Laow Panyasiri

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Laow Panyasiri
Personal
Born
Laow Pracharart
เหลา ประชาราษฎร์

(1960-08-07) 7 August 1960 (age 63)
Phayu, Sisaket, Thailand
ReligionBuddhism
SchoolTheravāda
Education
Dharma namesPaññāsiri
ปญฺญาสิริ
Monastic namePhra Ratchawithetpanyakhun
พระราชวิเทศปัญญาคุณ
Organization
OrderMahā Nikāya
Senior posting
Teacher
  • Chodok Yanasitthi
  • โชดก ญาณสิทฺธิ
Ordination
Previous postAbbot of Wat Mahathat, Kings Bromley
Present postAbbot of Wat Buddhapadipa
(since 30 January 2023)

Laow Panyasiri (born 7 August 1960) is a Thai Buddhist monk and the abbot of Wat Buddhapadipa in Wimbledon, London.

Name[edit]

Laow's birth name was Laow Pracharart (Thai: เหลา ประชาราษฎร์; RTGSLao Pracharat). His Dhamma name, in the Pali language, is Paññāsiri (Thai: ปญฺญาสิริ; RTGSPanyasiri), and his monastic title is Phra Ratchawithetpanyakhun (Thai: พระราชวิเทศปัญญาคุณ).[1]

He is commonly known as Chao Khun Laow (Thai: เจ้าคุณเหลา).[2] Chao Khun is a colloquial title for monks with the rank of Phra Ratchakhana.[3]

Life[edit]

Laow was born on 7 August 1960 in Phayu, Sisaket, Thailand. He was ordained as a novice monk (sāmaṇera) at Wat Mahathat in Bangkok on 20 December 1973, at the age of 13. His higher ordination (upasampadā) took place on 13 July 1980, at the age of 19, with Chodok Yanasitthi as his preceptor (upajjhāya).[1]

Laow received his doctorate from the University of Birmingham in 2004, with a thesis entitled The British Practice of Theravada Buddhism.[4] He has established a number of temples in Britain, including a temple at Fort Austin in Plymouth.[5] On 30 January 2023, the Sangha Supreme Council appointed him as the new abbot of Wat Buddhapadipa in Wimbledon, London.[2] He had been the acting abbot since 25 November 2022.[citation needed]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "พระราชวิเทศปัญญาคุณ (เหลา ปญฺญาสิริ ป.ธ.๔ ,ดร.)". Sangkhatikan.com (in Thai). Archived from the original on 7 April 2023.
  2. ^ a b "มส.ตั้ง "หลวงพ่ออลงกต" ที่ปรึกษาเจ้าคณะภาค 3 "เจ้าคุณเหลา" เป็นเจ้าอาวาสวัดพุทธประทีป ลอนดอน". Daily News (in Thai). 30 January 2023. Archived from the original on 30 January 2023.
  3. ^ Jackson, Peter A. (1989). Buddhism, Legitimation, and Conflict: The Political Functions of Urban Thai Buddhism. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. p. 17. ISBN 981-3035-21-8.
  4. ^ Pracharart, Phramaha Laow Panyasiri (2004). The British Practice of Theravada Buddhism (PDF). Doctoral thesis. University of Birmingham. ISNI 0000000426899691.
  5. ^ Chapman, Peter (28 June 2020). "Incredible tour of Plymouth 'temple of peace' for Thai monks". Plymouth Live. Archived from the original on 29 June 2020.

External links[edit]

Laow Panyasiri on Facebook