Description
Wat Pa Issoratham (วัดป่าอิสระธรรม) in Sakon Nakhon is the home of revered Thai monk Luang Pu Soon Chantawanno (หลวงปู่สูนย์ จันทวัณโณ), whose many astonishing abilities include the diagnosis of (as-of-yet) unrevealed physical ailments, which later have been confirmed by doctors.
Luang Pu Soon follows the ascetic forest tradition of Thai Buddhism. He teaches a simple philosophy of life: "Let everyone make merit, do good, avoid evil. Accumulate a lot of merit so that you will be comfortable...in every world, every life."
It's said that when he once visited a village next to the Ban Nim Ram river in Nakhon Phanom, a Naga serpent rose out of the river, which was witnessed by 30 people. You will see two Naga statues guarding the steps of a museum pagoda at Wat Pa Issoratham, which house the relics of Luang Pu Sila Assaro (หลวงปู่สีลา อิสสโร), the former abbot of the temple, who passed away in 1967 and was an acolyte of Ajahn Mun Bhuridatta.
Wat Pa Issoratham is noted for the sacred amulets it creates that bear the likeness of Luang Pu Soon, whom in 2023 is now 87 years old. This forest temple has beautiful, shady grounds and a lovely Ubosot with rustic cement archways that are carved in Isan folk style with Buddhist and Hindu iconography.
Wat Pa Issoratham is located in the Akat Amnuai district of Sakon Nakhon, which is about 1 hour from the downtown area. If you are taking a day trip to the amazing Wat Phu Tok temple in neighboring Bueng Kan province, you'll pass Wat Pa Issoratham on the way, making it easy to drop by the temple on your way back to Sakon Nakhon.
