SAMUT SAKHON, Thailand — A Buddhist monk living in a monastery in Thailand won a nearly $175,000 lottery jackpot thanks to a "lucky" number revealed to him by a tree.
Phra Prawit Techapalo, 41, of the Cheepakhao Temple in Samut Sakhon, located just outside of Bangkok, revealed he won first prize in the lottery after a longtime habit of purchasing several tickets every month.
Phra Prawit's announcement was seen as controversial by some who pointed out monks are supposed to forgo luxuries such as money.
Phra Prawit, who became a monk about 10 years ago, said he chose "84" as the last of the numbers on his winning ticket after the "lucky" number was revealed to him while examining the textures of a teak tree on the monastery grounds.
The monk said his $173,493 windfall will go toward buying his mother a house, school tuition for his son and a funeral for his temple's recently deceased abbot.
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Wow
wow is right, pretty cool.
The monk is a liar.
He got lucky just like everyone else that has ever won a prize.
Just another lottery winner with another creative story of how they won.
Was invited to a house party by a friend. Did not know anyone there. Heard a big ruckus in one room and checked it out. There were a bunch of Buddhist monks and other guests playing cards. There was gambling and drinking and laughing. The monks were the life of the party. So, if you really want to spice up a party, invite some monks.
Maybe. Or maybe we should all be studying tree textures.
OK. This gives me a different perspective....
Having lived in a home with a Korean Buddhist priest, I can attest to that.
He prays hard and he drinks/parties hard.
Kinda like New Yorkers, Koreans don't do anything half-way.
LOL!
Got milk
Teak huh? great wood for boat building
but for picking lottery numbers? thats the first I've heard...lol
wait, I think I have some lying around the boathouse.
Trees are wonderful and remember the heavy tree canopy around the Whitehouse likely saved it on 9-11.
Check out the Celtic Tree Calendar. Many cultures have a belief system associated with plants and trees.
We get lots of Medicine from them.
I agree with Todd!!!
I'm not buying this story.
I did not think the Monks were allowed off of the premises to participate in worldly activities.
The Monk is not a liar concerning his explanation of how he chose # 84. What he is actually implying relative to tree textures, is that his "Divine Intuition" was triggered by viewing tree textures, and the # 84 simply "came to him" intuitively >>> to play this particular number [# 84]. It's all a matter of Intuition and Interpreting Signs and Symbols, in everyday life !!!
I agree.
I guess things have changed with the belief that monks are supposed to forgo luxuries such as money. This is the second story about monks and the lottery.
Back on Jan. 12, 2016, Todd reported about a 61-year-old monk in Philadelphia who was at a Sunoco gas station store on South Broad Street buying lottery tickets from a machine on Jan. 3 when an unidentified black male snatched $350 in cash from the monk's hands and ran out of the door.
Buddhist monk fights back after getting robbed buying lottery tickets
It is wrong to condemn any religious person for earning money outside the donations they receive. As long at it does not break the laws like those tv evangelists did.
A monk, Pastor, Priest who has talent in music, oratory, or any other blessings should be able to market them.
A citizen author may make $50 million off his books and film adaptations. Why should a professional religious person not be able to profit off his/her works?
People vote with their dollars, yen, marks, pounds, rubels, etc.
There could be some truth to all of this but it would involve LP as well. This monk could have studied trees, and having access to a computer he could have simple clicked on " systems" on the LP page and under "convert words to numbers" added in the following " appearance of tree trunk & texture is rough to the touch." Put in those specific words & his winning numbers would appear.
* Mystery solved.
No, he's telling the truth. He got his number from tree bark.
It was, however, pure coincidence that the number drawn happened to match his number.
Everyone has a winning strategy and his just happen to finally work. Call it luck or fate but his ship has came in.
I'm looking into a tall glass of cold beer right now. Don't see any numbers but sure am feeling better.
LOL
Enjoy your Labor Day weekend's refreshments. Cheers.
Yea you too music. Well... If we don't win, at least we can feel better about it. LOL
Thats not a bad idea. I wonder if it will work with scotch? or... maybe I'll get my next set of numbers from
Packers jerseys....it worked for some lady in Texas awhile back.
l thought so myself but given that his allowed his pic to be taken, tells me that he doesn't give a rat's A' whether they boot him from the monastery or not.