Phra Khuva Boonchum Ñāṇasaṁvara | |
|---|---|
| Personal | |
| Born | 5 January 1965 (age 59) |
| Religion | Buddhism |
| Nationality | Thai |
| School | Theravada |
| Lineage | Thai Forest Tradition |
| Other names | Ñāṇasaṁvara |
| Senior posting | |
| Teacher | Khruba Siwichai |
| Based in | Wat Phra That Don Ruang |
Ñāṇasaṁvara (Thai: ญาณสํวโร; Burmese: ဉာဏသံဝရ) is a Shan Buddhist monk of the Thai Forest Tradition, specifically the Northern Thai Forest Tradition established by Khruba Siwichai.[1] He is known as Phra Khuva Boonchum or Khruba Bonchum (ครูบาบุญชุ่ม) by Thai followers, and as the Mong Pong Sayadaw (မိုင်းဖုန်းဆရာတော်) by his Burmese followers.[2] His serious solitary meditation practices, and his known for his solitary meditation retreats in caves in Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos.[3][4] He is dubbed "the monk of the three nations".[5]
Ñāṇasaṁvara was born on 5 January 1965 in Mae Kham, Chiang Rai Province, Thailand as the eldest son of a Shan-speaking family originally from Mong Yong, near Kengtung, Shan State, Burma.[3] His grandparents migrated to Chiang Saen, Thailand.[3] After receiving samanera ordination as a child, he received upasampada ordination at the age of 21 on 9 May 1986.[6]
The sayadaw serves as the abbot of Wat Phra That Don Ruang (วัดพระธาตุดอนเรือง) in Tachileik, Shan State, Myanmar.[7] According to the source, the sayadaw is often invited to the royal palaces of Bhutan and Thailand.[8]
His followers include prominent Burmese officials and rebel leaders, such as Khin Nyunt and Yawd Serk. Before Khin Nyunt fall from power, he donated large amounts of money to the sayadaw. It was around 2007 when the authorities put pressure on him to leave his monastery. In the aftermath of the 2007 Saffron Revolution, the sayadaw was named in the list of patrons of the International Sangha Organization, led by the exiled Penang Sayadaw. Subsequently, the authorities pressured the trustees of his monastery to sign a letter stating that it was not desirable for him to live in the monastery. As a result, the sayadaw left for Thailand. He returned to Myanmar during the administration of President Thein Sein.[8]
At the invitation of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, the sayadaw visited Nay Pyi Taw in 2016 and also visited the residence of Senior General Min Aung Hlaing during that visit.[8]
In 2018, he paid a visit to ailing former Senior General Maung Aye, the second-most powerful general in the former military regime.[4]
He amassed additional prominence in Thailand and Myanmar during the Tham Luang cave rescue by accurately predicting when the trapped boys would be discovered and that they would be found alive.[9]
In August 2022, he became ill and had to receive medical treatment at Bangkok Hospital after spending three years, three months, and three days meditating in the cave. Thai media reports indicate that the Sayadaw has been diagnosed with cerebral malaria. The King of Thailand, Vajiralongkorn, paid the expenses of the Sayadaw's healthcare, including his treatment at Bangkok Hospital.[10]