LOVING-KINDNESS OF THE DHAMMA PRACTITIONER: CASE STUDY AT WAT KHOK SAWANG COMMUNITY, THAT PHANOM, NAKHON PHANOM PROVINCE

Abstract

This article was a part of research entitled “Loving-Kindness Meditation of Dhamma Practitioners: A Case Study at Wat Khok Sawang Community, That Phanom District, Nakhon Phanom Province” containing 3 objectives: 1) study the loving-kindness in Theravada Buddhism, 2) to study the insight practice through Mettācetovimutti type, and 3) presenting the practice of loving-kindness meditation of Dhamma practitioners of Wat Khok Sawang community, That Phanom district, Nakhon Phanom province. It was qualitative research conducted by document investigation and reliable interviews of 2 insight masters, 2 Bhikkhus, and 13 yogis who practice dhamma accordingly. The schedule time was 7 days, 10 days, 15 days, from 06:00 p.m.-09:00 p.m. every day.  The findings of research showed that Loving-kindness of the Dhamma practitioner at Wat Khok Sawang community, That Phanom, Nakhon Phanom province was performed by; 1) the seven basic activities of meditators including; (1) five precepts observing, (2) abandon of ten worries, (3) association with the wises who knew how to meditate rightly, (4) study and training for advance meditation suitable for one’s characters, (5) avoiding places which degrades meditation, (6) living in a proper places for practice, (7) cutting off all minor worries and then practice, and  2) Four Foundations of Mindfulness cultivating, on this step the practitioner must intensively observe the body, feeling, mind, mental formations, or form and name as they really were,  and 3) loving-kindness practice referring to the wishing the most happiness to all, starting from oneself and then to others in various places respectively, that is, oneself, parents, teachers, relatives, deities etc. The practical method starts from meditative practice according to Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna teaching at first and then dedicating the loving-kindness in all directions before leaving from concentration.