Phuthachan ( th, พุฒาจารย์, ''Buḍhācārya'', ), formerly Phutthachan ( th, พุทธาจารย์, ''Buddhācārya'', ), is an
ecclesiastical title given to senior members of the Thai
sangha, the community of
Buddhist monks
A ''bhikkhu'' (Pali: भिक्खु, Sanskrit: भिक्षु, ''bhikṣu'') is an ordained male in Buddhist monasticism. Male and female monastics ("nun", ''bhikkhunī'', Sanskrit ''bhikṣuṇī'') are members of the Sangha (Buddhist c ...
in
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
.
History
In the
Ayutthaya Kingdom
The Ayutthaya Kingdom (; th, อยุธยา, , IAST: or , ) was a Siamese kingdom that existed in Southeast Asia from 1351 to 1767, centered around the city of Ayutthaya, in Siam, or present-day Thailand. The Ayutthaya Kingdom is conside ...
, the title ''Buddhācārya'' was preserved for Buddhist monks who were patriarchs of the sect of ''
araṇyavāsī'' ( th, อรัญวาสี; ; ).
In 2394 (1851/52 ), the title ''Buddhācārya'' was modified to ''Buḍhācārya'' by King
Rama IV, who gave it to Son ( th, สน), the abbot of
Wat Saket
Wat Saket Ratcha Wora Maha Wihan ( th, วัดสระเกศราชวรมหาวิหาร, usually shortened to Wat Saket is a Buddhist temple (''wat'') in Pom Prap Sattru Phai district, Bangkok, Thailand.
The temple dates ba ...
.
[วิเชียร อากาศฤกษ์ และ สุนทร สุภูตะโยธิน, ประวัติ สมณศักดิ์ และ พัดยศ, กรุงเทพฯ: โรงพิมพ์ศรีอนันต์, 2528, หน้า 33]
Title holders
Holders of this title include:
*
Somdej Toh (17 April 1788 – 22 June 1872)
*
Somdet Kiaw (3 March 1928 – 10 August 2013)
References
Thai Buddhist titles
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