IntroductionThe word "Dynamic Meditation" is the name of rhythmic bodily movement to develop awareness (sati) especially by using the hands. It is one of the well-known meditation techniques in Thailand that was established since 1959 by the Venerable Father Teean Cittasubho.
This meditation technique is regarded as insight meditation (vipassana), dealing with contemplation of the body (kayanupassana), in the Four Foundations of Mindfulness (Mahasatipatthana Sutta). With this unique and simple method among the various schools of the contemporary Buddhist world, it is attractive to both new practitioners who search for spiritual growth and experienced practitioners of other schools coming to practise this method for the first time. This leads directly to the highest goal and practitioners can achieve success in a short time.
This meditation technique is regarded as insight meditation (vipassana), dealing with contemplation of the body (kayanupassana), in the Four Foundations of Mindfulness (Mahasatipatthana Sutta). With this unique and simple method among the various schools of the contemporary Buddhist world, it is attractive to both new practitioners who search for spiritual growth and experienced practitioners of other schools coming to practise this method for the first time. This leads directly to the highest goal and practitioners can achieve success in a short time.
Biography of the Master
Luangpor Teean Jittasubho (1911-1988), or Phan Intapew, was born on September 5, 1911, at Buhom, Amphur Chiengkhan in the Province of Loei. He was the son of Jeen and Som Intapew. His father died when he was young. Since there was no school in the small village of Buhom, he did not have a formal education in his childhood. The boy, like the rest of the children in the village, had to help his mother in running their farm.
At the age of eleven, Phan was ordained as a novice at the village monastery, and stayed there with his uncle who was a resident monk. During a year and six months in the monastery, he studied Laotian scripts and ancient local scripts. He also started practicing various meditation methods, such as the anapanasati with mantra "Budh-dho" and Breath Counting methods. After disrobing, the boy returned to his home.
At the age of eleven, Phan was ordained as a novice at the village monastery, and stayed there with his uncle who was a resident monk. During a year and six months in the monastery, he studied Laotian scripts and ancient local scripts. He also started practicing various meditation methods, such as the anapanasati with mantra "Budh-dho" and Breath Counting methods. After disrobing, the boy returned to his home.
There is a tradition of Thai men, at the age of twenty, entering the monkhood. Following tradition, Phan was ordained as a monk. Again, he studied and practiced meditation with his uncle for six months and then disrobed.
After returning to lay life, Phan was married at twenty-two; he and his wife, Home, had three sons: Niam, Teean, and Triam. The eldest son died at the age of five and from then on Phan became known as "Por Teean", meaning father of Teean, in accordance with the local tradition of calling a parent by the name of the eldest living child. In his village, he became a leader in Buddhist activities and head of the village. Despite heavy responsibilities as a head of a family, he continued his meditation practice regularly. Later he moved to Chiengkhan, a larger community, where his sons could attend school. Being a merchant, he sailed his steamboat along the Mae Khong River between Thailand and Laos. He had opportunities to meet several meditation masters and his enthusiasm in pursuing the Dhamma (the Truth) continued to strengthen. Furthermore, he began to realize that many years of being good, making merit, and practicing various methods of meditation had not liberated him from his anger. Finally, he determined to start searching for a way out.
After returning to lay life, Phan was married at twenty-two; he and his wife, Home, had three sons: Niam, Teean, and Triam. The eldest son died at the age of five and from then on Phan became known as "Por Teean", meaning father of Teean, in accordance with the local tradition of calling a parent by the name of the eldest living child. In his village, he became a leader in Buddhist activities and head of the village. Despite heavy responsibilities as a head of a family, he continued his meditation practice regularly. Later he moved to Chiengkhan, a larger community, where his sons could attend school. Being a merchant, he sailed his steamboat along the Mae Khong River between Thailand and Laos. He had opportunities to meet several meditation masters and his enthusiasm in pursuing the Dhamma (the Truth) continued to strengthen. Furthermore, he began to realize that many years of being good, making merit, and practicing various methods of meditation had not liberated him from his anger. Finally, he determined to start searching for a way out.
In 1957, when Teean was nearly forty-six, he left his home with firm determination not to return unless he found the Truth. He went to Wat Rangsimukdaram, Tambol Pannprao, Amphur Tabon in Nongkai Province (Amphur Srichiengmai at present) and practised there three months during the rainy season. He met Venerable Pan, a Laotian meditation teacher, who taught him a form of body-moving meditation with the silent recitation of the words "ting-ning" (moving-stopping). Venerable Pan did not spent the rainy season in the Wat Rangsimukdaram. He went to Laos to do a retreat. However, he left another monk, Luangpoh (Venerable Father) Wanthon, in charge of the monastery. In the first day of the rainy retreat in the eight month of the Thai lunar calendar, Luanpoh Wanthong directed all the meditators staying for that retreat to practice awareness of death by concentrating on their breathing and inwardly repeating the word "death" each time they inhaled and exhaled. Over the preceding thirty-five years of concentration on breathing with different types of recitation, Phan had only obtained transitory calmness. Therefore, he did not follow the meditation instruction by Luanpoh Wanthong. What he did was only being aware of the movements of the body and mind. Within a couple of days, on the early morning of the eleventh day of the waxing moon, the eighth month of 1957, his mind reached the end of suffering without traditional rituals or teachers. Later he returned home. For two years and eight months, he taught his wife and relatives what he had found out, as a lay teacher.
On 3 February 1960, Teean decided to re-enter the monkhood in order to be in a better position to teach the people. His religious name was Cittasubho (beautiful mind). After becoming a monk, Venerable Master Teean devoted his life to the teaching of the Dhamma despite his poor health. He was diagnosed to have stomach cancer (malignant lymphoma) in 1982. In spite of his illness he continued his work actively and incisively until the end of his life.
On September 13, 1988 at 6:15 PM., he passed away calmly at the age of seventy-seven in a hut in Koh Buddhadhamma, Tabb Ming Kwan, Tambol Gudpong in Loei Province.
Related documents in the series:
Dynamic Meditation in Buddhism - Luang Por Teean Jittasubho Introduction/Biography
