Luang Phor Ngern Phuttachot

Luang Phor Ngern Phutthachot (; born 16 September 1808 – died 20 September 1919) was a Thai Theravāda Buddhist monk and former abbot of Wat Bang Khlan in Phichit Province. He was renowned as a meditation master, a traditional healer, and a highly respected monk of his era.

Biography

Luang Phor Ngern was born on 16 September 1808, during the reign of Rama I (King Phutthayotfa Chulalok). He was born on a Friday, the twelfth waning moon of the tenth lunar month, in the year of the Dragon. His father, U, was a native of Bang Khlan, Pho Thale District, Phichit Province, and his mother, Fak, came from Saen To, Khanu Woralaksaburi District, Kamphaeng Phet Province. He was the fourth of six siblings.

At the age of three, his uncle took him to Bangkok to study at Wat Tong Pu (now Wat Chana Songkhram Ratchaworamahawihan). When he was 12, he was ordained as a novice at the same monastery, where he studied the Vinaya and Buddhist scriptures. Before becoming a fully ordained monk, he disrobed at age 20 and returned to his hometown in Phichit. During this time, he briefly courted a village girl also named “Ngern,” but the relationship ended abruptly.

When he reached 22 (1830 CE), his family encouraged him to take full ordination. He became a monk at Wat Chana Songkhram, receiving the monastic name Phutthachot. After three rains retreats, his elder brother Khun Phumra brought him back to Phichit to reside at Wat Khongkharam (Wat Bang Khlan Tai) in order to care for his ailing grandfather. Luang Phor Ngern, who had studied traditional Thai medicine, became known for treating the sick.

Preferring solitude and meditation, he later settled near the confluence of the Yom River and the old course of the Nan River, where he found an abandoned temple surrounded by forest. In 1834, he established a new monastery about 500 meters away, which became Wat Bang Khlan (also known as Wat Hiranyaram). He planted a bodhi sapling at the site as a sign—believing that if it grew, the temple would prosper. The tree flourished, and the monastery developed steadily, with new monastic buildings and an ordination hall. Luang Phor Ngern remained there for the rest of his life, practicing meditation, teaching disciples, and treating villagers. He also served as preceptor for many monks.

Contributions

The Phichit Province Cultural and Historical Record highlights his main achievements:

1. Construction: He oversaw the building of ordination halls, vihāras, and rest pavilions, often funding them through donations and the making of sacred objects such as amulets, votive tablets, and Buddha images. Several rest pavilions attributed to him still survive, such as those between Nong Luang and Nong Khao, and at Nong Nae in Pho Thale District.
2. Traditional healing: He was a skilled herbal doctor, treating illnesses with medicinal plants and sometimes consecrated water. His medical manuscripts on mulberry paper are still preserved at Wat Bang Khlan.
3. Meditation teaching: He was a noted meditation master, a contemporary and close friend of Luang Pu Suk Kesaro of Wat Pak Khlong Makham Thao, Chai Nat Province. He also instructed prominent figures such as Prince Abhakara Kiartivongse, the Prince of Chumphon, and Prince Vajirananavarorasa, who stayed at Wat Bang Khlan for several days to study meditation.

Passing

Luang Phor Ngern died peacefully before dawn on 20 September 1919 (the eleventh waning moon of the tenth lunar month), at the age of 111.

References