Somdet Kiaw

Somdet Kiaw
สมเด็จเกี่ยว
Personal life
Born
Kiaw Chokchai

(1929-03-03)3 March 1929
Koh Samui, Surat Thani, Siam
Died10 August 2013(2013-08-10) (aged 84)
Bangkok, Thailand
Religious life
ReligionBuddhism
TempleWat Saket
OrderMahā Nikāya
SchoolTheravāda
Dharma namesUpaseṇo
Monastic nameSomdet Phra Buḍhācārya

Somdet Kiaw (3 March 1929 – 10 August 2013) was a Thai Buddhist monk who served as the abbot of Wat Saket and the acting Supreme Patriarch of Thailand.[1][2]

Name

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Somdet Kiaw (Thai: สมเด็จเกี่ยว; RTGSSomdet Kiao) was born Kiaw Chokchai (Thai: เกี่ยว โชคชัย). His Dhamma name, in the Pali language, was Upaseṇo (Thai: อุปเสโณ), and his highest monastic title was Somdet Phra Buḍhācārya (Thai: สมเด็จพระพุฒาจารย์; RTGSSomdet Phra Phuthachan). His previous monastic titles were as follows:

  • Phra Medhisuddhibongsa (Thai: พระเมธีสุทธิพงศ์), 1958
  • Phra Rajavisuddhimedhi (Thai: พระราชวิสุทธิเมธี), 1962
  • Phra Debgunabhorn (Thai: พระเทพคุณาภรณ์), 1964
  • Phra Dharmagunabhorn (Thai: พระธรรมคุณาภรณ์), 1971
  • Phra Brahmagunabhorn (Thai: พระพรหมคุณาภรณ์), 1973

Acting Supreme Patriarch

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Somdet Kiaw was appointed acting Supreme Patriarch in 2005 due to the failing health of the incumbent Supreme Patriarch Nyanasamvara Suvaddhana. He was a monk of the Mahanikaya order, and was of Thai Chinese descent.[3][4] His appointment provoked severe criticism from Luang Ta Maha Bua (of the Dhammayuttika Nikaya order) and Sondhi Limthongkul, who claimed that the appointment created two Supreme Patriarchs and contravened the royal prerogative of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.[5] On 4 March 2005, Maha Bua even petitioned King Bhumibol Adulyadej to remove all of Kiaw's royal titles.[6]

References

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  1. ^ "Somdej Kiew dies at 85". Bangkok Post. 10 August 2013. Archived from the original on 21 September 2023.
  2. ^ "Somdej Kiew dies at 85: Wat Saket abbot succumbs to blood infection". Bangkok Post. 11 August 2013. Archived from the original on 21 September 2023.
  3. ^ About MPV
  4. ^ ทำไมต้องไหว้พระเก้าวัด[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ The Bangkok Post, "Monastic feud could lead to a schism", 5 March 2005
  6. ^ ผู้จัดการรายวัน, ถวายฎีกาถอดสมเด็จเกี่ยว Archived 2011-07-14 at the Wayback Machine, 4 มีนาคม 2548