Prayudh Payutto (also P.A. Payutto; th, ประยุทธ์ ปยุตฺโต, ป.อ. ปยุตฺโต) (b. 1937), also known by his current monastic title, Somdet Phra Buddhakosajarn, is a well-known Thai Buddhist monk, an intellectual, and a prolific writer.
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
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
Prize for Peace Education.
Because changes in Thai monastic title 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 Debvedhi'', ''Phra Dhammapitaka, and'' ''Phra Bhramagunabhorn''. Upon his appointment to the
Sangha Supreme Council
The Sangha Supreme Council of Thailand ( th, มหาเถรสมาคม; pi, Mahāthera Samāgama; abbreviated SSC) is the governing body of the Buddhist order (Sangha) of Thailand, and is the ultimate authority for all ecclesiastical mat ...
in 2016, his current title is Somdet Phra Buddhakosajarn.
Early life
Prayudh was born as the fifth child of Samran and Chunkee Arayangkoon on January 12, 1938 in
Si Prachan District,
Suphanburi Province,
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
.
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, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
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
A sāmaṇera (Pali); sa, श्रामणेर (), is a novice male monastic in a Buddhist context. A female novice is a ''śrāmaṇerī'' or ''śrāmaṇerikā'' (Sanskrit; Pāli: ''sāmaṇerī'').
Etymology
The ''sāmaṇera'' is a ...
) at the age of 13. He began the study of
Pali
Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or '' Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of '' Theravāda'' Buddh ...
and received training in
Vipassanā
''Samatha'' ( Pāli; sa, शमथ ''śamatha''; ), "calm," "serenity," "tranquillity of awareness," and ''vipassanā'' ( Pāli; Sanskrit ''vipaśyanā''), literally "special, super (''vi-''), seeing (''-passanā'')", are two qualities of t ...
. 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
Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or '' Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of '' Theravāda'' Buddh ...
language while still a
samanera
A sāmaṇera (Pali); sa, श्रामणेर (), is a novice male monastic in a Buddhist context. A female novice is a ''śrāmaṇerī'' or ''śrāmaṇerikā'' (Sanskrit; Pāli: ''sāmaṇerī'').
Etymology
The ''sāmaṇera'' is a ...
, 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 (MCU) ( th, มหาวิทยาลัยมหาจุฬาลงกรณราชวิทยาลัย, ) is one of two public Buddhist universities in Thailand, as well as being the oldest Budd ...
in 1962.
A scholarly monk
After securing instructor qualifications, Prayudh was appointed Associate
Dean
Dean may refer to:
People
* Dean (given name)
* Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin
* Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk
* Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean
Titles
* ...
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 is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. The ...
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 ''Buddhadhamma'', recognized as a masterpiece among Buddhist scholars. He received honorary degrees from more than ten universities, both domestic and foreign. When he received
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
's Prize for Peace Education, he 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
Sam Phran ( th, สามพราน, ) is the southernmost district (''amphoe'') of Nakhon Pathom province, Thailand.
History
The district was established in 1896, then named Talat Mai District. It was renamed Sam Phran in 1917.
The name ''S ...
,
Nakhon Pathom Province.
Defending the Pali Canon
Prayudh strongly believes in strict interpretation of Pali Canon, very much in line with the
Theravada
''Theravāda'' () ( si, ථේරවාදය, my, ထေရဝါဒ, th, เถรวาท, km, ថេរវាទ, lo, ເຖຣະວາດ, pi, , ) is the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school' ...
tradition. He went public in many occasions in defense of the
Pali Canon
The Pāli Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, as preserved in the Pāli language. It is the most complete extant early Buddhist canon. It derives mainly from the Tamrashatiya school.
During t ...
whenever its integrity was challenged. For example, in the mid-1990s, Prayudh published a book called ''The Case of Dhammakaya'' ( th, กรณีธรรมกาย),
[ (in Thai)
] in which he discussed the controversy related to the concepts
dhammakaya and
Nibbana
Nirvana (Sanskrit: निर्वाण, '; Pali: ') is "blowing out" or "quenching" of the activities of the worldly mind and its related suffering. Nirvana is the goal of the Hinayana and Theravada Buddhist paths, and marks the soteriologica ...
as interpreted by the
Dhammakaya Movement
The Dhammakaya tradition or Dhammakaya movement, sometimes spelled as ''Thammakaai movement'', is a Thai Buddhist tradition founded by Luang Pu Sodh Candasaro in the early 20th century. It is associated with several temples descended from Wat ...
. Prayudh reviewed the essence of the Pali Canon, cited Pali texts he believed were misinterpreted by the temple, and came up with counterarguments in the context of the Pali Canon. He argued that the term Dhammakaya was not correctly interpreted, and claimed that if the temple continued to uphold false interpretations, it could not do so any longer under the umbrella of Theravada Buddhism.
Wat Phra Dhammakaya replied in several ways. One assistant-abbot of the temple, Luang phi Thanavuddho, wrote an essay in which he defended the temple's views. He compared discussing the nature of Nirvana with the well-known
metaphor of blind people feeling an elephant and getting in a fight about what it is they are feeling. This metaphor is also mentioned in the Pali Canon. He also referred to interpretations of Pali scholars
C.A.F. Rhys Davids
Caroline Augusta Foley Rhys Davids (1857–1942) was a British writer and translator. She made a contribution to economics before becoming widely known as an editor, translator, and interpreter of Buddhist texts in the Pāli language. She was ...
and
I.B. Horner, but Prayudh dismissed these as incorrect.
Achievements
Prayudh has published a number of books that examine contemporary social issues, such as
abortion
Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pre ...
, from a viewpoint of Buddhism. He regularly expresses Buddhist viewpoints on areas as diverse as education, law, social sciences and natural sciences. Prayudh stresses the Buddhist approach of
middle path
The Middle Way ( pi, ; sa, ) as well as "teaching the Dharma by the middle" (''majjhena dhammaṃ deseti'') are common Buddhist terms used to refer to two major aspects of the Dharma, that is, the teaching of the Buddha.; my, အလယ် ...
as the inevitable way to achieve peace and
sustainable development. He argues that Buddhism is the eventual aggregation of
natural laws
Natural law ( la, ius naturale, ''lex naturalis'') is a system of law based on a close observation of human nature, and based on values intrinsic to human nature that can be deduced and applied independently of positive law (the express enacted ...
and that it forms a basis of modern sciences. Prayudh also points to Buddhism as the indispensable path to happiness.
[ (in Thai)]
International awards and recognitions
* 1994
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
Prize for Peace Education
* 1995 Appointed to a post of ''Tipitaka Acharaya'', as a scholar well versed in the
Pali Canon
The Pāli Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, as preserved in the Pāli language. It is the most complete extant early Buddhist canon. It derives mainly from the Tamrashatiya school.
During t ...
, by Nava Nalanda Institute
* 2005 Awarded the ''Most Eminent Scholar'' as a guru of
Theravada Buddhism
''Theravāda'' () ( si, ථේරවාදය, my, ထေရဝါဒ, th, เถรวาท, km, ថេរវាទ, lo, ເຖຣະວາດ, pi, , ) is the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school' ...
by The World Buddhist University
References
Further reading
* Olson, Grant Allan (1989). A Person-Centered Ethnography of Thai Buddhism: The Life of Phra Rajavaramuni ( Prayudh Payutto), Ithaca, NY: Cornell University
* Seeger, Martin (2005)
Phra Dhammapitaka und die Pali-Kanon-Debatte in Thailand: Ein Beitrag zur Untersuchung des modernen Buddhismus PhD thesis, Hamburg: Universität Hamburg
External links
Selected Books of Ven. P.A. PayuttoSelected Audio-Files / Audio-Teachings of Ven. P.A. Payutto*
Buddhadhamma'
*
A Constitution for Living: Buddhist Principles for a Fruitful and Harmonious Life (BP620S)'
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prayudh Payutto
1938 births
Living people
Prayudh Payutto
Prayudh Payutto