Luangpor Charoen Parnchand – The Addict’s Friend
In my book Dead Drunk I discuss my time at Thamkrabok Monastery. This Thai temple has helped many addicts to escape their addictions. One of the most important people in the temple’s history was Luangpor Charoen Parnchand. What follows is something that I wrote about him a couple of years ago around the time of his death.
Luangpor Charoen Parnchand (1929 – 2008)
Luangpor Charoen Parnchand (พระเจริญ ปานจันทร์) was a famous Thai monk who had an impact directly on my own life. He was one of the original founders of Wat Thamkrabok monastery; an addiction treatment centre in Sariburi Thailand. This was where I was able to break my destructive dependence on alcohol. I never met the great man himself even though he was at the temple during my stay; he was too ill at the time for visitors. Nevertheless he is a monk that I will always feel gratitude towards.
Luangpor Charoen Parnchand was born in Lopburi in 1929. He became a monk at twenty years of age and was followed into the Buddhist order by his brother four years later. This was a time when Thudong was still popular. Thudong is when monks leave the relative comfort of the temples to go live in the Thai jungles or travel the roads. The idea was that these wandering monks would be able to develop spiritually by facing their fears and dealing with a lot of hardship. Many famous Thai monks such as Ajahn Chah were also forest monks during this period. It was while wandering that Luangpor came across the site of what was to become the Wat Thamkrabok monastery in Saraburi; a nearby province to his home in Lopburi. This was in 1956 and a year later he returned there with his brother and his aunt Luang Por Yai.
The Creation of Wat Thamkrabok
Luangpor Charoen Parnchand founded Wat Thamkrabok with his aunt and brother. Luang Por Yai discovered herbs in the nearby hills which would eventually be used to treat addicts; the now famous vomiting medicine. The temple became a refuge for many people and it soon became well known as a place where addiction could be cured; it now attracts people from all around the world. Wat Thamkrabok has been described as the airport to Nirvana.
Luangpor Charoen Parchand was convinced that nature could teach people a lot. He developed a fascination with rocks, and even found a way for the cracks in these rocks to be used as inspiration to create musical compositions. He was able to share this technique with musicians from around the world; UK singer Tim Arnold was able to create a whole album using this method.
Luangpor Charoen Parchand died on the 20th January 2008. He was a positive force in many people’s lives; his work lives on in those that remain at the temple. He offered his help to anyone with no concern as to where they came from or how they had previously acted. It was due to his efforts that many people around the world now have a second chance in life.
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