What we do know is that he was born in BE 2461 as Chuen Srisode, in Swaisrisopon Province, Cambodia as one of seven children.
Aged 15 years he entered monastic life as novice in a Cambodian temple and was ordained a monk aged 20 when he was renamed Chuen Titayano. We know that he often went on pilgrimage into deep forests where he learnt from ascetics and other senior monks.
It is also known that he spent a considerable period of time at Khao Kulen, the location of a Khmer monastic school where he was initiated into powerful Brahmin magic, a place where many senior monks and ascetics would gather to learn and practice arcane occultism. (witayakom)
Khao Kulen located in Siem Reap province and is thought very scared. During Angkorian era it was known as Mahendrapavata (the mountain of Great Indra) and was the place where Jayaverman II had himself declared chakravrtin (King of Kings), an act which is considered the foundation of the Khmer empire. Even today Kulen is home to holy men who continue to study and hermits/ascetics that live in ancient pagodas. |