Wat Doi Suthep - By Thwaing Ching U Marma

Introduction:

    Wat Phra That Doi Supthep is one of the famous Buddhist temples in Chiang Mai. “Wat Phra That Doi Suthep a significance place of worship and a spiritual centre for Chiang Mai people.”[1] It is a place to visit and make merit. The temple is famous for the place on High Mountain, the holy relic, and the legendary hermit and a white elephant.

   “The Syllable Doisuthep consists of two words Doi is a Nothern Thai term means a mountain while Suthep is a proper noun indicating a hermit who’s his original name is Suthewa who used to occupy this mountain to practice Buddha’s sermon longer than 1,200 years ago.”[2]

   So, we can see that, the name itself tell us a lot about the temple. The chronicle of Wat Phrathat (The temple contained inside with Buddha’s relic) Doi Suthep mentioned that, at the beginning of the 19^th Buddhist Century, there was a Thai Monk coming from Sukhothai, who was versed in Tripitaka, a graduate of Theravada Buddhism from Sri Lanka named Ven. Phramaha Sumanathera, he had also learned Theravada Buddhism from Ven. Phramaha Utumporn Puppha Mahaswami of Motama, Myanmar. He was highly respected by the people for his scholarship of Buddhist doctrine and discipline of thought; he spread out the Theravada Buddhism of Sri Lanka to the people in Sukhothai kingdom. Phra Sumanathera had traveled frequently for his religious work of teaching between Sukhothai and Srisajjanalai. It’s rule safe to conclude that Theravada Buddhism was rapidly flourishing in the kingdom of Sukhothai within a short period.

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep:

    If we see a Brief Historical Chronicle of Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, in this paragraph I will write down short Historical Chronicle of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. It is said that, one night, Sumanathera, while sleeping had a dream in which a deity appeared before him and told him that during the King Dhammasokaraj’s reign, he built a pagoda contained the Buddha’s real relic. No the mentioned pagoda had already become dilapidated nobody knew where actually the pagoda remnant stood.

“The deity implored the monk to go to the ancient city named Pang-Ja, it was one the road between Sukhothai, and Srisajjanalai (at present called Sawankaloke) among the ruins there was a place where a pagoda remnant stood. The place could be identified by a bush shaped like a stool; deep in the ground under the place was urn containing the Buddha’s relic. The deity continued telling Sumanathera to unearth the relic and keep it at a proper place.”[3]

  It is said, in the following morning, Sumanathera went to the King Luethai of Srisajjanalai for his an audience with, he related all his detained dream to the King Luethai. Sumanathera’s dream made the King satisfied and delighted, he prepared several different tools included men for supplying Sumanathera. All of a sudden; the monk together with is men went to the site of the ruins in Pang Ja with a view to dig up the relics. Before the beginning of unearth ceremony, they erected an impermanent pavilion near the ruins. At night, Sumathera performed a religious rite and prayed, just then, a bush nearby became illuminate with radiant light which was nothing, but a miracle performed by the relic itself, the monk and his men were convinced by the miraculous phenomenon that the relic was under the bush.

   Anyway, I won’t go further, so I would like to add a short History that I got from Google. Where it is clearly the dates were shown too. “The original founding of the temple remains a legend and there are a few varied versions. The temple is said to have been founded in 1383 when the first Chedi was built. Over time the temple has expanded, and been made to look more extravagant with many more holy shrines added. A road to the temple was first built in 1935[4]. ”

  

   “Doi Suthep hill has been seen as a holy place for more than twelve hundred years. The original inhabitants, the Lua, believed that the souls of their ancestors resided on the hilltop. When Buddhism was embraced by the Siamese people, the hill became the epicenter of the universe, and the centre of Buddhism in Lanna. The temple was built in the late 14th century under King Geu Na, and attracts many pilgrims and tourists, both local and international, throughout the year. Overlooking Chiang Mai from its lofty perch, some 3,500 feet (1,053 meters) above sea level, the temple is best visited on days free of cloud or heat haze; the view of the city, and the Ping valley beyond, is breathtaking. The temple lies roughly 15 kilometres from the city, and can be reached by road. From the car park across the road from the temple there are two ways of approaching this holy shrine: on foot, if you are fit enough to climb the 306 steps up an almost vertical Naga (serpent) staircase, or by the small cable car (20 + 20 Baht). Most people choose the latter.”[5]

   So, we see now that, Doi Suthep temple is on the top of the hill and it has been a holy place and respected by people over 1200 years. It is really a high mountain top where 3,500 feet above the sea level.

The temple is legendarily famous, because of a hermit, a white elephant, and Buddha’s relic. Most people go to worship that holy place and make merit there, but some goes, to over look the Chiang Mai over the top of the mountain and see many beautiful things in that temple. But, there are always daily tourists and Thai people climbed up that mountain to that temple. Let me put again about the legendary white elephant.  “According to this legend, a Buddha relic, which some say glowed, magically replicated just before it was about to be enshrined in the big Chedi at Wat Suan Dok. The "cloned" relic was placed on the back of a sacred white elephant, which was allowed to roam where-ever it wanted.

    The elephant eventually climbed to the top of Suthep Mountain, trumpeted three times, turned around three times, knelt down and died. This was taken as a sign that this was the spot where the relic wanted to be, so King Ku Na built the original of the chedi on Doi Suthep at the end of 14^th century.”[6]

   “The temple recognized as the symbol of Chiang Mai is Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, which is situated on a bluff overlooking the city on Doi Suthep. It was built during the reign of Phaya Keu Na as a place to enshrine relics of the Buddha which he had received as a gift from the Kingdom of Sukhothai. In later periods, umbrellas of the state were erected at the four corners, as well as a Naga stairway and an iron railing around the Chedi. Khru Ba Sri Vichai, a revered northern monk, later gathered his followers to build a road from the base of the mountain to the temple so that future generations could easily ascend the mountain to pay their respects to the relics. People came from all over the north and, without the help of any machinery, completed the work in five months and twenty-two days. To mark this event, a monument to honor Khru Ba Sri Vichai was erected at the base of Doi Suthep. ”[7]

   So, people helped to built up the stair case for the future generations to come. So, people finished the work without any machinery helps in 5 months and 22 days. So, it is a great effort to build up that.

Conclusion:

   So, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is a famous temple in Chiang Mai. It is a holy place for Chiang Mai people. Most tourists and Thai people go there to make merits, visit and to over look Chiang Mai from above. The temple has the historical background. In short, I would say that, the temple is famous for, a legendary hermit, a white elephant, and a Buddha’s relic. “When Buddhism was embraced by the Siamese people, the hill became the epicenter of the universe, and the centre of Buddhism in Lanna.”  It is one of the oldest temples in Chiang Mai. It is built in the late 14th century under King Geu Na. People like to visit that place for many reasons. So, I have given a picture above which is a nice view about the temple from above in a drawn picture.

References:

[1] A History of Kruba Swiwichai (The Buddhist Saint of Nothern Thailand) A Story of Making Way upto Doi Suthep And A Historical Chronicle of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Translated by Somboon Punsuwan, Published in 1^st March 2005.

2. Chiang Mai, Nop Buri Si Nakhon Ping, National Library of Thailand Cataloging in Publication, Department of Curriculum and Instruction Development, 2002

3. Chiang Mai, A Portrait in Her 8th Century, Written by Kannika Promsao, Translated by Lawrence Maund, Photographed by Wisan Numkarng, Ittipon Elajukanon Suvin Vajrasthira &David Henley, Published by Within Book, 2005.

Referred Websites:

1.      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Phrathat_Doi_Suthep (accessed on 12/08/2010)

2.      http://www.chiangmai-chiangrai.com/wat-phra-thart-doi-suthep.html (accessed on 12/09/2010)

3.      http://thailandforvisitors.com/north/chiangmai/suthep%20/  (accessed on 12/09/2010)

4.      http://thailandforvisitors.com/north/chiangmai/suthep/ (accessed on 12/09/2010)

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[1] Chiang Mai, Nop Buri Si Nakhon Ping, National Library of Thailand Cataloging in Publication, Department of Curriculum and Instruction Development, 2002

[2] A History of Kruba Swiwichai (The Buddhist Saint of Nothern Thailand) A Story of Making Way upto Doi Suthep And A Historical Chronicle of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep – Translated by Somboon Punsuwan, Published in 1^st March 2005.

[3] A History of Kruba Swiwichai (The Buddhist Saint of Nothern Thailand) A Story of Making Way upto Doi Suthep And A Historical Chronicle of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep – Translated by Somboon Punsuwan, Published in 1^st March 2005.

[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Phrathat_Doi_Suthep (accessed on 12/08/2010)

[5] http://www.chiangmai-chiangrai.com/wat-phra-thart-doi-suthep.html (accessed on 12/09/2010)

[6] http://thailandforvisitors.com/north/chiangmai/suthep/ (accessed on 12/09/2010)

[7] Chiang Mai, A Portrait in Her 8th Century, Written by Kannika Promsao, Translated by Lawrence Maund, Photographed by Wisan Numkarng, Ittipon Elajukanon Suvin Vajrasthira &David Henley, Published by Within Book, 2005.