Luangpho Ajahn Tala Uttama

Infobox_President | name=Luangpho Uttama
nationality=Burmese-Thai Dual citizen [ [http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=9,3319,0,0,1,0 A tribute to "Phra Raj Udom Mongkhon Phaholnarathorn", Ajar Tala Uttama] ]


order=1st Mon Buddhist Monk of Wat Wang Wiwekaram, Thailand
Birth_date=March, 1910
birth_place=Mawkanin, Myanmar
death_date=death date|2006|10|18|mf=y
death_place=Bangkok, Thailand
age=96

Luangpho Ajahn Tala Uttama (alternative writing: Luongphaw Ajar Tala Uttama, Thai: หลวงพ่ออุตตมะ; 1910 in Mawkanin, Myanmar — 18 October 2006 in Bangkok, Thailand), was a Mon Buddhist 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 of Ye Township in southern Myanmar. He fled to Thailand in 1948, avoiding vital abuse during civil war conflict in Burma. He later developed the area of Wengka, located near the Burmese-Thailand border and settled in Thailand.

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 Mon refugees who fled from Burma. In 1997, he paid a formal visit to homeland, Myanmar, visited Yangon (Rangoon) and was honoured with the title of Aga-Maha-Pandita by Khin Nyunt, the then Burmese Prime Minister.

His prosperity integrated in Thailand reaching to the regards of the Royal Thai family. He was hospitalised by the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit and was paid a tribute on his funeral by the then Premier of Thailand, General Surayud Chulanont.

ee also

*Sangkhlaburi, Kanchanaburi, Thailand
*Mon people
*Mon refugees

References

*The Nation, [http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/10/19/national/national 30016576.php]
*Kaowao News Group, [http://kaowao.org/News.118.php?#7]
*The Independent Mon News Agency, [http://www.monnews-imna.com/]

External links

*Thai Monarch, [http://www.kanchanapisek.or.th/]