Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep

Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep วัดพระธาตุดอยสุเทพราชวรวิหาร

See location at Google Maps: Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep

(km. 14. Srivichai Road)

Polite dress is required for the inner sanctuary. Loose clothing is available at the entrance free of charge. The inner sanctuary is open to visitors 08:00 - 17:00. Mini-buses to Doi Suthep wait on the west corner of the Chang Phuak Gate and on Maninopharat Road and outside the main gate of Chiang Mai University.

See location at Google Maps: Minibus to Doi Suthep (CMU) Minibus to Doi Suthep (Chang Puak)

According to legend, the temple site was chosen by an elephant carrying a holy relic. Originally the relic was to be enshrined at Wat Suan Dok in 1371, but it split in two. The second piece was placed on the back of an elephant which proceeded to climb Doi Suthep, stopping twice.

After three days the elephant finally reached a level piece of ground, circled three times, knelt down and then died. A hole was dug at the site for the relic, which was then covered with a chedi over seven meters in height.

Until the road was built in 1935, pilgrims had to walk up the mountain and then up more than 200 steps on the long naga stairway to reach the temple. This stairway was originally constructed in the mid-16th century in the reign of Phra Mekuti. Like the rest of the temple, the stairway has since been renovated several times.

Small tiles inscribed with the names of donors and the amounts given have been built into the walls just above each step.

The inner walled sanctuary is surrounded by a lower terrace. From this level there is an excellent view over Chiang Mai and valley. The faithful like to ring the bells and gongs round the base of the sanctuary. A statue of the elephant commemorates the founding of the temple.

The inner sanctuary is one of the classic sights of Chiang Mai. A gold plated chedi lies in the middle of a square marble tiled courtyard. The chedi reached its present height of over 16 meters in 1525 in the reign of King Muang Kaew. A railing surrounding the square base of the chedi encloses a walkway for devotional rounds of the chedi (women may not enter this). Parasols, symbols of royal regalia, have been placed at the four corners of the chedi.

The courtyard took its present shape under Chao Kawila in 1805. It is lined by a cloister which contains Buddha images and murals depicting the life of the Buddha. In the middle of the east and west sides of the cloister are two ornate viharn. The inside walls of both are covered with murals. The murals of the eastern viharn show the legend of the elephant and the relic, while those of the western hall show the Vessantara Jataka. Devotees go to the western viharn to receive blessings and lustral water from monks sitting on a dais.

On the south and northern sides of the cloister, smaller shrines are the subject of much veneration. Thais prostrate themselves and then shake a holder with 28 sticks to see which one falls to the ground first. A fortune reading for each of the numbers may be found in a cabinet nearby.

The power of the chedi and the sanctuary attract many visitors who are invited to make merit. The sanctuary contains numerous boxes for donations to worthy causes, such as the education of the needy.

Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep Map


ดู วัดพระธาตุดอยสุเทพราชวรวิหาร ในแผนที่ขนาดใหญ่กว่า

credit : http://www.chiangmai1.com/chiang_mai/wat_doi_suthep.shtml

Wat U-Mong Suan Putha-tham chiang mai thailand วัดอุโมงค์

Wat U-Mong Suan Putha-tham chiang mai thailand วัดอุโมงค์



MEANING OF NAME :
"Monastery with tunnels"
OTHER NAME :
Suan Buddha Dhamma ("Garden of Buddha's teachings")
ADDRESS :
Tambon Suthep, Amper Muang, Chiang Mai 55000
DIRECTIONS :


Located 3.5 km west of Chiang Mai. Easiest way is by tuk-tuk or bicycle. Or, take a city bus #1 or songtaew west 2.5 km on Suthep Rd. (_not_ the same road to Doi Suthep Temple) to Wang Nam Kan, then follow signs south 1 km to the wat. Chiang Mai is 700 km north of Bangkok and the most important city of the north. Frequent bus, train, and air services connect Chiang Mai with Bangkok and other major centers.
TELEPHONE :
0-5327-7248
(call only from 830 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
MEDITATION SYSTEM :


Anapanasati, similar to teaching at Suan Mokkh. One is free to use one's own meditation techniques.
TEACHING METHOD :


Teachers are available for questions. Talks in English are given every Sunday 3-6 p.m. at the Chinese Pavillion near the pond. A library/museum has many books in English and other foreign languages.
TEACHERS :
Phra Khru Sukhandasila, abbot (Thai; age 56) Phra Santitthito (Santi) (German; age 50) is no longer at Wat Umong; he now takes care of a large forest center in Australia as abbot and residen teacher Wat Buddhadhamma, Ten Mile Hollow, Wisemans Ferry, New South Wales.
LANGUAGE :
One should be able to speak some Thai. Other senior monks, including the abbot, speak a little English.
DESCRIPTION :
Peaceful, wooded grounds of 37.5 rai (15 acres). You can feed the fish, turtles, and ducks in a large pond. "Talking trees" have words of wisdom in Thai and English. The wat is famous for its ancient tunnels and large stupa. Other attractions include a Buddha field of broken sculpture, a fasting Bodhisatva, a Spiritual Theatre of paintings similar to those at Suan Mokkh, reproductions of ancient Buddhist sculpture of India, and a library-museum. This last building offers many books on Buddhism and other philosophies as well as a collection of historic objects and Buddhist art.
SIZE :
monks 45-75
novices about 10
nuns about 8
laypeople about 10
DAILY ROUTINE :


A bell is rung at 4 a.m. Monks and novices are encouraged (and laypeople welcome) to attend chanting at 430 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monks and novices go on pindabat after morning chanting, then eat together in a wooden sala. Because discipline, practice, and schedule are left up to each person for the most part, self-motivation is especially important. Laypeople on a short visit can follow 5 precepts; longer-term visitors should observe 8 precepts.
FOOD :
Monks eat once or twice a day from food collected on pindabat. Nuns normally cook their own food. Laypeople can also arrange meals at nearby shops or take from monk's leftovers.
ACCOMMODATIONS :
Individual kutis in separate areas for monks/novices,nuns, and laypeople. Kutis, somewhat closely spaced, have screens and electricity; some also have attached Thai-style bathrooms (Asian- and some western-style toilets) and running water.
WRITE IN ADVANCE? :
Yes, write or enquire well in advance. Only a small number of kutis are available for laypeople.
OTHER INFORMATION :
The monastery, one of the oldest in the Chiang Mai area, may date as far back as 1300 A.D. Legend tells that a king built the brick-lined tunnels for a clairvoyant but sometimes eccentric monk named Thera Jan; paintings dated to about 1380 once decorated the walls. You can enter the tunnels to see the small shrines inside (a flashlight is useful). The adjacent stupa was constructed about 1520 over an earlier stupa (1400-1550). The monastery eventually fell into disuse, though Japanese troops were said to garrison here during WW II. Since 1948, the Thai prince Jao Chun Sirorot, now in his 90s, has been active in rebuilding and reestablishing the monastery. In 1949 he invited Buddhadasa Bhikkhu (founder of Suan Mokkh in southern Thailand) to come and live here. Duties kept Buddhadasa Bhikkhu from coming. Instead he sent Ajahn Pannananda and other monks to help set up and run Wat Umong

Wat Umong temple - Chiang Mai

Wat Umong was built about 700 years ago and has a several unique features. As you walk into the temple grounds firstly you’ll see that the monks have written various wise proverbs on placards attached to the trees, written in both English and Thai. Some of these never fail to amuse me. Look out for “The mad dog hates water; the sex crazy man hates Dhama.”

Underneath the grass area housing the main Chedi, are a set of tunnels which give the Wat its name. Legend has it that a king built the brick-lined tunnels for a clairvoyant but sometimes eccentric monk named Thera Jan; paintings dating back to about 1380 can still be seen decorating the walls, and if you’re female and really lucky you may find yourself cornered by a rather ‘excitable’ monk. Tina was.

Close to the temples is a curious collection of Buddha heads and other relics from various temples in Thailand. This odd collection started when one of the temple’s supporters rescued some broken images from an abandoned temple in a nearby province and bought them here. Now, apparently, when people run across such relics or have a broken Buddha they want to replace, they bring them here.

Informal Dhamma discussions are held at Wat Umong on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 1pm and 3pm, and on Sundays between 3pm-5pm.

credit: http://www.dhammathai.org/e/meditation/page23.php
http://www.earthoria.com/wat-umong-temple-chiang-mai.html