Ajaan
Paññavaddho
(1925
~ 2004)
Ajaan
Paññavaddho
Venerable Ajaan Paññavaddho was for 41 years
the senior-most Western bhikkhu following Ajaan Mun’s
path of practice. Ajaan Panya, as he was called, was a man
of intellectual brilliance who, through his own efforts in
meditation, was able to establish a strong spiritual foundation
in his heart. While showing a selfless devotion to the task
of presenting Ajaan Mun’s Dhamma to his many disciples,
his calm and purposeful presence touched the lives of so many
people. He became a pioneer of the Western Sangha whose leadership
influenced countless monks and laypeople to practice Ajaan
Mun’s teachings; and whose translations and interpretations
of Ajaan Maha Boowa’s teachings introduced generations
of Buddhists to the Thai forest tradition.
Ajaan Panya was born Peter John Morgan of Welsh parents on
the 19th of October 1925. His birth took place in Mysore state
in South India at Kolar Gold Fields, where his father was
working as a mining engineer. At the age of 7 he was sent
to the United Kingdom by his parents to begin his formal education.
He lived with his grandparents in Wales until the rest of
his family returned from India several years later.
His family then settled in the English midlands where he completed
his primary education. Because of the Second World War his
family was forced to move several times before he finally
completed his secondary education. In his mid-teens young
Peter contracted bovine tuberculosis in his right foot, probably
due to drinking contaminated milk. He underwent several unsuccessful
treatments before having the infected bone surgically removed
from his foot, resulting in his ankle bones being fused together.
This resulted in a lifelong disability which, though a misfortune
in one way, was a blessing in another—he was not required
to serve in the military during the war, and thus avoided
making a lot of bad kamma for himself. Peter was then free
to further his education at Faraday House in London, where
he graduated with a degree in electrical engineering just
as the war ended.
Following graduation, he spent 2 years in India working as
an electrical engineer in the Kolar gold mines. Upon his return
to England, he continued working as an engineer for a further
7 years—first in Stafford, then in London. It was during
this period of his life that Peter became deeply interested
in Buddhism. He began to contemplate the value and purpose
of birth and life in this world in light of its inevitable
march toward sickness, old age and death. He began to question
the very nature of existence and concluded that popular religious
and scientific explanations were seriously flawed. In his
quest for the truth, he discovered that the Buddha’s
teaching provided a firm basis in theory and practice, which
could serve as a platform for thoroughly investigating these
issues. He read Buddhist doctrine extensively and joined several
Buddhist organizations. Finally, inspired by the example of
Bhikkhu Kapilavaddho, who had ordained in Thailand, Peter
decided to renounce the worldly life in order to fully pursue
his search for the truth unhindered by the burden of worldly
concerns. He was ordained as a samanera at the London Buddhist
Vihara on the 31st of October 1955. He was given the name
Pannãvaddho.
In December of that year Pannãvaddho and 2 other samaneras
flew to Bangkok, Thailand, together with Bhikkhu Kapilavaddho,
with the intention of ordaining as bhikkhus. After staying
at Wat Paknam with Luang Paw Soth for a month, on the 27th
of January 1956 the 3 samaneras were duly ordained as bhikkhus.
In mid-July of that year they all returned to London where
they settled into a small vihara provided by the English Sangha
Trust. Gradually the others all returned to lay life, leaving
Bhikkhu Pannãvaddho to look after the vihara alone.
He remained in charge of the vihara for a full 5 years before
another bhikkhu arrived to take his place. During that time
he selflessly devoted himself to the task of teaching the
Dhamma to the best of his ability, not only at the vihara,
but also in giving lectures and on in organizing retreats.
At the same time, he fulfilled his obligation to the monk’s
life of meditation, practicing it as thoroughly and strictly
as possible.
Still, at times he became discouraged, as the experience that
he gained in this way was not sufficient to eliminate his
doubts. He deeply felt the lack of a reliable mentor, a good
teacher who could assure him that the noble goals of the Buddha’s
teaching were still attainable in the modern era. Were there
any living Arahants who could guide him along the path to
Nibbãna? If he could find such a guide he would wholeheartedly
dedicate himself to that goal.
To that end, Bhikkhu Pannãvaddho decided that he must
return to Thailand and look for a good teacher, one who could
command his full trust. He flew back to Thailand in November
of 1961. At first he went to stay with Venerable Ajaan Pannãnanda
at Wat Cholapratan near Bangkok. While there he asked a Thai
friend to scout out the best, most revered meditation teachers
in the country and report back to him. Eventually this friend
took him to meet Venerable Ajaan Mãha Boowa, a longtime
disciple of Venerable Ajaan Mun, who was widely renowned to
be an Arahant. Impressed by Ajaan Mãha Boowa’s
resolute character and profound wisdom, Bhikkhu Pannãvaddho
moved to his monastery, Wat Pa Baan Taad in Udon Thani province,
and became his disciple. He arrived on the 16th of February
1963 and remained resident there for the rest of his life.
Ajaan Mãha Boowa soon shortened his name to Panya,
and from then on he was known simply as Ajaan Panya. He remained
a close disciple of Ajaan Mãha Boowa for the next 41
years. He said that he was able to put up with the hardships
of living in the remote jungles of Northeast Thailand mainly
due to the strong faith he had in Ajaan Mãha Boowa
and his teaching methods. The climate was hot and uncomfortable,
the food was simple and rough, there was a language barrier
to overcome, and his fused ankle left him with limited mobility;
but his heart was bolstered by his faith in the teacher and
his perseverance in the practice. Ajaan Panya’s mind
tended naturally toward wisdom, and that allowed him to progress
quickly in meditation. With the benefit of Ajaan Mãha
Boowa’s careful guidance, his understanding of Dhamma
deepened and became more comprehensive with each passing year.
In 1965, at Ajaan Mãha Boowa’s insistence, Ajaan
Panya re-ordained into the Dhammayuta Nikaya. With the present
Sangharãja—Somdet Phra Nyana-sung-wãra—as
his preceptor, he took re-ordination at Wat Boworniwait on
June 22 of that year.
Ajaan Panya possessed a very subtle and refined nature. His
practice was beyond reproach. He was always composed and circumspect,
and displayed wisdom in everything he did. Not only did he
develop himself to the fullest, but his exemplary life and
practice influenced many people from all over the world. From
the beginning he worked tirelessly to translate Ajaan Mãha
Boowa’s writings into English, publishing translations
that were distributed free around the world. Gradually he
became a source of strength and inspiration to the Buddhists
from many countries who traveled to Thailand to see him. This
is especially true of the Western bhikkhus who have joined
the Sangha at Wat Pa Baan Taad since his arrival. He always
showed a selfless devotion to the task of instructing these
monks, and they always relied on him to teach them the correct
way to practice Buddhism.
In 1974 the English Sangha Trust invited Ajaan Mãha
Boowa to visit London, England with the intention of trying
to establish a Theravada Sangha there. Ajaan Panya accompanied
his teacher to London where he helped to communicate the essence
of Ajaan Mãha Boowa’s Dhamma teaching to the
Buddhist faithful. It was to be the last time that Ajaan Panya
returned to England. But, although no Sangha was established
at that time, their inspiring presence laid the groundwork
for the future English Sangha.
His knowledge of engineering became a valuable asset to the
monastery. From the time he arrived, he was involved in almost
every building project carried out at Wat Pa Baan Taad—often
designing the project and overseeing the construction himself.
Ajaan Mãha Boowa had so much faith in his wisdom and
engineering skills that he rarely questioned Ajaan Panya’s
judgment in those matters. Whether the engineering was electrical
or mechanical, structural or electronic, he had mastered them
all on his own initiative, and could apply them with a skill
and grace that constantly amazed his fellow monks. The ease
with which Wat Pa Baan Taad developed from a simple forest
monastery into a thriving monastic center is a testament to
Ajaan Panya’s ability to manage a forest monastery’s
resources while protecting its traditions and its meditative
environment.
In September of 2003 the first symptoms appeared of a disease
that would eventually cause his death. He was diagnosed with
colon cancer, and he decided to treat it with natural herbal
remedies. He appeared unfazed by his condition, and he felt
quite sure that the medicine was working. Over the following
9 months the cancer appeared to gradually regress, but in
June of 2004 it resurfaced and began to spread rapidly. He
showed great equanimity as death approached, never displaying
any concern for the failing condition of his body. Ajaan Panya
passed away in complete stillness at 8:30 AM on August 18,
2004. He was 2 months shy of his 79th birthday. He died as
he lived—with his heart purely and simply at peace.
Ajaan Panya’s remains were cremated at Wat Pa Baan Taad
10 days later. His funeral ceremony was the largest event
ever held there—an estimated 50,000 people attended
to pay their final respects, including over 4,000 monks. Something
extraordinary occurred on the day of his cremation. On 3 separate
occasions, a circular rainbow appeared in the blue sky, each
time encircling the sun like a large, luminous halo. The rainbow
first appeared as his casket was being placed on the funeral
pyre; it appeared again later when his life story was being
read aloud; and yet a third time when Ajaan Mãha Boowa
lit the funeral pyre. It was as though the power of his spiritual
attainment had created an external, visual image to reflect
the depth and subtly of his virtue for all to see. It marked
a supremely graceful conclusion to the life and practice of
a monk whose loving kindness and humility radiated softly
from his presence to encompass the whole world of samsãra.
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