Abbot on the air
Phra Ajaan Pairat, also known as Phra Kru Ba Noy, is the young Abbott of Wat Doi Noi, the “Little Hillside Temple” near Lamphun, and since he arrived 6 years ago the place hasn’t been the same since!
In late 2003 he fulfilled his dream of building a huge Buddha image in just 24 hours (‘Good Morning Chiangmai NEWS’ January 2004), now he has opened the temple’s own radio station which broadcasts on 88.50FM every day, and a plant for producing smokeless diesel fuel!
Oh, and there is a free English class for beginners every Sunday morning, organised by, yes, you guessed it, Two years ago Phra Ajaan was on his own at the temple, now there are 14 monks and novices, all eager to learn from him. He is self taught in English and everything else he does.
To produce what he terms “Bio-Diesel”, Phra Ajaan mixes ethanol alcohol and potassium hydroxide with the oil to produce his smokeless fuel.
He has used the fuel in his family’s car for 3 years to ensure it was effective and safe. If you go to see him at the temple he will gladly show you an experiment in which he dips one tissue in diesel fuel and another in his bio-diesel, then sets them both alight. The one soaked in diesel fuel burns with a terrible black smoke, the bio-diesel burns cleanly with no smoke.
There is now a fuel pump at the temple. With the residue oil left after the filtering processes, Phra Ajaan uses it for cooking. Nothing is wasted!
You can hear English on his radio station from 9-10.00am every Sunday, one of my contributions to the temple, the other being English conversation for the monks afterwards.
Anyone coming here will love the place as much as I do, the surrounding countryside is breathtaking. Don’t expect a Wat Pratat Doi Suthep, but expect a lovely warm feeling at a very simple temple with this exceptional Abbott.
Take the Super Highway out of town, past the Big C Supermarket, and continue due south along the Lampang road (route 11). Some 30kms from Big C you will see a blue sign written in English: ‘Community Forest’. Do a U-turn here, drive past a small police station and turn left at another ‘Community Forest’ sign and follow your nose.
Copyright © Derrick Titmus, no reproduction without prior permission.
