In May, 1954, 10,000 people gathered at the outlying temple of Wat Paknam in Bangkok to witness the ordination of 47-year-old journalist-photographer Richard Randall. Known henceforth as Kapilavaddho Bhikkhu, he is the first Englishman to enter the monkhood in Thailand. After an intensive meditation and experience in concentration and insight practice, Kapilavaddho was to play a key role in the introduction of Buddhist meditation in the West. This autobiography recounts the tale of a pioneer who lived up to his name, Kapilavaddho - he who spreads and increases the Teaching.