Maechee Boonruen Tongboonterm Wat Awutwikasitaram, Bangkok

 

Maechee Boonruen Tongboonterm 

A Venerated Female Ascetic and Spiritual Master of Thailand

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Personal Background

Attribute	Details
Name	Maechee Boonruen Tongboonterm
Birth Name	Boonruen Tongboonterm
Title	Maechee (แม่ชี) – a female renunciant following Buddhist precepts
Date of Birth	January 4, 1895 (B.E. 2437)
Place of Birth	Ban Khok Krathin, Tambon Saphan Sung, Amphoe Nong Khaem, Thonburi, Bangkok, Siam
Date of Passing	December 7, 1958 (B.E. 2501)
Age at Passing	63 years old
Cremation	Wat Awutwikasitaram, Bangkok

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Spiritual Life and Renunciation

Maechee Boonruen renounced worldly life and devoted herself to the Dhamma at a young age. She was not formally ordained as a bhikkhuni (due to traditional limitations in Theravāda Buddhism), but she lived as a Maechee, observing the Eight Precepts and dedicating her life to meditative discipline, Dhamma practice, and service to others.

She spent most of her spiritual journey at Wat Awutwikasitaram, located in Thonburi, Bangkok. Over time, her meditative powers, intuitive abilities, and healing miracles became widely known, and she became one of the most respected female lay ascetics in Thai Buddhist history.

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Spiritual Attainments and Teachings

Maechee Boonruen was renowned for her deep meditative absorption (jhana) and supernatural insight (abhiññā). Her life was dedicated to the following principles:

• Samādhi (Concentration): She could sit in meditation for long hours without movement, often entering deep trance-like states.

• Sacca-dhamma (Truthfulness): She upheld truth in speech and thought, which she believed gave rise to psychic purity.

• Karuṇā (Compassion): She offered healing and support to those suffering from illness and despair.

• Sīla (Moral Conduct): Her strict observance of precepts and monastic discipline earned her immense respect.

People believed she possessed divine vision, including the ability to foresee future events, understand karmic consequences, and even heal incurable illnesses through her blessings, prayers, and sacred water.

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Miracles and Sacred Acts

Maechee Boonruen’s most well-known spiritual abilities include:

• Healing the sick: Many individuals testified that they recovered from chronic illnesses after receiving her sacred water or being blessed.

• Remote vision and knowing (clairvoyance): She often advised visitors with astonishing accuracy about their past, present, and karmic conditions.

• Creation of sacred objects: She was involved in the blessing of amulets and talismans, especially Phra Kring and Takrut, which are still cherished for their miraculous power.

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Notable Sacred Items

Though Maechee Boonruen did not mass-produce amulets, several batches associated with her were made during her lifetime and later under the temple’s supervision:

• Takrut Maechee Boonruen

• Phra Kring Wat Awut (with her blessings)

• Sacred Water and Yantra Cloths (Pha Yant)

These items are highly regarded by collectors and practitioners for their reputed healing powers, metta (loving-kindness), and karmic purification.

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Temple Association

Wat Awutwikasitaram (วัดอาวุธวิกสิตาราม)
Location: Bang Yi Khan, Bangkok Noi, Bangkok

The temple where she resided remains a central site for paying homage to her relics and preserving her legacy. After her passing, a shrine was erected in her memory within the temple grounds. It remains a popular pilgrimage site for those seeking spiritual guidance and healing blessings.

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Legacy and Veneration

Maechee Boonruen is venerated not only for her spiritual powers but also for her embodiment of pure morality, feminine strength, and unwavering devotion to Buddhism. Even decades after her passing, her influence continues through:

• Annual commemorative ceremonies at Wat Awutwikasitaram

• Teachings and writings inspired by her example

• Accounts and testimonies from devotees across Thailand and Southeast Asia

Her relics (sarira) are said to have manifested after her cremation—considered a sign of high spiritual attainment—and are enshrined at the temple.

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Titles and Honorifics

While Maechee Boonruen never accepted high formal titles, she was often respectfully referred to as:

• "Mother Boonruen" (แม่บุญเรือน)

• "Maechee Boonruen the Enlightened" (แม่ชีบุญเรือนผู้บรรลุธรรม)

• "Maechee Ruesi" (แม่ชีฤๅษี) due to her yogic and meditative prowess