Chapter 05: Radiate Loving‐Kindness To Rescue the Airplane

Phra Narin Subhakaro

In the morning of the 28th September 1994, Luang Poh called me up to his residence. He told me that later in the day Mr. Chamroen Sekdhira, the Director General of Department of Religious Affairs, would come to pay him respect and asked for his blessing as the auspice in life, in the occasion of the Director’ s retirement. I acknowledged and came down to prepare the receiving of guests at Rujiravongse Building. The Director General and his group arrived at Wat Ambavana shortly before noon.

Having had the meal and a rest for awhile at Rujiravongse Building, Luang Poh came to greet the guests. That day I remember that the Director’ s group consisted of Khun Boonkerd Sekdhira his wife, Khun Chaweerat Kasetsundara (Head of Temple Restoration and Development Section, Department of Religious Affairs), Khun Amnaj Buasiri and two middle aged lady patrons. Luang Poh mentioned the past when he travelled to five European countries with the Director during 14th – 24th July 1993.

His trip was made according to the resolution of the Sangha Supreme Council, assigning him to conduct a feasibility study if it is viable to set up Scripture Study facilities in the five European countries, namely, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, France and England. Phra Dhammarajanuvatara led the Sangha side of the group. Director General of the Department of Religious Affairs, Mr. Chamroen Sekdhira led the laity side.

Part of the conversation that interested me very much was when Luang Poh talked about his return flight from Europe. He boarded the plane from Heathrow Airport, London by flight number CX705 at 4 o’clock in the afternoon of the 23rd July 1993.

That night on the plane, the group was asleep for being tired from the trip. Luang Poh noticed drops of water from overhead. The water dropped on the heads of Dr. Chalankorn and Khun Thawil. He thought that it was not a good sign because he had experienced this during his trip to China. At that time his plane had water leakage from the air-conditioner like what was happening. But that time the plane managed to land before anything happened. Yet a month after, that aircraft was crashed caused by air-conditioner leakage. So, Luang Poh restrained his mind to meditate and radiate loving-kindness.

He told the Director General that he had to meditate in order to rescue the aircraft. He thought that if the leakage had not stop within twenty minutes after his meditation, his and 300 other passengers’ lives would have to be sacrificed in the air.

After arriving at Wat Ambavana, Luang Poh was seriously ill for three months because he spent a lot of mental energy from that radiation of loving-kindness. (During the Buddhist Lent of 1993 Luang Poh was seriously ill. Later, the doctor diagnosed that he had blood corpuscle typhoid.)

I listened to his narration with excitement. The Director General and member of his group who had been in the trip, namely Khun Amnaj and Khun Chaweerat, confirmed that it was true. I was interested in this story very much. I kept asking about it from others until I learned that the person who sat nearest to Luang Poh was patron Trirat Basavegin. The person who followed Luang Poh and remembered the incident on the plane well was patron Sunee Pantasuporn. I asked both patrons to tell me the story as follows.

Credit: eBooks. Wat Amphawan.