Dhamma Path Blog: Revisited BE2567 - The Beauty Wat SriDonMoon Temple Of Kruba Noi Techapanyo - Chiang Mai

Friday, April 11, 2025

Revisited BE2567 - The Beauty Wat SriDonMoon Temple Of Kruba Noi Techapanyo - Chiang Mai - Thailand (Part 2/2).

History of Wat Sri Don Mun, in the past this temple is an abandoned temple. There is no evidence of when it was built. It was originally called Wat Kan Khuen because a herd of elephants came to find food and used it to pry open the many Buddha images in the temple until they fell face down and lifted up the base. Therefore, it was called Wat Kan Khuen in the Lanna language. However, it is assumed that it was built during the reign of King Tilokarat. Later, the Burmese invaded the Lanna Thai Kingdom, causing damage to the city. The people suffered and fled in disarray, causing the temple to become deserted until King Kawila regained his independence and was crowned as the ruler of Chiang Mai. Later, he led an army to conquer Chiang Saen and rounded up the people of Chiang Saen and appointed Phraya Chomphu as the leader to lead the people of Chiang Saen who were rounded up to live in Ban Yang Noeng (currently Saraphi District). They cleared the land, built houses, and settled down until they found two abandoned temples. They renovated them and gave them new names: the one in the north was Wat Phraya Chomphu, while the one in the north was a good location because it was on a high hill. Therefore, it was named Wat Sri Don Moon, which has been the case since then. The first abbot of the temple was Kruba Thamlangka until BE2474 when Phra Phiksu Khammoon Sitthiko was the abbot who built a chapel for religious ceremonies for Buddhists. Later in BE2493, Phra Phiksu Phat Phususitthammo (Kruba Phat) was the next abbot who renovated and restored the temple buildings. In BE2515, a two-story school of Buddhist scriptures was built. After that, permanent structures were continuously built until on 18th November, BE2550 when Kruba Phat passed away. Kruba Noi Techapanyo therefore acted as the acting abbot. And later in BE2551, he was appointed as abbot.

The front side Ubosot of Wat Sridonmoon.

The museum building for display temple history artifacts.

Behind the Mahavihara Boonbaramee building is the city in the mist, which simulates the Buddha's descent to save the world, as a place to learn about Buddhism. From the background of the Lanna-style temple mentioned, it is a part that makes the design and decoration of the exterior landscape around the temple, focusing on the shady and beautiful, like a simulation of heaven down to the ground, according to the intention of Kruba Noi Techapanyo, while still maintaining the important elements of the decorative arts that clearly give meaning in terms of Buddhist art by "presenting through the image of the life of the Buddha" that has been designed to be a story, both in the life of the Buddha, from birth and before enlightenment, until he became enlightened as the Buddha, and various Buddhist activities, including important religious figures, the origin of the sutras, various parittas, until the events after the nirvana and the cremation of the Buddha's body, through the presentation of the embossed carving work using the embossing technique, which is the skill of Lanna craftsmen, to be related to the Lanna local identity with the image that will present the style of dressing of the native people, both the Tai Yonok, Tai Lue, Tai Khen groups, and other Tai ethnic groups.

Shrine for Trio Phra TraiPhakhi 'Phra Upakut + Phra Sivali + Phra SangKaChai'.

The sacred Brahmas 5 Thep shrine. Far behind is Wooden building Yannasang Wararam.

Garden for Trio Phra TraiPhakhi. Whole area with landscaped with gardens, waterfalls and streams, suitable for a place to relax and absorb the tranquility.

Here the Garden is still under construction next to Mahavihara Boonbaramee building. It will be very beautiful Garden once finish this project, eagerly to see it in future.

Temple Wat Sri Don Moon is considered a cultural tourist attraction, both in terms of art, culture and Buddhism with sacred the 9-Khanachan Chedi, the beautiful Mahavihara of Merit and Golden statue of Luang Pho Phet Udomsap. The building also built with finest art silver metal sculptures depicting 156 episodes of the life of the Buddha. The interior walls of the Mahavihara are decorated according to the Traibhum Phra Ruang concept. The sacred Golden statue of Luang Pho Phet Udomsap with a lap width of 9 meters and a height of 12.59 meters, cast from brass and covered with real gold leaf on surface. Around the temple are statues of angels alternating with windows.

Photo taken with Golden statue of LP Phet Udomsap.

Photo taken with " Luang Phor Phet " Udomsap Somprathana statue.

The grand hall built inside Mahavihara Boonbaramee building, which is quite spectacular. The interior walls of the Mahavihara are decorated according to the Traibhum Phra Ruang concept.

Magnificent Art on the wall and also silver metal sculptures depicting 156 episodes of the life of the Buddha.

The Mahavihara Boonbaramee building with venerated the Great Golden LP Phet Udomsap statue inside.

Chedi 9 KhanaChan is dedicated to 9 Guru Masters of Kruba Noi ~ Wat Sridonmoon.

Photo taken inside the Chedi 9 KhanaChan for the main altar.

The statues of 9 masters of Kruba Phat, Kruba Chao Siwichai, Kruba InKaew, Kruba Un Ruen, Kruba Phromma, Kruba La Ta Thip, Kruba Khampan, Kruba Chaiyawongsa and Phraku Salakungma.

The sacred Ubosot building and Golden PhraThat Chedi of Wat Sridonmoon.

Wiharn for Phra Paramayaisuan, statue of Phra Buddha above the head Phra Paramayaisuan (Phra Isuan). There is a Golden statue called Phra Paramayaisuan. It is a Buddha image sitting on the head of Phra Phrom Hua Chuk or Phra Paramayaisuan, or in other words, "Phra Isuan or Phra Shiva." According to legend, Lord Shiva understood that he was the creator of the world and the universe. The Buddha knew this idea by his power of mental knowledge. The reason why Lord Shiva or Lord Paka Brahma or Lord Paramaya Aiyasvara has many names but is the same being, mistakenly believing that he was the creator was because he lived a long life, so long that he saw the birth and death of all things including the universe. The reason he lived so long was because he had achieved the highest state of meditation. Originally, he was an Arupa Brahma who had no form, called Paramatman. For so long, until the meditation retreated to the form meditation, a beautiful and radiant body was born with the power of meditation. Whenever he thought of something, that thing would arise miraculously with the power of his own mind. Sometimes, he would return to the formless meditation to become Paramatman again, repeating this cycle for so long that he had a wrong view that he existed before the universe and was the creator of everything. Therefore,the Buddha eliminated his wrong view by going to compete with Lord Paka Brahma or Lord Shiva. The competition was a game of hide and seek. Lord Paka hid before going to the edge of the universe, the Buddha knew. He also knew when he went under the water. It can be said that he could not hide from the Buddha. When it was the Buddha’s turn to hide his body, Lord Paka could not find him. He could only hear the Buddha’s voice, but no matter how much he looked, he could not find him. Finally, he gave up and created a golden staircase to climb up. The Buddha explained that he went to hide in the bun of Lord Paka’s hair. This matter is very important because it reflects that the search for true Buddhism cannot be found at the edge of the universe, but from our own body, body and mind. This legend was taken by teachers as the eighth victory in the Pahung verse, and the creation of the Buddha in the central region and the Phra Paramaya Aiyasvara as seen here were created.