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Welcome to Wat Sacramento Buddhavanaram

A Thai Buddhist temple in the Dhammayut tradition

Our temple is a center for Buddhist and those interested in Thai culture to meet and explore.

We offer you a place where your knowledge can grow and you can focus on a way of life and living that leads to greater understanding and achievement along the Lord Buddha's great path.

 
image of crown princess
Her Royal Highness
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn's
Birthday - 2 April 2025
With our deepest respect
The Members of
Wat Sacramento Buddhavanaram
 

Contentedness

And how is a monk content?

Just as a bird,
  wherever it goes,
    flies with its wings as its only burden;
so too is he content with a set of robes to provide for his body and almsfood to provide for his hunger.
Wherever he goes, he takes only his barest necessities along.

This is how a monk is content.

  "Samaññaphala Sutta: The Fruits of the Contemplative Life" (DN 2), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 30 November 2013,
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.02.0.than.html

Sigalovada Sutta: The Discourse to Sigala
The Layperson's Code of Discipline

 

Having just observed the Teacher Honor Ceremony at the temple, it might be worthwhile to reflect on the Buddha's teaching regarding the relationship between teachers and students.

As the Great Teacher, the Knower of the Dhamma, it is interesting to see how the Buddha describes both sides of the Teacher-Student relationship.

The chant, Recollection of the Buddha, recalls many aspects of the Buddha's role as a teacher.

Recollection of the Buddha

Itipi so bhagavā arahaṃ sammāsambuddho

He, the Blessed One, is indeed the Pure One,
the Perfectly Enlightened One;

Vijjācaraṇa-sampanno sugato lokavidū

He is impeccable in conduct and understanding,
the Accomplished One, the Knower of the Worlds;

Anuttaro purisadamma-sārathi

He trains perfectly those who wish to be trained;

satthā deva-manussānaṃ buddho bhagavā’ti

He is Teacher of gods and humans; he is Awake and Holy

In The Discourse to Sigala, besides explaining how to properly exist in society, expressing respect for all the different relationships (the Six Quarters) a Buddhist might be part of, the Teacher-Student aspect becomes an important element in cultivating social calm and progress through a proper education.

"And how, young householder, does a noble disciple cover the six quarters?

"The following should be looked upon as the six quarters. The parents should be looked upon as the East, teachers as the South, wife and children as the West, friends and associates as the North, servants and employees as the Nadir, ascetics and brahmans as the Zenith.

"In five ways, young householder, a pupil should minister to a teacher as the South:

  • by rising from the seat in salutation,
  • by attending on him,
  • by eagerness to learn,
  • by personal service,
  • by respectful attention while receiving instructions.

"In five ways, young householder, do teachers thus ministered to as the South by their pupils, show their compassion:

  • they train them in the best discipline,
  • they see that they grasp their lessons well,
  • they instruct them in the arts and sciences,
  • they introduce them to their friends and associates,
  • they provide for their safety in every quarter.

"The teachers thus ministered to as the South by their pupils, show their compassion towards them in these five ways. Thus is the South covered by them and made safe and secure.

   From the Digha Nikaya - DN 31
   https://accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.31.0.nara.html
 — Translated from the Pali by Narada Thera

Walking Meditation

When we come to the temple, we are very careful to sit properly as we pay respect to the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha. Throughout the normal activities we are mindful of our posture, careful to avoid any offensive attitude or position. Chanting, we make the five-point prostration and, holding our hands in anjali, continue our effort to be mindful and proper. Finally, we sit in meditation, still careful with our thoughts and bodily actions. All this attention to detail may become stressful, especially for beginners or the older ones among us! Maybe taking a little time to practice walking meditation can help!

This video on walking meditation, "A Dhamma Reflection from Tan Ajahn Kalyano," Abbot of Buddha Bodhivana Monestery in Victoria, Australia, is a timely reminder of the methods and benefits of this practice. Walking Meditation

Still Flowing Water

Have you ever seen flowing water? Have you ever seen still water? If your mind is peaceful, it will be just like still, flowing water. Have you ever seen still, flowing water? There! You’ve only seen flowing water or still water, haven’t you? When your mind is peaceful, you can develop wisdom. Your mind will be like flowing water, and yet still. It’s almost as if it were still, and yet it’s flowing. So I call it “still, flowing water.” Wisdom can arise here.

Ajahn Chah

Still, Flowing Water

On the Full Moon...
  The Words of the Exalted Buddha

Just as, Pahārāda, the great ocean slants, slopes, and inclines gradually, not dropping off abruptly, so too, in this Dhamma and discipline penetration to final knowledge occurs by gradual training, gradual activity, and gradual practice, not abruptly. This is the first astounding and amazing quality that the bhikkhus see in this Dhamma and discipline because of which they take delight in it.

Just as the great ocean is stable and does not overflow its boundaries, so too, when I have prescribed a training rule for my disciples, they will not transgress it even for life’s sake. This is the second astounding and amazing quality that the bhikkhus see in this Dhamma and discipline….

Just as the great ocean does not associate with a corpse, but quickly carries it to the coast and washes it ashore, so too, the Saṅgha does not associate with a person who is immoral, of bad character, impure, of suspect behavior, secretive in his actions, not an ascetic though claiming to be one, not a celibate though claiming to be one, inwardly rotten, corrupt, depraved; rather, it quickly assembles and expels him. Even though he is seated in the midst of the Saṅgha of bhikkhus, yet he is far from the Saṅgha and the Saṅgha is far from him. This is the third astounding and amazing quality that the bhikkhus see in this Dhamma and discipline….

Just as, when the great rivers … reach the great ocean, they give up their former names and designations and are simply called the great ocean, so too, when members of the four social classes—khattiyas, brahmins, vessas, and suddas—go forth from the household life into homelessness in the Dhamma and discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata, they give up their former names and clans and are simply called ascetics following the Sakyan son. This is the fourth astounding and amazing quality that the bhikkhus see in this Dhamma and discipline….

Just as, whatever streams in the world flow into the great ocean and however much rain falls into it from the sky, neither a decrease nor a filling up can be seen in the great ocean, so too, even if many bhikkhus attain final nibbāna by way of the nibbāna element without residue remaining, neither a decrease nor a filling up can be seen in the nibbāna element. This is the fifth astounding and amazing quality that the bhikkhus see in this Dhamma and discipline….

Just as the great ocean has but one taste, the taste of salt, so too, this Dhamma and discipline has but one taste, the taste of liberation. This is the sixth astounding and amazing quality that the bhikkhus see in this Dhamma and discipline….

Just as the great ocean contains many precious substances, numerous precious substances such as pearls … cats-eye, so too, this Dhamma and discipline contains many precious substances, numerous precious substances: the four establishments of mindfulness, the four right strivings, the four bases for psychic potency, the five spiritual faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, the noble eightfold path. This is the seventh astounding and amazing quality that the bhikkhus see in this Dhamma and discipline….

Just as the great ocean is the abode of great beings such as timis … … gandhabbas; and as there are in the great ocean beings with bodies one hundred yojanas long … five hundred yojanas long, so too this Dhamma and discipline is the abode of great beings: the stream-enterer, the one practicing for realization of the fruit of stream-entry; the once-returner, the one practicing for realization of the fruit of once-returning; the non-returner, the one practicing for realization of the fruit of non-returning; the arahant, the one practicing for arahantship. This is the eighth astounding and amazing quality that the bhikkhus see in this Dhamma and discipline because of which they take delight in it.

— Aṅguttara Nikāya, Pahārāda (AN 8.19)

 

Now, Ānanda, if it occurs to any of you — "The teaching has lost its arbitrator; we are without a Teacher" — do not view it in that way. Whatever Dhamma and Vinaya I have pointed out and formulated for you, that will be your Teacher when I am gone.

— Digha Nikaya, Mahāparinibbāna Sutta, (DN 16)

The Buddhist Monk's Discipline:
 Some Points Explained for Laypeople

Bhikkhu Khantipalo

"It is well to reflect about kamma and how each person is — 'owner of kamma, heir to kamma, born of kamma, bound by kamma, determined by kamma' — for such reflection cultivates equanimity. Each person trains himself, a bhikkhu according to his knowledge and ability and a layman likewise."

Every action, word, and even thought in some way touches our kamma. With that in mind, consider reading through Bhikkhu Khantipalo's short essay before your next encounter with Buddhist Monks.

Beneficial is control of eye,
Control of ear is beneficial too,
Beneficial is control of nose,
Control of tongue is beneficial too,
Bodily control is beneficial,
Control of speech is beneficial too
Beneficial is control of mind,
Everywhere restraint is beneficial.
The Bhikkhu here restrained in every way
Free utterly is he from every ill.
— Dhp 360-361

 The Buddhist Monk's Discipline:
  Some Points Explained for Laypeople", by Bhikkhu Khantipalo.
  Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 30 November 2013,
  https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/khantipalo/wheel130.html.

Five Subjects for Frequent Recollection

Jarā-dhammomhi jaraṃ anatīto.

I am subject to aging. Aging is unavoidable.

Byādhi-dhammomhi byādhiṃ anatīto.

I am subject to illness. Illness is unavoidable.

Maraṇa-dhammomhi maraṇaṃ anatīto.

I am subject to death. Death is unavoidable.

Sabbehi me piyehi manāpehi nānā-bhāvo vinā-bhāvo.

I will grow different, separate from all that is dear & appealing to me.

Kammassakomhi kamma-dāyādo kamma-yoni kamma-bandhu kamma-paṭisaraṇo.

I am the owner of my actions, heir to my actions, born of my actions, related through my actions, and live dependent on my actions.

Yaṃ kammaṃ karissāmi kalyāṇaṃ vā pāpakaṃ vā tassa dāyādo bhavissāmi.

Whatever I do, for good or for evil, to that will I fall heir.

Evaṃ amhehi abhiṇhaṃ paccavekkhitabbaṃ.

We should often reflect on this.

These are the five facts that one should reflect on often, whether one is a woman or a man, lay or ordained.
  – Upajjhatthana Sutta – AN 5.57

An Ancient Path Rediscovered

"It is just as if a man, traveling along a wilderness track, were to see an ancient path, an ancient road, traveled by people of former times. He would follow it. Following it, he would see an ancient city, an ancient capital inhabited by people of former times, complete with parks, groves, & ponds, walled, delightful. He would go to address the king or the king's minister, saying, 'Sire, you should know that while traveling along a wilderness track I saw an ancient path... I followed it... I saw an ancient city, an ancient capital... complete with parks, groves, & ponds, walled, delightful. Sire, rebuild that city!' The king or king's minister would rebuild the city, so that at a later date the city would become powerful, rich, & well-populated, fully grown & prosperous.

"In the same way I saw an ancient path, an ancient road, traveled by the Rightly Self-awakened Ones of former times. And what is that ancient path, that ancient road, traveled by the Rightly Self-awakened Ones of former times? Just this noble eightfold path: right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration... I followed that path. Following it, I came to direct knowledge of birth... becoming... clinging... craving... feeling... contact... the six sense media... name-&-form... consciousness, direct knowledge of the origination of consciousness, direct knowledge of the cessation of consciousness, direct knowledge of the path leading to the cessation of consciousness. I followed that path.

"Following it, I came to direct knowledge of fabrications, direct knowledge of the origination of fabrications, direct knowledge of the cessation of fabrications, direct knowledge of the path leading to the cessation of fabrications. Knowing that directly, I have revealed it to monks, nuns, male lay followers & female lay followers, so that this holy life has become powerful, rich, detailed, well-populated, wide-spread, proclaimed among celestial & human beings."

    — SN 12.65

Padīpa Pūjā ~ Light Offering

Lay person properly lighting altar candles
With lights brightly shining
Abolishing this gloom
I adore the Enlightened One,
The Light of the three worlds.
Ghanasārappadittena
Dīpena tama-dhaṃsinā
Tiloka-dīpaṃ sambuddhaṃ
Pūjayāmi tamo-nudaṃ
 

The Middle Way realized by the Tathāgata — producing vision, producing knowledge — leads to calm, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to Unbinding.

 

Nagavagga: Elephants

Appamādaratā hotha!
Sacittamanurakkhatha!
Duggā uddharathattānaṃ,
 paṅke sannova kuñjaro.

Delight in heedfulness!
Guard well your thoughts!
Draw yourself out of this bog of evil,
 even as an elephant draws itself out of the mud.

Dhammapada 327

 

Excellent ...

Yo dhammam desesi
  ādikalyāṇaṃ,
    majjhekalyāṇaṃ,
      pariyosānakalyāṇaṃ
The Buddha has pointed out the way:
  excellent in the beginning,
    excellent in the middle,
      and excellent in the end.

From the Dhammapada

Refuge ...

They go to many a refuge,
to mountains, forests,
parks, trees, and shrines:
people threatened with danger.

That’s not the secure refuge,
that’s not the supreme refuge,
that’s not the refuge,
having gone to which,
        you gain release
        from all suffering and stress.

But when, having gone for refuge
to the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha,
you see with right discernment
the four noble truths—

stress,
the cause of stress,
the transcending of stress,
and the noble eightfold path,
the way to the stilling of stress:

That’s the secure refuge,
that, the supreme refuge,
that is the refuge,
having gone to which,
        you gain release
        from all suffering and stress.

Dhp, 188-192

Nibbaana sacchikiriya ca etammangalamuttamam

Endeavoring for the realization of Nibbaana is the highest blessing