KRUBA SRI VICHAI
Most Famous Saint of Chiangmai
KRUBA SRI VICHAI
Most Famous Saint of Chiangmai
The Majestic Wat Pra Tat Doi Suthep
It was in the midst of a violent thunderstorm that a farmer's wife in a poverty stricken village in District Lee, Lamphun Province gave birth to a son. The year was 1878 and moments after his coming into the world, the skies cleared. The wind gave way to a gentle breeze and the torrential rain ceased.
The baby was named "Inta Fuen" (Good Sign or Omen) or "Fah Rohng" (Violent Thunderstrom). As he grew up, his father gave Fuen responbility to take care of the family's livestock. When he was a child, he would take the buffaloes out to the pastures while his parents toiled in the rice paddies.
Fuen tended to the animals' needs from dawn to dusk, with compassion and kindness. After his tenth birthday, he and the livestock were caught in a thunderstorm, he ran for shelter and hid under a palm tree. When the rain and storm were over, the boy saw a monk approaching towards him. He ran towards the direction of the monk, with hands clapsed, he paid his respects with a "Wai". He was impressed with this monk, and after this incident, he made a vow that one day he'll join the monkhood.
The monk sensing that there was something special about the the boy, approached Fuen's parents and asked them to allow their son to be ordained. The couple explained that life would be so much much harder for the family if the boy left home. The monk then left, leaving Fuen bitterly disappointed.
The boy, however, remained persistent, constantly reminding his parents of his burning desire to be ordained. Finally, on his 18th birthday, and despite their poverty, Fuen's parents finally agreed for their son to be ordained as a samanera (novice). The teenager began his studies under the tutelage of Kruba Kattiya, the same monk who he had met earlier during the thunderstorm.
Fuen was ordained and renamed under the oradained name as Samanera or Samanen (Novice) SriVichai. The novice surprised his teachers with his enthusiasm for Buddhist knowledge and his impeccable behavior. Within 2 years, he was ordained as a monkand was known as "Sri Vichayo Bhikkhu" and became known to all as "Phra SriVichai".
Thereafter, the following 4 years, the young monk earned, through his devotion to the care of all who came in contact with him, the title "Kruba" (in Lanna) the equivalent of "Luang Phor". Kruba SriVichai rose to become abbot of his local wat (temple) and set about designing and building a new temple for the district since the old one has fallen into desrepair.
Kruba SriVichai wandered the length and breath of his district, helping the poor and the sick. Being simple, rural people, however, they revered their young abbot to such a degree that led to the jealousy and malice amongst the local officials and also within the monkhood itself.
False allegations and accusations started, and at least on two occasions, he was jailed for alleged offences against the community. The charges ranged from giving ordinations to novices without his superior's consent and permission and the second charge was to incite rebellion amongst the people of the region. The persecution of Kruba SriVichai included demoting him from the position of an abbot to an ordinary monk and an order from the provincial court banning him from the province of Lamphun, and furthermore should be given no shelter or sustenance by fellow monks or temples in Lamphun.
Kruba SriVichai refused the accept the order to leave and go into exile, instead he remained amongst his disciples. He was then ordered to appeared before the Prince of Lamphun to answer the allegations. On his way to Lamphun City, his small group of supporters grew to several thousands and more support came as more fellow monks and villagers throughout the province decided to join him. Fearing that the local police of Lamphun would not be able to control such a big crowd even though the protestors were peaceful, the case against Kruba SriVichai was transferred to the Prince of Chiangmai for judgement.
It was agreed that Kruba Sri Vichai should proceed to Chiangmai but with just four of his many disciples to accompany him and he was detained in Wat Sri Don Chai where he remained for many months. The people flocked to the temple with offerings of food and refreshment for the disgraced monk, the case was proving too controversial for any Chiang Mai officials to handle and with the public sympathy growing for Kruba Sri Vichai, out of fear, the officials referred the case to Bangkok.
The public persecution of Kruba Sri Vichai had become a matter of national importance. The Head of the Buddhist Monastic Order at the time was the Prince Patriarch Somdet Phra Maha Jao would preside over the case and make the judgement. In the summer of 1920, Kruba Sri Vichai was found not guilty and was finally vindicated, his mind was still sharp but his physical body was frailed, he left Bangkok by train for his hometown in the North.
When the train pulled into Lamphun station, Kruba Sri Vichai was met by a large crowd of people from across the social spectrum. It appeared that the rich and powerful had joined the poor in their adulation of the monk.
Throughout the years of his public abuse by officials, Kruba Sri Vichai never once last his patience remaining calm and dignified. Admiring the qualities and recalling the monk's talent of restoration monasteries, the Prince of Lamphun Province invited Kruba Sri Vichai to take up residence in Wat Jamathawee, an ancient temple that had fallen into disrepair. Accepting the invitation, the monk started restoring the temple to it's former glory and begun a programme of reconstruction through out Northern Siam that would earned him the title of "The Developer Monk". Within 19 years, Kruba Sri Vichai renovated and built 105 old and new temples altogether in the provinces of Lamphun, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phayao, Lampang, Sukhothai and Tak.
Kruba Sri Vichai's was not confined to the rebuilding of temples. Under his guidance, schools, bridges, government buildings, roads and most notably roads from Chiang Mai to Wat Pra Tat Doi Suthep were consrtucted. Construction on the Doi Suthep road got underway in 1934 and took almost 6 months to complete the 11.5 kilometers. Prior to this, none but the hardiest of pilgrims made the five hour climb up the densely wooded mountainside to visit, what is today one of Thailand's most sacred temples. (The Pilgrim's walking path is still in use today by the devotees and also for those looking for fitness to jog).
Five years after the completion of the Doi Suthep road, Kruba Sri Vichai fell ill and was taken back to his village of his birth, Ban Pan in Lamphun province where he died at the age of 61. His funeral was attended by thousands, from royal patrons to farmers who came across the nation to pay homage to to a simple farmer's son who grew to became the Buddhist Saint of Northern Thailand. Kruba Sri Vichai's monument lies at the foot of Doi Suthep besides the road that he built, allowing millions of devotees and tourists easy access to Wat Pra-Tat Doi Suthep.
Locket Kruba Sri Vichai Phim "Dok Bua" BE253X
Rare Old Locket 1stBatch of Kruba Sri Vichai BE249X Consecrated by himself and his disciples
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