Wiki Phra Somdej International
维基顺德瓦拉康寺佛牌 by Lek Watruak


Somdej PhraPhutdhajahn (Toh PhromRangsie) or Somdej Toh (B.E. 2331-2415), the creator and blesser of the famous Somdej Wat Rakang (SWRs)



Biography of Somdej Toh

Somdej Phra Phutdhajahn (Toh Phromrangsie), or as the ordinary people commonly call him as "Somdej Toh", was born in B.E. 2331 in the village of GaiJon, ThaRua District, Ayutthaya province, on the opposite bank of Wat Satue.

Somdej Toh ordained as a Buddhist monk in the B.E. 2351. He studied basic Buddhist Dhamma with ChaoKhun Aranyik (Kaew) of Wat Intrawiharn and ChaoKhun Boworn Wiriyathera (Yoo) of Wat Sangwej Witsayaram. Later, he pursued advanced Dhamma with the Supreme Patriach - Somdej Phra Sangkaraj (Suk) of Wat Ratchasittharam. When his knowledge of the Dharma became profound, he made pilgrimage venture into the north-eastern forests.

In the forests, dangers lurked from all sides, including wild animals, malevolent spirits, and some individuals with black-magic knowledge who secretly harmed monks, believing that it would enhance their own occult powers.

HIGHLY RESPECTS TRI GEMS
Somdej Toh's mind adhered to Tri Gems all the time. The recitation included the following verses:

Buddhang Saranang Katchami
Dhammang Saranang Katchami
Sangkang Saranang Katchami

It means "Buddha is my refuge, Dharma is my refuge, Sangha is my refuge."

SOMDEJ TOH'S
MIRACLE PHENOMENA
Somdej Toh successfully acquired supernatural abilities, enabling him to perform miracle phenomena without limitations. He could control the weather, forbidding rain, storms, sunlight, etc. Some miraculous events related to him were recounted as follows:

Once, Somdej Toh traveled to a border forest near Cambodia and stayed there for 15 days. He encountered a local villager who had profound knowledge on black magic and tested his ability by releasing a large-sized centipede towards him while sitting in his monk tent. The centipede could not harm him. In the end, the villager came to prostrate him and apologized him for black-magic test

One day he embarked on a journey by a big boat along the sea coast to carry out religious duties in Phetchaburi province. While traveling, there were big waves hitting the boat several times, causing it tilted. He went to the front of the boat and waved a fan calming the waves down. The boat successfully reached Phetchaburi safely.

Again, Somdej Toh traveled for religious duties in Ayutthaya province via the Chao Phraya River. There was a heavy rainstorm, and the boat swayed back and forth. He prayed while staying in the boat for a while. The rain eventually stopped, and the sky gradually cleared up returning to normal.

SOMDEJ TOH & NANG NAK
A dead pregnant woman named Nang Nak, who died with her baby in the womb, was buried by her relatives at Wat Mahabut (On Nuch road, Phra Khanong district, BKK). Later, her ghostly apparitions terrorized people in Phra Khanong canel area, beyond the capacity of ghost suppressors to deal with.

So, Somdej Toh accepted the invitation to solve the problem by staying at Wat Mahabut. When the night came, he sat in front of Nang Nak's grave and summoned the spirit of Nang Nak for a conversation. Finally, he extracted a forehead bone from Nang Nak and returned to Wat Rakang where he resided.

Somdej Toh polished the forehead bone until it became shiningly smooth and inscribed it with Khom scripts. He tied the forehead bone with a waistband. Wherever he went, he wore it around his waist. Since then, the spirit of Nang Nak in Phra Khanong canel area disappeared.

When Somdej Toh was getting old, he presented the Nang Nak's forehead bone to his monk disciple named Phra Phutthabart Pilan. Subsequently, Phra Phutthabart Pilan presented it to Luang Por Prink of Wat Bang Pakok. Finally, the bone ended up with Prince Kromluang Chumphorn, who was an important layman disciple of Luang Por Prink.

DEVOTED TO BUDDHISM
Somdej Toh with his profound devotion to Buddhism, constructed many permanent religious structures and created holy objects for people.

He commissioned large Buddha images placed in various temples, including:
- the sitting Buddha at Wat Chaiyo in AngThong province,

- the reclining Buddha at Wat Satue in Ayutthaya province,

- the standing Buddha at Wat Intrawiharn in Bangkok,

- the sitting Buddha at Wat KudiThong in Ayutthaya province,

- and the standing Buddha at Wat Klang KlongKhoy in Ratchaburi province, etc.

And he also created and distributed so many and many holy Somdej amulets to the public for 50 years (B.E.2365-2415).

In B.E. 2395, Somdej Toh was appointed as the abbot of Wat Rakang, and in B.E. 2407 he received a high monkhood rank title as Somdej Phra Phutdhajahn. However, ordinary people commonly call him as "Somdej Toh."

Somdej Toh passed away in June of B.E.2415 at the age of 84 while overseeing the construction of the standing Buddha image at Wat Intrawiharn.
Copyright © Lek Watruak

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