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Luang Poo Thong In Visit to Wat Pa Buddharam
Monday 13th June Lunag Poo Thong In, Luang Ta Sommai, Luang Paw Mana and the Sangha and Laypeople of Wat Sri Intra Atula visited Wat Pa Buddharam, Wellingborough.
It was a wonderful visit and an opportunity for the Buddhist community at Wat Pa Buddharam to pay respects to Luang Poo and to listen to his teaching.
Special thanks to Ajahn Aod and his team for the kind invitation and for making everyone so welcome
Celebration of Luang Poo Thong In’s 84th Birthday and Appointment by King Rama X to the rank of Phrarajphatcharayanamuni
On the 12th June beginning with Morning Chanting at 9.00 am there is the opportunity to come and pay respects to Luang Poo Thong In Katapunyo in recognition of his recent 84th Birthday (12th Cycle).
We also celebrate his appointment to the title of Phrarajphatcharayanamuni Thong In Katapunyo by his Majesty King Rama X of Thailand
Visit to Wat Sri Intra Atula by Ajahn Amaro
On Thursday the 9th June Ajahn Amaro the Abbot of Wat Amaravati, Hemel Hempstead, together with Ajahn Konglit and a number of the Sangha of Amaravati came to pay respects to Luang Poo Thong In at Wat Sri Intra Atula.
Luang Poo Thong In – Visit to Germany and the Netherlands
Despite just having arrived in the UK from Australia via Thailand that morning, on Friday the 3rd June Luang Poo travelled to Germany for the Annual General Meeting of the Dhammayut Order in Europe, held at Wat Dhammanivasa, Eschveiler, Germany.
We then travelled to Wat Buddha Parami in the lovely town of Musselkanaal. Wat Buddha Parami is a lovely temple in a converted church and the Abbot Ajahn Tang and his team made us very welcome. The lay people appreciated the opportunity of meeting Luang Poo Thong In and listening to his teaching
Whilst there the Sangha also consecrated the Cima area
Visit to Wat Sri Intra Atula by Ven Ajahn Jayasaro
On Saturday the 9th April the Sangha and Laypeople were excited and honoured to welcome Ajahn Jayasaro to Wat Sri Intra Atula and to pay respect to this most senior British (now a Thai citizen) Monk.
In 2020 His Majesty bestowed this Royal Title upon Ajahn Jayasaro.
Phra Dharma Bajranyanamuni Phawanavidhisuvithan Srilajahnsuvimol Kosonkitchanukit Mahakanisorn Bovornsangaram Gamavasi (พระธรรมพัชรญาณมุนี ภาวนาวิธีสุวิธาน สีลาจารสุวิมล โกศลกิจจานุกิจ มหาคณิสสร บวรสังฆาราม คามวาสี)
Songkran 2022
Wat Sri Intra Atula will mark Songkran the Thai New Year on Saturday the 16th April. Everyone is welcome to join in this important and happy festival for the Thai Community.
Sat 16 /4/2022
วันเสาร์ ที่ 16 เดือนเมษายน 2565
ขอเชิญชวนเพื่อนๆ พาครอบครัว มาทำบุญ วันสงกรานต์
ณ ที่วัดศรีอินทราอตุลา Wat Sri Intra Atula
Copthorne Bank Rd, Copthorne RH10 3JD ประเทศอังกฤษ
เพื่อนๆกรุณาแชร์ต่อๆไปด้วยนะคะ
สาธุ สาธุ สาธุค่ะ 🙏🙏🙏
Songkran is a term derived from Sanskrit संक्रान्ति saṅkrānti meaning ‘to move’ or ‘movement’. It derives from the movement of the sun from one position to another in the zodiac. According to its literal meaning in Sanskrit, a Songkran occurs every month. However, the period that Thai people refer to as Songkran happens when the sun moves from Pisces to Aries in the zodiac. The correct name for this period should actually be Maha Songkran (‘great Songkran) because it coincides with the arrival of a New Year. The Songkran festival is, therefore, a celebration of the New Year in accordance with the solar calendar. The celebration covers a period of three days: 13 April is regarded as Maha Songkran, the day that the sun moves into Aries on the zodiac or the last day of the old year. The next day, 14 April is called Wan Nao, the transitional day between the old and the new years, and 15 April is called Wan Thaloeng Sok (Thai: วันเถลิงศก ‘to begin a new era or year’), New Year’s day itself.[6]
According to the Buddhist scripture of Wat Pho, Songkran originated from the death of Kapila Brahma (Thai: กบิลพรหม, romanized: Kabilaphrom, lit. ‘reddish Brahma‘).[22] In the olden days, there was a wealthy man and his neighbor, a drunkard. The drunkard, who had two sons, belittled the rich man for being childless. The rich man was humiliated and beseeched the Sun and the Moon gods to grant him a son. His attempts failed until he offered cooked rice to the tree god living in a banyan tree, who asked Indra to grant the man’s wish. The child, named Thammabal (Thai: ธรรมบาล, also Dhammapala, lit. ’one who protects righteousness’), was born.
Thammabal was a clever child who learned three vedas, bird language and also taught people to avoid sin. Kapila Brahma learned of the child and wanted to test the child’s cleverness. The god asked, “Where is the glory of men (sri) located in the morning, during the day, and in the evening?” The loser would have his head chopped off. The boy thought in vain for six days, but could not find a solution to the riddles. He lay beneath a sugar palm tree and overheard a conversation between a pair of eagles who planned to eat his corpse when he lost the bet. The female eagle asked her mate whether he knew the answer. He answered, “In the morning, the sri appears on the face, so people wash their faces every morning. At noon, the sri is at the chest where people spray perfume every noon. In the evening, the sri goes to the feet, so people wash their feet every evening.” Thmmabal memorized the answer and gave it to Kapila Brahma the next day. Having lost, Kapila Brahma summoned his seven daughters and told them that he must cut his head off. However, if his head fell to earth, it would create an inferno that would engulf the world. If his head was thrown into the air, the rains would stop. And if his head was dropped into the ocean, all seawater would dry up. To prevent these calamities, he told his daughters to place his head on an elevated phan. Thungsa, his eldest child, stored her father’s head in the cave in Mount Kailash.[6]
Every year when the Sun enters Aries, one of Kapila Brahma’s children, called the Nang Songkran (Thai: นางสงกรานต์, lit. ‘Lady Songkran’) for that year, and other angels form a procession. One of them takes the phan with Kapila Brahma’s head. The lady stands, sits, reclines or sleeps on the back of the animal depending on the time. From the dawn to midday, the lady will stand on the back of her conveyance. After midday until the sunset, she will sit down. Between the sunset and midnight, the lady lies down on her vehicle but leaves her eyes open. After midnight, she sleeps.[15] These postures and other details were previously drawn as part of the Prakat Songkran and now as part of the lunisolar calendar. The procession lasts for 60 minutes around Mount Meru. This is subsequently called Maha Songkran to distinguish from other Songkran that occur when the Sun moves from one to another zodiac. For simplicity, the name was later shortened as Songkran.[23][24]
Birthday of the Venerable Luang Poo Thong In 2019
On the 10th of March 2019 the people gathered to pay respect to Luang Poo Thong in on his 81st birthday.
Ajahn Pan spent many hours making a wonderful Naga to run the water over Luang Poo’s hands as people offered their blessings and love to him.
Ubosot Dedication Festival
On the 7th of July 2019, Wat Sri Intra Atula will hold the dedication of the Ubosot or Ordination Area for the Centre.
The Ubosot which is often, but does not have to be a building, is an area de-marked by 8 stone balls known as Sema. These balls which have been in the main prayer hall for some time are suspended over holes in the ground. The retaining ropes are then cut with a ceremonial knife, allowing the balls to fall into the ground where they will be buried. A ninth Sema is buried under the location of the main Buddha image.
Once this process is complete the area can be rightfully used for the Ordination of new Monks. An Ordination Ceremony will follow on a little later in the day on the 7th.
We will have more than 100 Thai Monks in residence, including some of the most senior Monks from Thailand.
This festival will be a wonderful experience and for those that have never experienced the sound of so many Monks chanting an amazing and memorable opportunity. We hope that many people from the Thai, Buddhist and local community will come and see this unique event
Preparation of the Ubosot area……
After remarking the area groundwork was undertaken to lay the stone paving and prepare the holes where the Luk Nimit stone balls would be dropped in at the ceremony on the 7th
The dedication ceremony with more than 100 monks in attendance and over 1,000 lay people…
Kathina Festival 2019
October 2019 saw Luang Poo Thong In Katapunyo preside over our first Kathina ceremony in the new Ubosot
Installation of Buddha Image April 2021
Supporters of Venerable Luang Poo Thong In in Thailand offered a beautiful Buddha Image carved from Green Mehkong River Jade with a white marble base.
Luang Poo Thong In sent the image to be installed in the Ubosot of Wat Sri Intra Atula. Delivered to the UK in late 2020, by April the weather was dry enough to allow the crane access and the Buddha Image was lifted into place and dedicated
Thanks go to Kvik Furniture Asia for supporting the cost of certification, packing and shipping to the UK, and to Chris Savage of Savage Stone Ltd for his expertise in cladding the black plinth and giving his help freely to come and safely lift the image into place
Kathina Festival 2021
Kathina is a Buddhist festival which comes at the end of Vassa, the three-month rainy season retreat for Theravada Buddhists
The season during which a monastery may hold Kathina is one month long, beginning after the full moon of the eleventh month in the Lunar calendar (usually October).
It is a time of giving, for the laity to express gratitude to bhikkhus (Buddhist monks). Lay Buddhists bring donations to temples, especially new robes for the monks. Also the gift of the attha parikara – the Eight Requisites – is part of the offerings.
This year’s festival was very well attended and raised more than 64,000 pounds to support the ongoing maintenance and work of Wat Sri Intra Atula
Ordination at Wat Sri Intra Atula November 2021
On the 15th of November Ajahn Somsak, Head of the European Dhammayut Sangha presided over the ordination of Michael Siphar Peanthale.
Sathu Sathu Sathu
Venerable Somdet Phra Wannarat
We are sad to report the passing of Venerable Phra Somdet Wannarat at the age of 85 after a battle with cancer.
Phra Somdet Wannarat was one of the most senior and esteemed monks in Thailand.
Somdej Phra Wannarat was head of Dhammyuttika Abbot of Wat Bowonniwet Vihara and a member of the Supreme Sangha Council.
Born in 1936 Phra Somdet Wannarat became fully ordained at Wat Bowonniwet at the age of 20
We were honoured that he visited Wat Sri Intra Atula last year. Below is a biography published in 2020
84th Birthday of Luang Poo Thong In Katapunyo – 18th March 2022 – Wat Pa Koong, Roi Et
On the 18th of March 2022 of our venerable teacher Luang Poo Thong In Katapunyo celebrated his 84th Birthday and 12th cycle at Wat Pa Koong Roi Et.
The event was attended my many thousands of monks and lay people and was a wonderful time to show respect and appreciation to someone who has dedicated his life to the Dharma and the discipline of the Thai Forest tradition
A large number of followers ordained as Monks and Nuns, from the 1st of March as a commitment of respect. On the evening of the 17th March the people gathered to listen to Luang Paw Mana Atula and Luang Ta Sommai Ata Mano give Dharma talks.
On the morning of the 18th March the people gathered from 5am to await the morning prayer and alms walk, after which everyone came to pour water over the hands of Luang Poo before leaving
Here at Wat Sri Intra Atula laypeople who couldn’t travel to Thailand committed to the 8 precepts and gathered to pay respects locally.
Luang Poo Thong In spoke wonderfully as always and everyone went home feeling a tremendous love for Luang Poo and a renewed commitment to the Dharma practice, especially meditation and purification of the mind.
17th March 2022 – His Majesty the King Bestows Water, Robes and Offerings
His Majesty King Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua
graciously bestowed water, robes, offerings and Thai Dharma
upon Phra Ratchaphatcharayanamuni (Luang Pu Thong Inkatapunyo), the abbot of Wat Prachakhom Wanaram (Pa Kung) at the pavilion at the Phra Raksa Jai residence. Luang Pu Thong In Katapunyo Museum, Wat Prachakhom Wanaram, Sri Somdet, Roi Et
The Governor of Roi Et Province was the representative of the King on the auspicious occasion of the 84th and 63rd birthday (63 Pansa) celebrations of Luang Pu Thong In Katapunyo.
May Luang Pu have good health and strength to inherit Buddhism for a long time. Amen…
Meeting of the European Council of Damayut Monks
Wat Sri Intra Atula 