I had an inspiration to build a website to honour the late Luang Por Dhammavuddho (28 Sept 1947 – 22 Dec 2019). I quickly got into it. This website and its contents (including images and videos etc.) was done purely on my own initiative without the prior approval from Luang Por Dhammavuddho.
I love this quote from Warren Buffett, “You do things when the opportunities come along. I’ve had periods in my life when I’ve had a bundle of ideas come along, and I’ve had long dry spells. If I get an idea next week, I’ll do something. If not, I won’t do a damn thing.”
Warren Buffett is one of the most successful investor and richest man in the world. His dream started when he was very young. His unremitting focus and an unshakable believe that he will succeed have contributed much to what he is today.
A Rare Monk
Warren Buffett’s story reminds me of Luang Por Dhammavuddho. He is focused. He is persistent. He has perseverance. These are ingredients for success.
Since I knew him in the late 1980s, his theme in the Dhamma has never changed. It is like listening to a great classical music where the theme and its variations keep popping up throughout the piece. This frame of reference, this theme of his, has always been taking guidance from the earliest Sutta-Vinaya.
This is also his message to spiritual aspirants. Those who have listened benefited. It is as if he has given you the map that points to the shortest and most direct route to your destination. I always wondered what makes him so confident for taking the earliest Sutta-Vinaya as his ultimate guidance? My conclusion is this is the map he has used himself and he knows it is reliable, and that is why he keeps recommending it.
This is a rare monk. Some of you may have heard about him, or even known him for a long time. For many, this may be the first time you come across him. Below is a brief account of him, and I hope you will find it interesting.
A Little About Him
Bhante Dhammavuddho Mahathera is the founder and abbot (1998 – 2019) of Vihara Buddha Gotama. He is a Malaysian, of Chinese descent. As a layman he graduated from the University Malaya in 1971, and worked as an Electrical Engineer with the Public Works Department for 12 years before renouncing the home life. His interest in religion led him to study the world’s major religions for a few years before meeting the Buddha’s teachings in 1976.
In 1983, he went forth into the homeless life in the Mahayana tradition. Three years later, he was reordained in the Theravada tradition in Thailand. Thereafter, he spent about 10 years living the solitary lifestyle in quiet places.
He has written numerous booklets on Buddhism, e.g. Return to the Original Buddha’s Teachings, Message of the Buddha, Buddhist Monk’s Precepts, Liberation: Relevance of Sutta-Vinaya, Only We Can Help Ourselves, etc. His talks in English, Hokkien/Fujian, Cantonese, span the years 1988 – 2013. The 5 Nikayas in English, Hokkien Anguttara Nikaya, Samyutta Nikaya, Majjhima Nikaya; as well as other talks have been recorded in audio and video, and they can be found at the website of Vihara Buddha Gotama.
In 1998, through donations collected by his supporters, a 15-acre piece of land outside Temoh, in Perak, was purchased to establish the Vihara Buddha Gotama.