Biography and Legacy of Archan Fon Disawang
Born c. B.E. 2436 (1893) — Passed c. B.E. 2515 (1972) • Ayutthaya → Lopburi → Nakhon Nayok (Wat Bueng Phra Archan / Wat Sunthorn Phichitaram)
He was born with a congenital facial abnormality, and from the beginning it seemed the world had decided he should be overlooked. Yet memory stayed sharp in the young mind, and words, herbs, and yantra came easily. Raised by his uncle Phra Archan Plot, abbot of Wat Klang (Ayutthaya), the boy who would be known as Archan Fon Disawang absorbed the old curriculum — kasina and vipassana meditation, katha chanting, sak yant, and Thai healing. Where others performed, he practiced; where others talked, he watched the breath.
Ordained under his uncle’s guidance, Fon kept a quiet dignity that drew people close. Later, he moved to Wat Bueng Phra Archan (today Wat Sunthorn Phichitaram) in Pak Chong, Nakhon Nayok. Word of a khru wicha who worked without theatrics spread quickly — soldiers, traders, village heads, and especially women seeking safety and hope made the dusty trip to his kuti. They found a master whose presence steadied a room and whose silence said more than most homilies.
Stories gathered, as they do around those who live with intensity: tattoos that turned bullets; a foundation rite where stone became turtles for a breath-long moment; a Thakien spirit summoned to teach laypeople reverence; wartime protections whispered about long after. He did not sell amazement — he redirected fear. “If your mind is clean, your refuge is near,” he would say, and then draw a careful line of ink that felt like a prayer.
Personal Background
- Birth: c. B.E. 2436 (1893 CE)
- Passing: c. B.E. 2515 (1972 CE)
- Hometown: Born in Nakhon Luang, Ayutthaya; later resided at Ban Phothi Kao Ton, Lopburi.
- Upbringing: Raised by Phra Archan Plot (Abbot, Wat Klang), who trained him in wicha, healing, and Dhamma.
Ordination and Training
Ordained under Archan Plot; mastered:
- Yantra & Katha: script discipline; consecration grammar.
- Meditation: Kasina focus and Vipassana insight.
- Sak Yant & Healing: herbal protocols, holy water, sacred powders.
Relocation to Nakhon Nayok
At Wat Bueng Phra Archan (now Wat Sunthorn Phichitaram), Pak Chong, his reputation as a master of Thai occult arts spread nationwide. Devotees traveled for sak yant, amulets, blessings, and guidance.
Story: “The Night of Turtles and Fire”
They gathered at dusk to set the sema stones. The air was thick with incense and monsoon heat. Archan Fon stood inside the chalked boundary, eyes lowered, chanting so softly it felt like the earth was listening. As the final syllables fell, a murmur rose — for an instant, the cut stones seemed to stir like river turtles returning home. No spectacle followed, just quiet work until the boundary was set. Later, elders would say the master borrowed the language of nature so the people would remember the ground they were asking to protect.
Why Many Women Revered Him
- Metta Mahaniyom: rites for charm, goodwill, and livelihood uplift.
- Protection: counter-measures against jealousy, abuse, and sorcery.
- Healing & Fertility: herbal regimens, powders, blessings for body and heart.
- Safe Guidance: respectful counsel; no exploitation of vulnerability.
- Results & Testimony: lives righted; families formed; hardship eased.
Sacred Works & Miraculous Accounts
- Bulletproof Blessings: devotees reported survival in violence after sak yant or amulets.
- Thakien Spirit Rite: public demonstration to teach reverence, not fear.
- Wartime Aid: spiritual protections whispered among resistance cells.
- Silent Power: long periods of meditation; speech used sparingly and precisely.
Passing and Legacy
Passing c. B.E. 2515 (1972), his funeral drew villagers, officials, and performers who offered likay in thanks. His disciples, sacred objects, and the temple lineage carry forward a reputation for compassion paired with uncompromising ethics.
Conclusion
More than an occult teacher, Archan Fon was a refuge — a practitioner who made wicha serve sila and samadhi. His life remains a case study in how sincerity turns power into protection.