Detailed Information
– President of Sakyamuni Buddhist Meditation Center
– Master of Arts in Pàli
– B.A. in Buddhist Studies
Biography
Most Venerable Meditation Master Kim Triệu was born on December 5th, 1930, in Phương Thạnh village, Càng Long district, Trà Vinh province, Viet Nam. His father and mother are Kim Chăm and Thạch Thị Ngách. His older sister and younger brother are Kim Thị Lê and Kim Muôn.
Since childhood, his mother, a devoted Buddhist, often took him to numerous temples and familiarized him with the monastic lifestyle. His spiritual aptitude manifested very early; thus, he only wanted to go to the temple to learn at a very young age, while his father desired for him to have an education in ordinary life. His mother passed away when he was nine years old; three years later, his father also deceased. During the years he lived with his older sister, he had many occasions to offer food to the monks who passed by his house for alms round. The pure and tranquil image of the monks influenced his desire to be ordained and live a holy life.
At the age of 14, he asked for permission to live in the monastery. At 17 years old, he ordained as a Novice at Bình Phú Monastery. In 1949, he was ordained as a bhikkhu at Phương Thạnh Monastery (Trà Vinh province). His Dhamma name is Khippapañño (which means Wholesome Wisdom or Swift Wisdom). He is commonly known as Master Pañño or Master Kim Triệu.
From 1950 to 1956, he studied and practiced at Giác Quang Monastery in Chợ Lớn. In 1956, he entered the rain-retreat at Kỳ Viên Monastery in Sài Gòn.
In 1957, he went to Tam Bảo Monastery in Đà Nẵng to learn Pāli language with Venerable Giới Nghiêm and Venerable Shanti Bhadra (Sri Lankan). At the same time, he also taught Pāli and Basic Buddhism to Buddhist youth.
In 1958, Venerable Giới Nghiêm sent him to Bình Định to teach Buddhism. After that, he stayed at the Pháp Quang Buddhist Institution led by Venerable Hộ Giác in Gia Định to learn and practice and also to teach Pāli grammar and scriptures. Here is where he received the honorary degrees in Pāli language and Buddhist studies.
From 1962 to 1963, he entered the rain-retreat at Bửu Quang Monastery in Thủ Đức.
In 1964, The Nalanda Buddhist University in India granted him a scholarship to study abroad with many professors from India, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar. In the same year, he visited Bodh Gayā, where the Buddha attained enlightenment; He was 35 years old then.
From 1964 to 1970, he passed the Pāli Achariya (Bachelor of Arts in Pāli), B.A. in Buddhist Studies, and M.A. in Pāli. Then, he lived in Bodh Gayā for nine years with Venerable Munindra. During the first two years, he learned Ancient History of India and Asia Studies at the University of Magadh.
From 1979 to 1981, he moved to New Delhi.
Regarding meditation practice, from 1967 to 1980, he had the opportunity to practice Vipassanā meditation in India, Thailand, and Myanmar under the guidance of world-renowned masters such as Venerable Munindra, Guru Goenka, Miss Dipa Ma, and Venerable Taungpulu.
In 1967, he began to study Vipassanā meditation with Venerable Munindra. After that, he studied Contemplation on Feelings with Guru Goenka for six years.
From 1975 to 1980, he continued to be guided by other meditation masters, including Miss Dipa Ma, Venerable Rastrapal, and Venerable Taungpulu.
In 1980, he went to Yangon, Myanmar, and assiduously practiced with The Most Venerable Meditation Master Mahāsi and achieved satisfactory results.
During the above period, he took responsibilities for many Buddhist affairs in spreading the Dhamma, constructing international meditation centers, providing reliefs for the local people, and organizing meditation retreats in India with Venerable Rastrapal. In addition, he also led meditation retreats in Nepal.
In 1981, the Vietnamese American Buddhist Association in Washington D.C. invited him to the United States to teach Dhamma. He resided at Kỳ Viên Monastery in Washington D.C. Here, besides the daily activities of a Theravāda Buddhist temple, he also conducted an annual meditation retreat. Since then, many temples and meditation centers in other states and countries have often invited him to teach. There were monasteries like Pháp Vân, Kim Sơn, and Như Lai Thiền Viện in California; Pháp Luân, Đạo Quang, Hương Đạo Monasteries in Texas; Phật Ân Monastery in Minnesota; and Bồ Đề Thiền Viện Monastery in Florida. Buddhist practitioners from Europe, Australia, and Viet Nam also often invited him to lead the meditation retreats.
In 1988, Buddhist disciples in Southern California invited him to help establish a place so the locals could practice. With the right conditions, the Thích Ca Thiền Viện Monastery in Riverside began to operate and develop. Here, the Relics Stupa started to build in 1997 and was inaugurated in 2012.
In 1997, from Washington D.C., he returned to Yangon to study Contemplation of The Mind at the Venerable Shwe Oo Min’s center and achieved positive results.
In 2007, he completed building the residential area for students at the International Meditation Institute in Bodh Gayā, India. That same year, the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Boston regularly invited him to teach meditation.
In 2008, he officially restored Thiền Viện Tâm Pháp Monastery in Bumpass, Virginia, into a meditation center.
In 2011, he encouraged monks, nuns, and laypeople to establish Ānanda Meditation Center in
Anaheim to support Thích Ca Thiền Viện Monastery in spreading and promoting Theravāda Buddhism in Southern California.
In 2014, due to good opportunities, a Buddhist disciple from Florida offered a large land to him. He began the construction of Đại Niệm Xứ Meditation Center in Orlando.
Since 1981, he led many spiritual pilgrimages to the Buddha origin in India and
Nepal. With Buddhism knowledge and the living experience in the Buddha’s homeland for 17 years, he guided the Buddhist disciples to visit the four scared sites, explained thoroughly about the history of the sites. He inspired and increased their faith in the Three Jewels. He was very helpful to many Buddhists who were on their journey to practice the Buddha’s Teachings.
This year, even though he is 93 years old and his health is declining, he continues to serve Dhamma and teach in many parts of the world. With his experiential background, noble qualities, humble and simple conduct, full of compassion, and sincere and skillful guidance, he helped meditators and Buddhist disciples reap many benefits of Dhamma. For those who had a blessed opportunity to meet him, he left a mark in their hearts that are filled with boundless admiration.