LP Thuad

[peacock]

Wat Changhai is situated at Pattani, South Thailand. It was built more than three hundred years ago. LP Thuad was a legendary monk from the past and he is still very much revered by many people especially in Southern Thailand. In our present generation, he is famous for amulets made in his image which many believed hold great protective powers which have been proven to be very effective.

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 Pu 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 Pu 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 turmoil situations back then in China. His ancestors had eventually settled down in Singora, South 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 Pu Thuad was born at Ban Suan Chan, Chumphol district, Sathing Phra 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 paddy field while his parents are working. At noon she ceased work for break time in order to breast-feed him. As she walked towards the baby, she saw a huge cobra snake curled around 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 cobra. After a while, the cobra 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.

The farm's rich man offered a very handsome price for the crystal ball. But 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 Pu 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 named Samanera Pu at the age of 12 years old and devoted a full time study in the Dharmma. Samanera Pu was fully ordained at at later stage and was given the Buddhist Monastical name Samiramo. His father passed away at the age of 72 years old when he was in his early 20s. In order to further his studies in Buddhism, he left his mother and went to other Ayuthaya the old Thai Kingdom.

From his present location, Wat Phra Ko, South 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 boat crews, 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 to 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 were furious! They thought that this monk 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 boat 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.