Ecclesiastical peerage of Thailand explained

Ecclesiastical peerages (Thai: สมณศักดิ์; ; literally "ecclesiastical dignity") have traditionally been given to ordained members of the Thai sangha, the community of the Buddhist monks of Thailand.

Each ecclesiastical peer holds a rank (Thai: ยศ;) and a title (Thai: ราชทินนาม;). For example, Phra Dharma Kośācārya (Thai: พระธรรมโกศาจารย์;) is the title of a monk holding the rank of phra rachakhana (Thai: พระราชาคณะ) in the dharma class. In addition to an ecclesiastical peerage, a monk may also be known by a layname (name as a layperson) and a dharmic name.

Holders of certain ranks are given (Thai: พัดยศ;).

History

The custom of giving peerages to Buddhist priests originated in Sri Lanka and is believed to have been practiced in Thailand since the time of the Sukhothai Kingdom, during which the Sri Lanka's sect of Buddhism known as Laṅkāvaṃśa (Thai: ลังกาวงศ์) was prevalent in the region and it appears that Srī Śraddhā (Thai: ศรีศรัทธา;), a nephew of King Pha Mueang, a local leader at that time, even travelled to the isle of Sri Lanka where he was ordained as a priest and was given a peerage. Stone inscriptions of that time mention such ecclesiastical titles as Mahāthēra (Thai: มหาเถร;) and Mahāsvāmī (Thai: มหาสวามี;).

During the reign of King Mahathammaracha II of Sukhothai, the Buddhist community of Sukhothai was divided into two sects: araṇyavāsī (Thai: อรัญวาสี; ; literally "forest dwellers") and gāmavāsī (Thai: คามวาสี; ; literally "village dwellers"). The patriarchs of both sects held the title Mahāthēra.

In the Ayutthaya Kingdom, the gāmavāsī sect was again divided into two subsects: the northern sect (Thai: หนเหนือ) and the southern sect (Thai: หนใต้). The patriarchs of the northern sect were styled Phra Vanaratna (Thai: พระวันรัตน์;) or Phra Banaratna (Thai: พระพนรัตน์;) and those of the southern sect were styled Phra Buddhaghoṣācārya (Thai: พระพุทธโฆษาจารย์;), whilst the patriarchs of the araṇyavāsī sect were styled Phra Buddhācārya (Thai: พระพุทธาจารย์;). It is also believed that senior monks had been appointed by the monarch of Ayuthaya as supreme patriarchs in charge of the entire monastic community.

In the subsequent kingdoms of Thon Buri and Rattanakosin, the same custom was practiced until the enactment of the Sangha Administration Statute 1902 (Thai: พระราชบัญญัติลักษณปกครองคณะสงฆ์ รัตนโกสินทรศก ๑๒๑) by King Rama V, which established a Sangha Supreme Council to nominate monks to the monarch to be appointed to peerages. This is upheld in the present Sangha Act 1962 (Thai: พระราชบัญญัติคณะสงฆ์ พ.ศ. ๒๕๐๕), except the appointment of the supreme patriarch which has been amended in January 2017 to solely be at the monarch's pleasure in line with the previous tradition.

Ranks and titles

At present, the ranks and titles given to members of the Thai sangha are as follows (from highest to lowest):

Supreme patriarch

See main article: Supreme Patriarch of Thailand.

Supreme patriarch (Thai: สมเด็จพระสังฆราช;) is the highest rank in the Thai sangha. A supreme patriarch who is a member of the royal family is called somdet phra sangkharat chao (Thai: สมเด็จพระสังฆราชเจ้า), whilst one who is a commoner is merely called somdet phra sangkharat.

At present, all the supreme patriarchs are appointed by the monarch of Thailand and are titled Ariyavaṃśāgatañāṇa (Thai: อริยวงศาคตญาณ;), prefixed by the honorific Somdet Phra (Thai: สมเด็จพระ).

Somdet phra rachakhana

Somdet phra rachakhana (Thai: สมเด็จพระราชาคณะ) is the second highest rank in the Thai sangha after the supreme patriarch. At present, somdet phra rachakhana are appointed by the monarch of Thailand and there can only be eight somdet phra rachakhana: four from the Mahā Nikāya sect and the other four from the Dhammayuttika Nikāya sect.

The titles for somdet phra rachakhana, each prefixed by the honorific Somdet Phra (Thai: สมเด็จพระ), are as follows:

TitleIn Thai
VernacularRTGS romanised
AriyavaṃśāgatañāṇaอริยวงศาคตญาณAriyawongsakhatayan
Buḍhācāryaพุฒาจารย์Phuthachan
Buddhaghoṣācāryaพุทธโฆษาจารย์Phutthakhosachan
Buddhajinavaṃṥaพุทธชินวงศ์Phutthachinnawong
BuddhapābacanapatīพุทธปาพจนบดีPhutthapaphotchanabodi
DhīrañāṇamunīธีรญาณมุนีThirayanamuni
Mahādhīrācāryaมหาธีราจารย์Mahathirachan
Mahāmunīvaṃṥaมหามุนีวงศ์Mahamuniwong
Mahārajamaṇgalācāryaมหารัชมังคลาจารย์Maharatchamangkhalachan
Mahāvīravaṃṥaมหาวีรวงศ์Mahawirawong
ÑāṇasaṃvaraญาณสังวรYanasangwon
ÑāṇavarottamaญาณวโรดมYanawarodom
Vajirañāṇavaṃṥaวชิรญาณวงศ์Wachirayanawong
VanarataวันรัตWannarat

Phra rachakhana

Phra rachakhana (Thai: พระราชาคณะ) is the third highest rank in the Thai sangha, divided into two classes: special (Thai: พิเศษ) and ordinary (Thai: สามัญ).

At present, phra rachakhana are appointed by the monarch of Thailand, except those in the saman yok group of the ordinary class who are appointed by the supreme patriarch.

The title chao khun (Thai: เจ้าคุณ) is often used colloquially for monks with the rank of phra rachakhana.

Special classes

There are four special classes:

TitleIn Thai
VernacularRTGS romanised
Phra Brahma Guṇābharaṇaพระพรหมคุณาภรณ์Phra Phrom Khunaphon
Phra Brahma MunīพระพรหมมุนีPhra Phrom Muni
Phra ŚāsanasobhaṇaพระศาสนโสภณPhra Satsanasophon
Phra SudharmādhipatīพระสุธรรมาธิบดีPhra Suthammathibodi
TitleIn Thai
VernacularRTGS romanised
Phra Dharma Kośācāryaพระธรรมโกศาจารย์Phra Tham Kosachan
Phra Dharma RājānuvatraพระธรรมราชานุวัตรPhra Tham Rachanuwat
Phra Dharma Śīlācāryaพระธรรมศีลาจารย์Phra Tham Silachan
Phra Dharma VisuddhimaṇgalaพระธรรมวิสุทธิมงคลPhra Tham Wisutthimongkhon
TitleIn Thai
VernacularRTGS romanised
Phra Dēba GuṇādhāraพระเทพคุณาธารPhra Thep Khunathan
Phra Dēba ÑāṇamaṇgalaพระเทพญาณมงคลPhra Thep Yanamongkhon
Phra Dēba Siddhācāryaพระเทพสิทธาจารย์Phra Thep Sitthachan
Phra Dēba VidyāgamaพระเทพวิทยาคมPhra Thep Witthayakhom
TitleIn Thai
VernacularRTGS romanised
Phra Rāja BhāvanavikramaพระราชภาวนาวิกรมPhra Rat Phawanawikrom
Phra Rāja DharmanidēśaพระราชธรรมนิเทศPhra Rat Thammanithet
Phra Rāja Sumēdhācāryaพระราชสุเมธาจารย์Phra Rat Sumethachan
Phra Rāja VisuddhiprajānāthaพระราชวิสุทธิประชานาถPhra Rat Wisut Prachanat

Ordinary class

There are 477 posts available in the ordinary class, with 348 for Mahā Nikāya and 129 for Dhammayuttika Nikāya.

Members of this class have the honorific Phra (Thai: พระ) prefixed to their titles, such as:

TitleIn Thai
VernacularRTGS romanised
Phra CullanāyakaพระจุลนายกPhra Chunlanayok
Phra Ñāṇavisāla ThēraพระญาณวิสาลเถรPhra Yanawisan Thera
Phra Maṇgala SundaraพระมงคลสุนทรPhra Mongkhon Sunthon
Phra Siddhikāra KośalaพระสิทธิการโกศลPhra Sitthikan Koson

Phra rachakhana in the ordinary class are also divided into four groups:

Phra khru

Phra khru (Thai: พระครู) is the lowest rank in the Thai sangha, divided into three classes:

Holders of this rank have the honorific Phra Khru prefixed to their titles, such as:

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TitleIn Thai
VernacularRTGS romanised
Phra Khru ÑāṇasāgaraพระครูญาณสาครPhra Khru Yanasakhon
Phra Khru Paññā Vuḍḍhi SundaraพระครูปัญญาวุฒิสุนทรPhra Khru Panya Wut Sunthon
Phra Khru Pavara DharmakiccaพระครูบวรธรรมกิจPhra Khru Bowon Thammakit
Phra Khru Vimala GuṇākaraพระครูวิมลคุณากรPhra Khru Wimon Khunakon