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Travel Mae Hong Son: Enjoy Temple Meal at Wat Tham Phra Boran, Mae Sariang
Temple Meal at Wat Tham Phra Boran, Mae Sariang http://www.hotsia.com >> Temple Meal at Wat Tham Phra Boran, Mae Sariang. Mr.Hotsia's travel trip in Pai, Mae Hong Son, Khun Yuam, Mae Sariang. Mr.Hotsia recommends hotels, the green Tung Bua Tong 2015, coffee shops and restaurants in Pai, Pai Historical Bridge, Pai travel map, city view from Mae Yen Pagoda, Good Morning Mae Sariang, cycling tour in Mae Sariang, temple meal at Wat Tham Ngao, Fish SPA Mae Sariang.
From Mae Sariang to Khun Yuam, Salawin fish at Than Phochana restaurant, searching for Sa Nga fish at Mae Sariang market, coffee in the most beautiful garden in Thailand, travel Mae La Noi (Hen Tai), haircut and news hunting in Mae Hong Son, climb Don Kong Mu Pagoda, Jok Sawoei Mae Hong Son, stay at Sri Saeng Dao cinema in Khun Yuam, Khabong Thai Yai snacks, Khun Yuam - Mae Hong Son viewpoint. Making merit and enjoying temple meal at Tham Phra Boran or Tham Ngao cave. Wherever I travel, if there is a temple respected by locals, I always pay my respects. Mae Sariang is no exception.
Locals come to make merit at Wat Tham Ngao and hold it in great reverence. So I traveled to make merit at this temple as well. I arrived in the morning; about 20 people offered food to the monks. The temple has only a few monks and is still under construction. After listening to the monks chanting, the locals who came to make merit eat together, similar to other regions or temples, but this is rare in central Thailand now. This morning I woke early, walked the market, and had only soft-boiled egg coffee, which was just right for my hunger.
So I decided to have a meal at the temple by joining the locals making merit. Everyone brought their best dishes for merit, with a variety of food, mostly Northern style, allowing me to fully experience Northern cuisine with its colors and flavors that I love. Now I know that when making merit, you should always stay to share a meal together :) All kinds of Northern food are here. For the temple's history, I got information from http://wat-thampraboran.blogspot.com/ as follows:
Tham Phra Boran or Tham Ngao is an ancient cave with evidence including golden Buddha statues, bronze Buddha statues, carved Bodhi wood statues covered with gold lacquer, and scripture cabinets, all of which were stolen. From the evidence of the brick base of the principal Buddha statue platform plastered with clay, and a teak wood altar with an inscription stating the temple was built around Chulasakarat 1259 (B.E. 2440), over a hundred years ago. Luang Pho Jai was the chairman in building the altar to dedicate to Buddhism.
Luang Pho Jai traveled as a forest monk from Chiang Tung, accompanied by Than Saen, a Tai Lue, who brought a Buddha relic. Upon arriving at Mae Sariang, they stayed at Wat Ma Kaeng (Wat Sri Bun Rueang) for an unknown period, then continued their forest monk journey to Wat Tha Kham Tai and resided at Wat Tham Phra Boran or Tham Ngao cave. After a long stay, alms rounds became difficult, so they decided to return to Wat Ma Kaeng first, leaving the relic in the cave.
Than Saen returned to reside at Wat Ma Kaeng, while Luang Pho Jai stayed at Wat Pa Naad (Wat Chai Lap), becoming abbot, developing the temple, and planning to build a viharn (assembly hall). After completion, the relic would be enshrined there. When the viharn was finished and the supporters had gathered all the wood pillars, he thought to seek donations from relatives in Kad Mae Wang, but he passed away before doing so. In B.E. 2481, between the second and third lunar months,
was the time locals planted vegetable gardens, and a Chinese man named Jek Yong bought vegetables. One day, Mae Tao De, Nang Sao, and Nang Sa went to collect bat guano at Tham Ngao cave and dug up an ancient pot about one forearm deep, sealed with a lid. Upon opening, they found three Buddha statues: gold, silver, and bronze, a pair of silver and gold spoons, and a small royal umbrella containing a relic the size of a jujube seed. However, the three did not recognize the relic and thought it was a precious stone or gem.
They kept it at Mae Tao De's house. Another item resembling a clear diamond-like glass was dropped and lost. The owner of the relic experienced strange events: around 9-10 PM, a bright light illuminated the whole house, revealing the relic's miraculous power. The next morning, the abbot of Wat Tha Kham Tai, Phra Panya Wuttho, requested to enshrine the Buddha statues and relic at Wat Tha Kham Tai and
held a consecration ceremony. Later, when locals in Mae Sariang learned this, they flocked to make merit and pay respects continuously. There is an annual water blessing ceremony for the relic and merit-making at Tham Ngao cave, including lighting firecrackers as Buddhist offerings. Around 1979, Ajarn Rat Rattanayano restored the cave by having workers tidy it, build a meditation seat, repair parts of the principal Buddha statue, and replace stolen old wooden Buddha statues with plaster ones.
However, restoration was not continued, and the temple became neglected. Later, Ajarn Sawat Naritsaro, abbot of Wat Chom Mon, restored and repaired the base of the Buddha platform, poured concrete, built a meditation seat, water tank, and toilet in 1996. In early 1998, Ajarn Charan Apichato, a forest monk disciple of Luang Pu Sim Phutthajaro from Wat Tham Pa Plong, came to Mae Sariang, finding the cave secluded and suitable for meditation, deciding to reside there for the rainy season retreat until now.
Since Ajarn Charan Apichato settled here, devotees have continuously come to make merit. He has developed and improved many things: leveling and expanding the cave floor, providing Buddha statues for worship, bringing mountain water supply, improving the living quarters to be comfortable, clean, and orderly, building a road up to the cave, and planning many more improvements.
Plans include building restrooms for devotees, marble flooring in the cave, and constructing a viharn. The temple has received official permission to use forest land and is the first Dhammayut temple officially recognized in Mae Sariang district, with Ajarn Charan Apichato as abbot. When making merit at the temple, you must also enjoy the temple meal — gaining merit and satisfaction. Wat Tham Phra Boran, Mae Sariang. Inside Wat Tham Phra Boran, monks preparing for some activity, the cave tunnel, Mae Sariang view from the temple, Mae Sariang rice fields.
Time to enjoy the awaited temple meal: delicious fermented soybean chili paste, fragrant and tasty, spicy salad, and some kind of larb.
