Luang Phor Ngern Wat Don Yai Hom

Born on Tuesday, 16 September B.E. 2433 (1890) under King Rama V, Luang Phor Ngoen—later honored as Phra Thammaraphon—was the fourth child of Mrs. Klong and Nai Phrom of the Duang Plu family in Don Yai Hom, Nakhon Pathom. His given name, “Ngoen,” echoes the Thai word for “silver” or “money,” a name that endured in family memory because prosperity seemed to follow his birth.

He entered the monkhood at Wat Don Yai Hom on 18 May B.E. 2453 (1910), receiving the monastic name Chan Suwanno Mano. From the outset he vowed to live as a light for others, renouncing ego and devoting himself to discipline, scriptures, and meditation. After four years of rigorous study, he undertook tudong—a forest pilgrimage—with two companions across Saraburi, Lopburi, and Nakhon Sawan. The trek was perilous: barefoot through dense rainforest, among wild creatures and sudden storms. When he returned, gaunt and sun-darkened, even family struggled to recognize him—yet his resolve was unmistakably strengthened.

In teachings he reminded layfolk that worldly pleasures are fleeting and wealth can bind the mind. True happiness, he said, rests on compassion and steady practice. This was not rhetoric. In a marketplace quarrel that escalated to a gun being drawn, the intended victim clasped his hands and silently recited Luang Phor’s chant. The trigger would not release despite repeated attempts. The aggressor, shaken, left. The young man later sought Luang Phor’s counsel and received admonition to avoid disputes—saving face by choosing peace.

Appointed abbot in B.E. 2466 (1923), Luang Phor Ngoen guided Wat Don Yai Hom for decades. A strict observer of the Vinaya, he coupled compassion with practical wisdom and became widely sought for guidance and blessing. His disciples were many; among them, later-renowned monks who carried forward his training and ethical example, contributing to the temple’s growing reputation.

Though not prolific in numbers, the amulets he consecrated became beloved for their efficacy and accessibility. In early years they were often given freely, but over time certain issues—such as the first temple coin and the B.E. 2506 and 2513 batches—grew rare and highly valued. Most associated with protection and loving-kindness, his pieces are remembered alongside a distinctive heart-chant that devotees still recite for safety and clarity of mind.

Luang Phor Ngoen passed away on 13 January B.E. 2520 (1977) at Ramathibodi Hospital. Each year, from 9–13 January, the local community returns to honor his legacy, and a gilding ceremony invites devotees to make merit. His reputation endures not only in scarce amulets and miracle stories, but in an ethic of restraint, compassion, and steady practice that continues to shape lives around Wat Don Yai Hom.

龍婆艮（後尊稱為 Phra Thammaraphon）生於佛曆2433年9月16日（1890年，拉瑪五世時期），母為Klong、父為Nai Phrom，屬暖武里府頌猜縣（佛統）Don Yai Hom 地區之 Duang Plu 家族第四子。其名“艮（Ngoen）”與泰語“銀、錢”同音，因其出生後家中生意興旺、財運轉好，故此名沿用不改。

佛曆2453年（1910年）5月18日於Wat Don Yai Hom 出家，法號 Chan Suwanno Mano。自序剃度之始，即立願“捨我利他，為眾生作光”，潛心律學、經藏與禪修。修學四年後，隨兩位同修行腳tudong，經沙拉武里、華富里與北欖坡，赤足穿林、涉險越嶺，與荒野猛獸為鄰。重返寺中時，形銷骨立、膚色黧黑，連家人都幾乎認不得；唯其定力與志節，已臻堅實。

他常開示：世樂無常，財富反成心縛；唯有慈悲與正念，方得真樂。此語並非空言。曾有市集糾紛，一名青年怒拔手槍欲射，另一人走投無路，合十默誦龍婆艮心咒。奇蹟即現：扳機竟屢扣不發。持槍者震懾離去。事後，得救青年赴寺謝恩，並受龍婆艮訓誡——為人當遠離爭端，以和為貴。

自佛曆2466年（1923年）起，龍婆艮出任Wat Don Yai Hom 住持。其人守戒嚴謹而不失慈和，行事務實而惠澤群眾；門下弟子遍及各地，其中不乏後來成名之僧，延續其學統與風範，亦令古剎聲名日隆。

雖督造佛牌不算繁多，然件件靈驗著稱、易於親近。早年常隨緣布施；而後若干版次——如首期廟章、以及佛曆2506、2513年之期號——日稀而貴。其聖物以護身與慈愛見長，配合獨門心咒，為信眾祈避險難、清明定志之所依。

佛曆2520年（1977年）1月13日，龍婆艮於拉瑪提波底醫院示寂。每年1月9日至13日，地方民眾均返寺追思，並設貼金功德儀式以資供養。其名不僅存於罕見聖物與感應故事，更寄寓於節制、慈悲與恆修之道，迄今仍在Don Yai Hom 一地，潛移默化眾生。

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