WIP · World in Pocket

Dhammakaya Open University

ท่าโขลง, Italy

Wat Phra Dhammakaya (Thai: วัดพระธรรมกาย, RTGS: Wat Phra Thammakai, pronounced [wát pʰráʔ tʰām.mā.kāːj]) is a Buddhist temple (wat) in Khlong Luang district, in the Pathum Thani province north of Bangkok, Thailand. It was founded in 1970 by the maechi (nun) Chandra Khonnokyoong and Luang Por Dhammaj

ayo. It is the best-known and the fastest growing temple of the Dhammakaya tradition. This tradition, teaching Dhammakaya meditation (Vijja Dhammakaya), was started by the meditation master Luang Pu Sodh Candasaro in the early 20th century. Wat Phra Dhammakaya is one of the temples that emerged from this tradition and is part of the Mahā Nikāya fraternity. The temple is legally represented by the Dhammakaya Foundation. It aims to adapt traditional Buddhist values in modern society, doing so through modern technology and marketing methods. The temple has faced controversy and a government crackdown. Wat Phra Dhammakaya plays a leading role in Thai Buddhism, with theologian Edward Irons describing it as "the face of modern Thai Buddhism". Initially, the temple was founded as a meditation center, after Maechi Chandra and the just ordained monk Luang Por Dhammajayo could no longer accommodate...

Listen to the audio guide for Dhammakaya Open University Free on WIP — starts by itself when you arrive, even with the screen off

Nearby