Prayudh Payutto
Encyclopedia
Prayudh Payutto (b. 1938), also known by his current monastic title, Phra Bhramagunabhorn, is a well-known Thai Buddhist monk, an intellectual, and a prolific writer. He is among the most brilliant Buddhist scholars in the Thai Buddhist history. He authored Buddha Dhamma, which is acclaimed to as one of the masterpieces in Buddhism that puts together Dhamma and natural laws by extensively drawing upon Pali Canon
, Atthakatha
, Digha, etc., to clarify Buddha
's verbatim speech.
Prayudh has lectured and written extensively about a variety of topics related to Buddhism, including the position of women in Buddhism and the relationship between Buddhism and the environment. He was awarded the 1994 UNESCO
Prize for Peace Education.
Because changes in monastic title often involve adding or changing monastic names, Payutto has been known by, and published under, a variety of different names over his career. Previously, he was known as Phra Rajavaramuni, Phra Dhebvedhi, and Phra Dhamapitaka.
, Suphanburi Province
, Thailand
.
Prayudh received his early education in Suphanburi. During his childhood, Prayudh suffered a lot of illnesses, some of which involved him in surgeries and many have followed him until today. Poor health made it difficult for him to commit to school and formal education. Discouraged by his health, Prayudh came back to Suphanburi after completing junior high school at Pathum Khongkha School in Bangkok
in 1950. Being assured that he could continue his education without having to get involved physically, as is the case in school, he entered the monastery, with the family's support, to seek religious education, being ordained as a novice (samanera
) at the age of 13. He began the study of Pali
and received training in Vipassanā
. Under his father's encouragement, he moved to Wat Phra Piren in Bangkok and went on to achieve the highest-level (ninth-level) studies in the Pali
language while still a samanera
, for which he was granted a royal ordination ceremony into monkhood in 1962. He embraced the monastic name "Payutto", literally "a person with unrelenting efforts". Prayudh received a Bachelor's degree in Buddhist studies from Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University
in 1962.
of Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University and had maintained this position for the following ten years. He played an important role in modernizing Sangha's education by relating knowledge in Buddhism to contemporary social issues. Prayudh assumed the post of Deputy Abbot
of Wat Phra Piren in 1973, but resigned three years later to dedicate himself to academic work. He published a number of books and articles, and regularly attended academic seminars and conferences, surrounding himself with contemporary scholars and intellectuals. He authored Buddha Dhamma, recognized as a masterpiece among Buddhist scholars. He received honorary degrees from more than ten universities, both domestic and foreign. When he received UNESCO
's Prize for Peace Education, he donated the whole amount to the Ministry of Education of Thailand for the establishing of Phra Dhampitaka Education for Peace Foundation.
Prayudh is currently serving as Abbot of Nyanavesakavan Temple (Wat Nyanavesakavan), located in Tambon Bang Krathuek, Amphoe Sam Phran
, Nakhon Pathom Province
.
tradition. He went public in many occasions in defence of Pali Canon whenever its integrity was challenged. When the Dhamakaya scandal, in which the original mentioning of "Dhamakaya" in Pali Canon was misinterpreted by a group of monks in their own favor, broke out in mid-1990s, Prayudh published a book that specifically dealt with the case. In The Dhamakaya Episode, Prayudh reviews the essence of Pali Canon, cites Pali texts misinterpret by this group of monks, and counterargues in the context of genuine Pali Canon. He argues that "Dhamakaya" was not truthfully interpreted, and points out that if the group continued to uphold the false interpretation, they could not do it under the umbrella of Theravada Buddhism.
, diarrhea
, indigestion, otitis
, allergic asthma, pulmonary disease, kidney stone
, bronchitis
, inflammatory
arm-muscle disorder, eye-inflicted viral disease, stricture of cerebral artery, and vocal fold nodule
. Nonetheless, Prayudh has put a lot of efforts on defending the integrity of Pali Canon
throughout his life. He has employed his well-versed understanding of Pali Canon not only to uphold the Sangha
institution in Thailand, but also to educate the general public of any misconceptions about Pali Canon. In so doing, Prayudh effectively uses verbatim quotes from Pali Canon, cites relevant Dhigas, and draws conclusions to argue for his case and counter-argue against and correct any misconceived views.
Prayudh published a number of books that examine contemporary social issues, such as abortion
, from a viewpoint of buddhism. He regularly expresses buddhist viewpoints on areas as diverse as education, laws, social sciences, and natural sciences. Prayudh stresses the Buddhist approach of middle path
as the inevitable way to achieve peace and sustainable development
. He argues that Buddhism is the eventual aggregation of natural laws and that it forms a basis of modern sciences. Prayudh also points to Buddhism as the indispensable path to happiness.
Pāli Canon
The Pāli Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, as preserved in the Pāli language. It is the only completely surviving early Buddhist canon, and one of the first to be written down...
, Atthakatha
Atthakatha
Atthakatha refers to Pali-language Theravadin Buddhist commentaries to the canonical Theravadin Tipitaka. These commentaries give the traditional interpretations of the scriptures. The major commentaries were based on earlier ones, now lost, in Old Sinhalese, which were written down at the same...
, Digha, etc., to clarify Buddha
Gautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
's verbatim speech.
Prayudh has lectured and written extensively about a variety of topics related to Buddhism, including the position of women in Buddhism and the relationship between Buddhism and the environment. He was awarded the 1994 UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
Prize for Peace Education.
Because changes in monastic title often involve adding or changing monastic names, Payutto has been known by, and published under, a variety of different names over his career. Previously, he was known as Phra Rajavaramuni, Phra Dhebvedhi, and Phra Dhamapitaka.
Early life
Prayudh was born the fifth child of Samran and Chunkee Arayangkoon on January 12, 1938 in Si Prachan DistrictAmphoe Si Prachan
Si Prachan is a district in the eastern part of Suphanburi Province, central Thailand.-History:The government separated some part of Tha Phi Liang district and Nang Buat district to create the Si Prachan district in 1901.-Geography:Neighboring districts are Mueang Suphanburi, Don Chedi and Sam...
, Suphanburi Province
Suphanburi
Suphan Buri is a town in central Thailand, capital of the Suphan Buri Province. It covers the whole tambon Tha Philiang and parts of the tambon Rua Yai and Tha Rahat, all within the Mueang Suphan Buri district...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
.
Prayudh received his early education in Suphanburi. During his childhood, Prayudh suffered a lot of illnesses, some of which involved him in surgeries and many have followed him until today. Poor health made it difficult for him to commit to school and formal education. Discouraged by his health, Prayudh came back to Suphanburi after completing junior high school at Pathum Khongkha School in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
in 1950. Being assured that he could continue his education without having to get involved physically, as is the case in school, he entered the monastery, with the family's support, to seek religious education, being ordained as a novice (samanera
Samanera
A samanera ) may be translated as novice monk in a Buddhist context. The literal meaning is 'small samana', that is, small renunciate where 'small' has the meaning of boy or girl. In the Vinaya monastic discipline, a man under the age of 20 cannot ordain as a bhikkhu, but can ordain as a samanera...
) at the age of 13. He began the study of Pali
Páli
- External links :* *...
and received training in Vipassanā
Vipassana
Vipassanā or vipaśyanā in the Buddhist tradition means insight into the true nature of reality. A regular practitioner of Vipassana is known as a Vipassi . Vipassana is one of the world's most ancient techniques of meditation, the inception of which is attributed to Gautama Buddha...
. Under his father's encouragement, he moved to Wat Phra Piren in Bangkok and went on to achieve the highest-level (ninth-level) studies in the Pali
Páli
- External links :* *...
language while still a samanera
Samanera
A samanera ) may be translated as novice monk in a Buddhist context. The literal meaning is 'small samana', that is, small renunciate where 'small' has the meaning of boy or girl. In the Vinaya monastic discipline, a man under the age of 20 cannot ordain as a bhikkhu, but can ordain as a samanera...
, for which he was granted a royal ordination ceremony into monkhood in 1962. He embraced the monastic name "Payutto", literally "a person with unrelenting efforts". Prayudh received a Bachelor's degree in Buddhist studies from Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University
Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University
Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University or MCU is one of two public Buddhist universities in Thailand. It is located at Wat Mahathat Yuwarajarangsarit Rajaworamahavihara in Bangkok.- History :...
in 1962.
A Scholarly Monk
After securing instructor qualifications, Prayudh was appointed Associate DeanDean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University and had maintained this position for the following ten years. He played an important role in modernizing Sangha's education by relating knowledge in Buddhism to contemporary social issues. Prayudh assumed the post of Deputy Abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of Wat Phra Piren in 1973, but resigned three years later to dedicate himself to academic work. He published a number of books and articles, and regularly attended academic seminars and conferences, surrounding himself with contemporary scholars and intellectuals. He authored Buddha Dhamma, recognized as a masterpiece among Buddhist scholars. He received honorary degrees from more than ten universities, both domestic and foreign. When he received UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
's Prize for Peace Education, he donated the whole amount to the Ministry of Education of Thailand for the establishing of Phra Dhampitaka Education for Peace Foundation.
Prayudh is currently serving as Abbot of Nyanavesakavan Temple (Wat Nyanavesakavan), located in Tambon Bang Krathuek, Amphoe Sam Phran
Amphoe Sam Phran
Sam Phran , is the southernmost district of Nakhon Pathom Province, Thailand.-History:The district was established in 1896, then named Talat Mai district...
, Nakhon Pathom Province
Nakhon Pathom Province
Nakhon Pathom ) is one of the central provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Suphan Buri, Ayutthaya, Nonthaburi, Bangkok, Samut Sakhon, Ratchaburi and Kanchanaburi...
.
Defending Pali Canon
Prayudh strongly believes in strict interpretation of Pali Canon, very much in line with the TheravadaTheravada
Theravada ; literally, "the Teaching of the Elders" or "the Ancient Teaching", is the oldest surviving Buddhist school. It was founded in India...
tradition. He went public in many occasions in defence of Pali Canon whenever its integrity was challenged. When the Dhamakaya scandal, in which the original mentioning of "Dhamakaya" in Pali Canon was misinterpreted by a group of monks in their own favor, broke out in mid-1990s, Prayudh published a book that specifically dealt with the case. In The Dhamakaya Episode, Prayudh reviews the essence of Pali Canon, cites Pali texts misinterpret by this group of monks, and counterargues in the context of genuine Pali Canon. He argues that "Dhamakaya" was not truthfully interpreted, and points out that if the group continued to uphold the false interpretation, they could not do it under the umbrella of Theravada Buddhism.
Achievements
Despite his poor health, Prayudh has proved himself a man with great efforts and faith in Buddhism. He has suffered a lot of illnesses from childhood, among which are valvular heart diseaseValvular heart disease
Valvular heart disease is any disease process involving one or more of the valves of the heart . Valve problems may be congenital or acquired...
, diarrhea
Diarrhea
Diarrhea , also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having three or more loose or liquid bowel movements per day. It is a common cause of death in developing countries and the second most common cause of infant deaths worldwide. The loss of fluids through diarrhea can cause dehydration and...
, indigestion, otitis
Otitis
Otitis is a general term for inflammation or infection of the ear, in both humans and other animals.It is subdivided into the following:*Otitis externa, external otitis, or "swimmer's ear" involves the outer ear and ear canal. In external otitis, the ear hurts when touched or pulled.*Otitis media...
, allergic asthma, pulmonary disease, kidney stone
Kidney stone
A kidney stone, also known as a renal calculus is a solid concretion or crystal aggregation formed in the kidneys from dietary minerals in the urine...
, bronchitis
Bronchitis
Acute bronchitis is an inflammation of the large bronchi in the lungs that is usually caused by viruses or bacteria and may last several days or weeks. Characteristic symptoms include cough, sputum production, and shortness of breath and wheezing related to the obstruction of the inflamed airways...
, inflammatory
Inflammation
Inflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process...
arm-muscle disorder, eye-inflicted viral disease, stricture of cerebral artery, and vocal fold nodule
Vocal fold nodule
A vocal cord nodule is a mass of tissue that grows on the vocal folds . Typically, this mass will appear on the junction of the anterior and middle two-thirds of the vocal fold, where contact is most forceful....
. Nonetheless, Prayudh has put a lot of efforts on defending the integrity of Pali Canon
Pāli Canon
The Pāli Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, as preserved in the Pāli language. It is the only completely surviving early Buddhist canon, and one of the first to be written down...
throughout his life. He has employed his well-versed understanding of Pali Canon not only to uphold the Sangha
Sangha
Sangha is a word in Pali or Sanskrit that can be translated roughly as "association" or "assembly," "company" or "community" with common goal, vision or purpose...
institution in Thailand, but also to educate the general public of any misconceptions about Pali Canon. In so doing, Prayudh effectively uses verbatim quotes from Pali Canon, cites relevant Dhigas, and draws conclusions to argue for his case and counter-argue against and correct any misconceived views.
Prayudh published a number of books that examine contemporary social issues, such as abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, from a viewpoint of buddhism. He regularly expresses buddhist viewpoints on areas as diverse as education, laws, social sciences, and natural sciences. Prayudh stresses the Buddhist approach of middle path
Middle way
The Middle Way or Middle Path is the descriptive term that Siddhartha Gautama used to describe the character of the path he discovered that led to liberation. It was coined in the very first teaching that he delivered after his enlightenment...
as the inevitable way to achieve peace and sustainable development
Sustainable development
Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
. He argues that Buddhism is the eventual aggregation of natural laws and that it forms a basis of modern sciences. Prayudh also points to Buddhism as the indispensable path to happiness.
International Awards and Recognitions
- 1994 UNESCOUNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
Prize for Peace Education - 1995 Appointed to a post of Tipitaka Archaraya, a scholar well versed in Pali CanonPāli CanonThe Pāli Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, as preserved in the Pāli language. It is the only completely surviving early Buddhist canon, and one of the first to be written down...
, by Nava Nalanda Institute - 2005 Awarded the Most Eminent Scholar as a guru of Theravada Buddhism by The World Buddhist University
External links
- Orange Tip Editions Buddhism in everyday life; eBooks by P.A. Payutto
- A collection of articles by and about Prayudh Payutto
- The Works of Ven. P.A. Payutto