Remembering Nelson Mandela

Guest speaker for Pattaya City Expats Club on 19th of January was member Desmond Bishop; his topic was “personal reflections on Nelson Mandela”. Here MC Richard Silverberg introduces Desmond.

“Nelson Mandela is one of greatest political figures of the last 100 years.” This is the view of Desmond Bishop who spoke last Sunday and provided some personal reflections on Nelson Mandela - the man, the activist, the politician and the icon.
Desmond lived in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and spent time in South Africa. He previously spoke to the club about his books “Goodbye, Africa” and the “Wizard of Zee.” For more information on “Goodbye, Africa,” see http://desmondbishop.webs.com.
Desmond said that Mandela is comparable to Mahatma Gandhi; and that, indeed, he was influenced by Gandhi. For the most part, the activism Mandela practised in the anti-apartheid struggles was non-violent. He was labelled a terrorist by some. Technically, this was accurate, Desmond said, because he was involved in bombing some infrastructure. But he did not believe in killing people in these attacks.

Desmond spoke of Mandela’s life, and how he was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi; he spent 27 years in prison for opposing apartheid, and when released refused to seek revenge. Picture shows Mandela as President of South Africa with the President of Cuba, Fidel Castro.

Further, Mandela had many qualities. “He was resilient, forgiving and warm.” The day Mandela was released from prison, in 1990; Desmond said that he was tuning in to media coverage from Canberra, Australia, anxious to see what Mandela would say. Mandela kept him - and journalists around the world - waiting for five hours. It turns out Mandela was having tea with his jailers. Desmond remarked that that said a lot about Mandela as reconciler.
In Desmond’s opinion, just surviving in prison for 27 years was an accomplishment; many apartheid activists died while in custody. Desmond mentioned that he has vivid memories of a very defiant Mandela as he spoke at his trial in 1964. He spoke for four hours, declaring that he was prepared to die for what he believed in.

Desmond’s books include “Goodbye, Africa” and the “Wizard of Zee.” For more information on “Goodbye, Africa,” see http://desmondbishop. webs.com.

Desmond spoke about some of the important people in Mandela’s life, such as his first wife, Minnie (“treated harshly by the government; tarnished by her involvement in the killing of a young boy”); Bishop Desmond Tutu (“denied a chance to speak at the Mandela family funeral”); and National Party leader and the last apartheid President of South Africa, F.W. DeKlerk (“was involved in some very hard bargaining with Mandela prior to his release from jail”).
Further, after Mandela’s death, the memorial service held for him, attended by numerous world leaders, was an amazing event. Broadcast networks like the BBC and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation stayed with it for a full four hours.

Mandela’s appearance at the final match of the rugby World Cup in 1995, where he presented the trophy to the winning team from South Africa, the Springboks, was a defining moment in Mandela’s presidency and in South African history. The Springboks was an all-white team and their fans were almost universally white South Africans. Black South Africans saw the Springboks as a symbol of apartheid, but Mandela told fellow members of the African National Congress, “These are our boys. You know, they are playing for us. We have to embrace them.” It was an incredible gesture of reconciliation, Desmond said (this event was the basis of the Clint Eastwood movie “Invictus” starring actor Morgan Freeman as Mandela - http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=RZY8c_a_dlQ).
Not everything about Mandela and his legacy was rosy, Desmond said. Mandela served only one term as president. There remains a large gap between rich and poor. Johannesburg has the highest crime rate of any major city in the world. There are still limits on the jobs that black South Africans can aspire to and many blacks are still paid less than their white counterparts.
In response to a question from the audience concerning whether Mandela had contributed to the oppressed becoming the oppressors in South Africa, Desmond said, “Mandela reconciled people but did not materially change the structure of South Africa. Some reverse discrimination is okay, but it is a touchy issue.”
After Desmond answered several other questions, Master of Ceremonies Richard Silverberg brought everyone up to date on upcoming events and called on Roy Albiston to conduct the Open Forum, where questions are asked and answered about Expat living in Thailand, especially Pattaya.
Learn more about the Club’s meetings and other activities by visiting their website at www.pcecclub.org. 

Revered monks celebrates birthday with opening of Willpower Institute meditation center

Sopin Thappajug presents a “phum ngern” silver cone containing funds raised for the new Willpower Institute to Luang Pho Viriyang Sirintharo.

Surasak Huasoon
The revered abbot of Thummamongkhon Temple celebrated his 95th birthday by finally opening the long-planned expansion of his Willpower Institute.
The Diana Group, which has spearheaded construction of the Nongket Yai meditation center, hosted the Jan. 14 merit-making ceremony and birthday celebration for Dhammamongkolyarn, also known as Luang Pho Viriyang Sirintharo, at the Diana Garden Resort.

Guests receive blessings during the ceremony.

Diana Group Managing Director Sopin Thappajug and Pattaya Mail Publishing Managing Director Peter Malhotra congratulated the monk, who has been practicing for 80 years and has opened Willpower Institutes around the kingdom to inspire world peace.
The event included a Thai dance performance by students from Pattaya School No. 3, presentation of a “phum ngern” silver cone containing 10,000 baht, a parade and donation of flowers and necessities.
The day also heralded the opening of the 57th Willpower Institute on Sukhumvit Soi 57 near the Mityon center. It was built to replace an existing center on the grounds of Banglamung Vocational Center. One rai of land was donated to build a larger center and the Diana Group has raised funds, including a 960,000 baht donation in January last year.

The hall was filled with people opening their hearts to the revered monk and his new Willpower Institute meditation center.

The center was originally slated to open last February, but was delayed by permit and construction problems. The total cost ballooned from the initial 4.5 million baht to 7.1 million baht, offset by additional donations throughout last year.
The facility consists of three buildings with restroom, kitchen and a building used as a teaching center. There’s an area for walking meditation, a break room for teachers, and a control room.
Suttajan, abbot of Khao Sraichonburi Temple, Woraprot Punyajan, abbot of Aranyikanwas and Vimol, abbot of Chonglom Temple, joined Dhammamongkolyarn in religious ceremonies to open the facility.

Even those who couldn’t make it inside, showed their faith just outside.

Viriyang, originally named Viriyang Buncheekul, was born on Jan. 7, 1919 at Pakpriew rail station in Saraburi. His family later moved to Nakhon Ratchasima.
When he was 13, a female friend invited him to a temple, but he became bored while waiting for friends to finish praying. Thinking at first he’d never return, Viriyang soon felt peaceful and light. He felt himself walk out of his body and his soul walk down to the pavilion to stand in the middle of the temple.
He felt a cool breeze blow through his mind. He felt calm, happy and uttered, out of amazement, that this must be the grace of religion. He had regaled the story to Phra Ajarn Kongma, who replied that he had never even taught this child about meditation, why did he see his soul so early.
One day, he dropped from exhaustion from overworking in the rice paddies. He remained unconscious for about an hour, but when he eventually came to, he was shocked to find himself unable to move a single muscle. He was totally paralyzed.
For about one month, Viriyang lay stricken while his parents tried in vain to find someone with the ability to restore his health. Secretly, the boy made a vow to devote the rest of his life to Buddhism should he be completely cured of his paralysis.

Luang Pho Viriyang Sirintharo makes his auspicious marks on the sign for his new Willpower Institute in Pattaya.

Seven days later, a stranger appeared in the village; a white-robed ascetic who went directly to Viriyang’s house and told his father that he had come to cure his son. The man whispered in the boy’s ear, saying that he knew of his secret promise of eternal devotion and, told him to repeat the vow aloud. The old man chewed plai, a Thai medicinal herb, and spat it over Viriyang until he was yellow. Viriyang awoke the next morning healed.
The boy entered the monkhood as a novice in 1932 and had become a junior monk at 16 on May 12, 1933 at Suth Jinda Temple in Nakhon Ratchasima. Ten days later, he made a pilgrimage with Phra Ajarn Kongma Jirapunyo to the Khao Lamnaophrai jungle to search for seclusion. He was fully ordained in May 1941 at the age of 21 in Chantaburi. He continued to follow Phra Ajarn Kongma for the next eight years.
One day, Phra Ajarn Kongma led him out of Chanthaburi into Sakon Nakhon to leave him as a disciple of Phra Ajarn Luang Pu Man Phurithatto.
From 1986 to 1991, Viriyang rested at Kamphaeng Saen Monks College, Namtok Mae Klang branch, Chiang Mai, in the woods to reflect what he had learnt from Phra Ajarn. He then wrote a book on meditation to be used in teaching. In the five years waiting for the book to be published, he built the first Willpower Institute of Meditation in 1999 and launched a meditation course in 2000.

Luang Pho Viriyang Sirintharo celebrates his 95th birthday by opening the long-planned expansion of his Willpower Institute in Pattaya.

Kind hearted folks line up to present donations for the new center.

The 57th Willpower Institute is located on Sukhumvit Soi 57 near the Mityon center.

Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome lights candles during the auspicious ceremony.