Upali Thera

Upali Thera (Thai: อุบาลี, RTGS: Ubali), also known as Phra Ubali, was a Thai Theravāda monk and royal missionary during the reign of King Borommakot of the Krung Sri Ayutthaya. He is best known as the founder of the Siam Nikaya in Sri Lanka and for reviving the upasampadā (higher ordination) lineage among Sinhalese monks in 1753.^[1]

Upali Thera
Statue of Phra Ubali in the Mahathera Museum
Title	Phra Ubali
Died	2298 BE
Religious life
Religion	Theravāda Buddhism
Temple	Wat Buppharam

Biography

Early life and mission

Phra Ubali initially resided at Wat Thammaram, a modest monastery bordered by Wat Thakarong, Wat Kasatrathirat, and the Chao Phraya River in present-day Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province.^{[citation needed]}

In 1752., he led a delegation of Thai monks to Kandy, Sri Lanka, upon the request of the Sinhalese king, to restore the upasampada ordination lineage, which had lapsed for centuries.^[2] He and his entourage resided at Wat Buppharam, now known as Malwatta Vihara, and within three years had ordained over 700 monks, including Samanera Saranankorn and his group.^[3]

Founding of the Siam Nikaya

His actions led to the establishment of the Siam Nikaya—the most prominent and orthodox Buddhist monastic order in Sri Lanka. Upali Thera considered the existing Sangha to be corrupt, due in part to practices like astrology, and sought to purify it. His reformation introduced a stricter Vinaya adherence modeled after Thai practices.^[1]

Reformation of the Sacred Tooth Relic Procession

Upali Thera also reorganized the Kandy Esala Perahera, the annual Procession of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. Previously centered around veneration of Hindu deities incorporated into local Buddhist traditions, the festival was reoriented by Upali to emphasize devotion to the Buddha. A royal decree declared: “Henceforth Gods and men are to follow the Buddha.”^[1]

Death and legacy

Phra Ubali passed away in 1755 from an ear infection at Malwatta Vihara. The King of Sri Lanka held a grand cremation at Adahanamaluwa (present-day Asgiriya Temple), and later ordered a pagoda constructed to house his remains.^[4] His kuti (hut), including his bed and writing desk, is still preserved and revered by devotees.

He is honored in both Thai and Sri Lankan Buddhist traditions as one of the most influential missionary monks in history and as a symbol of monastic discipline and transnational Theravāda unity.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Siam Nikaya
• Malwatta Vihara
• Kandy Esala Perahera
• Theravāda Buddhism in Sri Lanka
• Wat Thammaram
• Upasampadā