Laow Panyasiri

Chao Khun Laow Panyasiri
Personal life
Born	Laow Pracharart เหลา ประชาราษฎร์ (1960-08-07) 7 August 1960 (age 65) Phayu, Sisaket, Thailand
Education	Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University (B.A., 1986) School of Oriental and African Studies (M.A., 1995) University of Birmingham (Ph.D., 2004)
Religious life
Religion	Buddhism
Order	Mahā Nikāya
School	Theravāda
Dharma names	Paññāsiri ปญฺญาสิริ
Monastic name	Phra Ratchawithetpanyakhun พระราชวิเทศปัญญาคุณ
Ordination	13 July 1980, aged 19 (45 years ago) Wat Mahathat Yuwaratrangsarit
Senior posting
Teacher	Chodok Yanasitthi โชดก ญาณสิทฺธิ
Present post	Abbot of Wat Buddhapadipa (since 30 January 2023)
Previous post	Abbot of Wat Mahathat, Kings Bromley

Laow Panyasiri (born 7 August 1960) is a Thai Buddhist monk and the abbot of Wat Buddhapadipa in Wimbledon, London.

Name

Laow's birth name was Laow Pracharart (Thai : เหลา ประชาราษฎร์; RTGS: Lao Pracharat). His Dhamma name, in the Pali language, is Paññāsiri (Thai : ปญฺญาสิริ; RTGS: Panyasiri), and his monastic title is Phra Ratchawithetpanyakhun (Thai : พระราชวิเทศปัญญาคุณ). ^[1]

He is commonly known as Chao Khun Laow (Thai : เจ้าคุณเหลา). ^[2] Chao Khun is a colloquial title for monks with the rank of Phra Rachakhana . ^[3]

Life

Laow was born on 7 August 1960 in Phayu, Sisaket, Thailand. He was ordained as a novice monk ( sāmaṇera ) at Wat Mahathat in Bangkok on 20 December 1973, at the age of 13. His higher ordination ( upasampadā ) took place on 13 July 1980, at the age of 19, with Chodok Yanasitthi as his preceptor ( upajjhāya ). ^[1]

He received his doctorate from the University of Birmingham in 2004, with a thesis entitled The British Practice of Theravada Buddhism. ^[4]

He has established a number of temples in Britain, including a temple at Fort Austin in Plymouth. ^[5]

On 30 January 2023, the Sangha Supreme Council appointed him as the new abbot of Wat Buddhapadipa in Wimbledon, London. ^[2] He had been the acting abbot since 25 November 2022. ^[6]

References

1. "พระราชวิเทศปัญญาคุณ (เหลา ปญฺญาสิริ ป.ธ.๔ ,ดร.)". Sangkhatikan.com (in Thai). Archived from the original on 7 April 2023.
2. "มส.ตั้ง "หลวงพ่ออลงกต" ที่ปรึกษาเจ้าคณะภาค 3 "เจ้าคุณเหลา" เป็นเจ้าอาวาสวัดพุทธประทีป ลอนดอน". Daily News (in Thai). 30 January 2023. Archived from the original on 30 January 2023.
3. Jackson, Peter A. (1989). Buddhism, Legitimation, and Conflict: The Political Functions of Urban Thai Buddhism. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. p. 17. ISBN   981-3035-21-8.
4. Pracharart, Phramaha Laow Panyasiri (2004). The British Practice of Theravada Buddhism (PDF). Doctoral thesis. University of Birmingham. ISNI   0000000426899691.
5. Chapman, Peter (28 June 2020). "Incredible tour of Plymouth 'temple of peace' for Thai monks". Plymouth Live . Archived from the original on 29 June 2020.
6. "พิธีบำเพ็ญกุศลสวดพระอภิธรรมถวาย พระเดชพระคุณ พระเทพภาวนามงคล วิ. อดีตเจ้าอาวาสวัดพุทธปทีป กรุงลอนดอน อดีตประธานองค์กรพระธรรมทูตไทย" (in Thai). National Office of Buddhism. 26 November 2022. Archived from the original on 28 November 2022.

External links

Laow Panyasiri on Facebook