Dhan Chao Khun Nor
Dhan Chao Khun Nor (CKN) was born on Saturday, 5th Febuary BE2440 and
was the eldest in the family of 5 siblings. He was among the first batch
of students at the Official University of Kingdom Siam, now known as
Chulalongkorn University. After completing his studies, Chao Khun Nor
became an officer in the King's Palace, then ruled by the 6th King of
Thailand. He became the closest attendant to the King and he moved to
the King's chamber and attended to the King's daily needs. After the
death of the 6th King, CKN was devastated. He left the palace in BE2468.
His parents wanted him to get married with a lady teacher after seeing
CKN so sad over the death of the King. However, before anything could
be firmed up, CKN told his parents that he wanted to be ordained.
CKN ordained on 23th March BE2468 at Wat Thepsirintahwaht, a day
before the 6th King was cremated. He became a monk as tum boon (giving
merit) for the 6th King. CKN was a strict vegetarian who consumed only 1
meal a day and decided never to leave the monkhood. He was ordained by
Somdej Phra Putta Koshacharn (Charoen), who was also his preceptor.
Phra Putwiriyaaigon, the abbot of Wat Sommanatwihahn and Phra Udon
Seelahkon Wat DhepSiRin were the Dhamma teachers.
STRICT OBSERVANCE OF THE 227 PRECEPTS
It is widely believed that CKN could accurately predict the future by
looking at finger & palm prints. When the villagers got wind of
that, all of them flocked to the temple asking for him to enlighten them
on their future but were declined. Despite that, many people continued
to visit him very often even though they know that they will most
probably go back empty handed. They all came for an assortment of
reasons ranging from offering presents, to
seek guidance about their problems and to ask him about their futures. He was very uncomfortable and sad with all this.
When the villagers presented things to him, he advised them to bring
it to other monks as he strictly observed the 227 provisions of moral
precepts. He also mentioned that one would similarly accumulate merits
when giving offerings to other monks. This made the villagers unhappy
& felt that he looked down on them. They people brought the matter
up to Somdej Phra Phutta Koshacharn (Charoen).
When Somdej Phra
Phutta Koshacharn heard this, he asked CKN about this matter. CKN
explained that the reason he did not accept the things or attendance
from the villagers is because he was ordained for the purpose of tum
boon for the 6th King. Besides that, he also needed to maintain good
concentration in order to study the teachings of Buddha. In order to
succeed, he needed to have no connections to the outside world. All the
people who came to visit him brought along the troubles of the world,
which adversely affected his concentration. When Somdej Phra Phutta
Koshacharn heard his reasons, he sympathized and agreed with him.
As CKN had strictly observed the 227 precepts, he did not accept any
form of offerings from the villagers. The room in which he lived was
very empty and consisted of only the basic necessities. There was even
no electric lighting. He does all his reading in the day. When CKN went
back to his room, he would lock the door and stay inside. No one ever
knew what he did in his room and he never came out to receive guests.
He never accepted anything from anyone with the exception of his nephew
who would bring vegetarian food from his mother’s house. He uses most
of his time for insight development.
In the temple, they
placed some skeletons of dead people to aid the monks in the
development of their insight. The intention was to remind the monks
that the female body would eventually resemble this ugly state so that
they will refrain from sex and impure thoughts as well as to reinforce
the rule of impermanence. LP Parn of Wat Bang Nom Kho Ayutthaya also
practiced in such a manner.
WATER USED FOR WASHING FEET CAN CURE SICKNESS
It is a daily routine for CKN to walk back to the monk’s residence.
There were 2 things that were significantly different with him.
Firstly, he did not wear any slippers like the villagers and walked
around barefooted. The second and most remarkable thing was that he
always walked on tip-toes and his heels never touched the ground. No
one knows why he walked like that but it was assumed that it was a kind
exercise for his leg muscles. Before stepping into the monk’s
residence, he would wash his feet in a basin and dry them.
A
village was hit by a dreaded disease and one of the villagers was
instructed to bring a bottle to CKN to ask for some holy water to try
to cure his fellow villagers but was
declined. The villager had no
idea what to do and how to get holy water from CKN to appease the
villagers. Out of desperation, he decided to take the water from the
basin used for washing CKN's feet and brought it back to his place to
give to the sick. Nobody knew the origins of the water and what it was
used for.
When the sick people drank the water which they
thought was holy water given by CKN, all of them were miraculously
cured. This greatly puzzled the man who brought the water.
When this news leaked out (gossip is a fearful thing) people who heard
the news all rushed towards Wat DhepSiRin to ask CKN for this special
holy water but he denied having given any to anyone much to their
disappointment. When the villagers heard CKN’s reply, they were all
very confused as to where the holy water came from.
The monk
staying next to CKN couldn’t stand it anymore as more and more people
flocked to the temple and decided to clarify to the villagers once and
for all that CKN had never given any holy water to anyone. However,
there was one man who came to beg for it but was declined. He also
witnessed the same man taking the water from CKN's feet washing basin
but at that time, he did not know what the man was doing. CKN was also
aware of it.
When the origins of the “holy water” was
established, all the villages rushed to take water from the basin. Some
waited around for it to be filled up & immediately emptied the
basin.
This made it a very hectic job for the person
responsible for topping up the basin as he had to do it numerous times a
day. Finally, the basin was placed in CKN’s room to put a stop to
this.
STRONG WILLPOWER
There were reports of
strange incidents happening when CKN made incantations. On the fateful
day of Saturday, 25th April BE2513, a photographer was assigned to take
photographs of him consecrating a batch of amulets and was busy
snapping pictures of the long and elaborate process until it was
finished. When the pictures were sent for processing, there was
something strange and remarkable about a picture in which CKN was
sprinkling holy water on the
amulets. The wooden brush that was used
to sprinkle holy water emitted white light from its tip. There were
many people who were present at the ceremony but the light was not seen
by anyone there. It only showed up on the picture. Everyone was amazed
as they could not find any logical explanation for this. However,
everyone agreed that it could not have been caused by the actual
physical sprinkling of holy water itself.
There was another
strange incident on Saturday, 5th December BE2513. There was a big
ceremony at Wat DhepSiRin & many people came to witness the event.
CKN announced that it was going to be the last time he was going to
make incantations for the blessing of amulets. In a photograph, the
flames from the candles which were lined up directly in front of the
principle Buddha statue were “swaying” as if there was a strong wind
blowing. However, all the windows and doors were shut during that time
and there was no wind at all. The flames should have been completely
still. Everyone who was at the ceremony were astonished when the
picture was shown. This particular picture was taken when CKN was
making incantations in front of the principal Buddha image in a temple
and Dhan Chao Khun Udomsarasophon was blessing the amulets with holy
water.
Based on the pictorial evidence taken during the
ceremonies, there was widespread belief that the strange incidents were
the result of CKN’s high level of attainment.
DIVINE EYES
Many people and all his students strongly believed that CKN had
completed the highest levels of insight development and may have
attained the level of Arahant. They derived their
conclusion from his performance and his thought invoking ways when he speaks and delivers his speeches.
One evening, after CKN finished praying, he waited for Dhan Chao Khun
Udom and warned him about an impending misfortune and told him to be
careful in his journeys. Chao Khun Udom Sarasophom was going to build a
new building at Wang Kajom Temple at Nakronnayok. During the journey,
an accident occurred and the car in which CK Udom was travelling in
overturned. However, he only sustained minor injuries and only had to
stay in the hospital for a few days for observations. According to the
people who saw the wrecked car, they were absolutely astonished the CK
Udom & the driver could have survived the accident. It was later
mentioned that the driver was wearing a CKN amulet.
On another
occasion, CKN was having a discussion with his students on Cambodia and
he mentioned that that trouble will befall on the people of Cambodia
as there will be a revolution in a few days time.
All the
students were puzzled when they heard that and although some of them
disagreed, they did not say it out loud. A few days later, it was
published in the newspapers that a revolution had started in Cambodia
to expel Chao Narodom Sridhanu. His students were in shock and awe at
how he could have known this in advance. Thus, they realized that that
CKN was able to see the future in his meditations.
On another
occasion during the rainy season, there was a new monk staying at the
monk’s residence and resided right next to CKN's room. The walls of the
rooms were all made of solid concrete.
One day, friends of
the new monk came to visit him at the residence. This new monk took out
a violin and was about to play it when CKN opened his window and told
the monk’s friend who was sitting down in front of his friend’s room to
please tell the new monk that this thing (violin) that he is holding
is “improper” for a monk and politely asked for him to put in away.
Those words shocked the people around him as the walls were made of
solid concrete & CKN could not have seen the violin from the
outside. Besides, the new monk had never even played the violin before
that day.
From the incidents above which were experienced by
different people at different times, there is widespread belief that
CKN had achieved a very high level of spiritual attainment and was able
to know & read people's minds.
BLESSING OF GRAVEL
The person who took care of CKN was his nephew, Khun Kosol
Pattamasonthon. He was the son of Mrs. Louen Pattamasonthon, CKN’s
sister.
CKN had some skin infections so one day, CKN requested
Khun Kosol to go to the Pramongkoutkouw Hospital to get an anti-septic
solution from Dr. Pantree Paiboon who was one
of the doctors there. Khun Kosol cleaned CKN's wounds daily until 2nd Jan BE2514.
One fine day, CKN asked his nephew, “Do you need anything from me? If
you do, please go and take the gravel from Amphur Bangbour and I will
perform incantations to bless it for you."
Khun Kosol was
startled when heard his uncle say that because CKN has seldom
volunteered to do such things except on rare occasions when he blessed
amulets for the well being of the masses. On some occasions, CKN may ask
devotees to take amulets from Chao Khun Udomsarasophon and always
instructed them to make some donations and never to take things for
free.
Khun Kosol then replied asking, "If Amphur Bangbour
doesn’t have gravel, can I take from Chonburi or Samuthsongkram?” CKN
answered, “No, you can’t. You can only take from Amphur Bangbour
because Bangbour is a good name meaning pit of gold and silver and
Samutprakarn Province means melodious and is an auspicious name. There
will be gravel there if you were to go now."
Khun Kosol went
searching for the gravel at Amphur Bangbour until he was was able to
gather one bag of gravel consisting the nine types of gravel indicated
by CKN. When CKN finished blessing it, he told Khun Kosal to give it to
the children around there for protection, and instructed him to bring
more the next day.
As instructed, Khun Kosol brought one more
bag of gravel. After the blessing, CKN said, “These are good things and
are equivalent to the Guardians of the Earth and have the goodwill of
all children. It will also have the power when you give to someone whom
you venerate. Put this gravel in the center of a pipal leaf and write
Nor and Au on top and write the name of the person below. After that,
make a frame to cover it."
After Khun Kosol received one bag
of blessed gravel from CKN, everybody asked Khun Kosol for the powerful
gravel and he gave one to each person until all was gone.
When CKN saw that, he ask Khun Kosol to bring more gravel but he
replied that he did not dare to bring more because he was afraid that
CKN was too weak and had no strength to continue with the long,
complicated & ardious process of chanting.
CKN said that
he wanted to let the people have some good things from him before he
leaves this world and assured Khun Kosol that he will be all right.
Khun Khunsol immediately went to get the final bag of gravel from
Amphur Bangbour.
After he finished the blessing on 7th January
BE2514, CKN said that he was not feeling well and he asked to rest in
the monk’s residence. He also told one of his students that he would not
be attending the prayer session the next day which he had never missed
throughout his life.
CKN passed away the next day on Friday,
8th January BE2514 at the age of 74 after having lead a strict &
disciplined lifestyle for 46 rain retreats. He was cremated on 22nd
February BE2515. Although Dhan Chao Khun Nor has passed away, he is
still fondly remembered until today and is immortalized in the hearts of
many people. He remains as one of the most renowned and respected
monks in Thailand.
Blessed gravel from CKN
taken by Khun Kosol
