HER JOURNEY TO SPIRITUAL AWAKENING AND ENLIGHTENMENT – MAE CHEE KAEW

Preface

While I was living at Nakamnoi Forest Monastery in 2007, the abbot, Ajaan Intawai Santussako, asked me to translate a biograph- ical sketch of Mae Chee Kaew from Thai into English, which he intended to publish in both languages. Although the sketch he gave me was rather brief, Ajaan Intawai graciously made available all pre- vious writings about Mae Chee Kaew’s life that he had collected. After translating the shortened version of her life into English, I decided to write a complete account based on more extensive re- search into the events that shaped her life and marked each step on her path to enlightenment. Nakamnoi Forest Monastery provided me with a calm and supportive environment in which to work, and the monks there provided valuable research assistance. Mae Chee Kaew’s collected teachings, excerpts of which are quoted at the beginning of each chapter, presented a special challenge as most of them were recorded in her native Phu Tai dialect. I am indebted to those ethnic Phu Tai monks who helped me to decipher their meaning.