Monk Chau Soc Thon was born into a family of farmers in Tri Ton district. He weighed only 2.7kg at birth and was often sick and had to be hospitalized for treatment. At the age of 4, Chau Soc Thon became very ill and was taken to the hospital by his parents.

The doctor said Chau Soc Thon would not survive, so he was returned to his family. When the grandfather came to hug Chau Soc Thon for the last time, he saw that his grandson had regained consciousness.

Later, at the age of 18, he suddenly had severe abdominal pain and had to have appendix surgery.

“My condition became serious so I was transferred from the hospital in Tri Ton to the hospital in Long Xuyen (An Giang). When I was put in the emergency room, my heart rate became weaker, and the doctor told my parents to prepare to sign papers to take me home to take care of the aftermath. Then my heart rate suddenly elevated again,” he said.

“After my two near-death experiences, my parents were sad and they wanted me to enter the monastery. My parents sent me to Ta Pa pagoda when I was 20 years old,” added monk Chau Soc Thon.

Monk Chau Soc Thon's mother Neang Nhung said that her son had been constantly ill since childhood. The family had to sell their land and borrow money to pay for treatment.

“From childhood to the age of 18, Thon experienced near-death twice. Perhaps because of taking too much medicine, Chau Soc Thon's body did not develop like a normal person," said Neang Nhung.

Most Venerable Chau Sung, Abbot of Ta Pa Pagoda, affirmed the well-known story of monk Chau Soc Thon being "dead and resuscitated again".

“From a young age, monk Chau Soc Thon followed his father to the auxiliary temple to clean and carry alms bowls. Monk Chau Soc Thon has been practicing in the temple since the age of 20. Since then, he has been healthy and no longer experiences apparent death like before," said Venerable Chau Sung.

As for being 31 with a tiny body, monk Chau Soc Thon said he had been to the hospital for a health check and the results were normal.

“In my family, my parents and siblings are all tall. My height and weight have not changed over the years," said monk Chau Soc Thon.

When summer comes, monk Chau Soc Thon teaches Khmer script to ethnic children in the area. Every afternoon, the class resounds with the sounds of words of the teacher and the children.

“I have been teaching Khmer for four years. This class opened because of the idea of ​​​​the master since he wants the children to know both Vietnamese and Khmer. Even though I have a small body, they still respect me," said monk Chau Soc Thon.

“Many people who first meet me think I'm a little 10-year-old boy. When I say I am over 30 years old they don’t believe me. When I show them my citizen ID, they are surprised...," monk Chau Soc Thon said with a smile.

T. Chi