Description
Luang Phor Thuad was born in Sathing Phra District, Songkhla Province, in B.E. 2125. (A.D.1582). Luang Phor Thuad’s ancestor was from Fujian Province, China, and migrated and settled in Thailand. Luang Phor Thuad’s parents named him “Phu” when he was born. His parents were faithful devotees of Buddhism and had stayed in a small hut near Wat Khokosan for some time. Luang Phor Thuad’s parents were of Chinese descent and were very poor. A wealthy family employed Luang Phor Thuad’s parents to work as farmers.
The first miraculous event happened to Luang Phor Thuad when he was six months old. He was left under a shady tree while his mother, Mae Chan, worked in the nearby paddy field. When it was time to feed the baby, the mother saw a vast reticulated python curled around him. In a state of shock, she called out for help, and the father and other labourers came hurriedly to help her. The python looked menacing but stood motionless. Mae Chan then recalled an ancient belief that the python could be an avatar of a god. She hastily gathered seven flowers of different colours and brought rice cake to offer to the python. She bowed and prayed sincerely to the python, and the snake slithered away after spitting out a crystal-like pearl on the baby. The labourers were curious about the pearl and gathered around to look. Mae Chan then kept the crystal-like gem and treated it as a God-given gift.
After that, the story caught the attention of the wealthy family. The employer, Phan, became envious and greedy when he saw the crystal pearl. He offered a high price for the pearl, but Luang Phor Thuad’s mother, Mae Chan, was reluctant to sell it. However, after the increasing pressure from Phan, she caved in and had no choice but to sell the pearl to Phan. The rich man was delighted with the buy; however, it was short-lived. Within a couple of days, all of his family members fell ill. Phan was terrified and went to consult a medium. The medium told Phan he had kept something that did not rightfully belong to him. After that, Phan returned the pearl to Mae Chan. It was then kept safely till Luang Phor Thuad could take care of himself before giving it to him.
Luang Phor Thuad started learning Dharma in the local temple at five. He was a fast learner and absorbed what he was taught within a couple of years. By then, the monks had imparted most of their knowledge to Luang Phor Thuad, so he went to other temples to acquire further daily teachings. Luang Phor Thuad was ordained at 12 and devoted all his time to studying the Dharma. His father passed away when he was 30 years old, and at that point, he decided to further his education in Ayutthaya, the Capital of Thailand. From there on, he left his mother and took a ship to Ayutthaya province.
Luang Phor Thuad’s trip to Ayutthaya was a familiar folktale in Thailand. It was said when the ship was sailing past Chumphon city, the ship met with massive storms and waves. Next, the vessel could not navigate properly and hold its own, and they were stranded in the sea for many days. The ship ran out of supplies, and the lack of drinking water was a problem. The owner of the vessel and the sailors were superstitious and suspected that the calamity happened due to the presence of Luang Phor Thuad. They thought about throwing him into the sea, and eventually, they disembarked him from the ship. The crew provided Luang Phor Thuad with a small rowboat to allow him to head for shore. However, he sat in the boat, chanted in deep concentration, dipped his leg into the water, and drew a circle.
The storm and waves then start to subside, and he tells the people on board the ship to bring water from the circle. The crew thought he was trying to trick them, but after his assurance, they decided to try out the water. They realized the seawater had turned into drinking water, and they quickly fetched water before embracing Luang Phor Thuad back to the ship. After that, the crew’s contemplation to remove him on board was abandoned. The following day, everyone arrived at Ayutthaya province safely.
Ayutthaya was the hub of Thailand Buddhism, and Luang Phor Thuad had high hopes of improving his studies there. He came across a large temple but was turned away because he looked dishevelled. Luang Phor Thuad went on to search for a temple that was willing to accept him. Eventually, he was offered to stay in a run-down temple outside the city, where he continued studying Buddhist scriptures. Nevertheless, he remained there for about six months.
During that time, the ruler of the neighbouring country Sri Lanka is eyeing the wealth and power of Thailand. Instead of wedging war to take over Ayutthaya, the King of Sri Lanka challenged the King of Thailand with a Buddhist Sūtra puzzle. Seven Brahmins and an ambassador went to Ayutthaya and met the King of Thailand with 12 alms bowls containing 84,000 words. The words are to be arranged correctly to form a Sūtra within seven days. Should Thailand succeed, Sri Lanka would present the King of Thailand with seven boats made of gold. However, should the task be unsuccessful, Thailand must surrender its sovereignty to Sri Lanka.
Thailand’s King found it difficult to reject this challenge as it is a hub for Buddhism and would be a laughingstock if it could not complete the puzzle. The challenge was accepted, and all the highly revered monks were invited to solve the problem, but none succeeded. A royal announcement was then made to call out anyone that could address the puzzle within the time frame. On the fourth day, the King dreamt of a white elephant trumpeting in a dazzling light. The next day the King consulted a fortune-teller. The latter told the King it was a promising sign as a person would likely come out and solve the crisis.
On the sixth day, Luang Phor Thuad was out of the temple to receive alms in the early morning. He arrived at a wealthy man’s home and heard people discussing the country’s crisis. The host reverently offered him food and sensed that Luang Phor Thuad was extraordinary. He then paid respect to Luang Phor Thuad and told him that Thailand, widely known for Buddhist studies, would be put to shame if no one could solve the Sūtra puzzle presented by Sri Lanka. Luang Phor Thuad agreed to try, and the host was delighted and intended to invite Luang Phor Thuad to see the King immediately. Luang Phor Thuad told him there was no hurry and that he would see the King the following day.
The next day, Luang Phor Thuad went to the palace; through deep concentration and closed eyes, he could complete the Sūtra puzzle quickly. After that, Luang Phor Thuad was well-known throughout the country and was looked upon as a holy monk to date. Luang Phor Thuad was bestowed the highest Sangha rank and title, “Phra Rajamuni Samiramagunupamacarya.” He was then called upon to stay with the King and be an advisor. After many years, Luang Phor Thuad asked for permission to return to his hometown after being informed that his mother was ill, which was permitted. His mother passed away at the age of 78, and ever since then, he has stayed in Singora, Songkhla province.
After returning to his hometown, he noticed that Wat Pha Kho was severely damaged. Luang Phor Thuad sent a message to the Thai King requesting help and gladly accepted. Wat Pha Kho was quickly restored to its former state, and the land was bestowed to the 250 families residing around the temple.
