Welcome to Wat Naluang
We would like to welcome you to Wat Naluang, the home of Dhamma. Wat Naluang is a monastery of the Thai forest tradition situated high on top of a mountain in Udon Thani. It is immersed in a rich tradition of discipline, meditation and wisdom and also respected all over Thailand as one of outstanding teaching temples. With its breath taking landscape and serene atmosphere it is the perfect place practicing your meditation and to study the teachings of the Buddha. We encourage you to visit and leave your normal day to day life behind and spend time to nurture your body, mind and spirit as well as to gain the peace of mind and wisdom to help you interact with the outside world with more ease.
Wat Naluang is also a perfect training ground for practitioners to develop their Dhamma skills. We specialise in teaching the Vipassana and Samatha techniques. Here at Wat Naluang we not only teach hundreds of thousands of lay people every year but also many monks, nuns and novices from all over Thailand and abroad. You can rest assured that we can guide and teach you strictly by using the teachings of the Buddha. We wish you all the best in your practice, enjoy your stay and we will accommodate you any way we can.
History of Wat Naluang
In 1986 Luang Pu Thongbai was engaged in intensive concentration in the Naga cave where one morning while coming out of deep concentration in the early hours of the morning, he had a vision of four female Devas, neatly dressed and holding flowers in their hands. Luang Pu radiated infinite loving kindness to them and in return was able to connect to the Devas mind stream and communicate with them. Luang Pu then became aware of their intension to invite him to practice Dhamma in Phu Ya Oo Mountain in the east. There he would be a blessing to all beings. The significant landmark of the exact location was two large Banyan trees growing side by side. Luang Pu accepted the invitation and just before the Devas left, one of them said to him, “From this day onward, do not stay in the cave again”. She then placed a flower at the cave’s entrance and sealed the opening. The leader of the Devas then said with a beautiful voice, “Go now and be blessing to all beings”.
Wasting no time, he then traveled until he found the site of Phu Ya Oo Mountain with the twin Banyan trees. The villagers there called the place Thum Kerng (Moon Cave). After studying the locality and its geography, Luang Pu found it an appropriate the place to practice Dhamma and achieve the highest merit. He was aware that this site would be a perfect place to build a monastery and it would be instrumental in the successful propagation of Buddhism and Dhamma practice.
On the ninth day of January 1986, Luang Pu moved in and stayed under the twin Banyan trees in Phu Ya Oo with five monks and two novices. In the days that followed, some local villagers with much faith in the Dhamma built a few huts for Luang Pu and the rest of his followers.
Being a monk who is firmly established in the Dhamma and thoroughly disciplined in his practice, his followers and disciples grew dramatically in number. Knowing of Luang Pu’s upright character and strong determination to propagate and teach the Dhamma, these faithful disciples gladly donated the funds to build a monastery for the purpose of meditation practice. Ever since then, hundreds of monks from all over Thailand and abroad have come every rains retreat to learn and practice Samtha and Vipassana mediation with Luang Pu and his well trained monks.
It has always been Luang Pu’s intention to teach the Buddha’s Dhamma to all beings and let them experience and know the taste of true Dhamma for themselves. He sincerely wishes the tranquillity and peace of the Dhamma to permeate all societies in the world.
Luang Pu originally named this place Apinyadhesittatham. However, most of the locals still call it Wat Phu Ya Oo. On the 16th of June 2000, the government declared this place Wat Naluang monastery, located on the summit of Phu Ya Oo Mountain, adjacent to Naluang village in Kumduang sub-district, Ban Phue district, Udon Thani province. The monastery is 46 kilometers to the north east of the Ban Phue district.
In March 2015, the number of people that have been touched by the Dhamma in Wat Naluang either through listening to Dhamma talks, meditation retreats or by attending one of the many religious ceremonies is surely in the millions. They come from schools, universities, secular organizations, villages, towns, provincial organisations, Buddhist schools and universities, to the smaller groups, families and individuals from Thailand and abroad.
The result of these bearing fruits are from all of the groundwork and seeds planted by Luang Pu over the last thirty years. From his Dhutanga wandering to practicing and teaching in every riverside hamlet, village, district and province that he passed through. These selfless acts multiplied when Luang Pu had trained some of his monks to do likewise. These unceasing services are still ongoing this very day. Because of Noble Arahants like Luang Pu, the Dhamma from the Lord Buddha has been guidance for many in today’s society for many years to come.
Short Biography of Luang Pu Thongbai Phapassaro
Luang Pu Thongbai Phapassaro was born on the 6th of October 1936. He was the fifth born of 8 children, 6 boys and 2 girls to his parents, Mr Boon Nanudon from Roi Et and Mrs Sri Shinamon from Kalasin, who named him Thongbai Nanudon.
When he was four years old, he asked his parents for permission to live in a temple. They felt he was too young at this age. When it was time for him to begin primary education at the age of seven, his parents finally allowed him to stay in the temple until he had completed his education. After this he has never left the monastic life.
In 1956, at the traditional age of 20 he was ordained at Wat Namon in his mother’s hometown of Kalasin. With his strong aspirations in helping others, he diligently studied the doctrinal aspect of the Dhamma and eventually graduated. After his graduation, he continued to exert effort in his studies.
To complement his already vast knowledge of the Dhamma, Luang Pu searched out and practiced the Dhamma with these highly cultivated noble monks in the years that follow.
In 1956, he practiced with Luang Pu Waen Sujjinno and Luang Pu Thate Desarangsri.
- 1966, with Luang Pu Chah Suphudho.
- 1967, with Luang Pu Fun Ajaro.
- 1968, with Luang Pu Sod.
- 1969, with Luang Pu Dun Atulo and Luang Pu Lar Khemapuddho.
- 1971, with Luang Pu Buddhadasa Indapanno.
- 1972, with Luang Phor Punya and Luang Pu Ard Arsape.
1973-1974, he practiced his Dhamma in the Bodhisattva Cave in Saraburi and travelled around Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Burma and Malaysia.
1976-1987, he made a strong aspiration to practice intensive meditation and Vipassana in solitude. He also undertook the additional practice of dhutanga where he would not lie down at any time, only practicing in the sitting, standing and walking postures. This practice was observed in Wat Thaisongtham in Udon Thani. He alternated the practice by staying in solitude and going dhutanga wandering, such as seven months meditation in solitude and five months wandering, nine months meditation with three months wandering and eleven months meditation with only one month wandering.
In 1986, he practiced at Phu Luang Mountain and in 1987 he practiced at Naga Cave in Namnao District of Phetchabun.
After the twelve years of intensive and austere practice, he started to share his knowledge and teach the Dhamma that he had come to understand with others. In the year of 1990, Luang Pu resigned from his provincial rank and responsibilities to concentrate on teaching the Dhamma full time. From 1990 he has propagated and disseminated the true teachings of the Buddha, which he has come to understand for himself through his dedicated practice. He has been teaching from his monastery Wat Naluang in the Ban Phue district of Udon Thani.
The aspiration he made in 1976 to observe the dhutanga practice of not lying down to sleep for thirty years to achieve the highest merit was unfortunately abandoned in 2001. After twenty five years of success, he sustained a spinal injury from the practice and doctors at the Srinakarin hospital in Khon Kaen University advised him not to continue the austere practice.
In 2000, determined not to have any lapse in the training of his monks and in teaching his lay devotees, Luang Pu decided not to accept any invitation to perform ceremonies for thirteen years. He completed this mission in 2012.
Over the years, Luang Pu’s devotees have encouraged him to open branches of Wat Naluang all over Thailand. To date, there are 15 Monasteries in total.
- Wat Naluang, Udon Thani.
- Wat Chaiyapruksaram, Udon Thani.
- Wat Kokkhro, Nongbualamphu.
- Wat Nirotpimparam, Udon Thani.
- Wat Boonkongamatatham, Udon Thani.
- Wat Rattanawiwake Krongwarn, Prachuap Khiri Khan.
- Wat Ploysangwornniran, Uttaradit.
- Wat Tipudomrat, Prachuap Khiri Khan.
- Wat Anuttarathammaram, Srakaew.
- Wat Sijokittipalangsri, Nakornnayok.
- Wat Laowkwanpholomyen, Kanjanaburi.
- Wat Banphuyang, Ratchaburi.
- Wat Suanarduttiyan, Suratthani.
- Wat Paparanasri, Petchaboon.
- Wat Rannontaphon, Phitsanulok.
Reverently addressed as Luang Pu or Luang Phor in Thai, meaning Venerable Grandfather or Father, he has also been appointed the titles of Phra Kru Phapassorn Suddhikhun in 1972, Phra Phravanavissudhajahn in 2003 and Phra Rajsiddhajahn in 2009.
Luang Pu has written dozen of Dhamma books to guide aspirants in understanding the Four Noble Truths and he specializes in teaching the Path to cessation of suffering.
Almost the entire of his adult life, he has been dedicated to the happiness and well-being of everyone, achieved through his heartfelt compassion and profound wisdom. Luang Pu’s selfless service to the multitude of people that come his way is indeed that of a noble Arahant worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings and worthy of noble acclaim.
These days, Luang Pu expounds a timely and very useful Dhamma talk on the second Saturday of every month followed by the open session of questions and answers. He is also giving a weekly talk on every quarter, full and new moon. This is a great opportunity for the devotees to be able to share any doubts or uncertainty in their mind regarding the Dhamma. Luang Pu is also available to talk Dhamma and answer questions from his devotees between 12pm and 2pm at his kuti at Wat Naluang.
Luang Pu seems to look two decades younger than his seventy nine years of age (in 2015). The vigour in his practice, elocution of the Dhamma, the way in which he looks after the welfare of his 15 monasteries and its residents, touches the hearts of all who come into contact with him in the most profound and life-changing way.