Luang Pu Udomthap (Sirikutto)
Wat Weluwan Thammaram, Sisaket • Born 11 Nov 1960 • 63rd Birthday commemorated on 11 Nov 2023 / 2022 (per local observance)
Forest lineage practitioner associated with the Ajahn Mun Bhuridatta tradition
At-a-Glance
- Lay name / Nickname: “Joy” (ออย/จ้อย, Isan usage for a small-framed child)
- Birthplace: Ban Nong Lom, Watthana Nakhon District, Sa Kaeo Province
- Parents: Mr. Lee & Mrs. Tun Sawangkun • Eighth of nine siblings
- Novice ordination: 1979 at Wat Ban Dan
- Bhikkhu ordination: 1980 at Wat Ban Dan, Ko Loi, Prachin Buri • Dhamma name: Sirikutto (“protected by auspiciousness”)
- Residence: Wat Weluwan Thammaram, Sisaket (ปัจจุบันพำนัก)
Born on a Friday in the cool season of 1960, the boy his father nicknamed “Joy” grew into a monk known for quiet resolve: light requisites, long walking, and a mind trained to stillness. At 19 he entered robes as a novice; a year later he took full ordination and stepped onto the forest path for good.
Tudong Years & Training
After ordination, Ajahn Joy followed the tudong way across Thailand—sleeping at the foot of trees, practicing mindfulness in heat and rain—seeking direct instruction in Dhamma and ascetic craft. His study circle included:
- LP Eia (Wat Ban Dan) — line descending from LP Suk of Wat Pak Khlong Makham Thao; tutelage in wicha (ritual disciplines).
- LP Bunlue Thanchoto — disciple of Somdej Lun; methods for amulets and takrut construction.
- LP Prajak Kuttajitto — forest master in the lineage of LP Mun; deepening vipassanā.
- LP Mun Thitsilo — guidance in rigorous insight practice.
- Kruba Thiangtham Chotithammo — extended sacred sciences.
- LP Lamai Thitamano — Northern yogic lore; accepted him as an adopted spiritual son.
- LP Kham Bu (Wat Kut Chomphu) — esoteric lineages.
- LP Suang — remembered among devotees as “the Earth-Loving Angel,” emphasizing nature-rooted wisdom.
Practice, Teaching & Reputation
His teaching is spare and practical: keep precepts, steady the breath, know mind as mind. Those who visit Wat Weluwan Thammaram find him accessible yet exacting—offering blessings, instruction, and consecrations when they serve practice rather than appetite.
On the “Successor of Ajahn Mun” Motif
Among collectors and forest-tradition followers, a community belief holds that Ajahn Mun spoke of crafting amulets only at a great age upon finding a destined heir; some devotees identify LP Udomthap Sirikutto with that role. While this is devotional memory rather than an official ecclesiastical statement, it reflects how lay communities experience his practice: continuity of the Ajahn Mun spirit—restraint, clarity, and compassion—over mere objects.
Present Day
Today he resides at Wat Weluwan Thammaram (Sisaket), keeping a simple routine: alms, meditation, teaching, and occasional consecrations. The monastery’s mood mirrors the man—unadorned, serviceable, and kind.