ARJAN CAVE
THE HEART OF KAMALAYA
Koh Samui has long been favoured by Buddhist monks as a sanctuary for spiritual retreats. The island, they say, has a special energy that enriches and enlightens their spiritual path and helps them connect more profoundly with the universal energies. Kamalaya’s facilities and accommodations encircle a centuries-old cave, once used by Buddhist monks as a place for meditation and spiritual retreat. The tradition of these monks continues at Kamalaya and adds an aura of spiritual and sacred energy to the physical beauty of the land.
The Arjan Cave is always open and guests are welcome to enter this sacred space for quiet contemplation and meditation.
Arjan Daeng (1889-1976), was a Buddhist sage renowned for his knowledge of healing plants and his ability to communicate with other life forms, including the cobras that shared his living space. An expert sailor, he built his own boat and made pilgrimages to outlying islands where he established other hermitages. He is remembered for his talks on universal compassion and his exemplary teachings of self-discipline, simplicity, patience, and kindness to all beings.
Other Monks who inhabited the cave include:
Arjan Pet – (proper name: Luang Por Daeng Tow) was known as “Diamond Teacher” and considered a great reformer of Thai Buddhism.
Arjan Mahasumreong – the most recent monk to inhabit the cave at Kamalaya, he made renovations and added the still-existing skylight. A great scholar, he translated many original Pali texts into the Thai language. He moved to teach at a monastery in the Thai province of Kanchanaburi and passed away in June 2010 at age of 93 after 73 years of serving as a Buddhist monk.