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end of the eighth week showed that the average of alpha brain wave in
group 1 (step + meditation) was the highest, when compared with group 2
(step), group 3 (meditation) and group 4 (control group).
6. Saovanee Pongpieng wrote a thesis on “Effectiveness of
Buddhist Meditation (Vipassana) on SelfEsteem,
Creative Visualization
and Health Status in Elderly People”, the result showing that the
experimental group experienced significantly increased selfesteem,
creative visualization, health status, skin resistance and skin temperature
as measured between preand
posttest.
The same group experienced
significantly decreased pulse, respiration and blood pressure as measured
between preand
posttest.
7. Kamala Tiyavanich presented a Ph.D. dissertation entitled
“The Wandering Forest Monks in Thailand 19001992:
Ajaan Mun’s

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Mun always urged his disciples to be mindful (sati) to keep the enemy
(kilesa: defilements) at bay (1993, 525).
8. J. L. Taylor wrote on “Forest Monks and the NationState:
Anthropological and Historical Study in Northeastern Thailand” (1993)
focused on the wellknown
Thai forest monks lineage of the acclaimed
Buddhist saint (arahant) the Most Venerable Mun Bhūridatta Thera
(18701949)
and its impact on natural religious politics.
1.6 Method of the Study
This research work is a qualitative study. The research
methodology can be divided into three stages as follows:
1.6.1 Collecting materials from all the sources in which the
stories of Buddhist practice and the Most Venerable Mun Bhūridatta
Thera’s method are contained

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1.7 Expected Advantages of the Study
1.7.1 To gain knowledge of practice in general in Theravāda
Buddhism
1.7.2 To gain knowledge of the Most Venerable Mun Bhūridatta
Thera’s biography and his method of practice
1.7.3 To identify the impact of the Most Venerable Mun
Bhūridatta Thera’s method of practice.
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Chapter II
General Buddhist Practice
Buddhism employs two systems of meditation:
samathabhāvanā or samādhi, and vipassanābhāvanā. The term samatha
is usually translated as “calm,” or “tranquillity,” whilst bhāvanā implies a
systematic training, cultivation or development. Samathabhāvanā thus
signifies the development of tranquillity, while vipassanābhāvanā
signifies the development of vipassanā, or insight. Meditation
(bhāvanā—literally bringing into being) requires a subject on which to

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mount the mind upon the object of concentration, without examining the
characteristics of that object in terms of its transitoriness, painfulness and
soullessness. The function of vipassanā, on the other hand, is to examine,
consider, and scrutinize the characteristics of a given object in order to
dispel ignorance (avijjā) and penetrate into its real nature. The former is
not concerned at all with examining any characteristic marks of a given
object. It aims only at concentrating the mind on the subject of
meditation, and the acquisition of serenity, calmness, and the nondistraction
of mind. Vipassanā, however, does not aim at tranquillity of
mind, but rather knowledge of things as they are, which knowledge
eventually destroys the latent defilement (kilesaanusaya)
and fetters
(sa yojana), thereby culminating in arahantship.
The two systems of meditation correspond to two types of
disciples: (1) those who have faith as the dominant faculty; and (2) those
who have intellect as the domain faculty. The first types train themselves

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gain complete tranquillity of mind. This process is spoken of in terms of
vipassanāpubba gama samatha bhāveti (He cultivates samatha
preceded by vipassanā). 6
Samādhi and vipassanā both share a number of common
features, such as those of: object (āramma a), sphere (gocara),
abandonment (pahāna), relinquishing (pariccāga), emerging (vu hāna),
breaking up (vivattana), peace (santa), subtlety (pa īta), liberation
(vimutti), being without āsavas (anāsava), passing beyond (tara a), being
signlessness with reference to defilement (animitta), without desire
(appanithita), void of defilement (suññata) of united fuction (ekarasa)
and irreversible (anativatta ). 7
Samādhi is said to be owned by one who eradicates distraction
(uddhacca), whereas insight (vipassanā) is said to be owned by one who
eradicates ignorance (avijjā). However, in either case, they both have one

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pointedness” of mind where a single object is concerned (ekāramma e
cittassa ekaggatā). For the sake of convenience, samādhi may be
rendered as “concentration”. 8
In the First Sermon (Dhammacakkappavattanasutta), 9 the word
samādhi occurs, in connection with the eightfold path, as sammāsamādhi,
or “right concentration”. This path makes for vision (cakkhukara ī),
makes for knowledge (ñā akara ī), peace (upasama) higher wisdom
(abhiññā), enlightenment (sambodha) and nirvā a.
Edward Conze, in his book “Buddhist Meditation,” 10 points out
that the function of samādhi is based on the assumption that our mind
consists of two disparate parts—a depth, which is calm and quiet, and a
surface which is disturbed. The surface layer is in everlasting tremor and
confusion. There exists, however, beneath the surface of the mind, a
centre that is quite still. The disturbance at the surface level of the mind is

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own nature, but through the arising of pure or impure thoughts.
Therefore, in the search for samādhi, the preparatory attention must be
associated with purity, virtue and truth. Moreover, the object or ideal
selected for meditation must be such as to produce some psychological
effect that is suited to the practitioner’s characteristic behaviour.
2.1.1 The Basic Principles of Samādhi
The system of samādhi may be distinguished from that of
vipassanā on the basis of method, function and consequence. For,
although meditation objects, such ānāpānasati (mindfulness of
breathing), and kāyagatāsati (mindfulness of the physical body), and so
on are recommended for both samādhi and vipassanā practice, such

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