Story of Phra Phayom

Story of Phra Phayom

Phra Phayom, the famous Dhamma preacher and socio-community developer, speaks about his bad kamma involving his actions towards his father. 

"My father was an alcoholic drunkard, no matter how much money he earned, he would just waste it all on alcohol. As soon as he got drunk, he would start scolding my mother and me, hence I didn't like him very much.

There was one time he was so intoxicated that he could not get home. Someone asked me to row the boat to go pick him up. At that time, I was still a young teenager. I had been working all day and was exhausted, all I wanted to do was to relax and go to bed. I was extremely annoyed that I had to go all the way to fetch him. So when I rowed the boat home, I just left him in the boat.

But he was so inebriated that he couldn't even stand up on his own. He just shouted, "Stupid Yom, come and help me to the house!" I returned to help him up grudgingly and in a very reluctant manner, just pulling him and carrying him along. Unfortunately, when he was about to reach the bridgehead, his body collided with it and he fell on the hard wooden floor. 

There was a loud bang and my father cried out, "Stupid Yom! I carried you since you were a baby. Even when it was late at night and I wanted to sleep, but you kept crying, I had to hold you and sing a lullaby until you fell asleep, even though I was also tired. Even when you urinated and defecated, I also continued carrying you and didn't throw you on the floor. 

Because I loved you. But why did you throw me on the floor?"

After hearing that, I am not sure where my tears came from, and my heart felt hurt. I bowed and apologised to my father and told him that I will hold and help him without complaining anymore. Since then, I worked hard, hoping to give my dad [and mom] a more comfortable life. 

Sadly, it was too late as my dad left not long after. 

Thinking about it, I feel a lot of regret as I made a mistake that cannot be fixed. 

Therefore, I would like to warn everyone so that they would not be sorry only after their fathers have left. 

Sometimes we may not understand each other.

Sometimes he may be quiet and you'd think he doesn't care for our welfare. But when we are older, we find that they have the best intentions for us. Sometimes we work hard for our loved ones, our girlfriends or boyfriends. But the same things we do for them, we are unwilling to do for our parents. This is in spite of their difficulties they undertook to raise us. 

Therefore it is said, giving your parents hot rice with one piece of salted fish, is still more meaningful than offering them dragon meat only after they pass away [i.e. why wait for them to die before you start becoming good to them].   

I hope you will be able to find and understand your own heart in time, before it is too late."