BIOGRAPHY OF PHRA RAJSUDDHINANAMONKOL

LOK1001

Venerable Phra Rajsuddhinanamongkol (Jaran

Thitadhammo) took on the position of acting Abbot of Wat
Ambhavan in B.E. 2500 (1957), and has steadily conducted a
program of developments and improvements, both internally
and externally, bringing the monastery to greater and greater
prosperity. He was given the title Phra Rajsuddhinanamongkol
in honor of the celebrations of Her Majesty the Queens
birthday on August 12, 1992. His life and works are objects of
faith and inspiration for people everywhere.

BIRTHPLACE
Phra Rajsuddhinanamongkol was born in the reign of King
Rama VII the seventh reign of the Ratanakosin Dynasty) on
August 15, 1928 at 5.10 P.M. in Tambol Muangmoo, Amphur
Mueng, Changwat (Province) Singburi. He was the fifth of ten
children born to this mother, Jerm and father, Pae Janyaraks.

The Venerable was ordained on 15 July 1948 at 2.00 P.M.

at Wat Promburi, in Singhburi Province, with Chao Khun
Promnagaracariya as preceptor and Phra Khru
Thavornviriyakhun of Wat Buddharama as kammavacariya,
chanter of the ceremony.

EDUCATION
The Venerable was educated in both worldly and religious
matters and was especially gifted in both areas. His education
can be summarized as follows:

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 He received secular education from various places:
Wat Saddhabhirom public school
Singhavidhayon School
Singburi Province School
Sirisuddho School
Suvitdaramas School

He finished fourth year of secondary school education in

1944.

STUDY OF THAI MUSIC

He studied Thai music, such as the Mon flute, brass and
stringed instruments and lyric composition from his father and
Khun Luang Dhara.

Later on, his grandfather, Colonel Luang Dhara introduced

him to General Phibulsongkram, Prime Minister of Thailand,
in order to have him enter the Police Academy.

The Venerable studied there for about a month, but left as

that study did not suit him.

STUDY OF THE GUILES OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR

The Venerable began to take an interest in the guiles of
human behavior but when he had gained some understanding
of them he became fed up with it and did not use his knowledge
for the benefit of others. At that time, as he had reached the
age of twenty, he forsook the household life and entered the
shade of the saffron robe, where he has stayed ever since.

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STUDY OF DHAMMA VINAYA AND MEDITATION
1948 : studied the Dhamma (Teachings) and Vinaya
(Discipline) at the Promburi Centre.
1949 : passed the second grade of Dhamma Examinations
at Wat Chaeng Promnakorn.
1950 : studied meditation with Phra Khru
Nivasdhammakhan (Luang Poh Derm), Amphur Nong Pho,
Na
kornswan Province.
1951 : studied meditation with Luang Poh Lee and
Venerable Chao Khun Ariyagunadhara in Khonkaen
Province.
1952 : studied making power objects and holy water with
Luang Poh Jong, Wat Nah Tahng, Ayudhya
Province and Phra Khru Vinitsutagun, Luang Poh
Sanun, at Wat Saotongtorng, Ang-tong Province, and
Luang Poh Jaht, Wat Bahn Sahng, Prajinburi
Province.
1953 : studied calm and insight meditation with Phra
Bhavanakosol Thera (Sot Candasaro), otherwise
known as Luang Poh Wat Pahk Nam, at Wat Pahk
Nam, Amphur Phasricharoen, Thonburi Province.
1954 : studied and practiced insight meditation with Chao
Khun Acariya Phra Rajsiddhimuni and Wat
Mahadhatu, in Bangkok.
1955 : studied Abhidhamma with Ajahn Tejin (a Burmese
monk) at Wat Rakang, Thonburi Province and
studied fortune telling with His Holiness the
Sangharaja at Wat Srakes, in Bangkok.

He studied and exchanged ideas about psychology with

Ajahn Colonel Chom Sugandharat. He went wandering in
search of seclusion and suitable places to develop meditation
practice among the forests and mountains of Northern
Thailand.

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POSITIONS AND TITLES
1. Acting Abbot Wat Ambhavan, Tambol Ban Paeng, Amphur
Promburi, Singburi Province, in 1957.
2. Conferred the title Phra Khru Palat Jaran, Thitadhammo
Thananugrom (assistant) of Chao Khun Sundaradhamma
Praputh, Ecclesiastical Governor of Roy-Et Province (while
living in his own monastery of Wat Ambhavan) in July, 1958.
3. Conferred the title of Phra Khru (sannabat) Phra Khru
Bhavanavisuddhi, Abbot of Wat Ambhavan, on December 5,
1968.
4. Appointed as Ecclesiastical Head of Amphur Promburi in
1957.
5. Conferred the title of Phra Khru Bhavanavisuddiguna, on
December 5, 1988.
6. Conferred the title of Phra Rajsuddhinanamongkol on
August 12, 1992.

WORK
From the time the Venerable began to function as acting
Abbot of Wat Ambhavan in 1957 until he received the title and
official position of Abbot on December 5, 1968, a period of
eleven years, Venarable Phra Rajsuddhinanamongkol did not
use his time idly but tried in every possible way to bring
prosperity to the monastery and to help other monasteries by
providing them with the proper conveniences. Venerable Phra
Rajsuddhinanamonkol is a gifted speaker, whose teachings
inspire and rouse his listeners, a daring builder who goes
ahead with a project even without the funds at hand, a
philanthropist who gives what he has for meritorious causes
and to help his monastery attendants. The Venerable Phra
Rajsuddhinanamongkol is also a problem solver, meeting
problems that arose in the course of building by inviting a
foreign monk to give sermons at the monastery and using the
offerings that resulted to pay the stoneworks and hardware

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stores. When this was not sufficient to solve the problem he
has borrowed the money from his mother and relatives.
Because the Venerable Phra Rajsuddhinanamongkol is such a
developer, as gifted speaker and meditation teacher all in one,
his achievements each year are many, and they have been
recognized on many occasions, such as:

In 1973 he received an honorary award as the Social

Developer of the Year (in the field of voluntary social welfare,
religious activities).
In 1975 he received an award from Her Highness Princess
Sirindhorn at Wat Mahadhatuyuvarachrangsit in Bangkok on
Tuesday 28 May, 1975 for his great contribution to Buddhism
in the field of encouraging sincere practice of the Dhamma.
In 1976 he was awarded an Honorary Pin as an outstanding
developer in the Paen Din Tham Paen Din Thorng project
from His Excellency General Prem Tinasulanon, the Prime
Minister, at Government House on May 6, 1976.

Thus it can said that Venerable Phra Rajsuddhinanamongkol

has dedicated his life to the development of society and he
has long been a major refuge for Buddhists, both locally and
at large

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