This
is a Love Story
Answer from Luongta
Luongta Chanhphy Manivong received a letter on 27th August 2001 from someone asking two questions:
(1) Luongta, can you please tell me whether I can finish my study at University this year?
(2) Also, how about my relationship with my boyfriend? I have been living with him since April 2001 and would it last forever?
Luongta said that he does not want to get involved in personal matters, but for the benefit of many people of the world, he will write a short ‘Love Story’.
This is the story of Diana who has been known throughout the world for her dedication to clear land mines worldwide. Her life ended tragically in a car accident together with her boy friend in Paris. People of all walks of life missed her tremendously.
Before their death, the couple’s minds were full of love. It seems nothing else matters at that time. Many people are in the same state of mind. When they are in love, they think of nothing else. They are intoxicated with love
I cannot judge whether this is right or wrong? But one thing certain is that ‘ when you are drunk you do not know what you are doing. You cannot differentiate between right and wrong’. For example, if someone is really drunk, he might not even know how to return home. But, if he manages to get home, he might not find the entrance and go inside. He is intoxicated with alcohols.
The similarity between people who are in love and people who are drinking alcohols too much is that they are both intoxicated. As a result, they lose their mind and ability to reason intelligently. When you are drunk, you always think that you are the best. You are number one. You do not know yourself. This is a major cause of the problems.
When one is short of wisdom one tends to see only one path of life. One tends to think that one can make one’s own future and can do what one likes.
One does not think about others. One always said that ‘ LEAVE ME ALONE. I HAVE MY LIFE TO LIVE’. Any one who thinks this way has no wisdom and is very narrow minded. In a way, he is already dead mentally. This sort of person thinks that he is smart. Yes, may be, but he cannot do good things for himself or eliminating his own problems. This sort of person is very ignorant. Smart people can solve their problems with wisdom.
I have another story for you – the story of a student and his teacher. The student does his homework everyday and shows it to his teacher every time. But the teacher, on the hand said that his student’s work is rubbish and it has no quality. The student thinks that his teacher does not like him for some reason. The fact is that when the student comes to classes, he tends to be sleepy and daydreaming all the time. The teacher and his student are in two different worlds. The teacher is in the world of teaching whereas his student is in the world of daydreaming. In this situation, the student always thinks that he is right and the teacher is wrong. He thought he has studied hard in classes; and he thought that he has done his homework well every time. But he never admits that he is in a dreaming world and not in a studying world. The student is intoxicated with dreams. The student’s mind is clouded with ignorance.
Another story about ‘ Love of Eating Food’
A long time ago, there was a very poor man. He had no food to eat. He could only think of food. He thought hat when he has the opportunity to eat food, he would keep eating it so that he will not die. He believed that food couldn’t kill him and only people who have no food to eat would die. One day he had the opportunity to do so and he kept eating and eating and suddenly his stomach exploded. He died instantly. This man forgot to use his wisdom to control his mind when he was intoxicated with love of eating too much food.
Intoxicated with love can lead someone to blindness which in turn leads to unwise decision, some time fatal. When you are in love, you have to be very careful in what you are doing. Love is similar to sugar, which is very sweet. Many people tend to think that sugar is not poisonous. One must always remember that too much of something is highly dangerous. Similarly, too much sugar intake can cause many diseases including high blood pressure.
Love is very sweet and romantic, but at the same time, love can cause death and love can be poisonous if treated wrongly. This is why so families have broken down and the couple went a separate way. When someone is in love, it is similar to that he is drunk. When you are drunk, you do not know what you are doing. Love is like playing a game – a game of love. People want to play it again and again and have the assumption that they will never get hurt.. The game of love will never end. This is similar to someone who loves gambling. When he has the money to gamble, it is all right for a while. But when he is short of money, he will start thinking of selling his possessions including his car, business and even his house so that he can continue to gamble and hoping that one day he will recover what he has lost. In this way, he may end up losing everything including himself. Finally, he will die for nothing. Are these people smart or dumb? Generally speaking people are smart, but when they are intoxicated with love or gambling, they cannot differentiate between what is right and what is wrong. The Buddha said that these people are in darkness. They cannot see light. They cannot make right decisions. They cannot see that honey is poisonous.
There are two sides of love – honey and poison. So may people in the world are suffering when their love turn sour. Frequently, their love leads them to destroy themselves unknowingly. They are intoxicated with passion. Passion is in your mind. No matter where you go, it will follow you. You cannot escape it. It is in your thought. You can lie to anyone, but you cannot lie to yourself. When you are possessed by passion you always think that you are the best and the smartest. On the contrary, you are not so. In the state of being possessed by a passion, you do not know yourself, you lose the power to control your mind – in a way you become ignorant.
One of the most important factors is to understand love. Is it honey or poison? You must avoid yourself from being intoxicated with love. You must love with wisdom. In Pali language ‘ Jasusota Vinyana’ means mind of the eye all the time, that is, to understand inside. You must understand you feeling with wisdom and as a result you will be able to differentiate between the two sides of love.
When your mind has no wisdom, it looks as if your mind is intoxicated with alcohols. In this situation, your mind is clouded with selfishness, bad temper, bad emotion and bad feeling. All of these will lead you to make a foolish decision – a destruction of yourself.
The answer to the person who wrote me a letter is very clear. You must understand yourself. It is your future, I am sure you would understand by now what is right for you. One of the Buddha’s words is that ‘ you must respect yourself first before you want someone to respect you’. In Buddhist way of thinking, parents must be treated with great respect. They are the one that give you life. You must listen and obey them. You must treat them as if they are the first Buddha in your heart.
How can someone have a good future? First of all, you must understand these three words ‘ Past-Present-Future’ . The past – it has gone. It is finished. No point of thinking about it. You cannot re-write your past. It is a sure thing likes a body in a coffin. The future – it has not come yet. You can think about it, but you cannot do anything with it as it has not come yet. So what is the point of dreaming about the future? The present – it is more important than the past and the future. The question is WHY? It is because your presence will be your past and future. What you are doing today will become your past tomorrow. Similarly, and tomorrow will become your present when the time comes. So the best way for you to do is by examining yourself today – not your past. If you think you are good today, it is highly likely that tomorrow will be good for you. Your good future depends on your good activity today. This is what the Budda said ‘ Hiri Otappa’ which means
‘ Be shy and be afraid of committing any bad and sinful karma’ The Buddha also said ‘ Attahi Attano Nadho’ which means ‘no one can help you and except yourself’.
I would like to bring more love story for you to read.
My principal intention for compiling this book, 'The History of Siddhartha Gotama Buddha', is my wish that this book remain a source of knowledge for later generations, Buddhamamaka and Dhamma practitioners so that they can feel, see and read it and, as well, use their wisdom to investigate the principles of real truth that already exist. Also, I would like readers to understand the meaning of the word 'LOVE', which has enormous meaning. For instance 'Love of one's culture' indicates one's ethnicity; 'love of one's physical body' leads to cleanliness of oneself from all dirty materials. There exists numerous ways of expressing love: -
'Internal Love' leads one to get rid off temptations
and delusion while practicing righteousness;
'Love of development' leads one to be studious;
'Love to be healthy' leads one to take care of one's mind to be happy andcontent,
to sleep, eat and rest reasonably;
' Love of advancement' leads one to seek high levels of education;
' Love to be polite' leads one to eradicate coarse language and behaviour;
' Love to be content' leads one to forego discontent and dissatisfaction;
' Love oneself' is similar to love for others. If one wishes to know everything,
one must be awaken at all times and then what one wishes to know will follow;
' Do not listen to anyone except righteousness'
' Do not listen to anyone except the truth'
' Do not believe anyone except the truth'.
Do not act like others, but act righteously, listen
to righteousness that is to listen to Buddha Dhamma.Listen to righteousness
means obeying the laws of the country.
Believe in righteousness means believing in the Teachings of Lord Buddha, which
also means 'reasons in accordance with the principles of Sacca Dhamma'. Do not
perform like others, but carry out righteousness or any righteousness which
will bring prosperity and development to oneself, one's religion and country,
one's culture and family as well the society that exists within the boundaries
of the rules and regulations of the laws of the country that have been accepted
and recognised by the society and everyone in the society.
'Love of one's religion' means to practice and follow the teachings of Buddha which teach us the value and equality of life of everyone regardless of their origin, including the life of animals. Life is subject to the same fate; that is, it has been born in the world together. Life is subject to the same aging process. Life is subject to the same illness process. There is no difference, but the only distinction is that one life is the life of a human being while the other life is that of an animal.
'Love of one's religion' means to practice meditation and follow the teachings of Lord Buddha. Whatever suffering one may have, one must attempt to eliminate that suffering. Whatever happiness one may have one must always guard and maintain that happiness. Whatever wisdom one has not yet attained, one must always continue to practice and meditate until one realises and attains that wisdom. Whatever sati (awareness) one has not yet attained one must be vigorous in one's practice and relinquish any carelessness. Once any sati has been attained, one must always direct ones thought to any precious way. When one's citta (mind) is shaken one must attempt to eliminate any distress, discontent worries and confusion.If one's citta has no foundation, one must be very vigorous in one's meditation practice to relinquish any distress and sickening citta. Once a citta is comfortable, the body is also comfortable which leads to the development of wisdom. This leads to a saying that 'a precious being is a human being', a wise person who steadily attains whatever he or she has wished for in life. As a result, suffering is eliminated. Happiness occurs instead. He/she sees 'Paradise and Nibbana'. He/she would conquer Brommajana and attain Arahantaship. This is the way of Buddhism showing us that we must investigate ourselves. This is the guarding of Buddhism and to make oneself free from suffering.
These are the sources of history of Buddha Dhamma, discovered by Prince Siddhartha over 2500 years ago and introduced Dhamma to all beings including beings of the 'Five Worlds' that have been practised until the present time.
Therefore, I have compiled this book in accordance with the principles of Buddhism that have been recognised and accepted by beings of the worlds including the 'Five Worlds' comprising of the 'World of Bhromma, Deva, Naga, Human beings and Yomma World.'
Namo Puphang Khama Dhamma * Mano Settha Mano Maya *
Manasace Pathutthena * Tatonang Dhukkhaman Veti * Cakkang Vava Hatopathang 1
which means:-
Of all Dhamma, Mind is the principal. Mind is the chief. Success is
in the mind. If one has an impure mind, whether in the process of speaking or
acting, one will suffer Dukkha, which one will constantly face. This is similar
to the wheels of an ox driven cart that keep following the ox.
Namo Puphang Khama Dhamma * Mano Settha Mano Maya *
Manasace Pathutthena
Tatonang Dhukkhaman Veti * Cakkang Vava Hatopathang * Sayava Anupayini
which means:-
Of all Dhamma, mind is the principal. Mind is the chief.Success
is in the mind. If one has a pure mind, whether in the process of speaking or
acting,
one will be happy. This is similar to a shadow that keeps following itself.
Thank you for enjoying my story and I wish human being in the world love your life and make you happiness.
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Start learning the Buddhism when she was young and her love culture.
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She love her culture whatever where she was going in
the world.
She keeps love her mother tongue languages
I would like to show you a little bit of Lao culture.
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Full moon on the 15th of August 1960 ceremony called:"Bun Bang Phay" in Lao Wat Phone Kok.
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End of the 3 month Rainy
season ceremony on the 15th September
when people offer alms to the monks as a special blessing.
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Kathina Ceremony held on
the full moon day on the 15th of november 1970.
Luongta offer Katina in Lao, Wat Ban-Phra-Khao, VienTiane
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Buddhist monks are chanting during Kathina ceremony
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The Buddhist new year of
the full moon on the may. The people offer water and buddhist monk keep the
blessing kindness to all of them.
The monk chanting,offer the water to the buddha and respect buddha. thats we
called buddhist culture.
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Luongta Chanhphy Manivong in
meditation giving by kindness to all beings from those be born,old ,sick and
passed away.
Including every human,animal and god beginning from the hell and through heaven.
They are enjoy kindness blessing from Luongta in the Bangkok-Thailand in the 1996.
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Luongta watching his student
come to enjoy the Buddhist newyear
and have blessing from buddhist monk.
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I would like to thank all these people who were kind and generous to this project. Without their efforts and support this was next to impossible to present this website. I am especially indebted to Mr Ekachai Sribunditt. It is really very difficult to thank him and his family (father & mother,2 sistors and 1 brother)
For their continuous support he has given an immense amount of time to create and set up the website. For the benefit of the mass, this service and devotion to the Buddhist world is evident by this act of generousity.
I would like to bring the special word of blessing from the Lord Buddha in Pali Dharma Blessing.
Budthang Ayu Watdhanang Teasivitang
Yavanipphanang Saranang Katsami
Dhammang Ayu Watdhanang Tesivitang Yavanipphanang Saranang Katsami
Sangkhang Ayu Watdhanang Tesivitang Yavanipphanang Saranang Katsami
All Pali mentioned above means the kindness from the Dharma, however all lifes hold their future, what they wish to come true in this life, now and forever.
On my own respect to the Lord Buddha, Dharma and Sangkha, kindly come to protect all lifes, giving safety, healthy, long life and be happy now and forever. Be free from suffering.
Thank you Dharma Kindness
Written by Luongta Chanhphy Manivong
22 November 1999
All the postcards and I show you are based on Lao traditions and culture.
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Hand Rice Milling ' North laos'
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King's Boat ' Bangkok Thailand'
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Wat Phou Champassack ' Southern Laos'
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Vientiane, Laos
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Luang Prabang, Laos
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Returning Home from a forest
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House -Warming party, Laos
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Laos- Farmer, so many century ago now still have
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Catch fish in the river
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Laos people happy on Ceremony of Culture
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Luongta Chanphy Manivong from Australia visited Wat Ban Phra Khao in Vientiane capital, Lao
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All Buddhamamaka and buddhist monks came to enjoy the ceremony offering the temple main gate to Wat Ban Phra Khao by Luongta Chanphy Manivong and in this occasion Luongta also donated 3,000,000 Lao kips , 25,000 Thai baht plus 400 US dollars and 2 sets of Attha Palikharn to Phra Khu Thong Sa Amintharath , the head monk.
In this conclusion, I would like to pray to the tripple gems, the power of the Buddha, Dharma, Sangha as well as all the God and Goddess, all the sacred beings in the whole universe together with the fruition of all my good deeds and righteous that I carried out to come and showered their blessings to all beings whether they are animals or humans. May all Rupa and Nama being to be happy and free from sufferrings
Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu
Luong Ta Chanhphy Manivong
14 July 1997, Wat Ban Phra Khao, Vientiane, Lao
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The Buddha image 's name is Phra Bang. It is made from
gold weighing about 300 kg and centuries old.
It is a national treasure of Laos. In Laos people 's mind, they love Phra Bang
with their full heart.
I would like to talk about the Buddhist Sasana’s role in Lao culture. From the first day of Buddhist lent and throughout the 3 months, the Buddhist monks have to stay permanently in the monastery. On the last day the Buddhist monks assemble in order to perform the ceremony of allowance of each other. A day in which the Buddhist monks attend the recitation of patimokkha (the principal disciplines), this occurs every fortnight. The day on which the Buddhists observe the 8 precepts is every Buddhist holy day, 4 times a month. Worship on the full moon day (Magha moon), commemorates the delivery of the principal teaching of Lord Buddha to his 2503 disciples, who were all arahant in the first year of his enlightenment. It also commemorates the conscious and deliberate decision made by him in the last year of his life that at the end of 3 months he passed away. The Buddhist holy day on which the Buddhists observe the 8 or 5 precepts and attend the sermon, there are 4 Buddhist holy days in a lunar month, they are the 8th and 15th days of both bright and dark halves of the 30 days month. In the 29 days month the different holy day takes place only at the end of the month, that is the 14th day of the dark half of the month. Finally, with the power and the blessing of triple gems, I wish you all to be happy and be successful in what you are looking for now and in the future.
21 March 1960
Wat Phonkok, Ban Poo,
Muong Sai Phong, Vientiane, Laos
Luong Ta Chanhphy Manivong
I would like to bring more story, permanent love that means it had never change Siddharta in 500 lives wish to become the Buddha for stopping suffering of life. Before becoming the Buddha, his last life he was Phra Vetsandorn - 10th of a Bodhisattava accumulating of (Danna paramee) charity in order to teach people how to release or let go appropriately for example;
Freeing a string from tying one 's neck, Give away
one 's children
Freeing a string from tying one 's elbow to release or let 's wife
Freeing a string from tying one 's feet, Give away one 's possesions
Additionally it is taught people to respect their parents, masters and teachers as well as to teach married couples to stay within traditional boundaries. Last ten lives of a Bodhisattava the last one being the life of Phra Vetsandorn and immediately followed by the birth of prince Siddharta on earth.
Prince Siddhartha gave up life in the Palace and began his search for Mokkha Dhamma until he attained Enlightenment without begging by anyone and became the Buddha. The names Phra Gotama, Phra Siddhartha became the Buddha. Phra Boromma Srisonxay was King Sri Soudhothana and Queen Phoutsady was Queen Siri Maha Maya. Both were father and mother of the Lord Buddha respectively.
Nang Matdhy was Nang Phimpha (Yasothara) who was Prince Siddhartha’s wife. Thao Saly was Phra Rahul who was Prince Siddhartha’s son. Nang Kanha was Bikkhuni Uparavannadhera.
Phra Vetsandorn was Prince Siddhartha who had been accumulating his paramee (good deeds) for the last 10th lives. In his 10th life, he obtained what he had been hoping for in every aspect, that is, to search for Mokkha Dhamma for 6 years and in the early morning hours of the full moon day of 6th month of the Year of the Dog, Prince Siddhartha attained Enlightenment and became Buddha.
In his life whatever he had done, he fully did with love in his mind. He loved to become the Buddha for 500 lives and he had never changed his mind.
Please keep the love in mind, love yourself, be happy forever. That is my love story, I would like to leave all with you, May be will make you be happy.
Written by Luongta Chanhphy Manivong
21st November 1997.
4724 58th Avenue.
St. Petersburg, FL, 33714 USA
Mr&Mrs Khamphet Datsada ( Luongta went here three times )
The little birds
Finally the love story of the little birds, I would like to bring this love story to you. This story had been centuries ago. When I was young, my master told me this story and let us know that all lifes wish to have long life and freedom. Please enjoy the following love story.
The love story from centuries ago there was a hermit named ' Phra lursy ' . In Buddhist Phra Buddhasatsana there are four levels. In the first level there are maximum 5 points, the second level there are maximum 8 points, the third level there are maximum 10 points and the last level there are maximum 227 points. Whoever can observe one precept, he will gain one point.
To abstain from causing carelessness in whole life, all human or person who would like to be good people must fully have 5 precepts as the same as Phra Lursy observed 5 precepts, enjoyed living lonely in forest so many years ago and he was very happy.
Once a day there were two birds named ' Nokachoknoi ' - little bird. One was male and the other one was female. They got married together. The coupled wanted to be happy and did not want anyone to get involved in their life so they went to see Phra Lursy for respecting him. The two little birds asked Phra Lursy " Would you mind if we would like to stay with you ?" Phra Lursy said "yes, we can live together" It was a kindness of Phra Lursy for all life. Why? Becuase he thought that all life had been born in the world. All need freedom and free from sufferings and they want to be happy. Human and animals are in the same cycle "get birth, get old, get sick and pass away".
After that the two little birds came to live with Phra Lursy and built a house in Phra Lursy 's beard. They were very happy. Not so long time they had children, his wife at home looked after their children and he usually went out looking for food. One day an unexpected incident happening to him. He came out, flew inside the lotus to pick up food not in the right time. The time he came to pick up food is in the afternoon. The sun downed that made him a problem, he can not go back home in time. Why? Because the lotus was close, he got stuck inside the lotus and stayed inside overnight until the sun arised. In the morning time the lotus is open, he flew outside and went back home. When he came back home, his wife asked him " Where were you last night ?" and he said " The lotus was close, I got stuck inside the lotus and I stayed there overnight " His wife did not believe him and they started quarreling. The loud noise made Phra Lursy unhappy. Phra Lursy said " You stayed with me for a long time and I was happy but now I would like you to get out from my place. You had to live in another place." The little birds ' family left from Phra Lursy 's beard and made a new house in an inflammable bush.
One day the strong fire coming and blew away a male bird from their children. " We had no way to enjoy, we all had to die ", they talked to each other. The strong fire coming, the strong wind blew away a male bird from their children. He fell out of his family and got fire burned. They were died all.
After that they re-borned again to human beings. When they grew up, they remembered everything. The last life little female bird was a girl in this life. She just only thought in her mind. a man always tell a lie. She stopped talking to all men even her father as well. The last life male bird was a man in this life and he can remember his last life too. He kept looking for his last life family until one day he met the girl and telling her about their last life story. " We had lived together in an inflammable bush and when the fire coming, you ran out of , left me and children alone" " We all died together except you" a girl was unhappy and claimed that the man 's story was not true. The man tell a lie. After that they talked together and understand each other and they get married again.
That love story in my country, Laos people all know. We call " love ever never change " that means ( In Pali word saying " Attahi Attano Na Dho " ) I love myself,I have to do everything for myself, I have to look up myself. Why? In Pali word saying " No one love more than love yourself " . Like human and animals, all love food. If no food, all lives get die. The Buddha word saying " Buddho" that means - Air. All lives, they love breathing, no breathing, no life, they all get die that means all lives living in the world love air. No air, no breathing, no life.
In Buddhist Satsana, Buddha Dharma teaching in the Vipassana Meditation using four natural elements, the great ghosts in our body Love/hated, content/discontent, satisfied/not satisfied. Vinyana Khandho makes human beings knowing the " Arrom " which means to understand the Four Noble Truths.
Four elements are
1. Pathavi Dhatu ( earth ) maintaining strength or weakness
2. Apo Dhatu ( water) maintaining humidity
3. Teso Dhatu ( fire ) maintaining heat in the body either hot or cold
4. Vayo Dhatu ( Air ) maintaining the breathing and other movements that come
from the natural making all humans breathing. They love themselves, love breathing,
love air. ( No air, no life. No breathing, no life )
That is the love story I would like to leave all with you. May be will make you happy.
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The Little Birds ( Nok-Ka-Chok-noi ) in Love Story
Written by Luongta Chanhphy Manivong
21st March 1998,
Dow Dr Antioch, T N 37013, USA
Sponsor by Mr. & Mrs. Noukane Souriyavongsa
( Luongta went there three times )