Luang Ta Maha Bua

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Ajahn Maha Bua (Thai: หลวงตามหาบัว) is the common name of Pra Dharma Visuthimongkol (Thai: พระธรรมวิสุทธิมงคล), a highly revered Buddhist monk from Thailand. Ajahn Maha Boowa is amongst the most well known Thai Buddhist monks of the late Twentieth Century and is regarded by many to be an Arahat - a living Buddhist saint. He was a disciple of the highly esteemed forest master Ajahn Mun Bhuridattais now himself considered a master in the Thai Forest Tradition.

Biography: Venerable Ajahn Maha Boowa was born in Udon Thani Province, North-east Thailand in 1913. He became a monk in the customary way at a local monastery and went on to study the Pali language and texts. At this time he also started to meditate but had not yet found a suitable Teacher. Then he caught sight of the Ven. Ajahn Mun and immediately felt that this was someone really special, someone who obviously had achieved something from his Dhamma practice.

After finishing his Grade Three Pali studies he therefore left the study monastery and followed Ven. Ajahn Mun into the forests of N.E. Thailand. When he caught up with Ven. Ajahn Mun, he was told to put his academic knowledge to one side and concentrate on meditation. And that was what he did. He often went into solitary retreat in the mountains and jungle but always returned for help and advice from Ven. Ajahn Mun. He stayed with Ven. Ajahn Mun for seven years, right until the Ven. Ajahn's passing away.

The vigor and uncompromising determination of his Dhamma practice attracted other monks dedicated to meditation and this eventually resulted in the founding of Wat Pa Bahn Tahd, in some forest near the village where he was born. This enabled his mother to come and live as a nun at the monastery. Maha boowa is currently the abbot of wat pa bahn tahd. he travelled to london and gave lectures there. He founded the help thai nation project, a charitable effort dedicated to helping the thai economic rescue effort. He was visited and supported by the King and Queen of Thailand.

Source: [From the Introduction to To the Last Breath.]

Comment: Ven. Ajahn Maha Boowa is well known for the fluency and skill of his Dhamma talks, and their direct and dynamic approach. They obviously reflect his own attitude and the way he personally practiced Dhamma. This is best exemplified in the Dhamma talks he gives to those who go to meditate at Wat Pa Bahn Tahd. Such talks usually take place in the cool of the evening, with lamps lit and the only sound being the insects and cicadas in the surrounding jungle. He often begins the Dhamma talk with a few moments of stillness — this is the most preparation he needs — and then quietly begins the Dhamma exposition. As the theme naturally develops, the pace quickens and those listening increasingly feel its strength and depth.

The formal Dhamma talk might last from thirty-five to sixty minutes. Then, after a more general talk, the listeners would all go back to their solitary huts in the jungle to continue the practice, to try to find the Dhamma they had been listening about — inside themselves.

Source: [From the Introduction to To the Last Breath.]

Particular Teachings: Kammatthana

Kammatthana literally means "basis of work" or "place of work". It describes the contemplation of certain meditation themes used by a meditating monk so the forces of defilement (kilesa), craving (tanha), and ignorance (avijja) may be uprooted from the mind. Although kammatthana can be found in many meditation-related subjects, the term is most often used to identify the forest tradition (the Kammatthana tradition) lineage founded by Ajahn Sao Kantasilo Mahathera and his student Ajahn Mun Bhuridatta Mahathera.

[edit] The Devadatta incident

On 27 September 2005, the anti-Thaksin newspaper Manager Daily published a sermon by Luang Ta Maha Bua that was extremely critical of the Prime Minister, and which became further controversial because it came from a monk (who are above criticism in Buddhist Thailand)^[1]^[2].

On 11 October 2005, Thaksin sued Manager newspaper for THB 500 million^[3]. As monks have traditionally been above criticism, Thaksin did not sue Luang Ta Maha Bua. Thaksin was immediately attacked by critics and accused of gagging the press.