Supreme Monastic Patriarch of Thailand

The Supreme Monastic Patriarch or Saṅgharāja; ( Thai สมเด็จพระสังฆราช , RTGS Somdet Phra Sangkharat ) is the head of the Sangha , the order of Buddhist monks in Thailand .

history

The institution can be documented for individual regional or ethnic groups from 1592 onwards. The office of Supreme Patriarch of all monks in the country was established by Rama I in 1782, soon after the founding of the Chakri dynasty . At the same time, registration obligations for abbots and identification documents (“ordination certificate”) for monks were introduced. It was based on older models. Under Rama I , the administration of the Sangha was divided into five groups, each under a monk in the "Somdet" rank: "Northern" and "Southern" Gāmavāsī, ("village" or "city monks") Araññavāsī ("forest monks") ) to "central", the latter were subordinate to all monks in the royal temples of Bangkok and the six surrounding provinces. For the monks and temples belonging to the Mon ethnic group , there was initially a separate administration.

King Rama IV. (Mongkut) divided the Somdets into a northern and a southern one for the Mahānikai , one for Thammayut and one for the forest tradition - after he split the Sangha into two orders .

The office of Saṅgharāja is officially bestowed by the King of Thailand for life, although an "election" takes place by older monks. Its competencies and those of the attached council ( Mahatherasamakhom ) have been regulated by the repeatedly revised Sangha law since 1902 . Members of the extended royal family were often appointed. Prince Vajirañāṇavarorasa (Prince Wachirayan), a son of King Ramas IV (Mongkuts), officiated from 1910 to 1921. He introduced a little meditation-based training system, more based on the study of the canon.

List of the Supreme Monastic Patriarchs

Official title and name of patriarch	Secular name possibly ordination name	Term of Office ( Buddhist Era )	Term of office (C.E.)	Abbot of	medal
1. Somdet Phra Ariyawongsayan Somdet Phra Sangkharat สมเด็จ พระ อริย วง ษ ญาณ สมเด็จพระสังฆราช	Si ศรี	2325-2337	1782-1794	Wat Rakhang
2. Somdet Phra Ariyawongsayan Somdet Phra Sangkharat	Suk ศุ ข	2337-2359	1794-1816	Wat Mahathat
3. Somdet Phra Ariyawongsayan Somdet Phra Sangkharat	Wed มี	2359-2362	1816-1819	Wat Mahathat
4. Somdet Phra Ariyawongsayan Somdet Phra Sangkharat	Suk / Nanasamvara สุก ญาณ สังวร	2363-2365	1820-1822	Wat Mahathat
5. Somdet Phra Ariyawongsayan Somdet Phra Sangkharat	Don ด่อน	2365-2385	1822-1842	Wat Mahathat
6. Somdet Phra Ariyawongsayan Somdet Phra Sangkharat	Nak นาค	2386-2392	1843-1849	Wat Ratchaburana
7. Somdet Phra Maha Samana Chao Krommaphra Paramanuchit Chinese Red สมเด็จ พระ มหา สมณ เจ้า กรม พระ ปร มา มา นุ ชิต ชิโนรส	Prince Wasukri / Suvannaramsi พระเจ้า ลูกยาเธอ พระองค์เจ้า วาสุกรี สุ วัณ ณ รังสี	2394-2396	1851-1853	Wat Pho
8. Somdet Phra Maha Samana Chao Krom Phraya Pavares Variyalongkorn สมเด็จ พระ มหา สมณ เจ้ากรม พระยา ป ว เร ศว ริ ยา ลง กร ณ์	Prince Roek พระเจ้า บวร วงศ์ เธอ พระองค์เจ้า ฤกษ์ ป ญฺ ญา อ คฺ ค โต	2396-2435	1853-1892	Wat Bowonniwet	Thammayut
9. Somdet Phra Ariyawongsakhatayan Somdet Phra Sangkharat สมเด็จ พระ อริย วงศา ค ต ญาณ สมเด็จพระสังฆราช	Sa / Pussadevo สา ปุ สฺ ส เท โว	2436-2442	1893-1899	Wat Ratchapradit
10. Somdet Phra Maha Samana Chao Krom Phraya Vajirananavarorasa สมเด็จ พระ มหา สมณ เจ้า กรม พระยา วชิร ญาณ ว โร รส	Prince Manutsayanagamanop พระเจ้า ลูกยาเธอ พระองค์เจ้า มนุษย นาค มานพ	2453-2464	1910-1921	Wat Bowonniwet
11. Somdet Phra Sangkharat Chao Krommaluang Chinaworasiriwat สมเด็จพระสังฆราชเจ้า กรม หลวง ชินวรสิริ วั ฒ น์	Prince Phuchong Chomphunut / Sirivaddhano ม. จ. ภุชงค์ สิริ ว ฑฺ ฒ โน	2464-2480	1921-1937	Wat Ratchabophit
12. Somdet Phra Ariyawongsakhatayan Somdet Phra Sangkharat สมเด็จ พระ อริย วงศา ค ต ญาณ	Phae / Tissadevo แพ ติ สฺ ส เท โว	2481-2487	1938-1944	Wat Suthat	Mahanikai
13. Somdet Phra Sangkharat Chao Krommaluang Vajirayanavangsa / Wachirayanawong สมเด็จพระสังฆราช เจ้า กรม หลวง วชิร ญาณ วงศ์	Mom Ratchawong Chuen Nopphawong / Sucitto ม.ร.ว. ชื่น นพ วงศ์ สุจิ ตฺ โต	2488-2501	1945-1958	Wat Bowonniwet	Thammayut
14. Somdet Phra Ariyawongsakhatayan Somdet Phra Sangkharat	Plot / Kittisobhana ปลด กิ ตฺ ติ โสภ โณ	2503-2505	1960–1962	Wat Benchamabophit	Mahanikai
15. Somdet Phra Ariyawongsakhatayan Somdet Phra Sangkharat	Yu / Nanodayo อยู่ ญา โณ ท โย	2506-2508	1963-1966	Wat Saket	Mahanikai
16. Somdet Phra Ariyawongsakhatayan Somdet Phra Sangkharat	Chuan / Utthayi จวน อุ ฏฺ ฐายี	2508-2514	1965-1971	Wat Makut	Thammayut
17. Somdet Phra Ariyawongsakhatayan Somdet Phra Sangkharat	Pun / Punnasiri ปุ่ น ปุ ณฺ ณ สิริ	2515-2516	1972-1973	Wat Pho	Mahanikai
18. Somdet Phra Ariyawongsakhatayan Somdet Phra Sangkharat	Wat / Vasano วา ส น์ วา ส โน	2516-2531	1973-1988	Wat Ratchabophit	Thammayut
19. Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara / Yannasangwon Somdet Phra Sangkharat สมเด็จ พระ ญาณ สังวร สมเด็จพระสังฆราช	Charoen Gajavatra (Charoen Khachawat) / Suvaddhano เจริญ ค ช วัตร สุ วั ฑ ฒ โน	2532-2556	1989-2013	Wat Bowonniwet	Thammayut

The institution of Saunggharāja was also known in Laos before the liberation. In Cambodia, the administration of Mahanikai and Thammayut remained separate before 1975. The attempt to establish a joint supreme authority in 1982 failed after a few years.

Web links

English homepage ( memento of February 4, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) of the Sangharaja
Detailed information on Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara , the 19th Supreme Patriarch

Individual evidence

↑ The idea of a “curia” with regulatory competence, as it was created here and in other countries, is alien to original Buddhism. This knew no hierarchies, at most charismatic, older or longer ordained monks are granted a certain respect or authority.
↑ Kamala Tiyavanich: Forest Recollections. Wandering Monks in Twentieth-Century Thailand. University of Hawai'i Press, 1997, p. 188.
↑ Jackson: Buddhism, Legitimation, and Conflict. 1989, p. 72.
↑ Peter A. Jackson: Buddhism, Legitimation, and Conflict. The Political Functions of Urban Thai Buddhism. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore 1989, pp. 75, 79.
↑ Jackson: Buddhism, Legitimation, and Conflict. 1989, p. 96.
↑ Jackson: Buddhism, Legitimation, and Conflict. 1989, p. 76.
↑ Jackson: Buddhism, Legitimation, and Conflict. 1989, p. 107.
↑ Thai Buddhism's Supreme Patriarch Dies at 100th New York Times / AP, October 24, 2013, accessed October 25, 2013 .

[1] The idea of a “curia” with regulatory competence, as it was created here and in other countries, is alien to original Buddhism. This knew no hierarchies, at most charismatic, older or longer ordained monks are granted a certain respect or authority.

[2] Kamala Tiyavanich: Forest Recollections. Wandering Monks in Twentieth-Century Thailand. University of Hawai'i Press, 1997, p. 188.

[3] Jackson: Buddhism, Legitimation, and Conflict. 1989, p. 72.

[4] Peter A. Jackson: Buddhism, Legitimation, and Conflict. The Political Functions of Urban Thai Buddhism. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore 1989, pp. 75, 79.

[5] Jackson: Buddhism, Legitimation, and Conflict. 1989, p. 96.

[6] Jackson: Buddhism, Legitimation, and Conflict. 1989, p. 76.

[7] Jackson: Buddhism, Legitimation, and Conflict. 1989, p. 107.

[8] Thai Buddhism's Supreme Patriarch Dies at 100th New York Times / AP, October 24, 2013, accessed October 25, 2013 .