Famous ex-monk marries

Famous ex-monk marries

Mitsuo Shibahashi has married a Thai woman in Japan after shocking his followers by leaving the monkhood after nearly four decades.

After registering his marriage with Suttirat Muttamana in Iwate prefecture in Japan on Friday, Mr Mitsuo, formerly known as Phra Mitsuo, posted a video on YouTube and said the woman was his destiny. He confirmed that the marriage was consensual between the two.

Mr Mitsuo admitted that he had never thought about leaving the monkhood until he met Mrs Suttirat, which eventually led to his decision to return to ordinary secular life.

The couple's marriage certificate identifies Mr Mitsuo as a self-employed worker and Mrs Suttirat, 52, as a businesswoman.

Iwate on northeastern Honshu island is the home of the 61-year-old Japanese native.

The former abbot of Sunandavaram forest monastery in Sai Yok district of Kanchanaburi province left the monkhood on June 8 without telling anybody.

As Phra Mitsuo, he had been a renowned monk with many followers because of his ability to simplify Buddhist teaching, especially meditation practice, under the name of Mitsuo Gavesako.

Mrs Suttirat posted pictures of herself and the former monk on her Facebook page on Thursday. She said she did so in order to end rumours that she had been trying to blackmail him and lure him out of his robes.

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