Classified as a royal temple of the third tier, Wat Paknam is an older temple commissioned for construction by the monarch during the middle Ayutthaya period (1488-1629). Historic chronicles and artifacts found at the temple, especially the architectural style and arts like the Tipitaka Hall and the pavilion-shaped cabinet housing the Tipitaka, are works of royal craftsmen from the era of King Narai; even the main chapel is representative of the style from that period.
Wat Paknam is located on flat delta plains of Bangkok, surrounded by Chao Phraya River and Bangkok-Yai Canal. It lies at the mouth of the main Bang-Luang Canal and is named "Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen" for the district it is in. The name Wat Paknam appeared in many ancient annals, but in early maps of Bangkok from 1910 and 1931 the temple was known as
"Wat Samuttaram". However, this name was not preferred by the people and the name Wat Paknam (which means "Temple at the Mouth of the Water") stood to this day.
During the reign of King Rama IV, the Bhasicharoen Canal was dug on the west side of the temple, giving it three bodies of water. The smaller canal on the southern end demarcates the temple's boundary during that period.
In 1918, the position of abbot at Wat Paknam was vacant. Phra Sakkayayuttiwong [future Supreme Patriarch and Abbot of Wat Phra Chetuphon, monastic title of Somdej Phra Wanarat] who was then the monastic governor for Bhasicharoen District, offered Candasaro the position of Acting Abbot. Candasaro initially declined to accept the position because his primary goal was meditation not temple management. But after a great deal of persuasion from the Somdej he finally accepted. Eventually his position was made permanent.
On the day of his appointment the Department of Religious Affairs provided a motorboat for his passage to Wat Paknam. Somdej Phra Wanarat, together with several senior monks, came along to send him off to his new temple. Four monks from Wat Phra Chetuphon accompanied him to live at Wat Paknam. On the other side of the river, monks, laymen and
laywomen came out to greet the party in large numbers.
During that time Wat Paknam was almost half-deserted. Because the temple was built centuries ago, most of its buildings were old and worn out. The temple hall was in bad shape, the kitchen too small, and the monks' cottages (kutis1) were so tiny that each could only accommodate one monk. Also(1Kuti. monk's living quarters, usually a cottage or a small shelter), these cottages were placed far apart from one another, making each cottage seem isolated. Due to lack of supervision, the resident monks, numbering thirteen, were lax in monastic discipline as well as meditation practice.
Candasaro did not expect to run into this kind of situation when he accepted the position of abbot. But he was not about to give in. He was determined to restore the temple back to a respectable condition.
He said, "Renovating a place is not difficult, all it takes is money. But reforming a human being is. The key to restoring this place is to fix the people first."
His first job was to clamp down on the misbehavior of monks and novices under his supervision as well as those affecting the state of his temple. He called a general meeting of monks and novices and gave them the following sermon:
"I have been sent by the monastic governor of this district to take charge of this temple and to manage its residents using the Monastic Discipline as my guide. If the temple is to prosper we must depend on your unity, understanding and cooperation. All of us are strangers to this place. To be sent here is like being cast away to a deserted island with no one to turn to for guidance. But I feel certain, by virtue of the Dhamma that we practice righteously, that peace and prosperity can be ours. Good will overcome evil.
Many of you have been ordained for many years. Each one of you knows for yourself how well you have kept up with the Monastic Discipline, and what level of meditation you have achieved. If you have followed the Monastic Discipline well, you are to be praised; but if you have not, then it is a sad thing, and you have only yourself to blame.
I have met monks who have been ordained for tens of years, yet they possess no ability to teach others. They came to lean on the religion and have done nothing of use for themselves and for others. These monks have sullied our religion. Being ordained like this is like being a hermit crab (relying on the shell of others for shelter). In such a case what is the use of being ordained or coming to live in the temple?
As Abbot of your temple, I intend to perform my duties according to the Monastic Discipline. It is up to you old-timers whether to join me or not to join me. I will not interfere with your action, for I am sure all of you know by your own conscience what is right and what is wrong. If you choose not to join me, then do not stand in my way. I will not stand in your way either. Each will live his own separate way. But being a bhikkhu of this temple you must abide by our monastic rules. What was done in the past belongs in the past, for it was not yet my responsibility. But now, I have a duty to fulfill."
After Candasaro Bhikkhu made his position known to everyone he instituted temple rules in accordance with Monastic Discipline for everyone to abide by and he enforced these rules strictly. He began teaching Dhamma and meditation to the residents of the temple as well as the general public on a regular basis. Soon, the condition of the temple began to improve. More monks and novices joined his temple. Many more people came to his meditation classes and Dhamma training. As the temple gained popularity and followers, donations and funding for its activities began to flow.
Candasaro's leadership and hard work paid off. Not only was he able to restore the temple to a fully functional Buddhist institution, but he also raised its status to one of the most sought after teaching institutes for scriptural studies and meditation training in the country. Candasaro himself earned a reputation as a capable abbot and a spiritual leader who pos
sessed extraordinary mental powers and healing ability. His name became synonymous with Wat Paknam, and the name "Luangpor Wat Paknam", as he was later called, became a household name.
Note: Henceforth in this book we will refer to Luangpor Wat Paknam as
"Luangpu", a Thai word which means "Venerable Grandfather".
