Noi
Gajavatra was a son of Nai Lek and Nang Daeng-Im and a grandson of
Luang Phiphit Phakdi and Nang Jean. Luang Phiphit Phakdi was a native of
Ayutthaya who worked as a civil servant in Bangkok . He was sent to
work in the southern District of Chaiya and was once summoned by King
Rama III to attend to war prisoners at Phra Tabong. Luang Phiphit Phakdi
had two wives, both of whom were natives of Chaiya. One was called Tub
and the other, Noon . His third wife, Taem, was a Phumriang native. In
1838, Indians invaded Trang and Songkhla provinces and King Rama III
commanded Phraya Sri Phiphat (or Thad who was later promoted to Somdet
Chao Phraya Borom Maha Phichaiyat during the reign of King Rama IV) to
lead the troops to suppress the invasion. Luang Phiphit Phakdi was
called on to join the troops, at which time he met with his fourth wife,
Jean. She was a daughter of Phra Palad Mueang Takua Thung (Son) and a
granddaughter of Phra Takua Thung or Phraya Lohaphumiphisai (or Khun
Dam, a Nakhon Si Thammarat native). Later on, Luang Phiphit Phakdi took
his wife, Jean, to settle down in Bangkok . He also sent for his third
wife, Taem from Phumriang, to join the family. By this time, the other
two wives had already passed away.
Luang Phiphit
Phakdi's elder brother was then Phraya Phichai Songkram, Governor of
Mueang Srisawasdi, Kanchanaburi. His uncle was Phraya Prasitthi Songkram
(Kham), Governor of Kanchanaburi. Later on, Luang Phiphit Phakdi
resigned from the civil service and moved to Kanchanaburi with his two
wives.
It was said
that Luang Phiphit Phakdi was a tough man as he once whipped a prisoner
to death while working in Chaiya. After the event, he felt distressed
and decided to leave the civil service. However, there was a rumor that
the actual cause of his resignation was his affair with Jean, the
daughter of Phra Palad Mueang Takua Thung, which got him into trouble.
Upon learning
that Luang Phiphit Phakdi and his family had moved to Kanchanaburi, Phra
Phichai Songkram, his brother, tried to persuade him to return to the
civil service. But he refused and earned his living by working in a rice
field.
Noi Gajavatra
studied and was ordained as a Buddhist monk for two years in the
monastery of Phra Khru Singgaburaganacharn (Sud), the Abbot of Wat
Devasangharam (Wat Nua), a temple in the neighborhood. Phra Khru
Singgaburaganacharn was the youngest son of Luang Phiphit Phakdi and
Nang Jean. Thus, he was Noi's youngest uncle. After leaving monkhood,
Noi worked as a clerk for the Ministry of Interior Affairs in
Kanchanaburi and later married Kimnoi.
Kimnoi was a
Chinese and Vietnamese descendent. Her Chinese ancestors, on the other
hand, came from Mainland China by boat and settled down in Kanchanaburi.
They were mainly traders. Her Vietnamese ancestors migrated to Thailand
during the reign of King Rama III. At the time when Chao Phraya
Bodindecha (Singha, the ancestor of the Singhaseni family) led his
troops to suppress rioting in Vietnam , he brought back a group of
Vietnamese families and offered them to the king. The king mercifully
allowed the Buddhist Vietnamese to settle down in Kanchanaburi in late
1829. Their duty was to safeguard the city fortress. Meanwhile, the
Vietnamese Christians were sent to settle down with other Vietnamese
Christians in Samsen District, Bangkok . Kimnoi's Vietnamese ancestors
were called “Yuan Khrua”
Kimnoi was a
daughter of Nai Thongkham (a Vietnamese descendant) and Nang Henglek Sae
Tan (a Chinese descendant). She was born in Ban Nua Sub-district ,
Mueang District, Kanchanaburi. After marrying Noi, she changed her name
to “Daengkaew” but soon changed back to her previous name, Kimnoi or
Noi, and used this name for the rest of her life.
Noi Gajavatra
began his career as a clerk and was later promoted to the Acting
Assistant Chief. Unfortunately, he had to leave the position temporarily
due to severe illness. When he resumed his civil service duties, he
worked as an Assistant District Chief at Wangkhanai, Kanchanaburi
Province . Afterwards, he was transferred to Samut Songkram Province to
assume the position of Amphawa Assistant District Chief. While serving
there, he was found to have cancer and returned to his hometown in
Kanchanaburi for medical treatment where he died at the age of 38,
leaving three small children to be raised by his wife. They were:
- His Holiness Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara, the Supreme Patriarch
of the Thai Sangha (Charoen Gajavatra)
- Mr. Chamnian Gajavatra
- Mr. Samut Gajavatra (Deceased)
His Holiness
the Supreme Patriarch had been brought up by Aunt Heng, Kimnoi's elder
sister, from childhood through his ordination as a novice. Aunt Heng
gave such care and affection to His Holiness that he was feared to
become a spoiled child.
His Holiness
has a warm and happy childhood living with his aunt, though he
constantly suffered from physical illness. Once his illness got so bad
that his relatives, believing that he would not survive, made a vow to
have him ordained if he were to regain his health – partly a reason why
he was ordained as a novice later on in life.
As a child, His
Holiness liked to role-play a monk and perform a variety of
religious-like ceremonies such as building a cave, making a pagoda,
laying robes as an offering for monks, or placing things in baskets for
alms etc. In addition, he loved making toys that resembled articles used
by monks, e.g. a tiny sermon scripture or a tiny palm leaf fan etc.
Another of his
unusual childhood habit was playing with candles. This habit originated
because his aunt had to leave home for work every day before sunrise.
Since he had to wake up at the same time as his aunt and refused to go
back to sleep, his aunt had to find something for him to play with. He
would light up a candle and fix his gaze on its flame in the dark until
daybreak.
Like all
children, His Holiness also had some bad habits. He used to enjoy
raising fighting fish, watching cockfights, and even drinking Krachae (locally made liquor) with his friends. However, those habits did not make him a mischievous person.
At eight years
old, His Holiness began his education at Wat Devasangharam School , a
local elementary school with the temple's open pavilion used as a
classroom. He completed the mandatory education at Prathom 3. Had he
wanted to continue his education at secondary level, he would have had
to move to Wat Chai Chumphol Chana Songkram School (Wat Tai), which was a
provincial school. However, he decided to remain at the same school to
continue his study in Prathom 4 and 5 (equivalent to Matayom 1 and 2 but
without English subjects taught). As a student, he applied for
membership of Junior Red Cross and Boy Scout. He successfully passed the
first-class Boy Scout test. His Holiness completed Prathom 5 in 1925 at
the age of 12 years old.
On completion
of Prathom 5, since he had no one to guide him, he felt that he had
reached a dead end, not knowing what and where to study next.
Admittedly, in his childhood, he always felt insecure and was afraid of
strangers since the only person he felt attached to was his aunt. He
thus preferred to stay close to her and ended up unable to make any
decision regarding his studies.
In 1926, the following year, his two uncles were to be ordained at Wat Devasangharam. His mother and his aunt, therefore, talked him into becoming a novice to fulfill their vows made years ago. His Holiness, in that same year at 14 years of age, agreed and was ordained as a novice at Wat Devasangharam. Phra Khru Adulyasamanakij (Dee Buddhajoti) [1] , the Abbot, also known as Luang Phor Wat Nua, was his Preceptor. Pra Khru Nivitsamajarn (Rian Suvannajoti), the Abbot of Wat Sri U-palaram, also known as Luang Phor Wat Nong Bua, was the monk who gave him refuge and precept.
When His Holiness was Samanera Charoen Gajavatra
Before ordination, His Holiness had never stayed overnight at a temple but merely studied there in the daytime. Therefore, he was not acquainted with any monk, not even Luang Phor Wat Nua who was his preceptor. Moreover, he had never had any interest in temple activities. He only went there during festivities, or with his aunt to make merit or to attend night sermons during the Buddhist Lent. At Wat Nua, a sermon was given every night throughout the Buddhist Lent. As His Holiness recalled, he used to enjoy the sermons on Jataka, the Buddha's birth stories, tremendously. Whenever the monk gave a sermon on Jataka, he would rush his aunt to the temple and listened attentively to it. But when the sermon was on the general subject of Dhamma, he felt it was boring and would ask his aunt to take him home. One could say that His Holiness had never stayed away from his aunt except when he had to go on a few Boy Scout trips. The last night before his ordination, his aunt said to him, ‘This is the last night we'll be together'. And it was true. After his ordination as a novice, he never had a chance to return to his aunt until she passed away in 1964.
It can be said that His Holiness' life of chastity began with an ordination to fulfill a vow. After entering the novicehood, he was under the guardian of Luang Phor Wat Nua and became more and more acquainted with him.
Phra Khru Adulyasamanakij,
Preceptor of His Holiness
when H.H. became a Samenera
Pra Khru Nivitsamajarn,
monk who gave His Holiness refuge and precept when H.H. became a Samanera.
The chapter Luang Phor chose to read to him was about the seven noble wealth. When he could memorize and recite the whole chapter fluently, Luang Phor had him preached the chapter to the public at the Uposatha Hall (the main monastery building) on a holy day during that Buddhist Lent. His Holiness recorded the experience of giving his first sermon in his private diary.
After the Buddhist Lent was over, His Holiness enjoyed his life of chastity so much so that Luang Phor urged him to study Pali at Wat Saneha in Nakhon Pathom ‘so that one day you can come back to teach at Wat Devasangharam where Phra Pariyatidhamma School was to be located.' Once he and his relatives agreed to this idea, Luang Phor took His Holiness to see Phra Khru Sangvornvinaya (Ard), the Abbot of Wat Saneha on June 20, 1927. There, he commenced his Pali studies. His instructors consisted of Pali scholar monks from Wat Makutkasatriyaram in Bangkok. It did not take them long to notice His Holiness' potential as a scholar. So he was urged to further his Pali studies at Wat Makutkasatriyaram. Meanwhile, arrangements were made with Wat Makutkasatriyaram regarding His Holiness' attendance. But when His Holiness brought this idea to the attention of Luang Phor Wat Nua, Luang Phor dismissed it off hand, saying that he preferred him to go to Wat Bovoranives Vihara. In the end, the idea of attending Wat Makutkasatriyaram was called off and His Holiness continued his Pali studies at Wat Saneha for another Buddhist Lent period.
In 1929, after the Buddhist Lent was over, His Holiness returned to Wat Devasangharam briefly before moving to Bangkok. On June 9, 1929, Luang Phor Wat Nua took His Holiness from Kanchanaburi to Bangkok by train. Upon arrival, he was brought to Wat Bovoranives Vihara and presented to the Supreme Patriarch Krom Luang Vajiranyanavangsa [2] . The Abbot mercifully accepted him and assigned Phra Khru Buddhamon Preecha (Charlerm Rojanasiri who subsequently left monkhood) to look after him. Not long after staying at Wat Bovoranives Vihara, His Holiness successfully complied with all the rules and regulations there and was thus given the name ‘Suvaddhano' (meaning ‘a cultivated person') by the Abbot.
His Holiness kept an account of his experience at Wat Bovoranives Vihara in a diary. Interestingly, it revealed how he managed to pursue his life of chastity and complete his education. His success was dedicated to his teacher and chaperone monk. At that time, his teacher was Phra Khru Buddhamon Preecha (Chalerm) and his chaperone monk was the Abbot. His Holiness referred to both of them in the diary as follows:
Phra Khru Buddhamon Preecha was a gentle yet determined person. He was considerate, tactful and witty. He always showed respect towards the elders and never tried to be equal yet knew how to convince them. Whenever leadership was called for, he was perfect in being a practical person who conversed intelligently and would not let his students do the work unless they could handle it well enough. In addition, he taught them to behave properly and praised them among their peers. In short, he was a generous person to whom one could look up as a role model.
Indeed, the Abbot was kind to all monks and novices, especially those who came from the countryside. The Abbot knew how to train them with kindness. All novices were assigned to serve the Abbot on a daily basis. For example, he taught them to read newspapers and he would read to them if they could not read it. He also taught them how to think, observe and do the kind of work that helped sharpen their thoughts. If they could not do it, he would show them how. Taught this way, the novices soon developed desirable skills and intellect. His Holiness was no exception to this teaching. Once, he was asked to wrap a piece of paper around a bottle and as he placed the paper at the bottom, the Abbot said, ‘You are no smarter than others.' and showed him the way to do it right.
Having been trained in this manner and with such kindness by both elderly monks, His Holiness soon learned to think, observe and memorize until he eventually improved himself significantly. After his first year at Wat Bovoranives Vihara, His Holiness passed the examination and attained the first-grade of Dhamma-study (Nak Dhamma Chan Tree).
In 1930, he passed the second-grade of Dhamma-study (Nak Dhamma Chan Tho) and higher grades of Pali studies. Upon accomplishing Grade 3 of Pali studies, he made a note describing his feelings as follows: ‘No other year can render me both physical and mental happiness as this one.'
when H.H. was a Pali Student
(middle at sitting row)
In 1931, he advanced to Grade 4 of Pali studies with great ambition and self-confidence. He worked diligently and was well prepared for his exams. He even attempted to anticipate exam questions and prepared them thoroughly. As it turned out, the exam paper was easy but, regrettably, he failed because the questions were not what he had prepared for. He made a note in his diary describing how he felt sad, disappointed, and so discouraged that he thought he had lost his future in religion. Nevertheless, after reflecting on his feelings, he came to realize that this failure was a result of his overconfidence. From this reflection, he learned the following lessons:
Firstly, as he was too proud of his own knowledge and was sure he could pass the exams, he was careless and made many mistakes.
Secondly, as he was overconfident and underestimated the examination, he did not read the text in its entirety but focused on what he thought would be asked in the exam. When the questions differed from his guesses, he could not answer them.
Thirdly, he realized that guessing exam questions was not the right way to study for exams because he could not obtain the entire body of knowledge of the subjects.
In 1932, His Holiness repeated Grade 4 of Pali studies. Meanwhile, he was also preparing for an examination for the third and final grade of Dhamma-study. This time, he did not adopt the old method of guessing exam questions but studied consistently and comprehensively. As a result, he passed both exams and attained the title ‘Nak Dhamma Chan Ek' as well as accomplishing Grade four of Pali studies.
On the whole, His Holiness' childhood advanced smoothly and successfully. The key success factors comprised both external and internal ones. The external factors were the people around him and the internal factors were his own personality and innate character. He had a good teacher and a chaperone monk to guide him through righteousness. On a personal level, he himself was religiously oriented. The guidance given to him by his relatives and elders further reinforced and assisted him to move towards the right direction. That was how he came to be successful even at an early age, which allowed him to live his life in chastity.
The year 1933 saw His Holiness coming of age ready for higher ordination. He returned to Wat Devasangharam in Kanchanaburi, where he was a novice, to be ordained as a monk. His intention was to pay gratitude to Luang Phor by helping him teach Dhamma study, the idea of which originated at the time when Luang Phor first took His Holiness to study Pali at Wat Saneha. Luang Phor promised to build a Phra Pariyatidhamma School (religious school) at Wat Devasangharam where His Holiness could come back to help him teach. Luang Phor kept his words and built a two-storey concrete building school and named it Devanukul School, which was completed in 1930.
Preceptor of His Holiness
when he ordained as a monk. Act-Announcing Teacher of H.H.
when he ordained as a monk.
His Holiness was ordained as a monk at Wat Devasangharam on June 12, 1933. Phra Khru Adulayasamanakit (Laung Phor Wat Nua) was his Preceptor. Phra Khru Nivitsamacarya (Luang Poh Wat Nong Bua) was his Act-Announcing Teacher. Phra Palad Rung, the Abbot of Wat Thung Samoh, was his Ordination-Proclaiming Teacher. His Holiness spent his first Buddhist Lent of monkhood at Wat Devasangharam to help teach Dhamma as intended.
Preceptor of His Holiness
when he re-ordained as a monk
under Dhammayutika Order.
Act-Announcing Teacher of H.H
when he re-ordained as a monk
under Dhammayutika Order.
When the Buddhist Lent period was over, His Holiness went back to Wat Bovoranives Vihara where he was re-ordained as a monk under Dhammayutika Order on February 15, 1933 [3] . For this re-ordination, the Supreme Patriarch, Khrom Luang Vajiranyanavangsa who held the title Somdet Phra Vajiranyanavangsa at that time, was his preceptor. Phra Ratanadhajamuni (Ju Issaranyano) was his Act-Announcing Teacher. His Holiness continued studying Dhamma and finally passed Grade 5 of Pali studies in this same year.
Though returned officially to Wat Bovoranives Vihara, His Holiness traveled back and forth between Wat Bovoranives Vihara and Wat Devasangharam in Kanchanaburi to help Luang Phor teach Dhamma for two consecutive years. Meanwhile, he also made a remarkable progress in his own study of Dhamma:
* In 1934 he passed Grade 6 of Pali studies.
* In 1935 he passed Grade 7 of Pali studies.
* In 1938 he passed Grade 8 of Pali studies, and
* In 1941 he passed Grade 9 of Pali studies.
As a studious person, His Holiness was always in the habit of acquiring new knowledge, especially languages. In 1932, a Hindu priest named Swami Satayanandapuri came to Thailand to study and promote cultural relationship between Thailand and India. He was a scholar in Indian Religion and Philosophy, not to mention Sanskrit and English languages. Swami set up an office at the Library of Mahamakut Buddhist University. Located on Phra Sumane Road in front of Wat Bovoranives Vihara, it was named ‘Dhammashram'. The office published a magazine entitled ‘Oriental Voice' (Voice from the East), both in Thai and English versions. Moreover, a Dhamma class was held every Sunday in addition to English and Sanskrit classes, which were offered to monks, novices and the general public. Swami's Dhammashram office was well known and became the center for learned scholars at that time. Swami stayed in Thailand for ten years. He died in a plane crash during the World War II in 1942 at the age of 40 years old. It can be said that Swami played a crucial role in stimulating an enthusiasm in the study of religion and philosophy among Thai scholars. He also wrote a number of books in Thai on Oriental Philosophy and Religion.
It was during 1934 – 1935 that His Holiness (at that time in Grades 6-7 of Pali studies), together with other younger monks, had the opportunity to study Sanskrit and English languages. However, he could study only during his spare time because he had to teach Dhamma and Pali at Wat Bovoranives Vihara Institute. After two years, he had to cease studying at Dhammashram because he was too busy with other work. However, studying with Swami provided a good foundation for His Holiness' self-study in future years. His self-study methods included reading English newspapers, listening to BBC English Broadcasts and reading English books on Buddhism. When reading books on Buddhism, His Holiness would pay particular attention to important phrases and put them to use later on. In so doing, he was able to use English quite fluently for speaking, reading as well as writing. His strong command of English has proven to be very useful to His Holiness later on.
Besides English, His Holiness also studied German and French. He would ask Thai teachers whom he knew quite well to come to teach him at his residence during the night. Each class would last 1-2 hours, depending on the amount of time he had. He continued to do this for some time until he could read and write fairly well. Eventually, he had to suspend the class because of the stress of time on both the teachers and the student.
At this time, a new monk who knew Chinese language was ordained at the temple. As his guardian, His Holiness took this opportunity to learn Chinese with him. Later on, the teacher continued to give lessons to His Holiness even after leaving monkhood. However, the study was permanently suspended after the Chinese teacher passed away. Asked about the Chinese class, His Holiness would reply with a sense of humor: ‘I had to terminate my Chinese lessons because the teacher was dead.'
It can be said that His Holiness' youth was devoted to studying and seeking knowledge. In addition to languages, he was eager to acquire other kinds of knowledge through books, both Thai and English. He did not restrict himself to only subjects on Buddhism but enjoyed reading books on general knowledge as well.