Cetiya Model

Cetiya (Stupa) Model

Cetiya ConstructionIt is currently under construction

Wat Luang Phor Sodh’s biggest and most important current project is constructing Phra Maha Cetiya Somdej to enshrine sacred Buddha’s relics and arahants’ relics to pay reverence to Lord Buddha and to prolong the life of Buddhism.

Some of relics appeared at the temple and some were given by devotees. The Cetiya is expected to become a major Buddhist pilgrimage site for human beings and celestials beings faithful to the Triple Gem.

The Cetiya

The Cetiya is a quatefoil gabled building with four stories. Each wing is 108 meters wide, long and high.

The First Floor

The first floor is designed as an administrative office, a major Buddhist pilgrimage site, and a conference room.  It will provide space for up to 2,000 lay persons to attend conferences or meditate.

The Second Floor

The second floor is designed for meditation and conferences. It will provide space for up to 2,000 monks to meditate.

The Third Floor

The third floor will be a museum with Buddha statues, demonstrating all the various postures as well as samples of meditation practices, especially 40 diffferent concentration meditation methods.

The Fourth Floor

The smaller fourth floor at the neck of the Cetiya is where the Buddha Relics will be displayed. It is a major Buddhist pilgrimage site for paying reverence to sacred Buddhist relics.

The Project

The project has the following chair persons:

Architecture and Structure

The Cetiya is designed by Ajarn Anan Swatsavani, the former director of Chang-sip-mu, the Fine Arts Department.

The structure is designed by Dr. Hunsa Watthananukit, Professor of Engineering, at Kasetsart University.

Phra Maha Sujit Sujitto, Mr. Vichaya Watthananukit from Center of Standard Engineering Co. Ltd, and Mr. Nop Rojanavanit are responsible for the construction.

The Origin of the Name

The name of Maha Ceitya Somdej is derived from Pali and signifies the six great and amazing fortunes as follows:

  1. The Cetiya is designed as a sacred place to enshrine the relics of Somdej Phra Samma Sambuddha.
  2. This Cetiya project takes place during the era of His Majesty (Holiness Somdej Paramindara-mahabhumipon-adunyadej-maharaja)
  3. Somdej Phra Nang Chaow Sirikit,

and teachers of Phra Thepyanmongkol as follows:

  1. His Holiness Somdej Phra Buddhajarn (Fuen Jutindhara-mahathera), the former abbot of Wat Sampaya, Bangkok, and committee member of Sangha Body. He was the preceptor of Phra Thepyanmongkol.
  2. His Holiness Somdej Phra Buddhajarn (Kiew Upasena-mahathera), Wat  Saket Rachamaha-vihara, Bangkok, the President of Sangha Conference. He is the teacher of Phra Thepyanmongkol.
  3. His Holiness Somdej Phra Maharajamonggalajarn (Joung Varapunya-mahathera), Wat Paknam Basijaroen, Bangkok, the committee member of Sangha Body and chief of North Sangha Region. He is another teacher of Phra Thepyanmongkol.

Virtuous Benefits of Building Cetiya for Lord Buddha

A devotee who makes a contribution for Cetiya construction will:

  1. Give shelter which is the highest fruitful merit among material gifts,
  2. Give Dhamma or the Ultimate Truths because when people come to use the Cetiya and practice meditation for mental development, the virtues will be redoubled to those who sacrifice their knowledge, intelligence and property for Cetiya completion,  
  3. Practice reverence to the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha because the Cetiya is a sacred place for Buddha’s relics, different kinds of Buddha statues and other sacred objects. So, great fortune arises for those who pay homage to the Triple Gem as well as virtuous benefits of building a Cetiya for Lord Buddha, resulting in peaceful happiness, human and heavenly prosperity and successful attainment of Nibbana.

There is a reference, in the sacred texts, of virtuous benefits coming from making merit from honoring Lord Buddha through both material worship and practical worship. It is from Khuddaka-nikaya [See Pali Canon book 24] page 48: 

Phra Maha Kassapa, who was an arahant or a perfect one, mentioned his past merit as a story below:

It was during the time of Lord Buddha, named Padumuttara, the world’s Noblest Man, who was steady (tadi), the Refuge of the world, and made the Great Decease or parinibbana. People pay homage to and revere the Lord Buddha. 

People were joyful, cheerful and happy. When the sense of urgency (samvejana) arose for them, joy arose for me. I assembled relatives and companions and said, “The Greatest Hero has already made the Great Decease or parinibbana. Let’s us make great worship.” We all accepted and said, “Sadhu (Good)” which made me so joyful and said, “We will make great merit for the Lord Buddha who is the Refuge of the world.” So, we built a very nice Cetiya which was 100 elbows high and 150 elbows wide. It reached the sky like a celestial abode. [Note: one elbow is equivalent with 18 to 21 inches approximately.]

When the beautiful and well-decorated Cetiya was completed, my mind became faithful for worship for that great Cetiya.

The Cetiya was very brilliant like a bonfire glowing to the air or like the blooming flowers of Shorea Siamensis making the four directions brilliant like the lightning in the air.

I was very faithful to the supreme relics. I have made the great merit. When I recalled that previous action, as a result, I reached the heavens.

I was on the deva vehicle harnessed by 1000 noble horses. My celestial seven-story abode was prominent and high.

There are 1000 golden brilliant castles which make the four directions bright due to my might.

There were crystal brilliant pavilions which made the four directions brilliant.

The celestial castle arose due to my virtue and wholesome karma. The castle was made from crystal, making the directions brilliant all around.

The brilliance from the castle is very wide-reaching. I ruled all celestial beings. These were the results from virtues and wholesome karmas.

I became the Cakkavatti (a universal monarch endowed with the seven treasures), named Uppiddha, ruling realms and four oceans in the 60,000th eon.

In this prosperous eon (bhadra-kappa), I became the Cakkavatti like that, 30 times, namely a Cakkavatti with high energy. I was joyful with my wholesome karma. 

I prospered in the seven treasures and ruled all four continents. My castle was brilliant like lightning – 24 yojana long and 12 yojana wide [one yojana is equivalent to 16 kilometers].

The Town was named Rammaka and had a stable wall and camp. It was 500 yojana long and 240 yojana wide. It was crowded with people like a celestial town of angels.

The 25 pins are crowded together in the box. This was the same as in my town which was full of elephants, horses, vehicles and people. It was joyful. It was a prosperous town. I ate and drank in that town and was, then, reborn as an angel again.

Wholesome treasure arose for me in my last life. I was born in a Brahman family with a lot of crystals. I left 800 million and ordained. I have penetrated the following virtues − analytic insight (patisambhida), deliverance (vimokkha) and supernormal powers (abhiñña). I have completed the Teaching of Lord Buddha.

Uncountable Virtues for 
Those Who Pay Homage to the Triple Gem

And, Phra Sudhapindiya-thera, who was an arahant or a perfect one, also recalled that in his past lives, that he had put in place, a piece of white cement, to participate in the Cetiya construction for enshrining the Buddha Siddhattha relics. As a result, he became joyful and said the following verse:

It is impossible to calculate how meritorious it is for those who pay homage to Lord Buddha, a Private Buddhas or Noble Disciples who deserve to be reverenced, who have overcome defilements, who have crossed sorrow and lamentation.

It is impossible to calculate how meritorious it is for those who pay homage to persons worthy of a stupa who have ceased and without any dangers…

I with pure mind put that piece of white cement between layers of bricks at the Cetiya of the Buddha Siddhattha, who is most superb.

Due to that good kamma, I have not been to suffering worlds (duggati) since 94th kappa (eon). This is result from restoration.

At the 30th kappa, I became the great righteous king (cakkavatti), named Patisankhara, who prospered with seven types of crystal 30 times.

At the 30th kappa, I became the great righteous king (cakkavatti), named Patisankhara, who prospered with seven types of crystal 30 times.

It is impossible to calculate how meritorious it is for those who pay homage to Lord Buddha, a Private Buddhas or Noble Disciples who deserve to be reverenced, who have overcome defilements, who have crossed sorrow and lamentation.

It is impossible to calculate how meritorious it is for those who pay homage to persons worthy of a stupa who have ceased and without any dangers…

I with pure mind put that piece of white cement between layers of bricks at the Cetiya of the Buddha Siddhattha, who is most superb.

Due to that good kamma, I have not been to suffering worlds (duggati) since 94th kappa (eon). This is result from restoration.

I have attained the following virtues which are analytic insight (patisambhida), deliverance (vimokkha) and supernormal powers (abhiñña). I have completed the Teaching of Lord Buddha.   

I have attained the following virtues which are analytic insight (patisambhida), deliverance (vimokkha) and supernormal powers (abhiñña). I have completed the Teaching of Lord Buddha.  

Buddha’s Relics

Avippakinna-dhatu are the perfect relics of Lord Buddha which are not broken apart, and Lord Buddha resolved those relices to remain unburned during the Cremation at Kusinara. There are seven of those Buddha’s relics as follows:

  1. The upper left Wisdom Tooth [cuspid tooth] (Phra Datha-dhatu), located on the Culamani Ceitya in Tavatimsa or the realm of the thirty-three gods.
  2.  The lower right Wisdom Tooth, located in Kalingaraj city. Now, the Tooth is in Udakapubbulaka Cetiya, Sinhala, Sri Lanka.
  3. The upper right Wisdom Tooth, located in Gandhararaj City.
  4. The lower left Wisdom Tooth, located in Naga land,
  5. The right Collarbone, located in the Culamani Ceitya in Tavatimsa,
  6. The left Collarbone, located in Dussa-cetiya in Suddhavasa Brahman world [Pure Abodes], and
  7. The Frontlet [a bone part around forehead], located in Dussa-cetiya in Suddhavasa Brahman world.

Vippakinna-dhatu designates Buddha relics which are broken apart into different sizes, such as the sizes of a bean cut in half, half-broken polished rice, and lettuce seed. Those Buddha’s relics were counted into approximatedly sixteen coconut shells [an old measure of capacity] and distribued for great benefits of world beings. For example, 218 years after the Great Decease of Lord Buddha (parinibbana), king Asoka built 84,000 stupas or Cetiyas to enshrine the Buddha’s relics.         

The Buddha’s Relics Brought to Wat Luang Phor Sodh 
by Celestial Beings at the End of the Year of 2011

The Buddha Relic which appeared at the temple

 

The Buddha Relic which appeared at the temple

 

Dear all venerable senior and young monks and hello to all beloved ones: 

I would like to make an announcement about the great fortunes which have been happening in Wat Luang Phor Sodh Dhamakayaram, Dammoen Saduak district, Rajburi province, Thailand. Here is a brief story:

I retired from a foreign governmental office located in Bangkok, Thailand and became prepared to become a monk and serve Buddhism, when I was 57 years old. I ordained as a monk at Wat Paknam, Basijareon, Bangkok, and studied there for five years. After the fifth year of monkhood, I met with the abbot of Wat Paknam, Somdej Phramaharajmonggalajarn to say farewell to him and became the abbot of Wat Luang Phor Sodh Dhammakayaram, in 1991.

Since then, I have managed the Pali and Dhamma School and meditation retreats as well as encouraging everyone to study [both Pali and Dhamma] scriptures and to practice meditation. As a result, the temple has been established and designated by the Sangha Body as an Exemplary Development Temple, with Noteworthy Success. The temple also became designated as the Sangha Ecclesiastical Region 15 Acadamic Services Units for Mahachulongkorn-rajavidyalai University, for offering both undergraduate and graduate degrees. 

Since 2008, I have served as the President of the National Coordination Center of Provincial Meditation Institutes of Thailand, as well as being the Director of the Center of Development of Virtues and Ethics for the Security of the Nation, Religion and the Monarchy (the head office is located at Wat Sakat, Bangkok).

In 1986, when I first became a monk, I asked King Sakka for the Hair (kesa-dhātu) and the seven major Buddha relics which were not burned during the Buddha’s Cremation. Those seven are four Wisdom Teeth [the cuspid tooth], plus one Frontlet or Frontal [a bone part of forehead] and two Collarbones.

King Sakka, who rules Tavatimsa, (the Realm of the 33 Gods), the Catummaharajika (Realm of the Four Great Kings), and the Human Realm conjured-up replicas of those seven Buddha relics and gave them to Wat Luang Phor Sodh. I had also promised King Sakka that I would build a Ceitya (stupa) in which to locate the relics of Lord Buddha and provide as well a golden-footed tray, for enshrining the replicas of the four Wisdom Teeth. As a result, King Sakka has given me the replicas of those major relics, as well as the hair Topknot.  

The Topknot belonged to Prince Siddhattha, who after He left the palace for the Great Renunciation, cut off His Topknot and threw it to the air with the resolution: “If I become enlightened, may the Topknot stay in the air.” At that time, the Great King of the Gods, Sakka, received the Topknot and located it in the great Cetiya Culamani in Tavatimsa.

As promised, I started the Cetiya construction at Wat Luang Phor Sodh in 2008. Now, it is 65 % completed and thus-far 120 million THB has been spent on project development.

In October, 2011, people from Sri Lanka, one of whom was the relative of a senior monk, a Buddhist consultant to the President of Sri Lanka, helped perform the rites for an invitation, at Wat Luang Phor Sodh, of the seven major objects of the Buddha’s relics which had remained unburned during the Buddha’s Cremation as well as other parts of the Buddha’s relics. During the rite, I paid homage to the Triple Gem and requested the Buddha’s relics from Akanittha-brahman who was the supreme Brahman of Pure Abodes (suddhavasa), King Sakka, King Vessunna, King Naga, Quan Yin, and Sumana-deva, who protected the Footprint of Lord Buddha at mount Sumana.

The Buddha Relic which appeared at the temple

Luckily, Akanittha-brahman, King Sakka and the great angels (devas) gave those relics to Wat Luang Phor Sodh to be located in the Cetiya [currently under construction], for humans, celestial beings and Brahmans to come to pay homage for great and good fortune. Following a series of rites, I received the relics of Lord Buddha:

The first rite: On October 15th, 2011, in the meditation hall, at 5.45 am, a Buddha relic, like in the shape of the molar tooth, appeared upon a container decorated with blooming lotus and covered with white cloth. The color was ivory. The relic was about the size of a little finger nail. I put that container on my head and mentally asked for the relics from the deities mentioned earlier. Now, this relic is kept in the appropriate container.

During the rite, there were about 20 monks chanting the sermon, called Setting the Wheel of the Dhamma in Motion, (Dhammacakkappavattana-sutta), who witnessed what occurred.

The second rite: On October 16th, 2011, in the meditation hall, at 5.15 am, a Tooth (danta-dhātu), half a piece, without the root, appeared on a container decorated with jasmine and covered by white cloth. The Tooth is ivory in color. I put that container on my head and mentally asked for that relic. There were about 10 monks who witnessed this rite.

The third rite: On October 19th, 2011, in the meditation hall, at 5.30 am, I could feel the Buddha’s relics coming into the container which I had put on my head and made a mental request. The container was decorated with jasmine and covered by a white cloth. At that time, the relic was invisible to human eyes, but an angel (deva) said the container could be opened-up to the public at 10.10 pm on the same day. When I opened it up, there appeared a Wisdom Tooth, half a piece (without the root). The color was ivory. The size was about that of a finger nail. I believe that angels (devas) brought this one from Kandahar, Afghanistan. The angel, temporarily, put that relic in the Cetiya Suvannamalika, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka before its coming to Wat Luang Phor Sodh. There were about 5 monks who witnessed this happening.

The fourth rite: On October 21st 2011 in Cetiya (stupa), at 5.30 am, I could feel that the Buddha relics had already come into the container which I had put on my head. The container was decorated with jasmine and covered by white cloth. When I opened it up, there again appeared a Wisdom Tooth, half a piece (without root). The color was ivory. The Wisdom Tooth did not appear in the container as expected, but lay on the edge of my outer robe upon my lap. I believed that this Wisdom Tooth came from Naga-raja (the king of Naga) from Naga’s land. Before coming to Wat Luang Phor Sodh, the Wisdom Tooth was temporarily on the Cetiya Suvannamalika. This time, there were about six people who witnessed this event.

The fifth rite: On December 7th 2011, in the Cetiya, at 05.30 am, the rite was in the 62th retreat at Wat Luang Phor Sodh. There appeared the relic inside a cover, about as big as the size of a lime. The relic with the cover was laid on the container which was decorated with jasmine and lotus. I put the container covered with white cloth on my head. The angel that brought the relic said that it needed to remain covered by the white cloth until December 23rd, 2011 at 10.02 pm.

When it was about time to open the container, there appeared the Frontlet [a bone part of forehead], about the size of a thumb, a little ticker than a bone. The relic was outside the cover itself. I was informed by the angel that there was also some Hair (kesa-dhātu) inside the Frontlet. I had someone find an appropriate container. Eventually that later on, the Hair would come out around the Frontlet.

It was said that Atappa-brahman had put the relics, into a cover, which looked like fiber of silk or red-brown hair in order to protect it from bad deities, from the second level of pure abodes (Suddhavasa) to human realm, who tried to obstruct this task.

Two days later or December 25th at 10.39 pm, angels (devas) said to open up the covering white cloth one more time. There appeared another bone Frontlet (the bone part between eyebrows). This one was a little smaller than the thumb – smaller than the previous one. It is amazing that the Frontlet relic was outside the cover itself. It is heard that Sudassa-brahman (the third level of Suddhavasa or pure abodes) joined the rite and put this Frontlet [the bone part between eyebrows] inside the same cover of the previous Frontlet relic [the bone part of forehead].

The sixth rite: It was performed at the Cetiya on December 14th 2011, at 05.30 am, there appeared a Wisdom Tooth which came from Tavatimsa via King Sakka. He put the Wisdom Tooth on the container decorated with jasmine and lotus and covered by a white cloth. The Wisdom Tooth came with a cover similar to that of the Frontlet, but smaller – the size of Marian Plum.

There was a small hole which allowed a person to see the relic inside. It was heard that King Sakka accompanied by angels took the Wisdom Tooth to the Bodhi Tree in Bodhi-Gaya (India) to enshrine Lord Buddha for a while before bringing the Wisdom Tooth, with a white nine-tiered umbrella, as a symbol of royalty, to Wat Luang Phor Sodh. So, the angels (devas) were told to bring the Wisdom Tooth in the container covered by white cloth to enshrine Lord Buddha at the Bodhi Tree (originally from Anuradhapura) on the south of the Cetiya at Wat Luang Phor Sodh, and then, to take the Wisdom Tooth to my residence, to remain there for seven days before opening it up on December 21st at 10.02 pm.

When it was the 21st of December, 2011, I opened it up at 10.02 pm. There appeared a beautiful Wisdom Tooth (without root) which was ivory in color and about the size of a finger nail. The Wisdom Tooth came out from the cover itself and stayed upon the jasmine in the container. That is amazing.

And, on the same night, after seeing the Wisdom Tooth, I opened the white cloth which covered another container. I saw two relic objects of Lord Buddha. They were the heart parts, called hadaya-dhātu. They were round like pearls. The color was like silver mixed with pink. There was radiance. I had someone take a photo. The radiance is seen clearly in the photograph. This is very amazing.

The seventh rite: It was performed at the Cetiya on December 28th 2011, at 5.32 am. There appeared a right Forehead bone, about the size of a thumb. The color was ivory. An angel (deva) recommended the relic to be shown to monks and people later that night around 9.32 pm.

The Buddha which appeared at the temple

In addition, on the morning of December 28th 2011, the angels allowed us to bring the relics of Lord Buddha which had already come previously as well as the right Forehead relic, which had just come early that morning in the meditation hall, at 9.32 am so that monks and people would pay homage for their great fortune.

It was heard that angels and Brahmans, who possess and protect other important relics of the Lord Buddha in celestial and Brahman worlds, will bring some more relics of the Lord Buddha to Wat Luang Phor Sodh.

It would also be allowable to show the relics of Lord Buddha which had already come to the public. The exhibition will take place on the first floor of the Cetiya, currently under construction, for three days, on 5, 6 and 7 March 2012.

I would like to invite everyone to come and pay homage to the important parts of relics of Lord Buddha which have already come, between October and December, 2011, in Wat Luang Phor Sodh. One of those relics is the Wisdom Tooth, kindly given by King Sakka on December 14, 2011.

It is an opportunity for the great good fortune for everyone, especially Buddhists, to give to the Triple Gem by offering material donations − and through practice − acting with generosity, observing moral precepts and practicing meditation. These acts of merit will be factors leading practitioners to be reborn in happy worlds and attaining paths, fruits and Nibbana, the extinction of suffering.   

Phra Thepyanmongkol

Phra Thepyanmongkol

Abbot, Wat Luang Phor Sodh Dhammakayaram, 
President, the National Coordination Center of Provincial Meditation Institutes of Thailand, and
Chairman, the Center for Development of Virtues and Ethics for the Security of the Nation, Religion and Monarchy.