Luangpor Thong - Biography

Biography

Luangpor Thong Abhakaro was born on May 14, 1939 at Mueang District, Nong Bua Lamphu Province, Northeast of Thailand. Luangpor Thong’s parents were both farmers. His father died when the young boy was only 7 years old. From then on, the future monk was raised mostly by his mother.

In 1961, at the age of 22, he was fully ordained as a monk, and received his Buddhist name, Abhakaro. Then Luangpor Thong studied the traditional Dhamma courses for six years.

In 1967, he met Luangpor Teean Jittasubho, the founder of Mahasati meditation. Luangpor Thong asked his teacher for an intensive meditation retreat under his guidance. Luangpor Thong asked permission to remain secluded in a small cottage practicing by himself, without any obligation to go chanting or asking for alms. Luangpor Teean agreed. Since then, this arrangement became a regular practice during Luangpor Teean's meditation retreats. The young disciple practiced this method continuously for thirty days and reached the state of Roop-Nahm (body-mind basic stage). Luangpor Thong continued practicing without interruption for another nine days, and achieved the state of “Birth-Extinction”—a doubtless understanding of life and death.

In 1985, Luangpor Teean appointed Luangpor Thong as the abbot of Wat Sanamnai, the most important Mahasati Meditation Center in Thailand. In 1989, Luangpor Teean died. That year, the “Luangpor Teean Jittasubho (Pann Intapew) Foundation” was founded, with Luangpor Thong as its president.

In 1995, Luangpor Thong established the “Mahasati Association of America,” a non-profit organization with the mission of teaching the Mahasati Meditation in the United States.

Nowadays, Luangpor Thong continues spreading his Teacher’s method throughout the United States, China, and Taiwan.