Arjaan Mun - A respected Thai Guru monk (my tribute to him)

I shall attempt to very briefly summarize/highlight the esteemed points of Arjaan Mun's amazing life and his greatness.

1) Though Arjaan Mun must have possessed many amazing psychic powers to a very high level, he never stressed those in his teachings.
2) He adhered strictly to the Buddhist percepts. He lived with minimal material possessions. Apart from his robes of discarded cloth and his alms bowl, he owned nothing else. He lived the life of a ascetic that is hardly found today.
3) He had the ability to communicate with invisible beings from many realms (from the lower to the higher realms). He was even able to teach the Dharmma (teachings of the Buddha) to devas (celestial or heavenly beings).
4) He went against the Orthodoxy/Convention of his time. While many Thai Buddhist monks were required to live in monasteries at that time as this was regarded as a wise political move by the Thai Royal Family to mobilize the Sangha (Buddhist clergy) to counter the political ambitions of Western powers (who were using Christianity to attempt to convert the Thais and hence gain political power over them), Arjaan Mun was one of the early pioneers of TuDong/ the Forest Tradition. Arjaan Mun went into the forests to seclude himself from worldly affairs and seek the Truth of the Dharmma (teachings of the Buddha).
5) Arjaan Mun relied a great deal on himself to reach Englightenment. Although in the beginning he had Arjaan Sao as a teacher, Arjaan Mun's later experiences were such that they were not within the scope of Arjaan Sao's (Arjaan Sao is another great Thai guru monk and the earliest or one of the earliest pioneers of the Thai Buddhist Forest Tradition) experience. Through Arjaan Mun's determination, ingenuity, resourcefulness and mindfulness, he was able to overcome the obstacles he faced and gained Enlightenment in one lifetime.

(Note to the reader: It is not possible for me to cover every single detail of Arjaan Mun's amazing life. For that, I would ask the reader to read Arjaan Mun's official biography, which can be found in AccessToInsight website:

http://www.accesstoinsight.org

Arjaan Mun (Venerable Acariya Mun Bhuridatta Thera)

This post is a tribute page to Arjaan Mun. I will extract sections from his official biography written by his disciple Arjaan Maha Boowa.

"Venerable Ãcariya Mun Bhýridatta Thera is a towering figure in
contemporary Thai Buddhism. He was widely revered and respected
during his lifetime for the extraordinary courage and determination he
displayed in practicing the ascetic way of life and for his uncompromising
strictness in teaching his many disciples. During the 50 years since his
death, he has assumed an exalted status in Buddhist circles and thus remains
an overshadowing presence whose life and teachings have become
synonymous with the Buddha’s noble quest for self-transformation.
Although Ãcariya Mun (pronounced to rhyme with “sun”) left no
written record of his own, this biography, compiled by one of his close
disciples some 20 years after his death, is largely responsible for introducing
his life, his achievements, and his teachings to a broad section
of Buddhist society. Through the widespread popularity of this book,
many Thai Buddhists have been given fresh hope that the spiritual
liberation which the Buddha proclaimed to the world over 2,500 years
ago, and which has been attained by so many aspirants over the succeeding
centuries, is still accessible in today’s modern age. Many Thais
have expressed the view that they had lost confidence that magga, phala,
and Nibbãna were still relevant today. But, by reading Ãcariya Mun’s
biography, they realized that accounts of these exalted attainments
are not mere fragments of ancient history, dead and dry – but a living,
luminous legacy of self-transcendence accessible to any individual who
is willing and able to put forth the effort needed to achieve them. They
have come to understand that Buddhist monks, with their distinctive
robes and monastic vocation, are not merely clerical figures representing
the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha: some of them are indeed living
proof of the Truth presented in the Buddha’s teaching."

"For this reason, the lifestyle of a Buddhist monk is founded on the
ideal of life as a homeless wanderer who, having renounced the world
and gone forth from the household, dresses in robes made from discarded
cloth, depends on alms for a living, and takes the forest as his dwelling
place. This ideal of the wandering forest monk intent on the Buddha’s
traditional spiritual quest is epitomized by the dhutanga kammaååhãna
way of life."

"Both the letter and the spirit of this ascetic life of meditation can
be found embodied in the life and teaching of Ãcariya Mun. From
the day he first ordained until the day he passed away, his entire way
of life, and the example he set for his disciples, were modeled on the
principles incorporated in these practices. He is credited with reviving,
revitalizing, and eventually popularizing the dhutanga kammaååhãna
tradition in Thailand. Through his life-long efforts, dhutanga monks (or
kammaååhãna monks, the two are used interchangeably) and the mode
of practice they espouse became, and still remain, a prominent feature
of the Buddhist landscape there."

"Ãcariya Mun was especially gifted as a motivator and teacher. Many
of the monks who trained directly under his tutelage have distinguished
themselves by their spiritual achievements, becoming well-known
teachers in their own right. They have passed on his distinctive teaching
methods to their disciples in a spiritual lineage that extends to the
present day. As a result, the dhutanga kammaååhãna mode of practice
gradually spread throughout the country, along with Ãcariya Mun’s
exalted reputation. This nationwide acclaim began to escalate during
the last years of his life and continued to grow after his death until he
came to be considered a national “saint” by almost unanimous consent.
In recent decades, he has gained recognition beyond the confines of his
native land as one of the 20th century’s truly great religious figures.
Ãcariya Mun’s life epitomized the Buddhist ideal of the wandering
monk intent on renunciation and solitude, walking alone through forests
and mountains in search of secluded places that offer body and mind a
calm, quiet environment in which to practice meditation for the purpose
of transcending all suffering. His was a life lived entirely out of doors
at the mercy of the elements and the vagaries of weather. In such an
environment, a dhutanga monk developed a deep appreciation of nature.
His daily life was full of forests and mountains, rivers and streams, caves,
overhanging cliffs, and wild creatures large and small. He moved from
place to place by hiking along lonely wilderness trails in remote frontier
regions where the population was sparse and village communities far
apart. Since his livelihood depended on the alms food he collected from
those small settlements, a dhutanga monk never knew where his next
meal would come from, or whether he would get any food at all."

"Popular fear of those impenetrable forest areas turned them into
places of isolation and solitude where no one dared to venture alone.
It was in this remote wilderness environment that Ãcariya Mun and his
dhutanga monks lived and wandered, practicing the ascetic way of life.
Their meditation practice and the mental fortitude it instilled in them
were their only defences against the hardships and potential dangers they
faced every day. Forests and mountains were proven training grounds
for such monks, who saw themselves as spiritual warriors battling their
own mental defilements for the sake of ultimate victory.
The story of Ãcariya Mun’s life is a vivid portrait of a consummate
spiritual warrior unrivaled in modern times who practiced the Buddha’s
path to freedom with such perfection that he left those who knew and
revered him in no doubt that he truly was a Noble disciple. A beautiful
story from beginning to end, his life is reminiscent of those famed
accounts of the Buddha’s great disciples chronicled in the ancient
texts. Like theirs, his life shows us that the spiritual ideals taught by
the Buddha are achieved by real human beings struggling against the
same fundamental hindrances that we find within ourselves. Thus we
are made to feel that the Buddha’s “ancient” path to spiritual liberation
is as wholly relevant today as it was 2,500 years ago."

"One aspect of Ãcariya Mun’s teaching career deserves special mention
as it surfaces time and again in the course of his biography. Ãcariya
Mun possessed a unique ability to communicate directly with nonhuman
beings from many different realms of existence. He was continually in
contact with beings in the higher and lower celestial realms, spirits of
the terrestrial realms, nãgas, yakkhas, ghosts of many sorts, and even the
denizens of the hell realms – all of whom are invisible to the human eye
and inaudible to the human ear but clearly known by the inner psychic
faculties of divine sight and divine hearing.
The comprehensive worldview underlying Buddhist cosmology differs
significantly from the view of the gross physical universe presented to
us by contemporary science. In the traditional Buddhist worldview, the
universe is inhabited not only by the gross physical beings that comprise
the human and animal worlds but also by various classes of nonphysical,
divine beings, called devas, that exist in a hierarchy of increasing subtlety
and refinement, and by numerous classes of lower beings living in the
sub-human realms of existence. Only the human and animal worlds
are discernible to normal human sense faculties. The others dwell in
a spiritual dimension that exists outside the range of human concepts
of space and time, and therefore, beyond the sphere of the material
universe as we perceive it."

"It was Ãcariya Mun’s remarkable, inherent capacity for communicating
with many classes of living beings that made him a teacher of
truly universal significance. Knowing that living beings throughout the
sentient universe share a common heritage of repeated existence and
a common desire to avoid suffering and gain happiness, a great teacher
realizes their common need to understand the way of Dhamma in order
to fulfil their spiritual potential and attain enduring happiness. Having
the eye of wisdom, he made no fundamental distinction between the
hearts of people and the hearts of devas, but tailored his teaching to fit
their specific circumstances and levels of understanding. Although the
message was essentially the same, the medium of communication was
different. He communicated with human beings through the medium of
verbal expression, while he used non-verbal, telepathic communication
with all classes of nonhuman beings.
To appreciate Ãcariya Mun’s extraordinary abilities we must be
prepared to accept that the world we perceive through our senses
constitutes only a small portion of experiential reality; that there exists
this spiritual universe of devas and brahmas which is beyond the range
of our limited sense faculties. For in truth, the universe of the wise is
much more vast than the one perceived by the average person. The
wise can know and understand dimensions of reality that others do not
even suspect exist, and their knowledge of the principles underlying all
existence gives them an insight into the phenomenal world that defies
conventional limits.
Ãcariya Mun’s finely-tuned powers of perception contacted an immense
variety of external phenomena, and in the best Buddhist tradition
he spent a considerable amount of time and energy engaged in teaching
them Dhamma. Such beings were as much a part of his personal world
experience as the wild animals in the forest and the monks he trained
so tirelessly. By virtue of his unparalleled expertise in these matters, he
always felt a special obligation toward their spiritual welfare.
Such phenomena are what Ãcariya Mun called “mysteries of the
heart”; for they are conscious, living beings dwelling in spiritual dimensions
that are just as real as the one we inhabit, even though
those spheres lie outside the realm of human existential concepts. The
words “heart” and “mind” are used interchangeably in Thai vernacular.
“Heart” is often the preferred term, as “mind” tends to exclude the emotional and spiritual dimensions associated with the heart. The heart
is the essential knowing nature that forms the basic foundation of the
entire sentient universe. It is the fundamental awareness underlying
all conscious existence and the very basis of all mental and emotional
processes. The heart forms the core within the bodies of all living beings.
It is the center, the substance, the primary essence within the
body. Constantly emphasizing its paramount significance, Ãcariya Mun
always claimed that the heart is the most important thing in the world. For
this reason, the story of Ãcariya Mun’s life and teachings is a story of
the heart’s struggle for spiritual transcendence, and a revelation of the
ineffable mystery of the heart’s pure essence."

An Incident that was told to me (LP Tuad)

Hello everyone.

I would like to thank crazyred121 for writing to me and telling me about her personal experience with LP Tuad. I would also like to thank her for giving me permission (without my asking for it) to post her experience in my blog.

First, something about crazyred121:
1) She is a Singaporean female enthusiast/fan of Thai amulets. It is truly rare to find a girl like her in Singapore who can appreciate Thai amulets.
2) At the time of this posting, she is young (20 years of age this year, 2005) and from her internet photo, seems quite pretty to me.
3) Please see her blog here:
http://www.crazyred121.blogspot.com



This is the email she had sent me:

"Hello! I read your blog and came to learn about the history of LP Tuad. indeed after reading about this great monk, I begin to respect and understand why LP Tuad is so widely respected...
He has such a compassionate heart to bless those worthy of his help & protection even though some of them are wearing fake amulets.
You can post this incident if you like. On Sept 2004, I cannot recall the date, I was sitting on my friend's bike and this guy and girl was on another bike. Both bikes were speeding at PIE when this taxi crashed sideway to the other bike. I watch with my own eyes the girl who is my close friend fly out of the bike while the guy slide over a long distance with the bike. Thanks god there was no cars behind us if not... The taxi crashed into them so hard and seeing her flying in the air like that, I thought she is going to die.
She and her bf substained injuries and her bf had a few stiches on his legs.Both are otherwise, safe and sound. Both are wearing LP Tuad amulets. the guy just put the amulet which he got THAT day in his t-shirt pocket. the crash has his helmet flying off his head but the big impact did not make the amulet drop out.
Hence, I believe LP Tuad saved my friends. Even the docters were amazed that they did not suffer a broken arm or leg."

Thanks crazyred121, I really appreciate your email =)

Compassion of LP Tuad

(Johnson's M16 batch LP Tuad. It reputedly protected a Thai from M16 gunfire and this was published in Thai newspapers)




I heard it from a friend (Eugene Tan) that he heard this from a seller of amulets. This seller of amulets has a friend working in the mortuary in Bangkok. According to the amulet seller's friend, he has never seen an amulet of LP Tuad on any body that has died from accidents.

This amulet seller also said that Arjaan Tim (or Luang Phor Tim) has said that LP Tuad has communicated to him (I am unsure as to how, but possibly through a manifestion of his presence) that he will even protect those worthy of protection if they are wearing fake amulets of LP Tuad. This shows LP Tuad's great compassion indeed.

I heard another story from my friend Johnson. Johnson has said that he met an interesting person in an amulet shop in Singapore. This person (who has his own business and is self-employed; he owns a flower business or something?) knows black magic (probably of an eastern tradition or system). This person wanted to see which of his amulets can protect him from black magic. So he cast black magic on himself while one by one testing his amulets (by wearing them I suppose). He found out that only his LP Tuad amulets protected him from black magic.

Then he became curious and wondered if his fake LP Tuad amulets would offer him the same protection. Again, he tested his fake LP Tuad amulets.

To his astonishment, even his fake LP Tuad amulets protected him.

Author's Note (that is, my note to readers here):
No amulet, no matter how powerful, can or will protect a person who is to suffer the effects of his past bad karma. Holy amulets will not protect those who have evil in their hearts. In fact, no amulet or magical item can protect those who have done too much evil and it is time for them to suffer the effects of their bad karma. No God or Demon can protect evil beings from their bad Karma.

The Legendary Luang Phor Thuad

Wat Changhai is situated at Naparu, Koppo District, Pattani, Thailand. It was built over three hundred years ago. It was also the place where Luang Phor Thuad gained Enlightenment.

Luang Phor Thuad (LP Thuad) is a legendary monk of times past. In our generation, he is famous for amulets made in his image which many believe hold great protective powers which have been proven to be effective time and again.

On 24th April 1963 AD (1st day of Chinese 4th Moon), the abbot of Wat Chaiya Mangkalaram, Penang, the Venerable Phra Kru Prasit Chaiya Mongol (Phor Than Daeng) invited the learned monks from Bangkok to Penang to officiate the opening ceremony of the holy image of LP Thuad.

At about 6 pm, Luang Phor Thuad suddenly revealed his presence in the body of a monk, presumely while the monk was in meditation. Impressed, many devotees asked for guidance and advice.

Out of curiosity, one devotee inquired about his life history, Luang Poo Thuad kindly revealed the following details:

He was born in Singora, Thailand. His ancestors had migrated from FuJian Province in China many centuries ago due to the tumultuous situation then in China. They settled down in Singora, Thailand. His parents were also born in Singora, Thailand. His mother was of Chinese origin. His parents were very poor but they were faithful devotees of the Buddha. They stayed in a hut near an old temple, Wat Khokosan and were employed by a rich family as farmers.

Luang Phor Thuat was born at Ban Suan Chan, Chumphol district, Sathing Phra in in Songkhla, Southern Thailand in the year of A.D.1582 (B.E.2125) when his parents had passed their 40s.


When he was less than 6 months old, he was placed in a towel under a shady tree near the padi field while his mother was working. At noon she ceased work for a time in order to breast-feed him. As she walked towards the baby, she saw a huge python curled round him. Alarmed, she called out for help. The neighbours quickly gathered whatever weapons they could and came round.

The python was stern and motionless. The people around did not know what to do. No one dared to initiate an attack. His mother, however, had an idea.

She remembered the ancient belief that this snake might be an avatar of the gods. So she plucked 7 wild flowers of different colours, put them on a leaf, and offering rice cakes,threw herself down at the ground and bowed to the Python. After a while, the Python spit out a crystal ball of manifold colours on the baby’s chest and slithered away. His mother kept the gem and brought him home.


A rich man offered a very good price for the crystal ball. LP Thuad's mother did not wish to sell it. The wealthy man then tried to force her to sell it using undue pressure. At last LP Thuad's mother relented in the face of the rich man's pressure.

The rich man was elated, but only for a while. Within three days, all members in his family fell ill. Consulting a medium, he was told that he had kept something which did not rightfully belong to him. Only the baby boy (LP Thuad) could keep it. The rich man became frightened and returned the crystal ball to the baby’s mother.

Luang Phor Thuad began to learn about the Buddhist teaching in a temple nearby at the age of 5 years old. Being naturally talented, he mastered all subjects his teacher could guide him within a year. He went to other temples over the hill and across the jungle to acquire further teaching every day. He became a monk at the age of 12 years old and devoted a full time study in the Dharmma. His father passed away at the age of 72 years old when he was 30 years old. In order to further the studies in Buddhism, he left his mother and went to other provinces.

From his present location, Wat Pakok, Singora, Thailand, LP Thuad took a boat bound northwards to Ayuthaya province (a former capital of Thailand). After sailing for half a day, the boat met with great storms. The crew were frightened. The boat did not arrive at its destination after drifting for several days. The supplies of drinking water were running low.

The crew, being superstitious, unfairly blamed their misfortune on the presence of LP Thuad. They planned to throw him overboard into the sea.

Sensing their ill intentions, LP Thuad calmly consoled them that they needed not worry about drinking water as there was plenty around. As he stretched his leg out of the boat, the storm suddenly abated. Using his leg, he drew a circle on the sea and told the boatmen to draw water within it to drink.

The crew was furious! They thought that this monk was trying to pull a fast one on them (that is, they thought he was trying to trick them). After LP Thuad's assurance that the water is actually drinkable, one of them decided to give it a try. He found that the water was indeed fit for consumption! Soon the rest of the crew went to drink the water to verify it for themselves. One curious crew member purposely tasted the water outside the circle and shouted that it was salty. The crew soon abandoned their thoughts of harming LP Thuad.

On the next day, the boat arrived at Ayuthaya province. LP Thuad walked for a few miles and was happy to come across a grand temple. The monks in the temple refused to accept him as he was poorly clad. He then turned to an old temple not very far away. The old keeper welcomed him and offered him board and lodging. He stayed there to study Buddhist scriptures, to pay homage to the Buddha and to practise meditation. He did this for half a year.

The ruler of a neighbouring Buddhist country, the King of Sri Lanka, eyeing the growing wealth and power of the kingdom of Thailand, sent seven monks to Ayuthaya province to test the achievements of the monks in Thailand. They brought with them 12 bowls containing 84,000 words. These words were to be arranged into a certain sutra within 1 week. If the task was accomplished, King of Sri Lanka would present Thailand with 7 boats made of gold. However, should the task be unsuccessful, Thailand would have to surrender its sovereignty to Sri Lanka. The Thai King found it difficult to reject such a challenge as if did so, Thailand would be the laughing stock of the Buddhist world and of the world at large. The Thai King then gathered all his country's well-known learned monks to deal with this problem. Many tried but were unsuccessful.

A Royal Announcement was made to look for someone capable of dealing with the task. On the fourth night, the King dreamed of a white elephant trumpeting in brillant light. He consulted a fortune-teller and was told that it was a fortuitous sign as a sage was likely to appear to solve the problem. The King was, nevertheless, uncertain.

On the sixth day, LP Thuad left the temple in the morning to ask for alms in the form of food. He arrived at a rich man’s house. Thai subjects were discussing about the country's current crisis. They saw him holding a bowl standing in front of their doors. The rich host reverently offered him food. He sensed that the monk in front was rather extraordinary in appearance. He paid LP Thuad due respect and told the latter that their country which reputed for their Buddhist studies would be put to shame if no one could meet the challenge put forward by Sri Lanka and asked whether he could help. LP Thuad replied that he would try. The rich host was very happy. He intended to invite LP Thuad to see the King immediately. LP Thuad told him not to be in a hurry and he would go the next morning.

After LP Thuad had left, the rich host delivered the good news to the King. The next morning, a special Royal carriage to bring LP Thuad to the palace.

On arrival he was escorted by officials to the entrance of the royal palace. The steps boomed with loud sound as LP Thuad walked on them barefooted. The King and the officials were all very quiet.

About half an hour later the monks from Sri Lanka came in. After exchanging greetings out of formality, LP Thuad began to arrange the words. 12 bowls of words were poured on the table. He closed his eyes and arranged them with both hands. After about a quarter of an hour, he announced that 5 words were missing.

The 7 Sri Lankan monks remained silent. He then warned that anyone who did not quickly take out those missing words would die a most horrible death with a cracked skull. The culprit was frightened and took out those missing words.

With his eyes closed Luang Phor Thuat exercised his supernormal power to arrange the words. The sutra was completed in a little while. Seeing that Thailand had successfully responded to Sri Lanka's challenge, those 7 monks presented those 7 boats made of gold and left. Thus LP Thuad’s name became well-known throughout the country. He was henceforth looked upon as a saintly Buddhist monk in Thai history.

Impressed by LP Thuad's wisdom, the Thai king bestowed upon him the rank and title of "Somdej Phra Rajamuni Samiramagunupamacarya". LP Thuad also later became King Ekadasaroth's (King of Sri Lanka) advisor.


LP Thuad remained in the capital city for a few years until he was informed of his mother’s serious illness. He rushed southwards and not long after, his mother died at the age of 78. After the funeral he stayed in Singora, Thailand.

Upon returning home, LP Thuad had found that Wat Pha Khoh in ruins. He then sent a messenger to the Thai King asking if his majesty could help restore the temple. The Thai King was only too glad to help and the temple was soon restored to its former state. The Thai King also bestowed the land surrounding the temple on LP Thuad and the 250 families living around that area.

A state governor from the south by the surname of Phang, a man with a comparatively dark countenance, wanted to build a Buddhist temple. He came to Singora to look for a distinguished monk to head the project. One evening after sunset, he saw an old monk stroll along the seaside, leaving behind a trail of light. He knew that this was the monk to approach. He stepped forward to pay due respect to LP Thuad and told him of his intention to build a temple in Pattani. LP Thuad already knew about the matter through his psychic powers. He consented and went with governor Phang to Pattani. When the construction was completed, the temple was named Wat Changhai. LP Thuad was abbot of this temple till he passed away at the age of 120 years old. (However, some sources say no one really knew when LP Thuad had passed away)

In the later part of his life, LP Thuad dedicated his life to spreading Buddhism. After he has passed away from this life, he manifested in the dreams of his disciples. They then started to make amulets of his image. Even today, many amulets made of his image continue to be produced. Many Thais today can testify to the protective powers of LP Thuad amulets (amulets of the image of LP Thuad)

LP Thuad amulets are (based on my knowledge and research) known for the following powers:
1) Protection from accidents (such as traffic accidents and even natural disasters and so on)
2) Protection from all sorts danger (such as gunfire)
3) Protection from black magic and any form of offensive spells
4) Protection from evil spirits, demons and other hostile malevolent other-wordly entities


Some reported incidents of Amulets of LP Thuad's image:


1) In the beginning of 1963AD, Lokhunpakpaliang in Thailand was hit by typhoon. The resulting floods caused great loss to the population who were mostly fishermen. Houses were swept away, numerous people were wounded, reported missing and lost their lives. Those wearing the images of LP Thuad were apparently safe and sound. This is reputed to be a well-known incident witnessed by many people.

2) A bus on the Singora-Haadyai route fell into a deep chasm due to the very dangerous roads in the mountains. All passengers were unharmed and it was later found that all of them were wearing the images of LP Thuad. The Thai newspapers has published many of such news from time to time. To the faithful, this is proof of the supernormal powers of LP Thuad as well as the greatness of the Buddhist religion.

3) One incident I came across online related that a certain batch of his amulets reportedly protected someone from M-16 gunfire. That batch of LP amulets became known as the "M-16" LP Thuad amulets in amulet circles.

Luang Phor Yiam of Wat Nang

Luang Poo Yiam Wat Nang, Bangkok passed away at the age of 94, on 29th April BE2469 (1926 AD).

Luang Poo Yiam or Jow Koon Dtow is a very famous monk in Thailand, especially to those who like to collect his Kreung Rahng(magical items) and rian amulets. Luang Poo Yiam's rians are the top amulets in the series of BenJaPahKeeRian (the Great Five Rians).

Luang Poo Yiam was born in Bangkok on the 5th August BE2375 (1832 AD), during the 3rd Thai King's Reign. At the age of 9, Luang Poo Yiam began his formal studies at Wat Nang. Later, when he was 11 years old, he went to study at Wat Bowan, and after sometime, he moved to Wat RahtBurRaNa to continue his studies. At the age of 19, Luang Poo Yiam was ordained as a novice at Wat Nang for a short period of time.

When Luang Poo Yiam was 22 years old, he became a monk at Wat RahtOhRaSahRahm, and his preceptors were Pra SutTuMaTeRa (Gert), Pra TamMaJaDee (Jeen) and Pra Ah Jahn Rort, Wat Nang Norng were his Dhamma teachers. Later on, Luang Poo Yiam also studied Dhamma (the Buddha's teachings) under Pra PahWaNahGohSon(Rort), Pra TamMaJaDee and Pra SangWonWeMon(Men).

Luang Poo Yiam was a very hard-working monk, and very soon he was promoted to Pra BaiKiGah(monk title) and subsequently became Pra PaLatTahNuKrom (monk title).

When Luang Poo Yiam reached 16th PanSah(rain retreat), the 5th Thai King bestowed the title of Pra Kru on him. Luang Poo Yiam returned to Wat Nang and became its head abbot.

In BE2442 (1899 AD), Luang Poo Yiam attained the title Pra RahChahKaNa.

Luang Poo Yiam was a monk who observed the precepts (code of conduct) of a Buddhist monk strictly. He never accepted material things given to him by the lay people, except those which were meant to build Wat Nang. Many people respected Luang Poo Yiam, and his Metta(Loving Kindness) was well-known both far and near, such that many people would bring their children to be ordained under him. The 5th Thai King was one who respected Luang Poo Yiam very much and treated him as his teacher.

Luang Poo Yiam had taught the 5th King a special kartha (mantra) for Metta MahaNiyom (Loving Kindness), and the 5th King would always use this kartha wherever he went. This kartha is called Kartha ItTiPiSoh Rian Dteui:

"It Ti Pi Soh We Se Se It
It Se Se Put Tat Nah Me It
It Me Nah Put Tat Dta Soh It
It Soh Dta Put Tat Pi Dti It"

Luang Poo Yiam was never arrogant despite his popularity and the attention bestowed on him. Instead he always mentioned that he was just an ordinary monk, and was not as good as any of his teachers who had taught him Dhamma (teachings of the Buddha).

Note: I hope this tribute to Luang Phor Yiam is a worthy one to such an esteemed Buddhist monk.

Introduction

This blog represents my tribute to some of the most well-respected Thai Guru Buddhist monks.