On 2 January 2025, by 15.00 hrs., Luang Por Dattajevo, as the monastic chairman, together with Venerable Phrakhrupaladrattanaveerawat, abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya, led the procession of 1,141 pilgrim monks under the 13th Dhammayatra project in honor of the Great Master Phramongkolthepmuni (Sodh Cantasaro) or Mara Vanquisher along the route of 7 memorial places. The Dhammayatra procession started from Wat Phra Dhammakaya as the 7th memorial place. The monks’ procession left from the eastern gate of the Memorial Hall of Phramongkolthepmuni, turned right at DMC Building, turned right again at International Buddhist Society’s junction, passed the front of the Memorial Hall of Phramongkolthepmuni, headed to Sen-Thang-Dhammachai Road and turned right at a junction for the destination at Maha Dhammakaya Cetiya. Along the total 6.95 kilometer distance of procession route, the laypeople including teachers, V-Star students and foreigners welcomed the pilgrim monks by spreading the flower petals along the path of Dhammayatra monks as the merit making for the auspicious New Year 2025.
Venerable Phrakrusamu Sanitwong Wuttiwangso, director of Communication Department related that the 13th Dhammayatra project during 2-31 January 2025 was organized with the collaboration of World Alliance of Buddhists, lay devotees of Wat Phra Dhammakaya and the network of 20 Buddhist organizations along the route of the following 7 memorial places of Phramongkolthepmuni :
1. Memorial Hall of Phramongkolthepmuni (his birth place) in Song Phi Nong district, Suphanburi province
2. Klong Bang-Nang-Tan (the place where he determined to have the lifelong ordination), Sampran district, Nakhon Pathom province
3. Wat Song Phi Nong (his place of ordination), Song Phi Nong district, Suphanburi province
4. Wat Bote Bon, Bangkuviang (The place where he attained Dhammakaya knowledge), Bang Kruay district, Nonthaburi province
5. Wat Bang Pla (the place where Dhammakaya meditation technique was first propagated), Bang Len district, Nakhon Pathom province
6. Wat Paknam (the Great Master’s home base for Dhammakaya meditation technique) Bhasicharoen, Bangkok.
7. Wat Phra Dhammakaya (the place of the worldwide propagation for Dhammakaya meditation technique), Khlong Luang district, Pathum Thani province.
The activities related to the Dhammayatra project also involve the nearby communities of 7 memorial places, especially local residents, temples, schools and government sectors to take part in reviving Buddhist tradition by chanting, meditation, offering of monks’ necessities / monks’ robe, the lantern lighting in honor of the Buddha, scholarship presentation to schools and students and activities to implant love of community development among children according to the principle of Bavorn (Home-Temple-School). The merit making from these activities will be dedicated to the King and his royal family.
All Buddhists are invited to join the following activities of Dhammayatra project :
| Dhammayatra Activities | January 2025 |
| Welcome pilgrim monks | 3, 7, 11, 15, 19 & 26 |
| Almsgiving to 1,141 monks | 7, 11, 15, 19, & 24 |
| Lantern lighting in honor of the Great Master | 10, 14, 18, 23, 25 & 31 |
| Monk necessity offering to over 300 temples | 6, 18 & 23 |
| Forest robe offering to 31 temples | 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 22, 29 & 30 |
For more information, please go to www.ธรรมยาตรา.com, Facebook fanpage : สำนักสื่อสารองค์กร วัดพระธรรมกาย and www.gbnus.com or call at Tel. 02-831-1234.
