Phra Ratchaprommayan (dharma name: Thawaro, commonly known as Luang Pho Ruesi Ling Dam) was a senior monk of the Mahanikaya order and the former abbot of Wat Chantharam in Uthai Thani Province, Thailand.[1][2] He was renowned for his expertise in kammatthana (meditation practice) and the discipline of manomayiddhi (psychic powers).[3] After his death in 1992, his body reportedly did not decay and remains enshrined at Wat Tha Sung to this day.[4]
The name "Luang Pho Ruesi Ling Dam" (literally “Black Monkey Sage”) originated as his pen name when he wrote books on Dhamma.[5] His teachings encompassed both samatha and vipassanā meditation, explained in a detailed yet accessible manner. He emphasized the forty meditation subjects and the four foundations of mindfulness as the essential bases of practice.[6]
Biography
Early life
Phra Ratchaprommayan was born as Sangwian (later changed to Veera) Sangsuvarn on Saturday, 8 July 1916 (Year of the Dragon), in Bang Pla Ma District, Suphan Buri Province, to a prosperous farming family.[7] His father was Khwang Sangsuvarn and his mother was Sombun Sangsuvarn. He was the third of five siblings.
Before his birth, his mother dreamt of a golden Brahmā deity, radiant like a Buddha image, entering her lap. This was later interpreted as a divine omen.[8] At first he was named “Phrom” (Brahmā), but official records later changed it to Sangwian. In childhood, relatives called him Lek (“little one”), while within the family he was known as Pho Klang (“middle son”).[9]
At age 7 he began school at Wat Bang Nom Kho in Ayutthaya Province, completing grade 3.[10] At 15, he studied traditional Thai medicine while living with his grandmother. At 17, he assisted in the suppression of the Boworadet Rebellion (1933).[11] At 19, he became a military pharmacist in the Royal Thai Navy.[12]
Ordination
In 1936, aged 20, he was ordained as a bhikkhu at Wat Bang Nom Kho, Ayutthaya.[13] His preceptor was Phra Khru Rattanapirom, with Phra Khru Wihankijjanukon (Pan) as kammavācācariya, and his uncle Luang Pho Lek as instructor. He received the monastic name Thawaro.
Studies and Practice
From 1937–1941, he passed the Nak Tham exams from junior to senior level and began intensive study of meditation under masters such as Luang Pho Pan of Wat Bang Nom Kho, Luang Pho Chong, and Luang Pho Sot of Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen.[14] He practiced ascetic wanderings (dhutaṅga) across central Thailand, learning both canonical meditation and esoteric practices.[15]
In 1945, he passed the 3rd-level Parian Tham examination, changing his name to Phra Maha Veera. In 1948, he completed Parian Tham 4 and moved to Wat Prayurawongsawat, later becoming deputy ecclesiastical governor. He also trained as a preacher.[16]
Abbot of Wat Tha Sung
In 1968, at the age of 52, he became abbot of Wat Chantharam, Uthai Thani.[17] He oversaw its transformation from a small rural monastery into a large temple complex covering nearly 300 rai, with 144 new structures including meditation halls, ordination halls, schools, hospitals, and the famous 100-meter glass hall.[18] Construction costs totaled over 600 million baht. He also contributed to building and restoring more than 30 other temples nationwide.[19]
In 1977, he established the “Aid Center for the Poor in Remote Areas” under the royal patronage of King Rama IX.[20] In 1983, he built a rural mother-and-child hospital and in 1985 founded the Phra Suthammayan Thera School.[21]
He died on 30 October 1992 at Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, from pneumonia and blood infection.[22] His body, said to remain undecayed, is preserved in a glass coffin at Wat Tha Sung.[23]
Titles
1984 – Elevated to Phra Suthammayan Thera, royal ecclesiastical rank (third-class prelate).[24]
1989 – Promoted to Phra Ratchaprommayan Paisal Pavananusit Mahakanissara Bovornsangkaram Khamavasi (royal rank of Ratchakhana).[25]
Works
Throughout his monastic career, Luang Pho emphasized spreading Buddhism through teaching, publishing Dhamma books, recording more than 1,000 tapes, and preaching nationwide.[26] He encouraged disciples to pursue nibbāna through generosity, morality, concentration, and wisdom. He also produced amulets and protective objects widely circulated across Thailand.[27]
His social works included building schools, hospitals, rice banks, and welfare centers. He was also closely associated with the royal initiative to aid the poor in remote areas, distributing food, medicine, and scholarships.[28]
Buddhist Prophecies
Phra Ratchaprommayan became widely associated with popular Buddhist prophecy traditions in Thailand. His sermons and teachings on future events, often tied to the destiny of the Thai nation, circulated widely and remain influential.[29][30]
Gallery
Enshrined in the 100-Meter Glass Hall at Wat Tha Sung
Visiting Chicago, April 1987
In Chicago, April 1987
Visiting France, June 1988
Visiting Europe, June 1988
In Italy, June 1988
At the Colosseum, Rome, 1988
At the British Museum, London
At the U.S. Congress
At a U.S. airport
References
↑ Tambiah, Stanley Jeyaraja. Buddhism and the Spirit Cults in North-East Thailand. Cambridge University Press, 1970.
↑ McDaniel, Justin. The Lovelorn Ghost and the Magical Monk: Practicing Buddhism in Modern Thailand. Columbia University Press, 2011.
↑ Swearer, Donald. The Buddhist World of Southeast Asia. SUNY Press, 2010.
↑ Bangkok Post, "Monk’s body remains undecayed", 1 November 1992.
↑ Wat Tha Sung Official Publications, Biographical Notes on Phra Ratchaprommayan, 1993.
↑ Payutto, P.A. Thai Buddhism in the Buddhist World. Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University Press, 1996.
↑ Phongpaichit, Pasuk, and Chris Baker. Thailand’s Boom and Bust. Silkworm Books, 1998.
↑ Wat Tha Sung Archives, "Birth and Early Life of Luang Pho Ruesi Ling Dam", retrieved 2010.
↑ Kassapa, Somchai. Great Monks of Thailand. Bangkok: Thammasat University Press, 2001.
↑ Cholvijarn, Santi. "Education of Thai Monks in the 20th Century." Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, Vol. 24, No. 2 (1993).
↑ Wyatt, David K. Thailand: A Short History. Yale University Press, 2003.
↑ Royal Thai Navy Historical Records, "Civilian Contributions, 1930s".
↑ Bangkok Metropolitan Ecclesiastical Register, Ordination Records 1936.
↑ Cook, Joanna. Meditation in Modern Buddhism: Renunciation and Change in Thai Monastic Life. Cambridge University Press, 2010.
↑ Tambiah, Stanley. World Conqueror and World Renouncer. Cambridge University Press, 1976.
↑ Keyes, Charles F. The Golden Peninsula: Culture and Adaptation in Mainland Southeast Asia. Macmillan, 1977.
↑ Wat Tha Sung Official Website, "History of the Temple", accessed 2023.
↑ Matichon, "Transformation of Wat Tha Sung under Luang Pho Ruesi Ling Dam", 12 May 1989.
↑ Kitiarsa, Pattana. Mediums, Monks, and Amulets: Thai Popular Buddhism Today. Silkworm Books, 2008.
↑ Royal Gazette, "Foundation of the Aid Center for the Poor in Remote Areas", Vol. 94, 1977.
↑ Thai Rath, "Social Contributions of Luang Pho Ruesi Ling Dam", 20 March 1985.
↑ Bangkok Post, Obituary of Luang Pho Ruesi Ling Dam, 31 October 1992.
↑ McDaniel, Justin. The Lovelorn Ghost and the Magical Monk: Practicing Buddhism in Modern Thailand. Columbia University Press, 2011.
↑ McDaniel, Justin. The Lovelorn Ghost and the Magical Monk: Practicing Buddhism in Modern Thailand. Columbia University Press, 2011.
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