A brief biography of Banavantey (part-2)

After partA brief biography of Banavantey (part-1)

He went to many places seeking for His ordination to monkhood. At last in 1949, He got ordained as a samanera (novice monk) of Venerable Dipankar Shrigyan Mahathero in the Chittagong Buddha Vihara. Ven. Dipankar Vantey (monks are usually called vantey) was an arts graduate at that time and a Tipitaka expert( Tipitaka is the Buddhist holy book that contains all the discourses of Buddha). Banavantey lived there for a few months and studied the Buddhist books provided by His guru. He once thought- only study cannot give oneself a lokottara Dhamma (an insight, the salvation). He must seek for the way to salvation. What is the value of shaving off the hair, leaving the ordinary life and wearing the yellow robes if one cannot attain such salvation. He learned all the duties of a samanera for three months and then asked His Guru- What is the kind of Lokottara Dhamma? His Guru, Ven. Dipankar vantey replied- I have not acquired Nibbana (the ultimate salvation). I have no Lokottara Dhamma. Therefore, go there where you have come from. Research it there for yourself and attain Nibbana.

In 1950, Banavantey came to Dhanapata according to His Guru’s instruction. At first He became frustrated without Guru. How can He meditate without His Guru? Then He decided to continue meditation with steadfast determination. He gave up sleeping and ate only once a day. He endured scorch heat and shivering cold with endless patience. He was meditating in a secluded place far from village. He just endured the rain in the rainy season, the insects throughout the whole year, the sun in the summer and the unbearable cold in winter.

Sometimes when indolence or sleep came over His eyes, He went to the field full of shawns in summer( shawn is a kind of long grass with sharp and pointed edges, its scratches are painful), or under the rain in rainy seasons, or in the deep cold water of stream or lake in winter and said to Himself- O Sleep, come now. He continued His meditation with such difficult religious practice till 1960.

He ate only once in a few days. Buddhist monks don’t eat after noon. Sometimes it became late in collecting food from the village. In that case, He threw away the collected food in the jungle and spent the whole day just by drinking water. Villagers called Him Rathindra Sraman, and as He meditated in deep forest, so He became known as forest monk or Banavantey. (Life of Banavantey part-2)