Luang Pho Daeng

Luang Pho Daeng
Born	1894 in Ko Samui, Thailand
Died	1973 (aged 78–79) Ko Samui

Luang Pho Daeng (Thai: หลวงพ่อแดง) was a Thai Buddhist monk who died while meditating in 1973.

Biography

Daeng was born in 1894 in Ko Samui, an island off the east coast of Thailand. His birth name was Phra Khru Samathakittikhun He was briefly interested in becoming a monk in his 20s, but decided that he would rather be married instead. He raised six children with his only wife.

However, his first religious experience had profoundly and permanently transformed his character, even after he became a successful businessman. Thus, for several decades, he behaved as a philanthropist, showing great generosity to those in need, offering them money, clothing, and medicine during the World War II

After his children had grown up, at the age of 50 he decided to fulfil his dream and became a monk. He was briefly an abbot at a temple in southern Thailand, but moved to Wat Khunaram near his childhood home. He was particularly interested in meditation techniques such as Samatha-vipassanā. He became a master in this field and taught many monks. It is said that he could go 15 days without eating or drinking. He repeated long periods of fasting, despite the warnings of doctors. He became famous and many pilgrims visited him.

When he felt his death approaching, he gave instructions to those around him so that his body would not decompose. He died while meditating in 1973. He wanted his body to self-mummify, even though it would be a very long process. He asked for a glass coffin to be built, in which his body would be displayed to the public. He wanted his physical remains to be preserved for posterity.

However, none of the Buddha's teachings that make up the Pali Canon describe or encourage the practice of self-mummification. On the contrary, the Middle Way teaching recommends not mortifying one's body, as for example in the sutra: SN 56.11 (or PTS. S. 5.420) Dhamma cakka pavattana (Setting in Motion the Wheel of the Dhamma):

These two extremes should not be followed by one who has gone forth into homelessness. What two? The pursuit of sensual happiness in sensual pleasures, which is low, vulgar, the way of worldlings, ignoble, unbeneficial; and the pursuit of self-mortification, which is painful, ignoble, unbeneficial. Without veering towards either of these extremes, the Tathagata has awakened to the middle way (majjhima paṭipada), which gives rise to vision, which gives rise to knowledge (ñāṇa), which leads to peace, to direct knowledge (abhiñña), to enlightenment (sambodhi), to Nibbāna

Aspects of the mummy 50 years later

In 2023, 50 years after, the body appears to be partially well preserved. As early as 2002, researchers from the Bioanthropology Research Institute, X-rayed the mummy. They were astonished to find that the organs were still in place, intact, although shrunk due to dehydration. They also discovered that geckos had laid eggs in the mouth, throat, and skull, wherever there was a gap or empty cavity. Only the eyes had rotted. That's why the monks came up with the idea of hiding the eye sockets behind a pair of sunglasses so that children wouldn't be frightened.

The mummy has thus become an attraction that draws many visitors Some skeptical people speculate that the body displayed in the glass case is made of wax, but a report filmed by National Geographic has confirmed that it is indeed a real mummy.

Luang Pho Daeng's mummy, in 2015.

See also

• Buddhist mummy
• Sokushinbutsu