On the surface, Dhammakamo appears to be a typical Thai monk, but he is Singaporean and his name was Hendrick Phua.
When he was only 10, Hendrick was already beating up his mother. At 14, he fought with his father and nearly killed him. He led a life of sex, violence and debauchery. Then, on a trip to Thailand, he decided to try out being a monk for a month. At the end of that month, he decided to stay on. He remained a monk for 16 months. After disrobing, he realised he couldn’t quite fit into the layman’s world anymore. The video below shows his return to the Sangha. Hendrick is currently in Thailand.
How did Buddhism change him? Read Hendrick’s story in our book, Leaving The Pain Behind.
© Chan Joon Yee
