various temples practising dhammakaya meditation and Wat Dhammakaya [sic] itself. (...) There are considerable differences in style, practice and structure of all the temples". She prefers to use the term "Dhammakaya temples". She is quoted on this by McDaniel, but he nevertheless uses "Dhammakaya Movement". Crosby, on the other hand, uses "Dhammakaya network".

The Dhammakaya Movement attaches great importance to its lineage of teachers, starting from Luang Pu Sodh Candasaro, who then passed on his experience to his students. In the PR and media of the temples associated with the movement, the teachers are much emphasized as an intrinsic part of the temple's tradition, from which it gains its authenticity.

Revivalist school

Despite having been included in the controversial, global Fundamentalism Project studies, most scholars do not regard the movement as a new movement or a fundamentalistic movement, but rather as a movement with revivalist characteristics. Central to the movement is the idea that Dhammakaya meditation was the method through which the Buddha became enlightened, a method which was forgotten but has been revived by Luang Pu Sodh Candasaro. This method is called "Vijja Dhammakaya".

True Self and Dhammakaya meditation

Main article: Dhammakaya Meditation

According to the Dhammakaya Movement, the Buddha made the discovery that nirvana is nothing less than the true Self'. The movement calls this true self the Dhammakaya, the spiritual essence. The Movement believes that this essence of the Buddha and nirvana exist as a literal reality within each individual. According to Williams, in some respects the teachings of the Dhammakaya Movement resemble the Buddha-nature and Trikaya doctrines of Mahāyāna Buddhism. He sees the Dhammakaya Movement as having developed independently of the Mahayana tathāgatagarbha tradition, but as achieving some remarkably similar results in their understanding of Buddhism. According to Williams,

"[Dhammakaya] meditations involve the realization, when the mind reaches its purest state, of an unconditioned "Dhamma Body" (dhammakaya) in the form of a luminous, radiant and clear Buddha figure free of all defilements and situated within the body of the meditator. Nirvana is the true Self, and this is also the dhammakaya."

The bulk of Thai Theravāda Buddhism rejects this teaching and insists upon non-self as a universal fact. As against this, Phra Thepyanmonkol, the abbot of Wat Luang Phor Sodh Dhammakayaram, argues that it tends to be scholars who hold the view of absolute non-self, rather than Buddhist meditators. Also, only the compounded and conditioned is non-self - not nirvana. Williams summarises Phra Thepyanmonkol’s views (here referred to by his former title Phra Rajyanvisith), and adds his own comment at the end:

"[Scholars] incline towards a not-Self perspective. But only scholars hold that view. By way of contrast, Phra Rajyanvisith mentions in particular the realizations of several distinguished forest hermit monks. Moreover, he argues, impermanence, suffering and not-Self go together. Anything which is not-Self is also impermanent and suffering. But, it is argued, nirvana is not suffering, nor is it impermanent. It is not possible to have something which is permanent, not suffering (i.e. is happiness) and yet for it still to be not-Self. Hence it is not not-Self either. It is thus (true, or transcendental) Self." (…)

"These ways of reading Buddhism in terms of a true Self certainly seem to have been congenial in the East Asian environment, and hence flourished in that context where for complex reasons Mahayana too found a ready home."

The Dhammakaya Movement, however, does not see itself as Mahāyānist, but as modern Theravāda. Since the 2000s, new evidence has been brought forward though that Luang Pu Sodh's approach might originate from Yogavacara tradition (also known as tantric Theravada). The Dhammakaya meditation method managed to survive modernization pressures to reform during the 20th century C.E. and scholars have theorized that there is an ancestry to be found in common with Yogavacara. It may be noted, however, that in Wat Phra Dhammakaya's literature Luang Pu Sodh is depicted as strongly condemning the use of magical practices, which are associated with the Yogavacara tradition. He said that magic was not part of the core of the Buddha's teaching. As of 2007, there was not yet enough evidence to draw any conclusions about the relation between Yogavacara and Dhammakaya.

Apart from the true self, the Dhammakaya Movement often uses other positive terms to describe Nirvana as well. Scott notes that the Dhammakaya Movement often explains Nirvana as being the supreme happiness, and argues that this may explain why the practice of Dhammakaya meditation is so popular.

Sources

• Crosby, Kate (2000), "Tantric Theravada: A Bibliographic Essay on the Writings of Francois Bizot and others on the Yogavacara Tradition", Contemporary Buddhism 1 (2), p. 160
• Mackenzie, Rory (2007), New Buddhist Movements in Thailand: Towards an understanding of Wat Phra Dhammakaya and Santi Asoke, Abingdon: Routledge, ISBN 0-203-96646-5
• McDaniel, Justin (2010), "Buddhists in Modern Southeast Asia", Religion Compass, 4 (11), Blackwell Publishing
• Newell, Catherine Sarah (2008-04-01), Monks, meditation and missing links: continuity, "orthodoxy" and the vijja dhammakaya in Thai Buddhism, London: PhD diss.; Department of the Study of Religions School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, pp. 15–16
• Scott, Rachelle M. (2009), Nirvana for Sale? Buddhism, Wealth, and the Dhammakāya Temple in Contemporary Thailand, Albany: State University of New York Press, ISBN 9781441624109
• Swearer, Donald K. (1991), Marty, M.E.; Appleby, R.S. (eds.), Fundamentalistic Movements in Theravada Buddhism, Chicago & London: University of Chicago Press
• Williams, Paul (2008), Mahayana Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations (PDF) (2 ed.), Taylor & Francis e-Library., ISBN 0203428471
• Zehner, Edwin (1990), "Reform Symbolism of a Thai Middle-Class Sect: The Growth and Appeal of the Thammakai Movement", Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 21 (2), Cambridge University Press on behalf of Department of History, National University of Singapore: 402–426, JSTOR 20071200

External Links

• Official website of Wat Paknam
• Official website of Wat Phra Dhammakaya
• Official website of Wat Luang Phor Sod Dhamamkayaram
• General information about Wat Rajorasaram