Upali Thera (, ), also known as Phra Ubali, was a Thai

Theravāda ''Theravāda'' (; 'School of the Elders'; ) is Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school's adherents, termed ''Theravādins'' ( anglicized from Pali ''theravādī''), have preserved their version of the Buddha's teaching or '' Dhamma'' in ...

monk and royal missionary during the reign of King Borommakot of the Krung Sri Ayutthaya. He is best known as the founder of the

Siam Nikaya The Siam (also Siyamopali and Siyam) Nikaya is a monastic order within Sri Lankan Buddhism, founded by Upali Thera of Siyam, on the initiatives taken by Weliwita Sri Saranankara thera to revive Buddhism in Sri Lanka in the mid 18th century. A ...

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

and for reviving the upasampadā (higher ordination) lineage among Sinhalese monks in 1753.

Biography

Early life and mission

Phra Ubali initially resided at Wat Thammaram, a modest monastery bordered by Wat Thakarong, Wat Kasatrathirat, and the Chao Phraya River in present-day

Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, or locally and simply Ayutthaya (historically Juthia or Judia), is one of the central provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise) Ang Thong, Lopburi, Saraburi, Pathum Than ...

. In 1752., he led a delegation of Thai monks to

Kandy Kandy (, ; , ) is a major city located in the Central Province, Sri Lanka, Central Province of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the Sinhalese monarchy from 1469 to 1818, under the Kingdom of Kandy. The city is situated in the midst of ...

, Sri Lanka, upon the request of the Sinhalese king, to restore the upasampada ordination lineage, which had lapsed for centuries. He and his entourage resided at Wat Buppharam, now known as Malwatta Vihara, and within three years had ordained over 700 monks, including Samanera Saranankorn and his group.Celebrating 260 years of Thai-Sri Lankan Buddhist relations
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Founding of the Siam Nikaya

His actions led to the establishment of the Siam Nikaya—the most prominent and orthodox Buddhist monastic order in Sri Lanka. Upali Thera considered the existing Sangha to be corrupt, due in part to practices like astrology, and sought to purify it. His reformation introduced a stricter Vinaya adherence modeled after Thai practices.

Reformation of the Sacred Tooth Relic Procession

Upali Thera also reorganized the

Kandy Esala Perahera The Kandy Esala Perahera (the Sri Dalada Perahara procession of Kandy) also known as The Festival of the Tooth is a festival held in July and August in Kandy, Sri Lanka. This historical procession is held annually to pay homage to the Sacred T ...

, the annual Procession of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. Previously centered around veneration of Hindu deities incorporated into local Buddhist traditions, the festival was reoriented by Upali to emphasize devotion to the Buddha. A royal decree declared: “Henceforth Gods and men are to follow the Buddha.”

Death and legacy

Phra Ubali passed away in 1755 from an ear infection at Malwatta Vihara. The King of Sri Lanka held a grand cremation at Adahanamaluwa (present-day Asgiriya Temple), and later ordered a pagoda constructed to house his remains. His kuti (hut), including his bed and writing desk, is still preserved and revered by devotees. He is honored in both Thai and Sri Lankan Buddhist traditions as one of the most influential missionary monks in history and as a symbol of monastic discipline and transnational Theravāda unity.

References