Mettanando Bhikkhu

Category: Living Masters

From Buddhist Encyclopedia

Ven. Dr. Mettanando Bhikkhu (Dr. Mano Laohavanich, Born: Bangkok, May 17, 1956), a medical doctor, is one of the few monks in Thailand who is promoting human rights, equality between genders, and the Right of the Child.

The venerable has been involved with inter-religious organization affiliated with the UN, WCRP or Religions for Peace. Currently, he is serving as the advisor to the Secretary General of WCRP for the Buddhist Affairs, and main representative of WCRP to UN office in Bangkok, ESCAP.

His Thai version of After the Buddha has been a controversial book on early Buddhism ever published in Thailand. It reveals a missing chapter in the history of the Buddha and conflicts among members of the Buddhist community which erupted soon after the passing away of the Buddha and its outcomes which shaped the fate of the Buddhist religion for good.

Ordination :

• Wat Paknam Bhasecharoen, Bangkok, April 8, 1982

Education

Primary & Secondary School :

• Assumption College, Bangkok

High School :

• Triam Udom Suksa, Bangkok

University :

• B.Sc. (Chulalongkorn), M.D. (Chulalongkorn)
• B.A, M.A. (Oxford: Sanskrit with Pali and Indian Buddhist literature)
• Th. M. (Harvard Divinity School—: Medical Ethics, Buddhist Socio-ethical approach to AIDS epidemic in Thailand)
• Ph.D. (Hamburg: Meditation and Healing in Theravada Buddhist Orders of Thailand and Laos)

Major Academic Awards and honors :

• Ph.D.: Thesis Defense : Sehr Gut Thesis
• Boden Prize of Sanskrit, Oxford, 1987
• First Winner, English Contest: Triam Udom Suksa, 1974

Social Awards and Honors :

• Monk of the Year, awarded by Arthit Weekly Magazine, one of five most prominent persons of the Year 2002.

Major Activities

• Speaker, “Buddhism and Nature,” Dharmayana Buddhist Club, Tarumanagara University, Jakarta, May 1, 2005.
• Speaker, “Buddhism in Daily Life,” Ekayana Monastery, Jakarta, Indonesia, April 30, 2005.
• Delegate, “Global Buddhist Conference, Post-tsunami Relief,” Colombo, March 19-20, 2005.
• Lecturer, “Spiritual Issues in Palliative Care”, Postgraduate program, College of Nursing, The Thai Red Cross Society, February 25, 2005.
• Speaker, “Cultivation of Inner Peace and Building up Peaceful Society” AMAN, International Program on Peace & Conflict Resolution, Chaleena Hotel, Bangkok, February 10, 2005.
• Panelist, “Mong Mum Tham,” Watchdog Co. Ltd., TTV cable TV, program broadcast, Saturday January 22, 2005; 20:30-22:00.
• Lecturer & Teacher of Meditation, McCombs Schools of Business, The University of Texas at Austin, for the MBA students on business trip, Rembrandt Hotel, Sukhumvit 18, Bangkok, January 10, 2005, and Meditation Class, January 11, 2005.
• Member, Drafting Committee of Ph.D. Program on Religion and Development, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Mahidol University, Salaya, Thailand, 2005.
• Speaker, “Creative Mind”, Thai-American Institute, Super Manager Training Program, Siam City Hotel, Bangkok, December 12, 2004.
• Speaker, “Philosophy of Buddhist Education”, Special Lecture, Faculty of Education, Assumption University, Bangkok, November 27 th , 2004.
• Speaker, “Challenge of Theravada Buddhist Education after the Event of 9-11”, August 27, 2004, Rimini Meeting 2004, Rimini, Italy.
• Member of Committee for Development of Ph. D. Program on Religion and Development, Mahildol University, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Since July 2004.
• Guest lecturer, Medical Oncology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330: Ethics in Medical Oncology (Part I), August 16, 2004.
• Special Representative SG of WCRP, Interreligious Conference of Athens “Religion-Peace-Olympic Ideal”, August 10-11, 2004, Amaroussion Municipal Convention Centre, Athens, Greece.
• Guest lecturer, Medical Oncology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330: Introduction of Ethics in Medical Oncology, June 29, 2004.
• Guest of Honor, Banquet Held in Honor of Venerable Dr. Mettanando Bhikkhu, by H.E. Hans-Peter Erismann, Ambassador of Switzerland, Embassy of Switzerland, Bangkok, May 21,2004.
• Guest Lecturer “End-of-life Care in Theravada Buddhism”, Kansai College of Oriental Medicine, Osaka Japan, May 10, 2004
• Panelist “Buddha's Challenge to the Modern Society: A Buddhist Approach for Harmony and Future of Humankind” Interfaith Dialogue at Huguro-San, On the topic of Religious Roles in the Changing World, Shugendo-Shinto Temple, Haguro-san, Yamagata, Japan, May 6, 2004,
• President & Speaker “Women In Buddhism”, Outstanding Women in Buddhism Award 2004, ESCAP Hall, UN Building, Bangkok, March 4, 2004.
• Delegate, International Conclave on Buddhism and Spiritual Tourism, New Delhi, India, February 16- 20, 2004.
• Speaker, “Ethics in Social and Epidemiological Research”, National Conference on Research Ethics in Humans, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chiengmai, Thailand, February 10, 2004.
• Speaker, “From Crisis to Creativity: A Buddhist Approach to Life”, YPO Taipei Chapter Monthly Meeting, The Lalu Hotel, Taiwan, February 5-8, 2004.
• Special Guest, Meeting of the International Council of Trustees, December 18-19, 2003, the Vatican.
• Keynote Speaker, “Violence Against Women: The Unique Roles and Contributions of Women of Faith”, WCRP/Inter-religious Council of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, November 21, 2003.
• Keynote Speaker, “The Total Development of a Human Person”, the 25 th Congress of PAPE, Merchant Court Hotel, November 15, 2003 , Bangkok, November 15, 2003.
• Buddhist Panelist: How Different Religions Can Work Together for World Peace and Unity, ASEACCU, 11 th Conference 2003 & 5 th Student Conference 2003; Theme Peace and Unity, The Commitment and Responsibility of Catholic Colleges and University, Assumption University, Bangna Campus, August 9, 2003.
• Panelist, Buddhist Meditation, International Conference on Religion and Globalization Institute for the Study of Religion and Culture , Payap University, Chiengmai, August 1, 2003.
• Keynote Speaker, 30 th Anniversary, APHD (Asia Partnership for Human Development), Faith together for Human Dignity: Developing a Perspective, Ambassador Hotel, Bangkok, July 22, 2003.
• Special Guest Speaker, Association of Philosophy and Religion of Thailand, Is there freedom of expression in Thai Buddhism, May 24, 2003.
• Speaker, Hernando-Passco Hospice, Florida, Cultural Diversity in Palliative Care, April 2003.
• Special Guest Speaker, On the Celebration of the 80 Anniversary, Abbot of Mahavihara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, topics of talks: Buddhist Psychology, Buddhist Parapsychology, Kuala Lumpur, March 2003.
• Delegate, CONGO, Bangkok, UN-ESCAP, November 2002.
• Speaker, Genetic Engineering, Cloning and Karma, Global Conference on Buddhism, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, November, 2002.
• Delegate, Buddhist-Christian Colloquium, Tokyo, September 2002.
• Member of Drafting Committee, Voluntary Code, IARF, 28 July – 2 August, 2002, Budapest, Financed by Rockefeller Foundation.
• Member of Organizing Committee, Foundation of King Rama IX, the Great, & Kancanabaramee Foundation, for the Celebration of the Her Majesty the Queen's 70 th Birthday Anniversary, and The 50 th Birthday Anniversary of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mahavajiralongkonrn, 2002.
• Panelist, “Issues in the End-of-life Care”, Annual National Conference Royal College of Surgeon of Thailand, Pattaya, July 26, 2002.
• Member of Steering Committee, ACRP VI, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, June 2002.
• Delegate, World Council of Religious Leaders, Bangkok, June 2002.
• Panelist, Bangkok, National Healthcare Festival, Buddhism and Abortion, October 29, 2001.
• Panelist, Bangkok, National Healthcare Festival, Buddhism and the Gene Technology, October 27, 2001.
• Panelist, Prague, Transparency International, Anti-corruption Conference, October 9, 2001, Sponsored by US Department of State.
• Panelist, New York, WCRP Executive Meeting, October 24, 2001.
• Lecturer, Assumption University, Buddhist Philosophy, Buddhist Introduction to Buddhism, June – September, 2001.
• Keynote Speaker, The Second National Conference on Medical Curriculum, Chiengmai, Thailand, February 2001.
• Keynote Speaker, The First International Conference on Medical Ethics, Chiengmai, Thailand, July 13, 2000.
• Lecturer, Mahachulolongkornrajavidyalaya (Buddhist Monastic University), Tipitaka Studies, July -August 2000.
• Lecturer, Assumption University, Buddhist Ethics, Buddhist Meditation, Introduction to Buddhism, June – August, 2000.
• Retreat Master, Meditation Retreat for Cultivation of Love for the Staff of Hernando-Pasco Hospice, Florida, April 12-14, 2000.
• Delegate, Buddhist-Christian Colloquium, Bangalore, India, 1998.
• Speaker, San Diego Hospice, Meditation and Prayer in the treatment of dying patient, April 2000.
• Representative of Dhammakaya Foundation to UN, New York, 1990-94.
• Co-founder, Harvard Buddhist Community, Cambridge, MA, 1992.
• Leader of Human Rights Campaign: Thailand & US for the Retrial of the case of Temple Massacre, Phoenix Arizona, 1991-94.
• Founder and First President of Dhammakaya International Society of California, 1990.
• Founder and Chief Editor: The Light of Peace, Monthly Magazine, Dhammakaya Foundation, 1989-1994.
• Secretary General, Buddhism into Year 2000, An International Academic Conference, Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, Thailand 1990.
• Initiator and Project Manager of Computerization Buddhist Pali Canon and Production of Pali CD-ROM, Dhammakaya Foundation Thailand, 1982-94.
• Writer: Channel 3, 100 short TV programs for the promotion of social ethics, 1983-84.
• Main Buddhist Preacher of Channel 7, Sundays Morning Sermon, 1983.
• President, Buddhist Club, Chulalongkorn University, 1978-79.
• Co-founder of Buddhist Club of Triam Udom Suksa School 1975.
• President, Mathematics Club, Triam Udom Suksa School, 1974-75.

Current Activities and Positions

• Director, International Affairs, The Foundation of King Rama IX, the Great, October 2002 until present
• Advisor, National Association Hospice and Palliative Care, Thailand, until present
• Member , Drafting Committee of Experimental Animal Bill, since 2005
• Academic Advisor to the Royal Kancanabaramee Foundation (Royal Hospice Foundation of Buddhist for Cancer and Incurable Diseases) affiliated with the National Cancer Institute of Thailand
• Special Advisor on the Buddhist Affairs to the Secretary General of the World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP), since 1995
• Main Representative of WCRP to ESCAP (UN office in Bangkok)
• Member , Interim Committee for Foundation of Buddhist Global Humanitarian Relief Organization, since March 20, 2005.
• Member of the Ethics Committee , Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University since June 2001
• Reviewer of English Articles , Research Affairs, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, since June 2001
• Reviewer of English Articles , Chulalongkorn Medical Journal, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, since June 2001
• Member of the Ethics Committee on Animal Experimentation , National Research Council, since August 2002
• Visiting Instructor, Chiva-som International Health Resort, Hua Hin, Thailand, since May 2005
• Advisor , Child and Youth Welfare Program of Bangkok Metropolitan Police Force, since August 2003

Contact Info

Mailing Address :

• Mettanando Bhikkhu, 7/4 Pridi Banomyong Soi 20, Sukhumvit 71, Bangkok 10110, Thailand

Email :

• Mettanando@hotmail.com