Search Buddhist Channel

Instructor shares his own path at northwest Dallas meditation center

By MATTHEW HAAG, The Dallas Morning News, August 24, 2009

Dallas, TX (USA) -- When Buddhist monk Luangphor Viriyang Sirintharo visits his home country of Thailand, the crowds following him are so large police must escort him around.

<< COURTNEY PERRY/DMN
From right: Luangphor Viriyang Sirintharo visited with Chat Kiat and others as Ajarn Samern listened during Viriyang's visit to the Willpower Institute of Dallas on Sunday.

Getting within distance to see him is nearly impossible.

But for two hours Sunday afternoon, Viriyang sat before 30 people inside a nondescript northwest Dallas strip center to spread the word about meditation.

"I would like to extend meditation to people around the world," the 90-year-old man wearing a ruffled saffron robe said in broken English. "Meditation is very good."

Viriyang came to Dallas over the weekend to oversee the opening of the third year of the Willpower Institute of Dallas, his only meditation center outside Canada and Thailand. He said he hopes his meditation centers promote world peace and happiness, and reduce wars.

It's a promise Viriyang has tried to fulfill since he was 13 years old and discovered his innate ability to meditate, he told the crowd. Many people bowed before him and clasped their hands as he spoke. One person sat shoeless in a cross-legged yoga pose on the ground.

"I had extraordinary happiness," Viriyang said about his first meditation experience in a northeast Thailand temple. "My spirit came from my body."

But a few months after discovering meditation, he said, he had an accident and was paralyzed.

When an ascetic visited him, Viriyang told him he would devote his life to meditation if the man healed him.

Viriyang recovered and then lived 20 years in the Thailand jungle to become a master meditation instructor, he said.

Yet he told the crowed Sunday afternoon they could become one much sooner – and for free.

"I developed this instructor course, and in only six months, you can become a meditation instructor," said Viriyang, who has thick, leathery calloused feet from time spent in the jungle.

Several instructors spoke before Viriyang and said the Willpower Institute's nightly two-hour sessions can change people's lives by reducing stress, anxiety and anger.

"You work yourself into such a calm state," said instructor Wilkes Alexander, a construction attorney. "I'm starting to figure out a lot more how things on the inside start to work. I think we often don't know how the mind functions."

Alexander said meditation taught him to relax and control his emotions. Now, he said, his friends call him "the Zen lawyer."

After Viriyang finished speaking, the crowd chanted an ancient Thai verse to him. And they then created a single-file line and placed flowers before him.

He was scheduled to leave Dallas this morning to return to Canada, where he'll oversee the opening of his other meditation centers.

"I hope in the future, Americans help teach meditation around the world," Viriyang said.

We Need Your Help to Train the
Buddhist AI Chat Bot NORBU!
(Neural Operator for Responsible Buddhist Understanding)

Dear Friends in the Dharma,

We seek your generous support to help us train NORBU, the word's first Buddhist AI Chat Bot.

Here are some ways you can contribute to this noble cause:

One-time Donation or Loan: A single contribution, regardless of its size, will go a long way in helping us reach our goal and make the Buddhist LLM a beacon of wisdom for all.

How will your donation / loan be used? Download the NORBU White Paper for details.

For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your purpose of payment (loan or donation) in the payment slip. Thank you.

Once payment is banked in, please send the payment slip via email to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv. Your donation/loan will be published and publicly acknowledged on the Buddhist Channel.

Spread the Word: Share this initiative with your friends, family and fellow Dharma enthusiasts. Join "Friends of Norbu" at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norbuchatbot. Together, we can build a stronger community and create a positive impact on a global scale.

Volunteer: If you possess expertise in AI, natural language processing, Dharma knowledge in terms of Buddhist sutras in various languages or related fields, and wish to lend your skills, please contact us. Your knowledge and passion could be invaluable to our project's success.

Your support is part of a collective effort to preserve and disseminate the profound teachings of Buddhism. By contributing to the NORBU, you become a "virtual Bodhisattva" to make Buddhist wisdom more accessible to seekers worldwide.

Thank you for helping to make NORBU a wise and compassionate Buddhist Chatbot!

May you be blessed with inner peace and wisdom,

With deepest gratitude,

Kooi F. Lim
On behalf of The Buddhist Channel Team

Note: To date, we have received the following contributions for NORBU:
US$ 75 from Gary Gach (Loan)
US$ 50 from Chong Sim Keong
MYR 300 from Wilson Tee
MYR 500 from Lim Yan Pok
MYR 50 from Oon Yeoh
MYR 200 from Ooi Poh Tin
MYR 300 from Lai Swee Pin
MYR 100 from Ong Hooi Sian
MYR 1,000 from Fam Sin Nin
MYR 500 from Oh teik Bin
MYR 300 from Yeoh Ai Guat
MYR 300 from Yong Lily
MYR 50 from Bandar Utama Buddhist Society
MYR 1,000 from Chiam Swee Ann
MYR 1,000 from Lye Veei Chiew
MYR 1,000 from Por Yong Tong
MYR 80 from Lee Wai Yee
MYR 500 from Pek Chee Hen
MYR 300 from Hor Tuck Loon
MYR 1,000 from Wise Payments Malaysia Sdn Bhd
MYR 200 from Teo Yen Hua
MYR 500 from Ng Wee Keat
MYR 10,000 from Chang Quai Hung, Jackie (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from K. C. Lim & Agnes (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from Juin & Jooky Tan (Loan)
MYR 100 from Poh Boon Fong (on behalf of SXI Buddhist Students Society)
MYR 10,000 from Fam Shan-Shan (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from John Fam (Loan)
MYR 500 from Phang Cheng Kar
MYR 100 from Lee Suat Yee
MYR 500 from Teo Chwee Hoon (on behalf of Lai Siow Kee)
MYR 200 from Mak Yuen Chau

We express our deep gratitude for the support and generosity.

If you have any enquiries, please write to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv

TOP