Luang Ta Maha Bua, a former disciple of Luang Pu Man now in his 90s, is one of Thailand’s most revered monks. Though he earned his reverence as a meditation master, he gained universal celebrity after the 1997 economic crisis by collecting over 10,000kg of gold (people turned in jewellery to be melted down) and US$10 million in baht to help pay the country’s international debts. Over 250 monks and mâa chee (nuns), all taking ascetic vows in addition to the regular 227 precepts, live and meditate at Wat Pa Ban Tad , a humble forest wát 16km south of Udon, including about a dozen Westerners.
