Master Guru Chaluay Sombatsuk

Master Guru Chaluay Sombatsuk (1923-2016)

Biography

Master Guru Chaluay Sombatsuk was born in Chiengmai Province on 22 September 1923.  She is a daughter of Mr. Kosit and Mrs. Rien Sombatsuk who have nine children.  After Kru Chaluay finished her school, she worked as a teacher at Chiengmai’s Municipal School #5.  In 1940, her father was invited to practice meditation at Wat Uppakut in Chiengmai with Venerable Somjit who came from Wat Paknam.  After her father had tried Dhammakaya meditation, he could recover from his illness.  Thus, Mr. Kosit persuaded his family members to practice meditation with him.  Then, Kru Chaluay had an opportunity to practice meditation for the first time.  In December of the same year, Kru Chaluay traveled to Wat Paknam in Bangkok to further her meditation practice.  At Wat Paknam, she had a chance to study meditation with a Buddhist nun, Maechee Thongsuk Samdaengpan.  This allowed her to attain Dhammakaya.  After that, she returned to Chiengmai province.  In April 1941, Chaluay visited Wat Paknam again, and Luang Por Wat Paknam had her further her meditation experience to the advanced level by studying with Maechee Yanee Siriwoharn.  Then, Chaluay was allowed to practice the advanced superknowledge of Dhammakaya (Vijja Dhammakaya) at the meditation workshop.  After that, she was ordained to be a Buddhist nun.  Kru Chaluay had been a Buddhist nun for four years, then she disrobed.  However, she still continued to practice advanced Dhammakaya meditation at Wat Paknam and observed eight precepts.  She was chosen by Luang Por to be one of the supervisors of the meditation workshop.  In 1958, Luang Por started to get sick, so he ordered Kru Chaluay to return to Chiengmai.  After Kru Chaluay returned to Chiengmai, Luang Por passed away in February of the following year.  Hence, Kru Chaluay returned to Wat Paknam again to practice advanced Dhammakaya meditation at the meditation workshop for one more year and returned to live in Chiengmai permanently.  Totally, Kru Chaluay had practiced advanced Dhammakaya meditation at Wat Paknam for 17 years.  Kru Chaluay passed away peacefully in 2016.