TikTok never fails to amaze people with its content, and this week the short video-sharing platform brought to light an alleged Buddhist monk from Thailand.
The videos of the man, whose name is Luang Pho Yai, went viral in February 2022 after rumors suggested he was a staggering 163-year-old man.
However, the rumors are not actually true, as the alleged granddaughter of Yai — who has been posting his videos on TikTok and goes by the username @auyary13 — recently revealed the old man's real age.
Auyary13 Reveals Luang Pho Yai's Real Age
Since the videos on her account started getting viral, Auyary was constantly asked about her grandfather's age and if the rumors of him being 163-year-old were true.
In one of her videos, a user, who goes by the name Sangay Chophel, similarly inquired, writing, "how old are grandma [sic]?"
Responding to the comment, Auyary wrote, "109 years old."
Luang Pho Yai's granddaughter Auyary reveals his age. (Photo: TikTok)
In the wake of the situation, netizens also shared Auyary's videos while making jokes about the old man's joke. Some went too far and described him as a "mummy" and a "corpse."
Auyary, therefore, responded to one person's comment referring to him as a corpse, writing [translated and edited for clarity], "[He is] not a corpse... Let's have some respect for Luang Ta. If you don't like it, please scroll past and don't comment anything like this."
Other Confusions around Viral Luang Pho Yai
Besides his age, people are also discussing various other things about the old man and getting themselves confused.
For instance, many believe that the old man is a Buddhist monk who previously practiced Sokushinbutsu, a term that refers to self-mummification.
However, there is no confirmation [from anyone] that he was practicing Sokushinbutsu, even though he appears to be a monk with his outfit.
Likewise, some confuse this old man with another Buddhist monk called Ajahn Maha Bua. That is because a quick search on Google typing "Luang Ta" shows results about monk Bua, who is also known as Luang Ta.
But they are not the same person, and the man in the TikTok videos should not be confused with him.
Bua was a Thai Buddhist monk who was one of the most famous teachers of the Thai Forest Tradition. The renowned educator was born in 1913 and died in 2011 at the age of 102.
Some Confuse the Old Man for 399-Year-Old Woman
Some videos on TikTok even claim that there exists a 399-year-old woman who is the oldest person in the world.
For instance, a video posted by @briar_cares — with over 60 million videos and more than 7 million likes — asserted that the woman was the oldest person in the world. And similar other vidoes claim that she cannot move or speak due to her old age.
But quite interestingly, all those vidoes claiming the person in the video to be close to 400 years old are actually attaching the pictures and snaps of the same old man, also known as the Buddhist monk from Thailand.
And it turns out some users have been making false claims and noting the old man as the 399-year-old woman. In reality, there is no such woman.
On the other hand, Guinness World Records verified that Kane Tanaka from Fukuoka, Japan, is the oldest living person in the world on March 9, 2019. Tanaka, a woman, is 119-year-old [as of 2022] and was born on January 2, 1903.
Auyary13 Updates Luang Pho Yai's Health Condition
Auyary began posting about her grandfather in late 2021, showing her concern for Yai's degrading health condition.
In a January 2022 video, she revealed she was taking him to the hospital because she wasn't able to see him endure such pain.
The video also showed that the old man was able to speak and communicate with his granddaughter.
"it's incredible that he's able to speak and sit up so well at his age. he's clearly so strong and I hope he isn't in much pain," a user wrote in the comment section.
In the recent videos, she implied that her grandfather was recovering and able to eat food. Now, she is also active on Instagram.
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