Mahasati Meditation - Biography of Luangpor Teean Cittasubho

Biography of Luangpor Teean Cittasubho

Luangpor Teean Cittasubho (1911–1988), or Pann Intapew, was born on September 5, 1911, at Buhom, Amphur Chiengkhan in the northeastern province of Loei, in Thailand. His father died when he was young. Luangpor Teean did not have formal education in his childhood. The boy, like the rest of them in the village, had to help his mother in running their farm. At the age of eleven, he was ordained as a novice at the village monastery, and stayed there with his uncle who was a resident monk. During a year and six months in the monastery, he studied Laotian scripts and ancient local scripts. He also started practicing various meditation methods, such as the Budh-dho and Breath Counting methods. After disrobing, he returned to his home.

Following tradition, he was ordained as a monk at the age of twenty. Again he studied and practiced meditation with his uncle for six months. After returning to lay life, he was married at twenty-two and had three sons. In his village, he was always a leader in Buddhist activities and was highly respected and chosen to be the head of the village on three different occasions. Despite of heavy responsibilities, he continued his meditation practice regularly.

Later he moved to Chiengkhan, a larger community, where his sons could attend school. Being a merchant, he sailed his steamboat along the Maekhong River between Chiengkhan-Nongkai-Vientiane, or even as far as Luangprabang. He had opportunities to meet several meditation masters and his enthusiasm in pursuing Dhamma (the Truth) continued to strengthen. Furthermore, he began to realize that many years of being good, making merit, and practicing various methods of meditation had not liberated him from his anger. Finally, he determined to start searching for the way out.

In 1957, when he was nearly forty-six, he left his home with firm determination not to return unless he found the Truth. He went to Wat Rangsimukdaram, Tambol Pannprao, Amphur Tabon in Nongkai Province and practiced a simple form of bodily movements except that he did not follow the recitation of the words "ting-ning" (moving-stopping) like others did. What he did was only being aware of the movements of the body and mind. Within a couple of days, his mind reached the End of Suffering completely without traditional rituals or teachers.

Later he returned home. He taught his wife and relatives what he had found for two years and eight months, as a lay teacher. He then decided to re-enter monkhood in order to be in a better position to teach the people. The ordination was made on February 3, 1960.

After realizing Dhamma, Luangpor Teean traveled around Thailand. Wherever he went to he taught the true messages of the Dhamma. He also established several meditations centers throughout Thailand. Wat Sanamnai is one of his meditation centers. Even though this temple is located on the outskirts of Bangkok, it maintains all the characteristics and formality of the Thai forest tradition.

In 1985, Wat Sanamnai Monastery was formally permitted a temple. Luangpor Teean held a Sangkha meeting with all the monks who studied the Mahasati Meditation method and appointed Luangpor Thong the abbot of Wat Sanamnai. After Luangpor Teean died in 1989, "Luangpor Teean Jittasubho (Pann Intapew) Foundation" was founded.

Luangpor Teean's teachings were spreading across the country as well as outside. He devoted his life to the teaching of Dhamma despite his poor health. He was diagnosed to have stomach cancer (malignant lymphoma) in 1982. In spite of his illness he continued his work actively and incisively until the end of his life.

On September 13, 1988, he died at the age of seventy-seven in a hut on Koh Buddhadhamma, Tabb Ming Kwan, Tambol Gudpong in Loei Province.