“Phra Sangkajjai – Mahākaccāyana Thera”
Phra Sangkajjai (Pāḷi: Mahākaccāyana Thera) was previously known as Kaccāna – an adept and popular teacher of Dhamma. People regarded Mahākaccāyana as a very attractive, good-looking young man. His features in physical appearance were highly similar to that of the Buddha. Mahākaccāyana was well aware of the fact that people often tend to mistake his appearance for that of the Buddha. Thus, he wished to distinguish himself from the looks of the Buddha, upon which he decided transform himself into a fat and ugly monk.
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“Phra Sivali – Sīvalī Thera”
In one of his past lives, Phra Sivali (Pāḷi: Sīvalī Thera) was blessed with the opportunity to see the Buddha Padumuttara (the 13th Buddha). At that time Buddha Padumuttara gave to a monk the honor of being foremost among his fellow monks obtaining the Four Requisites (1: food; 2: shelter; 3: robes; 4: medicine). Upon seeing the people offering an abundance of those Four Requisites to this particular monk, Sīvalī was deeply impressed and made a vow to attain a status in monkhood similar to that of the monk he had witnessed.
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“Phra Upakut – Upagupta Thera”
Historically Phra Upakut (Sanskrit: Upagupta Thera) was a Sarvāstivādin Buddhist forest monk who lived in the region of Mathurā in Northern India during the time of King Aśokas reign (third century B.C.E.).
Remarkably, Upagupta Thera is not mentioned in the Pāḷi Canon anywhere at all, nor is there any reference made to him in the Pāḷi commentarial literature. That is due to the fact that the legend of Upagupta Thera first developed in Sanskrit Buddhist traditions, such as the Sarvāstivādin school, and only later (by the twelfth century B.C.E.) became established in northern Southeast Asian countries (Burma, Thailand, Laos).
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“Luang Por Pern Tithakuno”
Luang Por Pern Tithakuno was born on Sunday 12 August B.E. 2466 in Nakhon Pathom. He was one of eight children of his parents – Fok (father) and Yuang (mother) Purahong.
In his teenage years LP Pern’s family moved to Supanburi province. During this time he became a true highway man who sought after teachers in order to teach him magical spells for protection that can be used in physical combat. Thus LP Pern would become a student of Luang Por Daeng of Wat Tong Kork. LP Daeng was a direct disciple of Luang Por Nong who practiced Kammathan.
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“Luang Por Thongdum”
Luang Por Thongdum was born on 19 August B.E. 2477 at the village of Prangu in Sri Saket Province; he was the third child of his parents’ four children. When Thongdam Puiob - LP Thongdum’s real name – was still young he studied at Wat Ban Prasat and continued to do so until the age of ten. But due to the fact that his family was suffering from poverty he had to quit his studies at the temple and go back to his parents’ house to help his family out in farming their land.
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