Abbot and Great Monk of Wat Klang Bang Kaew, Nakhon Pathom Province
Luang Pu Boon, born Phra Phutthawitthiyanayok (พระพุทธวิถีนายก) but commonly known as Luang Pu Boon Khantachot (หลวงปู่บุญ ขนฺธโชติ), was a highly respected Thai Buddhist monk, renowned meditation master, revered abbot, and creator of some of Thailand’s most beloved sacred amulets. He was an influential figure in the late 19th and early 20th century Theravāda Buddhist tradition and left a lasting spiritual and cultural legacy that endures among devotees and collectors alike.
Early Life and Background
Luang Pu Boon was born on 3 July B.E. 2391 (1848) in Tha Mai (now Samut Sakhon Province) in central Thailand, during the reign of King Rama III. His birth name was Bun (บุญ), meaning “merit” or “blessing”. According to accounts, as a child he once fell gravely ill and was thought dead, only to miraculously recover — an early event that marked his life as extraordinary and spiritually blessed.
He was the eldest of several children born to Mr. Seng and Mrs. Lim. Upon his father’s passing when Bun was still young, his aunt brought him to Wat Klang Bang Kaew (formerly called Wat Kongkharam) in Nakhon Chai Si District, Nakhon Pathom Province, where he would spend most of his life.
Monastic Training and Ordination
Luang Pu Boon first entered the monastery as a novice (sāmaṇera) around age 15, studying Buddhist doctrine, meditation, and early monastic life under senior monks such as Phra Palat Thong (พระปลัดทอง) and others at Wat Klang Bang Kaew.
He was fully ordained as a Buddhist monk on 21 June B.E. 2412 (1869) at Wat Klang Bang Kaew’s sacred ordination boundary (pāṭṭhāna). His preceptor (upajjhāya) was Phra Palat Pan of Wat Tukkata, with Phra Palat Thong and Phra Athikan Sap of Wat Ngio Rai as co-officiants. At ordination he received the dharma name Khantachot (ขันธโชติ).
Service, Leadership, and Spiritual Accomplishment
Luang Pu Boon steadily gained respect within the monastic community for his dedication to meditation and strict adherence to the Vinaya (monastic discipline). His deep practice, charity, and wisdom drew many disciples and lay supporters.
Over the years he received a number of ecclesiastical appointments and royal recognitions, including:
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District ecclesiastical head (เจ้าคณะหมวด) in 1890
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Upajjhāya (preceptor) in 1916
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Phra Khru Uttarakanabodi and later Phra Phutthawitthiyanayok, serving as the principal monastic leader for Nakhon Pathom and Suphan Buri Provinces by the late 1920s.
Under his stewardship, Wat Klang Bang Kaew flourished as a center of practice, learning, and community development. He oversaw renovations, construction of religious structures, halls, scripture libraries, and educational facilities, helping transform the temple into an important local Buddhist institution.
Amulets and Legacy
Luang Pu Boon is perhaps best remembered today for the sacred amulets and talismans he created and blessed, which are widely sought by devotees for protection, grace, luck, healing, and prosperity. These include:
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Phra Chao Sua coins
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Phra Chaiwat images
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Phong Ya Jindamanee powder (herbal blessed mixture)
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Bia Kae (blessed cowrie shells)
These sacred objects are believed to carry metta-mahaniyom — great loving kindness and attraction — and are cherished among Thai Buddhists and amulet collectors worldwide.
Accounts also describe him as a master of esoteric arts and meditation, whose compassion and spiritual attainments drew admiration from both laypeople and other monk-masters of his time.
Final Years and Passing
After many decades of service and spiritual influence, Luang Pu Boon passed away on 4 April B.E. 2478 (1935) at Wat Klang Bang Kaew, at approximately 86 years old. He had spent more than 66 rainy seasons (vassas) in the monkhood.
His teachings, works, and sacred objects continue to inspire devotion, and he remains one of the most respected and legendary monk-masters in modern Thai Buddhist history.