Wat Sang Kaew Photithayan
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Wat Sang Kaew is located at Morn Sang Kaew mountain,at Pah Treung village,Mae Suay district,Jedi Luang sub district,Chiangrai province.
The temple got a broad area of approximately 11 acres,situated on the mound,the road to the temple is macadamized and about 1.5 km away from the village.The temple scenery is beautiful and when you look down you can see the whole district of Mae Suay and many of its sub districts.
Starting To Construct
Wat Sang Kaew was built on May 9,2006 by Kruba Ariya Chart,his disciples and the faithful community of Pah Treung village.
On one occasion,Kruba was invited to move from Wat Phra Thart Dong Sima to Pah Treung central by LPhaw Yah Syee Tah and a group of faithful Pah Treung villagers.They wanted to have a new temple convenient for them to make merit and thus consulted Kruba.
Hence,Kruba thought of building a new temple as a Buddhist place of spiritual refuge. Thereafter,they begin to survey places to build the temple but was unable to find a suitable one.
In spite of that,due to the virtue of Kruba and their staunch faith,Kruba got a vision in his dream.He saw a mound that is not high,shady trees surrounded with bamboo.Kruba was extremely pleased with this place and related it to LPhaw Yah Syee Tah and the villagers.
They brought Kruba out to survey around the village until its border and came across a plantation.Kruba surveyed around it and discovered that it's similar to his vision.Kruba then rushed out to tell them that he is extremely pleased with this place.He told them that this is a suitable place to build the temple so to propagate Buddhism and as a Buddhist spiritual center.
Kruba asked them," Who does the plantation belongs to " ? LPhaw Yah Syee Tah answered," It belongs to someone of position,he might refuse to sell it.However,if he does,it's going to be very expensive,so it's not going to be possible ".
Kruba walked to the peak of the mound and lighted up candles and joss sticks along with pouring water to dedicate merit.
Kruba made a wish," If this place,even though it is a sacred place,it is an auspicious place,it is your common virtue,which will be able to support Buddhism from now on already,may I have this land ".
After that,LPhaw Yah Syee Tah invited the landlord to discuss with Kruba about building the temple on his land.However,to their great astonishment,the landlord generously offers Kruba about 7 acres to build the temple.
After the landlord already offered the land,Kruba together with the group of lay devotees begin to lift the land and install public utility.When other people came to know about the news,they requested to donate to the temple building funds.
Construction Design and Temple Building Project
Kruba is well educated in mundane and super mundane matters.Observant and committed to memory,including his memory while traveling for his ascetic practices,coming across different temples with different artistic building design.
Consequently,Kruba started to plan the temple area according to the main religious principles and instructions of Lanna architecture.To be arranged in tiers,each and every tiers are designated as follows;
1st Tier-Recreation Area
Designated as recreation area and car park,a public area for Buddhist who come to make merit.
2nd Tier-Buddha Shrine
Designated for holding various Buddhist ceremony.
3rd Tier-Nibbana Hall
The highest floor for holding formal Sangha act or ceremony performed by a chapter of monks.It's also where the relics are enshrined.
While developing the place,there were many faithful devotees and villagers participated to render physical support and funds.They worked around the clock until it's completed one night.They were very surprise that it only took them a few days to complete.
Subsequently,they started to install the infrastructure and received ceaseless support from faithful devotees too.
The Origin Of The Temple Name," Sang Kaew Phothiyan "
Sang Kaew Phothiyan is translated as,"A lotus that sprout and emerged from the water and emits light like a sparkling gem with brilliant light ".
In finding a name so to request to build the temple,they were unable to find someone who know.Kruba and his disciples were unable to summarize the temple name.The more closer to the day of laying the foundation stone for the shrine hall the more worry they get.
Until 2 days before laying the foundation stone,due to their dedication in preparing for the event of laying foundation stone and also those ceaseless lay devotees who came to pay respect to Kruba every day,Kruba eventually became exhausted.
Near dawn,Kruba got a vision in his dream again," It was raining heavily that night and Kruba was walking down from the mountain peak to the village below.
Kruba came across a disciple at the plantation who asked him," Where are you going,Venerable Sir " ? Kruba answered," I am going down to the village below ". He told Kruba," It's unnecessary to go down,your Venerable Sir,the village below is fully flooded ". Kruba said that," Never mind,I am going down anyway ".
Kruba asked this disciple to walk up first then Kruba walks down continually until he came across a bright light similar to a sparkling gem with brilliant light.There were clusters of lights floating around,Kruba walks towards the clusters of lights and discovered that it's actually lights held by the villagers to illuminate the path while fleeing from the flood as they ascend the mountain.
They persuaded Kruba to return but Kruba told them to go up first and he will follows them later.Shortly after,Kruba returned to the mountain.Kruba trod on a mud hole,with the water flowing from the mountain peak causing the ground to become soft,thus Kruba foot sank all the way down.Kruba looked down and saw something strange that deflated and inflated.Kruba poked a stick at it and then picked it up,it looks like a crystal ball and it's emitting brilliant light.
Kruba was not interested in it and tossed it behind and walked back to the mountain.Just when Kruba turned back to have a look,to his surprise,he saw that the crystal ball turned into lotuses which sprout abundantly and illuminate throughout the whole area ".
In the morning after that night,Kruba disclosed his vision to LPhaw Yah Syee Tah and a group of lay devotees.
The villagers said that it might be the deities or sacred object speaking as an effect to enable Kruba to think of a name.
From the effect that it emits light,like a sparkling gem with brilliant light, and turns into lotuses.In another words it means," Bodhiyana ",which is enlightenment,wisdom,knowledge or simply wisdom of enlightenment,like a lotus that sprout and emerged from the water and emits light like a sparkling gem with brilliant light."
Hence,the temple was named," Sang Kaew Phothiyan ".
Thereafter,they proceeded to request permission from the religious department to establish the temple.
The Supreme Patriarch Somdej Yansangworn conferred a new name as," Wat Phra Thart Sang Kaew Phothiyan ".
Sikkha With Highest Respect
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