Kanchana Aranyawasi (กัญจนะ อรัญวาสี/อรัญญวาสี)

Thai. Name of a senior Buddhist monk (maha thera) of Wat Soong Men (วัดสูงเม่น), a wat pah or forest temple in the northern Thai province of Phrae, and who bears the ecclesiastical title Phra Kruh Bah Chao. He was born in 1789, in the reign of Rama I, as the son of Mr. Sapanna (สปินนะ) and Mrs. Chanthip (จันทร์ทิพย์), and was formerly known as Poy (ปอย). When he reached the age that most boys are ordained as novices, he entered the priesthood in Wat Sri Chum and in 1809 was given the religious name Kanchana Pikku. He went on to study the Dhamma, Vinay and Pali, as well as the language of Lan Na, after which he became a teacher to the novices in Wat Sri Chum for a while, before moving to Wat Soong Men. Later, he furthered his studies in the field of language and wipatsanah (meditation) at Wat Suan Dok in Chiang Mai, and then travelled to Burma to train further, until he became an adept of the highest forms of mediation akin to that of arahans. On his return from Burma, he brought some Buddhist relics (Phra Boromma Sahrihrikathat) with him, which he offered to the then local ruler of Phrae, i.e. Chao Luang Inthawichai-racha (อินทวิชัยราชา) and that were later enshrined in a stupa. See also aranyawasi. 回