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Adam Simpson: Energy, Governance and Security in Thailand and Myanmar (Burma) 138. Yvonne Spielmann: Contemporary Indonesian Art 139. Vibeke Børdahl and Liangyan Ge: Western Han 140. Hew Wai Weng: Chinese Ways of Being Muslim 141. Geoffrey C. Gunn: Monarchical Manipulation in Cambodia 142.Preview Gregory Raymond: Thai Military Power 143. Michael Fredholm: Afghanistan Beyond the Fog of War 144. Martin Seeger: Gender and the Path to Awakening 145. Klaas Stutje: Campaigning in Europe for a Free Indonesia NIAS Press is the autonomous publishing arm of NIAS – Nordic Institute of Asian Studies, a research institute located at the University of Copenhagen. NIAS is partially funded by the governments of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden via the Nordic Council of Ministers, and works to encourage and support Asian studies in the Nordic countries. In so doing, NIAS has been publishing books since 1969, with more than two hundred titles produced in the past few years. UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN Nordic Council of Ministers Seeger-book.indd 2 30/07/2018 11:43 Gender and the Path to Awakening Hidden Histories of Nuns in Modern Thai Buddhism Martin Seeger Preview Seeger-book.indd 3 30/07/2018 11:43 Gender and the Path to Awakening Hidden Histories of Nuns in Modern Thai Buddhism Martin Seeger Nordic Institute of Asian Studies Monograph series, no. 144 First edition published in 2018 by Silkworm Books P.O. Box 296, Phra Singh Post Office, Chiang Mai 20205, Thailand E-mail: [email protected] • Online: www. silkwormbooks.com First published in Europe in 2018 by NIAS Press NIAS – Nordic Institute of Asian Studies Øster Farimagsgade 5, 1353 Copenhagen K, Denmark Tel: +45 3532 9501 • Fax: +45 3532 9549 E-mail: [email protected] • Online: www.niaspress.dk © Silkworm Books 2018 Preview All rights reserved A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN: 978-87-7694-258-8 (pbk) Cover photo by Martin Seeger All photos by the author unless otherwise credited. Typeset in Garamond Premier Pro 11.5 by Silk Type Printed and bound in Great Britain by Marston Book Services Limited, Oxfordshire Seeger-book.indd 4 30/07/2018 11:43 For Adcharawan, Atipa, and Chayagorn Preview Seeger-book.indd 5 30/07/2018 11:43 Preview Seeger-book.indd 6 30/07/2018 11:43 Contents List of Illustrations ......................................................................................................................................................................... ix Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................................................................................... xi Notes on Romanization, Translations, and Language Conventions xv Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 1 Chapter 1 The emaleF in Thai Buddhism ....................................................................................... 17 Chapter 2 Biography and Hagiography: Female Practitioners in Modern Thai Buddhism ............................................................................................................................. 47 Khunying Damrongthammasan Yai Wisetsiri (1882–1944) 62 Mae Bunruean Tongbuntoem (1895–1964) ....................................................... 70 Mae Chi Kaew Sianglam (1901–91) ................................................................................... 83 Mae Chi Nari Karun (1876/77–1999) .......................................................................... 92 Mae Chi Phimpha Wongsa-udom (1912–2010) .......................................... 97 Mae Chi Soda Sosut (1920–2009) .................................................................................... 101 Preview Chapter 3 Female Sainthood in Modern Thai Buddhism ............................ 107 Chapter 4 Material Expressions of Female Sainthood ........................................ 139 Chapter 5 The mportanceI of Orality and Memory in Spiritual Practice .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 181 Chapter 6 Experiencing Gender ................................................................................................................... 215 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 247 Abbreviations for Pali texts ........................................................................................................................................ 253 Notes ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 255 Glossary ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 293 References ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 299 Index ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 329 vii Seeger-book.indd 7 30/07/2018 11:43 Preview Seeger-book.indd 8 30/07/2018 11:43 Illustrations Map of Thailand ......................................................................................................................................................................... xviii Figure 1. Hagiography of Mae Bunruean Tongbuntoem together with a medallion amulet ........................................................................................................................................... 6 Figure 2. Cover page of cremation volume of Khunying Damrongthammasan (Yai Wisetsiri) .............................................................................................. 11 Figure 3. Statue of Mae Chi Wuek in Ban Chiwuek ................................................... 14 Figure 4. The rdinationo hall of Wat Thammikaram .............................................. 64 Figure 5. Picture of Khunying Yai as mae chi ........................................................................... 66 Figure 6. First editions of Khunying Yai’s texts .................................................................... 68 Figure 7. Mae Bunruean shrine in Wat Awutwikasitaram ................................ 73 Figure 8. Cremation volume of Mae Chi Phimpha Wongsa-udom ........................................................................................................................................................................ 99 Figure 9. Stūpa built for Mae Chi Soda Sosut ................................................................... 104 Preview Figure 10. Matichon front page showing devotees after the cremation of Luang Ta Mahabua, and a picture of the metal coffin .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 145 Figure 11. Amaradevo Bhikkhu’s book Phra that: Marvelous things of Buddhism ...................................................................................................................................................... 148 Figure 12. Mae Chi Kaew medallion amulet ........................................................................... 155 Figure 13. Mae Chi Kaew stūpa in Wat Pa Kaew Chumphon ............... 160 Figure 14. Mae Chi Kaew stūpa in Ban Huai Sai .......................................................... 160 Figure 15. Phra That Phanomstūpa in Nakhon Phanom Province 164 Figure 16. Statue of Mae Bunruean next to those of the Buddha and Jīvaka-Komārabhacca in Wat Awutwikasitaram ................................... 169 Figure 17. Khun Mae Bunruean Tongbuntoem Museum in Wat Samphanthawong ......................................................................................................................................................... 170 Figure 18. Phra Phuttho Noi amulets .................................................................................................