Thai monk Luang Pu Sila surprises devotees by being alive

A revered Thai monk, Luang Pu Sila Sirijantho of Kalasin province, recently surprised devotees who believed he had passed away when they arrived at the temple to fulfil their vows. The incident occurred at the Dhamma Park in Kalasin, where a ceremony was held to offer a new monk’s hut to Luang, attended by the provincial governor, Sanan Pongaksorn, alongside numerous government officials and the faithful.

As it turned out, one particular devotee had seen an image of Luang on Facebook and, not knowing him personally, assumed the monk had deceased. In an act of faith, the devotee vowed to gild the monk’s effigy at the temple if their troubled times improved.

When their situation did indeed get better, they headed to the temple, only to find the real Luang alive and well, much to their astonishment.

The story of Luang’s gilding became viral on Facebook after images circulated showing the monk himself being gilded with gold leaf—a practice usually reserved for statues or images of monks, not living individuals.

This unusual event stemmed from a misunderstanding by a faithful devotee who, upon fulfilling a vow made in a time of distress, sought to gild a likeness of Luang as a token of gratitude and respect.

He was born on October 14, 1928, under the lunar calendar’s eighth waxing moon in the eleventh month of the year of the Rooster, and was the son of Gan and Noi Nilchan. He was ordained as a novice at the age of 15 and became a fully ordained monk in the Mahanikai sect in 1966.

The venerable monk, now 78 years old in 2023, is respected for his deep knowledge of Buddhist scriptures and his practice of meditation.

In 2021, Luang narrowly escaped an accident while travelling to a chanting ceremony in Kalasin province. A pickup truck lost control and nearly collided with his vehicle. However, the truck stopped just in time, allowing the monk’s driver to evade the crash.

This close call was attributed to Luang’s spiritual power by his followers, who had been instructed by the monk to service the vehicle just a week prior—a move that possibly contributed to their safety during the incident, reported Sanook.