Luang Pho Daeng
{{short description|Mummified Buddhist monk}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| image = File:The Mumified Monk.jpg
| name = Luang Pho Daeng
| birth_date = 1894
| death_date = {{death year and age|1973|1894}}
| death_place = Ko Samui, Thailand
}}
Luang Pho Daeng ({{langx|th|หลวงพ่อแดง}}) was a Thai Buddhist monk who died while meditating in 1973.{{cite web |title=Kunaram Temple - Mummified Monk |url=http://www.thailandselection.com/attraction/The-Mummified-Monk.html |website=ThailandSelection |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111206125504/http://www.thailandselection.com/attraction/The-Mummified-Monk.html |archive-date=6 December 2011 |url-status=usurped}}{{cite news |last1=Nilubol |first1=Pornpitagpan |title=Mummy Men Examine Mystery Of Preserved Thai Monk |url=http://farshores.org/pmummonk.htm |work=FarShores |agency=Bangkok Post |date=18 May 2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080522125348/http://farshores.org/pmummonk.htm |archive-date=22 May 2008 |department=ParaDimensions}}
Biography
Daeng was born in 1894. He was briefly interested in becoming a monk in his 20s, but decided that he would rather be married instead. He raised six children with his only wife.{{cite web |last1=Meier |first1=Allison C. |last2=Frolov |first2=Dimas |last3=Jackson |first3=Nicholas |title=Mummy of Luang Pho Dang |url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/mummy-of-luang-pho-dang |website=Atlas Obscura |date=15 November 2010}} After all of his children had grown, Daeng, then in his 70s, realized his earlier dream and finally decided to become a monk. He was briefly an abbot at a temple in southern Thailand, but moved to Wat Khunaram near his childhood home.
Daeng died while meditating in 1973. His mummified body is on display at Wat Khunaram. The mummy is notable for sporting a pair of sunglasses, placed by the caretakers to hide the decomposed eye sockets to make the display less disturbing. A native gecko species use Daeng's body as a hatchery, with eggs being laid beneath his skin.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Thai sort key not needed}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Luang Pho Daeng}}
Category:Place of birth missing
Category:Thai Theravada Buddhist monks
{{Thailand-reli-bio-stub}}
{{Buddhist-clergy-stub}}
{{Theravada-stub}}