Luang Phor Phrom Thawaro (Thai: หลวงพ่อพรหม ถาวโร) was the legendary master of Wat Chong Khae in Nakhon Sawan Province, Thailand. Renowned for his potent power and profound virtue, he was one of the most revered monks of twentieth-century Thailand, honoured by devotees as a guardian saint. Strict in discipline and accomplished in meditation, he oversaw the making of sacred objects celebrated for their efficacy, and he remains a sought-after master among amulet collectors to this day.
Origins and Ordination
Luang Phor Phrom was born in B.E. 2426 (1883) in Ban Prak village, Maha Rat District, in the province of Ayutthaya, into a family of several siblings. From childhood he was taught to read and study by the monks of the temple near his home, mastering not only Thai but also the ancient Khmer script. As a young man he was ordained at Wat Kean Lai in Ayutthaya, receiving the Dhamma name "Thawaro" ("the steadfast") under his mentor Luang Phor Thomya, and before long he attained deep accomplishment in insight meditation (Vipassana), his mind clear and serene.
The Founding of Wat Chong Khae
Around B.E. 2458 (1915), while wandering through the Chong Khae area of Takhli District in Nakhon Sawan and meditating in a cave, Luang Phor Phrom experienced a sudden awakening. He then built a temple there and offered it to the Triple Gem — the temple now known as Wat Chong Khae. He resided there for the rest of his life, serving as abbot for more than sixty years, and throughout that time built bridges and roads, founded schools, relieved the needy and accumulated great merit, winning the deep respect of devotees far and wide.
The Bell-Marked Sacred Objects
The bell is the most distinctive emblem of Luang Phor Phrom's sacred objects: fond of temple bells all his life, he made many of his amulets in the shape of a bell or adorned with bell motifs, the most famous being his cast self-image (Roop Lor) seated within a bell and the bell-shaped coin known as Rian Look Rakhang. From B.E. 2507 (1964) he oversaw the creation of sacred objects ranging from self-images and coins to Pidta and Somdej forms, signifying wealth, charm and potent protection, each eagerly sought by collectors.
Passing and the Legend of the Incorrupt Body
Luang Phor Phrom passed away peacefully on 30 January B.E. 2518 (1975) at Ban Mi Hospital in Lopburi Province, at the age of ninety-one. It is said that his body was enshrined in a glass coffin for devotees to venerate and remained incorrupt over the decades that followed, adding a legendary note to the life of this guardian saint. To this day his sacred objects and his virtue are still celebrated among devotees in Thailand and among ethnic Chinese Buddhists abroad.