A Female Monk and the Hmong: Mian Parnchand

FIGURES OF BUDDHIST MODERNITY IN ASIA Edited.by Jeffrey Samuels, Justin Thomas McDaniel, and Mark Michael Rowe ;;:ffi^t,rr oF HAWATT PREss ':_l-\ l- ':.'l ! nt.!-cl'l;ilY ol ' .i; 1; i5auii\1il--iitLliSon :, \(it l_.-,_-,r g{o a .: ,' ?., l.lirl_ill iaS =: O 2016 University ofHawai'i All rights reserved Paperback edition 2018 Z. Press J tN Printed inthe United states ofAmerica 232221 20 19 78 654327 Library of Congess Catalogingin-Publicatiotr Data Namesr Samuels,Jeffrey, edito. I McDaniel,Justin, editor, I Rowe, Mark (Mark Michael), editor TitJe: Figures ofBuddhist modemity in Asia / edited byJeffrey Samuels, Justin Thomas McDaniel, and Mark Michael Rowe. Description: Honolulu r Unive.sity ofHawai'i Press, [2016] | Includes bibliographical references and indoxIdentiffers: LCCN 2015048892 i IsBN 97808248585a+ (cloth; alk. paper) Subjects: LCSH: Buddhists-Asia-Biography. ] Buddhism Asia. ] Buddhism and culture-Asia. classitication: Lcc BQ84o.F542016 I DDC 294.3092/25-dc23 LC rccord available at httpt/ /lccn.1oc.Bov /2015048892 cantefts by Buddhist \iaditisn ISBN 978 0-8248-585s-1 (pbk.) University ofHawai'i Press books are printcd on acid 6ee paper a.d meet the guidelines forpermanence and durability of the Council on Ubrary Resources, DesiSned by Milenda Lee Cantents by Region and Countr. Ir:iToduction ,:- N]HOMA5 MCDAN :. .,.: LOOKING BACKWARD: INVEN TING TRADIIION ili YanSon Airport Tower CoFr_ W Naing . ,or, u. ,rr. Ihe .,Jnsane,, Monl Kanimahara Sumangala -,i . ;a1p *il:?j;:ri:*r_:; A Witness to Geroci& vann Nath . ASHTEy r!:rt:-jtrr A,Monk betueen WorE xhedrup Gyatso . ch^: --_- Looking Forward 8l A FEMALE MONK AND THE HMONG Mian Parnchand IAN G, BAlRD Within Theravada Buddhism in Thailand, women are not off cially allowed to become fully ordained nuns; rather, they are only allowed to become white-robed nuns. Thai Buddhist monks also rarely develop special relationships with ethnic Hmong people. Mian Parnchand 0910-1970), or Luang Por Yai, the cofounder of Wat Tham Krabok temple in Saraburi Province, was therefore a highly unusual person, being among the first Thai women to become a "monk" and to develop a particularly special relationship with the Hmong people. Mian Parnchand, aithough born to humble circumstances in the central Thai province ofLopburi in around 1910, was already recognized as special at birth. Already at two years old she was reportedly administering highlevel Theravada Buddhist sermons. Some thought she was crazy, but as a young girl she claimed to be able to remember her past lives, communicate with spirits, and predict the future. For unknown reasons, however, at around the age of twelve she apparently iost all her special abilities, Later she experienced extreme poverty, married, and had two children, both boys, before her husband abandoned her after she plunged into extreme alcoholism in the Klong Toey slum in Bangkok where she had moved. She ended up living on the streets, in miserable conditions, without anyone respecting her. then suddenly, for unknown reasons, she again remembered her past lives. Ashamed at her own behavior, she stopped drinking and apologized to her grown children, who supported her in 1949-1950 while she ordained as a white-robed Buddh rst nun, or mae chee, at the Buddhist temple at Khong Mao, in her home village in Lopburi. In 1952 while conducting a long ascetic walk (thudong) together with her two nephews, Chamroon and Charoen Parnchand, who had both ordained as monks, the three established Wat Tham Krabok temple in an area surrounded by impressive limestone mountains, near the district capital of Phraphuttabat in Saraburi Province, central Thailand. Chamroon, who prior to ordaining had been the "righthand man" ofthe chiefofthe Thai police, Phao Sriyanond, but was forced to flee Thailand after Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat ousted Plaek Phibglsongkhram in a coup d'6tat in 1957, became the first abbot of the temple, although all the teachings of the monks there came from Mian Parnchand, who declared herself to be "Luang Por Yai Khetmarajja." The title "Luang Por Yai" is unusual, as "Luang Por" is a respectful prefix added to names ofsenior male monks in Thai. Looking Forward "Luangporyai" means ,,Respected Founder Father,', an odd title for a woman. Although one could say that she was among the firstbhikkhunt, or female monks, in Thailand, she probably never ordained as a monk, although she startedto wear brown robes like other monks at Wat "Yai " means "large." Thus, Tham Krabok and apparently considered herselfto be a phra (monk). voreover, according to an interview with Luang por Chamroon, she apparently "didn't feel like she was a woman." Due to her unorthodox circumstances and teachers, she was not accepted by the Buddhist hierarchy, and as a result Wat fham Krabok is not, even now accepted by the Sangha National Council (rhai: Mahathera Samakhom). It is instead officially considered to be a sangha residence (Thar.. samnak song). Wat Tham Krabok is now best known for having treated over 1O5,OO0 Thai and foreign drug and alcohol addicts since 1959, and it was this work that resulted in chamroon parnchand becoming the recipient ofthe prestigious Ramon Magsaysay award in 1975. The herbal concoction used to detoxify ad_ dicts was developed by Luang por yai. Although Luang Por yai passed away at the age ofsixty in 1970, her teachings are still taught at Wat Tham Krabok. epart from th e 227 precepts typically followed by rheravada Buddhist monks, she taught that monks should abide by ten additional precepts, ortruths (Thai: satcha ). These include spec_ ifying how long one will ordain upon becoming a monk; eating only one meal a day; not causing division among group members, creating factions, or doubtingthe group's leadership; not receivinggifts or money foi personal accumulation; committing to meditate and chant for specific periods of time based on how many incense sticks have burnt down; conducting walking journeys (thudong) each year; and never traveling by vehicle, aircrait, or boatl Luang Por Yai's teachings are based on Laktham Lokuttara (the foundations ofthe supramundane existence), and she is considered to be an earthly man- ifestation ofLokuttara, Although too complicated to explain in detail here, Lokuttara is considgred to be a highly enlightened state oimind. Thus, Luang Por Yai, as an embodiment ofthis state of mind, is believed to have been the pinnacle ofall religious thought. Luang Por Yai had a particularly important relationship with ethnic Hmong people. Many umong deepiy admire and respect her, and they refer to her as "Luang Mae" (or the creat Mother). Many Hmong believe that Luang Mae was a reincarnation of Niam Nkauj Ntsuab (or simply Nkauj Ntsuab; Princess Choua in Hmong), the female ofthe cognate pair who created the world by separating Iand from sea and creating mouniains and valleys, According to one version ofthe story of how the Hmong and Luang por yai first met, Luang Por Yai was apparently meditating in a cave near the present temple when local Thais tried to r ing that she would do so only wil determinedthat these were the Hr to the cave, she agreed to descen regular contact with the Hmong h died before Hmong people from r However, three years prior to ha ofHmong would arrive from t-aq Beginning in the late 1970s ar at least until Luang Por Chamro vided considerable support to et the communist Lao People's Deu tens of thousands of Hmong o lands ofthe temple in the 199Os a thousand Hmong living there r United States, Luang Por Yai or Luang Mae hr Thai and Hmong followers sirce and even now large numbers cs including those who never of her. over one hundred ilcr-:sr r }l r:*J treatment she invented. I THE GLOBALLY LOCAL PP Sato Masaki DANTEL G. FRTEDRTC :-:- I I H I 1 { rec@n._ r formation of Japan's no.d---{ inclusion in the Japanese s:a= =,{ ent, nearly 46 percent of B-drr{ Pure Land sect. Problerns c-r;rf{ tion, the qrayinq of socbn a's :l longer hold meaning fo. :- r-il acute in the rural reqior= ;r{ international and dorne=< SrJ Sunday service at his tsami. Eifl temple activities anO i.:sf rr { .l in temple members. Historians have lonq Looking Forward 83 tempie when local Thais tried to coax her to come down. She refused, stating that she would do so only with ..t p"opt".;;ait", g.""i.fio.,r, n ,r. derermined that these were tie Hmong,". ,rd on.._ror" Ft'rnoig;"." U.ouglt to the cave, she agreed to descend with them. although iuuig'ro" val had regular contact with the Hmong beginning from at leai tt u .l?tv rsoor, ,ir. djed before Hmong people fro,n ."i, ,irl?J #", three years prior to her death she predict"ed ".r*u. tt ritu.g" nrrnU"", loyever ofHmong would arrive from Laos atter 1975. ."-i*? il?* Beginning in the late 1970s and continuing into the 1980s and 1990s_ until Luang por Chamroon atea at least tn riqs_wailt r.n i.rUot p"o_ vided considerable support to ethnic Hmong insr.g."ir'fi;irii"g the communist Lao people,s Democratic "gr,*, Repuiltc goJe.n_.ii.ln uaai ior, L::""::Iiirrd. of eventualty iame ,Hmong ranos or rhe tempre in the 1990s and early 20oos. ihousand Hmong living there were accepted United States. L.uanf.lor yai ", ti rir" o, Ihu'.rpr.,rtu" h 2004_2005, ove;fifteen p"li l."i..irg.es by the Luang Mae has profoundly influenced _nal and H mong tollowers :r a large number of since Wat Tham Krabok was founded in the 1950s, and even now large numbers ofHmong in rhairand and in the inited states, rncluding those who never visited thei"-pl", f.,r"" rn"armo.,, of her. over one hundred thousand r.,rr" r ;reatment she invented. .or;i;;;;; ,ir"'u.r.it.i i.J* ii. "aa,.ra. THE GLOBALLY LOCAL PRIEST Sato Masaki ]1NIEL 6. FRIEDRICH -listorians have rong recognizedihe rore prayed by Jodo shin Buddhists in the transiormation of.lapan,s northernmost island from the peripheral terrnrr, rr, a r,, nclusion in the Japanese state as Hokkaido "r early in the Meijiera tf aOeiSia. nt pres_ .nt, nearly 46 percent of Buddhist temples on the island are af6liated with the True rure Land sect. problems confronting temples across.Japan, such as rural depopula_ :ion, the graying of societ, and concerns that Buddhist teact ing, anJ f,l.tice, no cnger hold meaning for the majority of the Japanese populaiion, ur" i.ute in the rural regions of Hokkaido. Drawing "rr".,u,,, upon knowleag" notn oif".ti.", nternational and domestic, sato Masaki (.t93.1_present) ertJOffnia a montnfv 5unday service at his family temple in an attempt to encourage lay involvement in :smple activities and instill an understanding of the sect,s nirtory i"".t,ing, 1 temple membe15. "na