Upali Thera

Upali Thera (, ), 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.

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.

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. 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.

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. 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.