When I heard Bhante Dhammavuddho was going to come to Penang and stay at VBG Cave for about a month in May 2014, I was delighted.
He has been a Theravada monk for 28 years now, and I thought I better use what technology could offer and interview him on video. Who knows how long more he will be around? Nowadays, even a huge airplane can disappear without a trace — life is so unpredictable and uncertain.
In whatever we do, the first 5 years is about familiarization, learning and getting the hang on the job. When we have worked on something for about 10 years, then we start to be really good at that. Bhante has been a monk for nearly 3 decades now, he must have accumulated a lot of experience. I really wanted to know what are the 3 things (lessons) he has learnt as a monk so that others can benefit from that experience as well. It’s like asking our grandpa about his life, and trying to learn something from it.
Bhante’s story was about his search for the real Dhamma (Saddhamma), and how he could live his life as a monk like the Buddha’s disciples as described in the earliest Sutta-Vinaya. In the interview, he also talked about how he has used his knowledge and experience to the benefit others.