The above is a Thai monk who rescues abandoned orphans and
teaches them Muay Thai.
This was taken from Sunday Times, 27 January - 7th instalment of
New Asian Heroes, an eight-part series on Asians who lead inspiring
lives. The article was penned by reporter Mr Wong Kim Hoh in Chiang
Rai, Thailand.
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Excerpts from the
article:
1. Before he became a monk, Phra
Kru Ba Neua Chai, 45, was a lethal muay thai fighter who lost only
three fights in a 15 year professional boxing career. He also
studied law at Ramkhamkheng University in Bangkok, and was married
to a petty trader who bore him two children.
His son, 21 is a soldier and
national boxer. His daughter, 19, also a muay thai exponent, is an
undergraduate at an agricultural university in Chiang
Rai
2. For the last 17 years, the
charismatic man has devoted his life to spreading the Dharma. He's
turned what was once dry, uninhabited forest land into a
conservation with paddocks and pens for scores of Thai horses and
magnificent fighting cocks.
It has also become a home for many
young boys from various hill tribes who have been orphaned,
abandoned or made homeless by ruthless drug guerillas who traffic
heroin, opium and methamphetamines in the area, known to the
outside world as The Golden Triangle.
In the monastery, these boys are
ordained as novice monks and learn how to read and write. The
abbott also teaches them Buddhist scriptures, horse-riding and muay
thai.
3. He smiles when asked if cock
fighting is a cruel sport. "They're born warriors. They were born
to fight and will fight regardless. "Like these creatures, we all
have to fight - for freedom, independence, to be who we want to be.
They are the best boxing masters one could have. They have no
toolos, you learn a lot just by observing how they
move."
4. Although there were no
major upheavals in his life, he was dogged by questions on human
suffering. "Maybe it's predestined that I study law so that I
can compare the laws of man and the laws of karma," he
says.
A visit to the university's
forensic department made him reflect on his life. "If I had 40
years left, I'd spend 20 years sleeping and another 10 working,
eating and socialising. If I'm lucky, I'd live out the rest of my
life right. If not, my life would have been a total
waste."
5. At 29, he told his wife of
eight years he wanted to get ordained. He left for Chiang Rai,
where he sat on a rock in the forest and meditated for 15
days.
To show he has been reborn to
devote his life to the Buddha, several monks spent four days and
nights tattooing his body with scripture signifying that he'll
never give up his vows.
He told his wife that he has found
peace and detachment from earthly desires, and that both of them
should start life anew.
6. There are now more than 100
horses in the temple. He teaches his novice monks how to care for
the animals and in the process, imparts values such as
responsibility and loyalty. Yet other devotees offered money to
build big temples.
"Monks have no need for money, we
also cannot have debt," he says. He offered them alternatives: "Why
not give to build schools so that they can have an education? Why
not use it for salaries for teachers to teach these
children?"
7. His work earned him the backing
of the Thai army. It also won the approval of a revered chief monk
in Bangkok who encourage him to help the hill tribes. The war
between various drug lords has left in its wake a host of problems
such as drug addiction, kidnapping and prostitution.
8. Many of the people who come to
see him want to seek peace and happiness. He smiles and say gently:
"Everyone wants to look for peace and happiness. Maybe they should
first try to achieve some understanding."
"It's impossible for the whole
world to understand one person. Why don't we try to understand the
whole world instead, starting with ourselves?"
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I wonder if we can protect the dharma like him.