Luangpho Ajahn Tala Uttama ( , ; zh, 龙婆乌达玛, alternatively spelt Luongphaw Ajar Tala Uttama, March 1910 in Mawkanin,

Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...

– 18 October 2006 in

Bangkok, Thailand Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...

), was a

Mon Mon, MON or Mon. may refer to: Places * Mon State, a subdivision of Myanmar * Mon, India, a town in Nagaland * Mon district, Nagaland * Mon, Raebareli, a village in Uttar Pradesh, India * Mon, Switzerland, a village in the Canton of Grisons * A ...

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

monk. He was originally a Burmese citizen and later fled to Thailand and became one of Thailand's most admired and revered persons.

Biography

Luangpho Uttama was born in Mawkanin, Ye township in

British Burma British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and cultur ...

(now part of

Tanintharyi Region Tanintharyi Region (, ; Mon: or ; formerly Tenasserim Division and Tanintharyi Division) is a region of Myanmar, covering the long narrow southern part of the country on the northern Malay Peninsula, reaching to the Kra Isthmus. It borders ...

in southern Myanmar). He fled to Thailand in 1948, avoiding abuse during the civil war in Burma. He later lived in the area of Wengka, located near the Burmese-Thailand border, and settled in Thailand.During 1943 he was invited by Luang Pu Waen Suciṇṇo for sharing vipassana meditation experience to his disciple. At 1947 invited by Luang Phor Fan (หลวงปู่ฝั้น อาจาโร) to teaching

Nat (spirit) The nats (; MLC Transcription System, MLCTS: ''nat''; ) are god-like spirits venerated in Myanmar and neighbouring countries in conjunction with Buddhism. They are divided between the 37 ''Great Nats'' who were given that status by Anawrahta, Kin ...

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

He was known and revered by civilians of Burmese and Thai for his profound and intensive Buddhist teachings and industrious meditation. He founded Wat Wang Wiwekaram in Sangkhlaburi, Thailand and gave shelter to

refugees who fled from Burma. In 1997, he paid a formal visit to Myanmar, visited

Yangon Yangon, formerly romanized as Rangoon, is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar. Yangon was the List of capitals of Myanmar, capital of Myanmar until 2005 and served as such until 2006, when the State Peace and Dev ...

(Rangoon), and was honoured with the title of Abhidhaja Agga Maha Saddhammajotika by

Khin Nyunt Khin Nyunt (; ; born 23 October 1939) is a retired Burmese army general widely recognized for his influential role in shaping Myanmar's political dynamics. Serving as the Chief of Intelligence and Prime Minister of Myanmar from 25 August 2003 ...

, then Burmese prime minister. His prosperity integrated in Thailand reaching to the regards of the Royal Thai family. Luangphor Uttama invented the Bodh Gaya Pagoda, a

pagoda A pagoda is a tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist, but some ...

shaped the same as

Mahabodhi Temple The Mahabodhi Temple (literally: "Great Awakening Temple") or the Mahābodhi Mahāvihāra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is an ancient, but restored Buddhist temple in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India, marking the location where the Buddha is said to hav ...

with name Wat Wang Wiwekaram in 1978. It was a replica from India. The pagoda was made from concrete with the square iron, 42 meters long 49 meters high and an iron pole 4 directions in total 16. In 1989, Crown Prince Maha

Vajiralongkorn Vajiralongkorn (born 28 July 1952) is King of Thailand. He is the tenth Thai monarch of the Chakri dynasty since ascending the throne in 2016 with the regnal name Rama X. The only son of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) and Queen Sirik ...

attended auspiciously on occasion of invitation relics in Sri Lanka with 600 gm gold umbrella decorated on the top of pagoda. Lastly, he was hospitalised by the patronage of Her Majesty Queen

Sirikit Sirikit (born ''Mom Rajawongse'' Sirikit Kitiyakara; 12 August 1932) is a member of the Thai royal family who was List of Thai royal consorts#Rattanakosin Kingdom, Queen of Thailand from 28 April 1950 to 13 October 2016 as the wife of King Bhum ...

and was paid a tribute on his funeral by the then premier of Thailand, General

Surayud Chulanont Surayud Chulanont (, , ; born 28 August 1943) is a Thai politician. He was the prime minister of Thailand and head of Thailand's interim government A provisional government, also called an interim government, an emergency government, a trans ...

References

*''The Nation''
30016576.php
*Kaowao News Group

*The Independent Mon News Agency

External links

*Thai Monarch

{{DEFAULTSORT:Uttama 1910 births 2006 deaths People from Mon State Burmese Buddhist monks Thai Theravada Buddhist monks Thai people of Mon descent Theravada Buddhist monks Burmese Mon people 20th-century Buddhist monks

Biography

See also

References

External links