Wat Phra Dhammakaya Auckland

วัดพระธรรมกายโอ๊คแลนด์ นิวซีแลนด์

Background

Wat Phra Dhammakaya Auckland was founded upon the great vision and initiatives of the Most Venerable Dhammajayo Bhikkhu, the abbot of the Dhammakaya temple in Pathum Thani, Thailand. It was his intention to share the wisdom of the Lord Buddha and the practice of the Dhammakaya meditation, first taught by the Most Venerable Phra Mongkol Thep Muni (Sodh Candasaro), to help everyone find the true inner peace within.

In 1997, the Sangha (Buddhist monks) traveled to the regions of Oceania from the Dhammakaya temple in Thailand led by Phra Palad Sudham Sudhammo (Now: Phra Sudhamma Yanvidesa Vi.), the Sangha first arrived in Sydney, Australia, before journeying to the North Island (Auckland, New Zealand) and to other parts of the Pacific Islands such as the Solomon Islands.

On the first Sunday of each month, to the end of the Buddhist Lent of the year 2003, the Dhammakaya supporters worldwide benevolently participated in the Kathina-Robe offerings to crowd-fund the construction of a meditation hall to celebrate the 60th birthday of the Most Venerable Dhammajayo. The Buddhists lay people across the globe i.e. Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, China. Malaysia, South Korea, and New Zealand joyously and whole-heartedly gathered funds to buy the land and the construction of the first meditation center in Orewa on 22 April 2004, as an off-season offering of robes to the Most Venerable Dhammajayo.

Wat Phra Dhammakaya Auckland was registered as a non-profit organization as the “60th Dhammachai Education Foundation of New Zealand.” Wat Phra Dhammakaya Auckland is now located on 41A Seaview Road, Castor Bay, North Island, Auckland. The objective of the establishment of the Wat Phra Dhammakaya Auckland is to carry out the vision of the Most Venerable Dhammajayo of sharing the teachings of the Buddha to the people around the world. His intention is to introduce the practice of the Dhammakaya meditation to people from all walks of life, regardless of religion or race to better their state of mind. Today, the events and activities that the Auckland Dhammakaya temple hosted for the Thai Buddhists and other Buddhists residing in New Zealand are as follows.

1. Regularly holding group meditation sessions and Buddha Puja (or Bucha-Kaophra ceremony) on the first Sunday of each month
2. Carrying out free English meditation class (every Monday and Wednesday) and hosting occasional retreats for the locals
3. Holding Traditional activities in Theravada tradition festival such as Vesak Day
4. Connecting and working with other organizations such as New Zealand Buddhist Council

The Sangha and Thai laypeople in New Zealand were determined to achieve the goal of spreading the teachings of the Lord Buddha and the practice of achieving inner peace to the locals, and other regions in the country. The monks traveled far and wide to different cities like Wellington, Napier, Christchurch, covering both the North and the South Islands, upon the invitations of the laypeople who reside in different cities.

All of the success of Wat Phra Dhammakaya Auckland would not be possible without the compassion and kindness of the Most Venerable Dhammajayo. Wat Phra Dhammakaya Auckland has become the center of faith for the Buddhists and laypeople to pursue perfections. Many of them have new-found lives; lives without alcohol, gambling, or any other addictive behaviors. Some even strongly vowed to continue pursuing perfections, to accumulate wholesome and benevolent deeds, and eventually to attain Nirvana.