Interview with Philip Curtis

1.  Tell me about your background, what is your purpose in visiting Thailand?

Philip: “I came to Thiland to scuba dive then I decided to try a meditation course.”

2. How did you find out about Wat Luang Phor Sodh?

Philip: “I searched for ‘Thailand meditation courses’ on Google.”

3. What is your objective in studying meditation?

Philip: “To quiet my mind, that was my original desire. Now [my goal] is to gain greater insight and purity through the eighteen bodies.”

4. How did you feel when you first reached your own nucleus in your stomach?

Philip: “Very peaceful and happy, also a sense of [a] warm glow.”

5. How did you feel when you completed the eighteen bodies and reached Dhammakaya?

Philip: “It was bright and joyful, as though I had passed reality in some way. I felt extremely happy  and utterly peaceful.”

6. What advice can you give to other beginning meditators who would like to try this approach?

Philip: “Clear your mind and suspend your judgment, if you doubt from the very beginning then you will make no progress.

7. What would you say is the benefit of getting to Dhammakaya – of being able to see from the Dhammakaya point of view?

Philip: “Greater insight into the nature of life and suffer[ing]. In Dhammakaya, there is joy that is always available. I have a greater appreciation for what I can really be - how loving and peaceful I can be to others, how I can choose to let go of fear and anger.”

8. How do you think meditation will affect your future behavior?

Philip: I hope that I will enter Dhammakaya frequently, to cleanse and to ‘reorient’ myself to be more peaceful, loving, and helpful [towards] others.

9. Was it fake?

Philip: “ I first thought this may have simply been my imagination, but because it made me ‘feel good’ I thought I would continue on. But when I saw the universe [when I was in the] Formless Brahmin Body and eventually lost my concept of self as the ninth through the eighteenth bodies, I really began to believe. For those who are skeptical, just keep going! It can’t hurt!”