Mahapanya Vidayalai

Mahapanya Vidayalai
มหาปัญญาวิทยาลัย, महापञ्ञा विध्दालय
Established	2002
Type	Private Collage
President	Phra achan Ongpotchanagornkosol
Admin. staff	Phra achan Mahapol Titabo (Director), Achan Sawadee (advisor), Deepan Chettri, Sonam Lepcha, Gyanadra Dewan, Sunisa Kanchanasuwan, Worapost Puttanukool.
Location	Hat Yai, Thailand
Campus	Hatyai
Website	http://www.mahapanya.ac.th

Mahapanya Vidayalai (Thai: มหาปัญญาวิทยาลัย)(Nepali) महापञ्ञा विध्दालय, translated roughly as college of wisdom, is an international Buddhist school located in Hat Yai, Thailand. The college is affiliated with Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University (महाचुला-लङकोङ-राज- विध्दालय).

Founded by Oou Joo Heng, Supreme Patriarch of Anamikaya (the Vietnamese Mahayana Buddhist sect of Thailand) and with supports of the Theravada Sangha, the school was launched in 2002. It is offers high school education as well as an international bachelor degree program in Buddhist studies with a concentration in Mahayana Buddhism.

Overview

Mahapanya Vidayalai is a recently established institute, under the auspices of the Theravada Sangha and the Mahayana Annam Elders of Thailand. Mahapanya Vidayalai offers a bachelor degree program in Buddhist Studies, using English as medium of instruction. The college is affiliated with Mahachulalongkorn Rajavidyalaya University. All successful graduates will be awarded a B.A. degree.

Mahapanya Vidayalai was launched emphasizing her objective to cultivate mankind’s wisdom with aid of Buddha Dhamma and to lead them into the realm of peace and bliss. MPV has started with the Faculty of Buddhist Study, accommodating overseas and local students.

Upon launching, MPV has clearly stated within her plan to provide teachings on Buddha Dhamma and emphasize the teaching both theoretically and practically. MPV has organized meditation courses for students which enable students to practice Buddha Dhamma through the actual practice. With long and ceaseless promotion on these courses coupled with their academic curriculum, students would then be able to master the right skill and knowledge to propagate Buddha Dhamma through both theoretical and practical ways and hence, promote the efficiency in educating the commonality.

Objective

In favor of attaining international standards and accomplishing the objective and missions, MPV formulated her first five-year development plan (2002–2006). This plan is drafted with the assistance of nearly 200 monks and laymen professors from all fields. Their suggestions were bound, analyzed and made compilation into a major objective and seven missions.

The objective of MPV is applying the doctrine of Buddha as the basis, adopting Asia as the central of development, embracing the peace and harmony of human?s society as her development of Buddhist undertakings uninterruptedly.

History

MPV (Mahapanya Vidayalai) was founded by the chief patriarch of Anamikaya, in collaborated with the Mahayana and Theravada schools of Buddhism, with the support of His Eminence, Somdet Phrabuddhacarya.

During the Ratanakosin Dynasty, Anamikaya Sangha started traveling from Vietnam to Thailand and propagated Buddhism here. King Rama the fifth bestowed Anamikaya the legality and the title of nobility, under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Patriarch in Thailand. However, there are only Thai and Chinese ordained as Anamikaya Sangha at present.

The chief patriarch of Anamikaya places very high importance in education and has sacrificed his entire life in educational works. In the year B.E. 2532, he founded Kusonsamakorn Vidayalai School and soon constructed a seven-storeyed teaching block at a cost of more than 30 million baht. Next, he raised 15 millions baht for the use of education funding. He once said: "In my lifetime, I must be able to see the establishment of the Buddhist University which is within my forty years of planning." Later, his proposal to set up a Buddhist university at Anamikayaram Temple, Bangkok was affirmed during the Anamikayaram Temple meeting. This is an ideal venue for establishing a university because Anamikayaram Temple is next to the Chaophaya River. However, the abbot of this temple refused to co-operate. Since then, this plan was forced to a halt; the chief patriarch searched for a new location unceasingly.

In launching MPV, chief patriarch of Anamikaya is keeping with absolute faith. After discussing with His Eminence, Somdet Phrabuddhacarya about instituting MPV, a conference was convened by MCU (Mahachulalongkorn Rajvidayalai) and the representatives of Anamikaya on 5 March 2002 (B.E. 2545) at Wat Sraket, Bangkok.

This conference was presided cover by His Eminence, Somdet Phrabuddhacarya, and was concluded that the university to be launched at the affiliated land of Wat Thawornwararam, Hat Yai, Songkhla, which has been bestowed the name of Mahapanya Vidayalai by His Eminence, Somdet Phrabuddhacarya.

Since then, chief patriarch of Anamikaya has assigned his secretary Venerable Ongpotjanagongsol the chief Administrator to supervise all issues with regards to the developing of MPV. Venerable Ongpotjanagongosol started associating with members of Sangha overseas like Singapore, China, Taiwan, and Vietnam to foster the establishment of MPV and to act and abide with the procedures of MCU’s constitution.

The prior objective of MPV is to furnish higher education for both local and foreign Sangha. The university started the first academic term on 10 June 2002 (BE 2524) with students from China, Vietnam, Singapore, Taiwan and the local, using English as the teaching media for all subjects.

Since 2002, MPV has been welcoming monks both domestic and international; so far 16 of them have graduated.

Student activities

Students Club

Currently, there are over 40 foreign monks studying at MPV. This small number of monks has been divided into four groups. Above all, students have chosen a Students Club’s president who organizes the activities that students do. Every week students organize the activities that can help them improve their confidence in public speaking, Dhamma talks, and meditation. The MPV administration has asked all students to join the Students Club to participate in group activities and share their cultural and personal views on Buddhism. The administration hopes that it will enable students to build their confidence and public speaking and to make good relationships. In the future they can work together for the welfare for others.

MPV Students Club club basically organizes the Dhamma talks, debates, group presentations, quizzes and other public involvement activities. During the activities, student advisor or director of MPV joins them so that their mistakes can be found and give them tips or suggestions to improve their speaking or listening skills.

Meditation Camp

Meditation retreat is at the end of the second or the beginning of third month of every semester. Meditation Camp is required for every student. Every semester, for ten days or a week, Mahapanya organizes a retreat which targets the practice Buddhist meditation of both traditions: Theravada and Mahayana. It aims to develop MPV’s academic standard as well as student’s confidence on their study. Since MPV offers B.A in Mahayana studies, practice is regarded as key of succeed in academic and spiritual practice. Only theory is not enough for Buddhist monks to prove the knowledge of Buddhism to 21st century. So MPV provides and aims to educate students in theoretical and practical aspects of Buddhism.

Ten days of meditation retreat helps students to know each other well because during retreat students live under the same roof, work in groups, help and encourage each other to follow the vinaya rules. Buddhist lecturers guide students to follow every step of meditation. For camp, MPV cancels general classes and focus only on the retreat to provide pure knowledge of meditation. The authorized founder, Venerable director and every staff member joins this retreat.

External links

• http://www.mahapanya.ac.th: MVP website

Coordinates: 7°00′16.56″N 100°29′25.97″E / 7.0046°N 100.4905472°E / 7.0046; 100.4905472