In the following clip by Zhongtian News, Taiwan, it was reported that Hong Kong movie star Cecilia Cheung rented an antique Phra Somdej amulet for NT600, 000 and which had brought Cecilia Cheung tremendous career luck. However, according to the news anchor, an expert in Thai amulets pronounced that an antique Phra Somdej amulet does not command that kind of value Cecilia Cheung had paid for. Master Tan provided a thorough response and exposed the shoddy culture behind Taiwan’s news reporting…
Generally, an informed critic is a person who possesses profound knowledge in a specific field albeit not necessarily having to be a specialist in the said field but suffice that he is able to assess, evaluate, and communicate an objectively informed opinion or critique about a subject matter, for example, social or government policy. Do take note that I stipulated “profound knowledge” and not “specialized knowledge” although the latter may be preferable otherwise any opinion delivered stands the risk of being ill-informed and stupid if not misleading. These minimum criterions for criticism are necessary to invoke a judicious application of the mental faculty through examination of sensation by deliberation which in turn allow for a distinction to be drawn between a critique and a rant.
Pursuant to the afore-mentioned, there are inevitably many “critics” who adopt title inflation in order to justify their criticism as informed opinions. For example, here in Taiwan, there is a profuse and loose use of the term “師” which literally means a “master”, “teacher’, or “expert” and it is not surprising to hear plumbers, tilers, cooks, and et cetera being addressed as “師”. With as much looseness as the use of the term “師” there is also a liberal use of the term “評論家” or critic which is why we are seeing abundant commentary programs and commentary news (評論節目) here that is of entertaining quality more than knowledgeable deliberation. Inevitably, we too are seeing such title inflation and ill-informed commentary taking a toll on Thai Buddhism here.
The above is a Taiwan news clip by Zhongtian News on a Phra Buddha Somdej amulet rented for NT600, 000 by Hong Kong movie star Cecilia Cheung. It was reported that that Somdej amulet had brought Cecilia Cheung tremendous career luck. In the course of the broadcasting, an expert in Thai Buddhism was also introduced.
It was claimed therein that the particular Somdej amulet rented by Cecilia Cheung is 140 over years of age thereby implying it is possibly the last batch of Phra Buddha Somdej amulet made and consecrated by His Venerable Somdej Phra Buddhachantoh Promarangsi. However, the news reader Liu Yingxiu made a closing statement with a claim that according to expert an antique Somdej amulet does not worth that much of money.
His Venerable Somdej Phra Buddhachantoh Promaragsi
What is the relevance of us sharing this piece of “news” here? Well, it is a general knowledge of Thai Buddhists and Thai amulet collectors that a genuine Somdej amulet made by Somdej Phra Buddhachantoh Promaragsi easily fetch a market price of more than a million baht which is equivalent to more than NT920, 000 and amulets with a price tag of NT500, 000 are just too common. Therefore, that piece of “news” not only highlights the abuse of title inflation, it also underscores the essence of fake news.
NT1.4 million Somdet amulets
The above are photographs taken by our Mr David Tan on 5th June 2013 in Wat Kiat Chayeo which he immediately uploaded to our Facebook and shared them with our valued customers. The asking prices of those Somdej amulets were explicitly shown in the photograph and it was 1.5 million Baht each which is approximately equivalent to NT1.4 million. It was a rare opportunity to catch a glimpse of a genuine antique Somdej amulet of that category and above.
Somdej LP Chung
To-date, we have rented out numerous high-ends Somdej amulets from prominent temples including but not limiting to Wat Rahkang, Wat Mai Amatarot, Wat Kiat Chayeo, Wat Pitkulthong, Wat Natangnok, and et cetera with prices costing more than NT300, 000 – NT500, 000. The piece of news from Zhongtian News and their expert’s opinion is so funny that we took the liberty to share it here just for a laugh! So what do you think? Feel free to express your opinion here.
In our previous article “Phra Jaktukam Ramathep: A Frenzy Culture Within and Beyond Thailand” we categorically helped our readers to correlate facts to their beliefs in identifying who Phra Jakukam Ramathep really is by first distinguishing between facts and falsehoods amongst the numerous stories surrounding the Deity. Consequently, we all came to a firm conclusion by virtue of archaeological evidence, puranic records, and historical verifications that Phra Jaktukam Ramathep is in fact one of Hindu’s supreme God Lord Vishnu. Therefore, in this article, we are going to cross reference the godly abilities of Phra Jaktukam Ramathep with that of Lord Vishnu to enable believers to have a better understanding of their belief.
The Iconic Images of Phra Jaktukam Ramathep
As evidenced in the market, amulets, pendants, and images of Phra Jaktukam Ramathep are made with different materials and come in numerous styles that can prove really confusing to those who do not possess an in-depth understanding about the Deity. However, if believers are observant enough, traditional amulets, pendants, and images of Phra Jaktukam Ramathep contains either an image of the Deity Himself or together with one or more of the following emblematic images such as nagas, sun and moon, and Phra Rahu. More flexibility is accorded only to the rear side of amulets and pendants which may include talismans, images of chedi, Luang Phors, Phra Pidta and et cetera.
Wat Noak, Jaktukam 2 dragons (2nd batch)
However, it has to be emphasised from the outset that these emblematic images are not designs out of whims and fancy but are rooted in puranic records. Each emblematic image that appears with Phra Jaktukam Ramathep is representational of a specific or a series of specific purposes of which can be explained and traced back to puranic records. Therefore, if any emblemtic design accompanying Phra Jaktukam Ramathep that is not traceable and explained in the Puranas, then the origin of those amulets, pendants, and images become fundamentally questionable.
Wat Noak, Jatukam, 1st Batch
Pursuant to the aforementioned, Phra Jaktukam Ramathep and His abilities is the principal effect of His amulets, pendants, and images whilst other emblematic figures possess secondary effects. Therefore, it is the responsibility of amulet dealers to educate their customers and carefully match the latter’s needs with both the principal and secondary effects of amulets and pendants.
For the rest of this article, besides elucidating the capabilities of Phra Jaktukam Ramathep, we are also going to explain how associations between Phra Jaktukam Ramathep and those emblematic images such as nagas, sun and moon, and Phra Rahu occur and what their secondary effects thereof are.
Wat Phutthaisawan – Jaktukam
The above amulet originated from one of Thailand’s historical temple Wat Phutthaisawan in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya district and has once rose to the market value of 100,000 baht during the Jaktukam fever. Today, it remains one of the highly sought after amulets which resulted in many imitations.
Price of the amulet aside, the unique feature here is Phra Jaktukam Ramathep has a five-headed naga acting as His sunshade. The five-headed naga is called Adishesha, the King of all nagas. We will not be delving into the story of Adishesha in this article but suffice to state herein that its five heads represent the five pillars or directions of the universe which it supports and that Adishesha is Lord Visnu’s companion. Adishesha is the protector of life and continuity. Therefore, when Phra Jaktukam Ramathep appears with his naga companion, it is actually Lord Vishnu with his companion Adishesha and it means offering protection to His believers.
Wat Phra Mahathat Voramaha Vihara, Jaktukam
Amulets and pendants featuring Phra Jaktukam Ramathep with the sun, moon, and Phra Rahu may be traced back to the Hindu mythology pertaining to the Churning of the Ocean of Milk as per the Vishnu Purana. This is yet another long and complicated story which is beyond the scope of this article. However, to help our readers correlate the significance of the various emblematic figures we shall provide a brief summary on the Churning of the Ocean of Milk.
Churning of the Ocean of Milk
The Devas, under the curse of sage Durvasas, were losing their powers and needed the amrita in the deep ocean to recover. However, the Devas were already too weak to churn the ocean of milk by themselves and, hence, they tricked the Asuras into helping them by promising the latter a share of the amrita. Nonetheless, after retrieving the amrita, Lord Vishnu transformed into an attractive and captivating damsel to distract and trick the Asuras of their share of the amrita whilst the Devas drank theirs. Only one Asura, that is Rahu, saw through Lord Vishnu’s trick and disguised himself as a Deva to drink the amrita. Nevertheless, Rahu was discovered by Sun God Surya and the Moon God Chandra who exposed Rahu to Lord Vishnu. Just before the amrita took full effect, Lord Vishnu cut Rahu into half but, because of the effect of the amrita, Rahu’s upper body remained immortal. Consequently, Rahu vowed revenge against the Sun and Moon Gods and attempted to swallow them whenever he has the opportunity (the Hindu’s rationale behind eclipse). Nevertheless, the Sun and Moon pass through his belly and end the eclipse. Therefore, when Phra Jaktukam Ramathep amulets and pendants come with the Sun, Moon, and Rahu, it signifies that Phra Jaktukam Ramathep will help His believers to remain unharmed.
With this explanation and association amongst the various emblematic figures, we believe readers are now in an even better position to understand the actual relationship between Phra Jaktukam Ramathep and Lord Vishnu. If we are to believe any of those flawed speculations such as the four guardians of the city, or King Chandra Banu or Lord Sri Srinagarang, also known as “Black King of the South Sea” and the second of the Srivijaya Throne or Avalokiteshvara Bodisattva or anything along this line of propagation then we will equally not be able to explain and categorically elucidate the association and relationship amongst each of those emblematic figures as we have done above.
As regards how an Asuras like Rahu from the nether world is able to gain His own worshippers and help dispel “small people” like backstabbers, gossipers, and et cetera will be fully elaborated and explained in one of our upcoming articles on Phra Rahu.
Where does Phra Jaktukam Ramathep Gets Money to Give Believers?
Remember in our previous article “Phra Jaktukam Ramathep: A Frenzy Culture Within and Beyond Thailand” under the sub-header “The Connection between Sacred Objects and Believers” we postulated that “Faith in Thai Buddhism far transcend the primary prerequisite of mere believe and necessitate a clear description connecting past, present, and future. The same theory applies to the faith connecting believers and sacred objects. Believers need to know the origin (past) of the sacred object, its ability to intervene in a situation (present), and bringing about a desire outcome (future)”? As we all know, Phra Jaktukam Ramathep is known to bestow wealth and fortune on His believers and, consequential thereof, we need to know where lays the means to that end.
To answer this question, we would actually have to return to the Hindu mythology on the Churning of the Ocean of Milk again. Amongst the various Treasures that were churned out from the Ocean of Milk was the Goddess of Wealth and Fortune, Lakshmi, who chose Lord Vishnu as Her consort. The unlimited wealth and fortune is logically from Goddess Lashmi and bestowed on believers in the name of Phra Jaktukam Ramathep.
As we have promised in our earlier article we will not be joining the crowd to just plug information from the thin air when we come to describe Phra Jaktukam Ramathep’s devine abilities and we will provide readers with a cross reference pertaining to each of the afore-stated abilities of Phra Jaktukam Ramathep with that of Lord Vishnu’s to help our readers make senses out of their belief, we believe we had done nothing short of our promises in this article and we earnestly hope you enjoyed it.
The frenzy for Thai Buddhist statues and amulets is an established Thai culture for more than a century. Mystical manifestations and effects arising therefrom have aid in the spreading of this unique Thai culture beyond national border. Unlike religions based on conversion or coercion, Thai Buddhism spreads, grows, and expands based on two primary factors vis-à-vis the wisdom and truth handed down by Lord Buddha as reflected in the Dharma; and the mystical manifestations and effects of sacred objects.
Both westerner and Asian alike, have, since the last four decades or even earlier, came into contact with this unique Thai culture. A large number has embraced and became part of it which contributed to both its growth and frenzy. It is not unusual for an amulet which costs as little as 99 Baht fetching millions in the future. The Thai amulet industry has all along been estimated to be around 20-30 billion Baht per annum. However, this culture has perpetuated and grew quietly until the Phra Jaktukam fever broke and spread like wild fire across the continent in 2007 and caught even the attention of western press like BBC and Reuters. Hitherto, Phra Jatukam statues and amulets remain in high demand in many countries including Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Who is Phra Jaktukam Ramathep?
When it comes to the origin of Phra Jaktukam Ramathep, readers will not be kept short of amusement by numerous write-outs in both the English and Chinese languages where fiction and non-fiction are lumped together to produce loads of interesting stories to entertain, amuse or simply to mislead unsuspecting readers whatever the reasons may be. Owing to the fact that the origin of Phra Jaktukam Ramathep is necessarily related to Wat Mahathat Woramahawihan in Nakhon Si Thammarat, it becomes essential for us to provide our readers with a brief but authentic history of the southern province based on the information gathered from the Fine Arts Department of Thailand before we enter into the crux of this article so as to allow our readers to distinguish between facts and falsehood.
Brief History of Nakhon Si Thammarat
Nakhon Si Thammarat is a province in southern Thailand, approximately 780 kilometers away from the capital. It houses the largest populations in the South but is second to Surat Thani in terms of area. Adjacent provinces include Songkhla, Phatthalung, Trang, Krabi and Surat Thani.
Archaeological evidence discovered and housed in both Wat Mahathat Woramahawihan’s museum and Nakhon Si Thammarat National Museum reflect a long period of history right up-to Rattanakosin Period. The archaeological evidences for the Srivijaya Period were especially abundant. However, amongst the bulk of archaeological evidences which established the presence of Hinduism, the strong influences of Lord Siva and Lord Vishnu on the local culture and a 1000-1400 year-old Siva Lingam was even unearthed at Wat Nang Tra in the Sala district in 2006; pottery and the presence of Chinese Mahayana Buddhism traceable to the Chinese Tang Dynasty were also unearthed. However, there was, nonetheless, no evidence to substantiate the existence of two Siamese princes Jaktukam and Ramathep who were used to cook up fascinating and enthralling stories in relation to the origin of Phra Jaktukam Ramathep.
Photographs extracted from Bangkok Post
Ascertaining the Truth
Remember in our earlier article “Kumanthong: Dispelling Superstition and Falsehood” we emphasised that Thai Buddhism is not a religion based on blind faith. On the contrary, Thai Buddhism pivots on cultivation of wisdom to first identify and reject falsehood on the way to finding the truth. So now allow me to juice things up a little for you here by invoking your critical and analytical processes.
Firstly, do you know who the first Siamese King was? Do not worry, this is not an examination. If you had not studied the history of Thailand, or if you are not familiar with it, you can do a quick Google search. Identification of the first Siamese King will allow us to ascertain the year whereby the Siamese empire was first established. Once that is done, we will then be in the position to authenticate the claim of the two Siamese princes Jaktukam and Ramathep who were said to have lived in the Buddhist year 800 that is year 543.
I am sure you would have gotten the answer. Yes, the first Siamese King was the son of Chinese emigrant named Tae Sin or Zheng Xin. Taksin the Great or Somdet Phra Chao Taksin Maharat of Thongburi who united the territories forming the Kingdom of Siam in 1767, which is Buddhist year 1310. Even if we were to entertain the claim that the Ayudhayans were referred to by their neighbours as Siamese, at most that will bring the first occurrence of the word “Siam” or “Siamese” 417 years earlier to the start of the Ayuthaya period in 1351. If we are to take the second source, that will make Somdej Phra Chao U-thong ( 1350-1369 ) as the first Siamese King, however, his son was Ramesuan and not Jaktukam or Ramathep.
Okay, even that being so we are still not too rash to dismiss the claim as yet. So we are going to make an alternative test. Those rumours also claimed that the two Siamese princes built Wat Phra Mahathat Worammahawihan and housed the Buddha relics they were protecting, right? So what then are we going to do? Yes, we are going to established when Wat Phra Mahathat Worammahawihan was actually built. Oops! Not in the 6th century or anywhere near but, according to UNSECO ‘s record, it was built in the 13th century by King Sri Dhammasokraja.
Alas! What are we to say? That we uncovered another truth and dispelled yet another superstition? No, it is nothing near that great. We merely share some useful historical information with our readers in earnest that they will develop some “punna” in the course hereof. Actually, only if readers were to be more critical in reading these stories, it is not difficult to identify the fallacy contained therein. Similarly, suggestions that Phra Jaktukam Ramathep refers to four guardians of the city, or King Chandra Banu or Lord Sri Srinagarang, also known as “Black King of the South Sea” and second to the Srivijaya Throne or Avalokiteshvara Bodisattva or anything along this line of propagation based solely on false notions has to be unreservedly dismissed as fake news.
The Connection between Sacred Objects and Believers
Probably some believers may perceive that the origin of Phra Jaktukam Ramathep is not important in as long as His amulets and/or statues are effective. However, in order for any sacred objects to be effective, there must be a means connecting the believers to the sacred objects and that connection point is “faith”. Faith is not blind and cannot be blind as is frequently seen. Faith in Thai Buddhism far transcend the primary prerequisite of mere believe and necessitate a clear description connecting past, present, and future. The same theory applies to the faith connecting believers and sacred objects. Believers need to know the origin (past) of the sacred object, its ability to intervene in a situation (present), and bringing about a desired outcome (future). This is a simple logic which involves complex interactions between variables. For easy understanding, let us put it this way, when seeking intervention, we need to identify the correct source and make sure that what we seek is within the means of that said source to intervene. Just imagine, what happens when those who seek to have children make their requests through the Yama （閻羅王）instead of the Goddess of Birth （註生娘娘）? Therefore, knowing the origin of sacred objects is necessary for it to be effective.
Actual Meaning and Correct Belief
Jaktu “จตุ”simply means a city square used for community gathering which Wat Phra Mahathat Worammahawihan was and is. It has remained hitherto a Thai tradition and culture that Thai Buddhist temples are places for community gatherings and bonding. There are currently approximately 40, 717 Thai temples, excluding shrines and Buddhist centres which do not fall within the strict definitions of Thai temples that, for qualification, requires a ubosoth. With the number of Thai temples serving the Thai community, there is invariably a boundary with which each temple operates. The boundary refers to above is called “คาม” in Thai. Therefore, Jaktukam “จตุคาม” means a defined city square whereby community gatherings and activities are being carried out.
Now that we already know the literal meaning of Jaktukam, let us move on to the meaning of Ramathep “รามเทพ”. Rama “รามเ” is the seventh avatar of Hindu God Lord Vishnu. Remember in our earlier article on “The Origin of Phra Prom (Four Face Buddha)” we mentioned three principal Hindu deities comprising Phra Trimurti? Yes, Lord Vishnu is amongst one of those three Supreme Hindu Gods. The final term would be “thep” (เทพ) which simply means Deity.
Therefore, what do we have here? We can safely conclude that Phra Jaktukam Ramathep is neither about two legendary Siamese princes or Avalokiteshvara Bodisattva and King Chandra Banu rather Phra Jaktukam Ramathep, in actual fact means, the Deity Lord Vishnu who guards the Phra Borommathat Chedi which houses the tooth relic of Lord Buddha within the defined boundary of Wat Phra Mahathat Worammahawihan in Nakhon Si Thammarat province.
It is common for people to choose to remember a shorter description of almost everything for convenient purposes and, in this instance, it is no different. Phra Jaktukam Ramathep is now commonly referred to as Phra Jaktukam or just Jaktukam. It is believed that Phra Jaktukam Ramathep protects believers by warding away all evils and He also brings wealth to those who sincerely believe in Him. Since we have helped you identify Phra Jaktukam Ramathep as Lord Vishnu, as a result thereof, we will not be joining the crowd to just plug information from the thin air when we come to describe His abilities. In our upcoming article “Phra Jaktukam Ramathep: Lord Vishnu” we are going to cross reference each of the afore-stated abilities of Phra Jaktukam Ramathep with Lord Vishnu’s capabilities to help our readers make senses out of their belief. So stay tuned and keep a look-out.
Many owners of Thai Buddhist amulet shops claimed to have gone through proper monkhood in Thailand so as to assume proper knowledge of the Theravada traditions. I too am no exception. In this article, I will chronicle the process of my legal ordination in one of Thailand’s historical temple. I used the description “legal ordination” because the process of Thai Theravada Buddhist ordination ceremony (UPASAMPADA) is one which is regulated by The Sangha Act 2505 in line with the ancient order contained in the Buddhist Monastic Rule (VINAYA) laid down since the time of Lord Buddha. In contemporary Thailand, with the rise of tourism, many temples had unofficially lower the bar of ordination for foreigners. Nonetheless, any ceremony not performed according to the Buddhist Monastic Rule is invalid and the candidate is not a monk proper regardless of the temples’ altruistic motive. Therefore, a legal candidate must necessary be familiar with the ordination process. I will not reiterate the entire Buddhist Monastic Rule but suffice to share herein my personal experience.
I will split the Theravada Ordination Ceremony into two sections, namely, the Shaving of the Naga and the Entrance into Vinaya.
Shaving of the Naga
The ordination ceremony in Thailand is still conducted in the Pali language, the original Buddhist language, so as to maintain a certain degree of sacred and solemn formality. The ordination ceremony is not conducted in any other language. Honestly, this is a language not many people are versed in. So am I. Therefore, prior to my ordination, I had the script recited to me and had it recorded phonetically. The meanings thereto were also painstakingly explained to me. Once when I had memorized the script, I returned to the temple and requested to be ordained.
It was in the early morning on or about December 1, 2534, I was legally ordained as a monk in one of Thailand’s historical temple Wat Noi Nanghong, Bangyikhan District, Khet Bang Phlat, Krungthep Maha Nakhon 10700, Thailand. Wat Noi Nanghong was built more than two centuries ago during the Rattanakosin period by Luang Phor Pin Dhamma, a highly respected meditation master from Wat Daodoongsaram, Khon Kaen, Bang Yai, Bang Phlat, Krung Thong, Nakhon Si Thammarat 10700, Thailand. For more than two centuries, Wat Noi Nanghong has hitherto remained an important centre for Thai Buddhism and the current abbot Luang Phor Boonrod is one of the few Pali language specialists.
Wat Noi Nanghong
Wat Noi Nanghong
Wat Noi Nanghong
My ordination ceremony begins with blessing from my late father who initiated the shaving ritual conferring his approval of me entering the Vinaya. That was followed by the Naga ritual initiated by Maha Bard whereby the elder monk shaved my head, eyebrows, and anointed me with pure white water which represented cleanliness of my body and mind.
The Ritual of Shaving the Naga has its root back to the days of Lord Buddha where a serpent transformed himself into human form and was ordained as a monk but when his identity was discovered, Lord Buddha summoned for the Naga and told him that only human can be a monk. Lord Buddha bestowed on the Naga the Five Precepts so that he will attain human existence in his next life thereby allowing him to enter the Vinaya. At the same time, Lord Buddha declared that all future candidates for monkhood will go through the “Naga” ritual before being officially conferred the saffron.
The Naga was then dressed up in:
1. Long-sleeved white shirt
2. White apron
3. White sash
4. Naga belt.
5. White robe embroiled with gold
6. Necklace.
When the Naga ritual is completed, friends and well-wishers broke into fanatical fanfare with musical instruments and dances known to the Thais as temple fun.
My late father initiated the shaving ritual
Maha Bard performing the Ritual of Shaving the Naga
The Naga is dressed in white
Temple fun
In the process of the temple fun, which is actually a ritual informing spirits that that I was about to enter monkhood and they should rejoice and come forward to share and receive the merits. That was why I had to stop and make offerings to the spirits when I encircled the temple compound.
Praying to the spirits
After the proclamation of the upcoming ordination to the spirits, I was ordered to return to the “sala” or simply known as a sacred chamber to listen to a sermon delivered by my would-be teacher Luang Phor Somjit Sukkho. I was told by His Venerable that I will only be accepted as his disciple if I were successfully ordained as a full-fledged monk.
Entrance into Vinaya
Shortly after receiving blessings from His Venerable Luang Phor Somjit Sukkho, I was summoned to the “ubosot” or ordination hall before the congregation of monks assembled. I was stopped approximately twelve feet from the entrance of the ordination hall by two senior monks. That was whence the Ordination Ceremony officially began. As aforementioned, I am an illiterate in as long as Pali language is concerned and, hence, I anxiously and intently listened to the chant delivered by the two senior monks whilst waiting to deliver my answers to the questions asked。
With much anxiety, I finally let out a sigh of relief when I finally cleared the “antarayikadhamma” or the obstacles to entering the Order and was summoned to appear before the Sangha. The moment I stepped into the ordination hall, I received the saffron from my sponsor. The congregation of the Sangha was chaired by a heavyweight monk, Chao Khun Suthep (now known as Chao Khun Phrathep), the abbot of Wat Phra Pathom Chedi, Nakhon Pathom. Chao Khun Phrathep was my Upajjhaya or literally my Preceptor responsible for my good behavior and adherence to the 227 precepts throughout my monastic life. The ceremony continued. I knelt before the Sangha and place the robe down on my left so that I was able to present my Preceptor, Chao Khun Phrathep and two senior invigilators Luang Phor Supod (former abbot of Wat Noi Nanghong) and Luang Phor Boonrod (current abbot of Wat Noi Nanghong) with offerings. Thereafter, I chanted the request of Bhrampacha in Pali (a request to move forth with the ordination) thrice. My Preceptor then instructed me on meditation before delivering the forward and reverse orders. He subsequently place the “amsa” over my head and returned the rest of the bundle of saffron to me which I got changed into.
Officially entering the Vinaya
After I had changed into the saffron, I returned before the Sangha where I took refuge in Triple Gem and received the Ten Precepts. That was really a test of root memory whereby I had to chant in Pali beginning with “ukāsa vandāmi bhante, sabbaṃ aparādhaṃ khamatha me bhante…” followed by a series of to-and-fro chants between Luang Phor Supod, Luang Phor Boonrod and myself. After I successfully completed the undertaking of the Ten Precpts, I became a “nen”or novice.
Anjali Gesture asking for Nissaya
Next I received the alms bowl from my sponsor together with flowers, joss-sticks and candles. I returned to my Preceptor and placed the alms bowl down on my left whilst I presented him with the flowers, joss-sticks and candles.
Making offerings to Chao Khun Suthep
hen I clasped my hands in an “anjali” or a “wai” gesture and requested “Nissaya” through Pali chant. A series of to-and-fro chanting ensued. My Preceptor then told me my Pali name, Khantipalo and placed the alms bowl over my head whereby I carried on my left. I was then instructed to retire outside the assembly.
In just a short while, I was again summoned back to the assembly by the Karmavācācāriya and Anusāvanācāriya. That was when I requested for “upasampada” that was accepting the full 227 Precepts and officially became a full-fledged monk.
Officially accepting the full 227 precepts
After that I became known as Luang Phi Khantipalo. I was allowed to take a short break before my Preceptor instructed me on the Cattaro Nissaya and the four basic needs which anything exceeding thereof are luxury to be denounced. However, contrary to the monastic instruction, I received plenty of gifts and even money on that eventful day which I returned as offerings to all members of the Sangha present and money were in turn donated to temple fund. After-all, entering the Vinaya is all about letting go of worldly possession or was it not?
The entrance to the Vinaya has completed but another series of rituals were about to take place. The Ritual of Wai Kru took place on the night of that eventful day as I was officially accepted as a disciple of guru master Luang Phor Somjit Sukkho which set the journey for decades of learning and practicing of Thai mysticism…
When it comes to the Four-Faced Buddha, we can hear all kinds of rumours that make inevitably make many people sceptical about Thai Buddhism. There are also many unlearned fools who are fond of fabricating many unfounded stories to describe the Four-Faced Buddha, depicting the deity close to the characteristics of demons.
Who actually is Four-Faced Buddha? Do we make vegetarian or non-vegetarian offerings to Him? Do you really need to strip dance or perform an erotic dance in making thanksgiving? The source of the The Origin of Phra Prom (“Four-Face Buddha”)…
When it comes to Thai Buddhism, many people, especially the HongKongers, Taiwanese, Singaporeans and Malaysians, often mistook Phra Prom, commonly referred to as Four-Face Buddha, to be representative of the religion oblivious that Phra Prom is rooted in Hinduism. Thai Buddhism, as the noun denotes, is centred on Lord Buddha. In Hinduism, Phra Prom is known as Lord Brahma and is He is the God of Creation.
In our upcoming article on Phra Pikaniat, we will introduce to our readers the Hindu concept of Trimurti comprising Lords Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu as Supreme Gods. When these three Supreme Gods combined into one single super Being, they are collectively known as Phra Trimurti represented by a Three-Face God symbolising Creator, Preserver, and Destroyer in toto. According to the Puranas, the origin of Lord Brahma is varied and incoherent but it is not the interest of this article to delve into each and every version contained therein but suffice to summarise Lord Brahma as the leader of Phra Trimurti. The Siva Puranas, however, claim Lord Siva as the leader and, of course, the Vishnu Puranas also claim Lord Vishnu as the leader.
Lord Brahma, owing to his supreme position, is less portrayed in myths just like the Jade Emperor in Taoism. Both Gods in their initial stages do not have any visual conceptualisation whilst other Gods in both these religions are oftentimes represented in human forms and take on human characteristics in their spiritual voyages to connect with human believers. Visual depictions were all later creations. Lord Brahma is subsequently depicted as having four heads of which represented wisdom and where-from all the four Vedas originated, four arms, and has a peacock as vahanam (‘坐骑’).
To the astonishment of many people is that despite being the leader of the Supreme Gods, Lord Brahma is not widely worshipped amongst Hindus.
Legend of Curse of Lord Shiva
According to SivaPurana, once Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu were overwhelmed by pomposity as to who was the superior of the two. Their argument became impassioned and intense that Lord Shiva had to intervene and arbitrate. Lord Shiva transformed himself into a gigantic lingam (the phallic representation of Lord Shiva which is known as Palakit in Thailand). The lingam stretched in both directions from heaven to hell. Lord Siva told both Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu that whoever finds the ends of the lingam will the greater of the two. Both Lords Brahma and Vishnu took on the challenge and set out in opposite directions to find the lingam’s end. The search went on for many earth years and both their Lordships realized that the lingam had no end. Lord Vishnu then realized the fact that Lord Shiva was the greatest of Trimurti. However, Lord Brahma decided to deceive Lord Siva. He collaborated with the flower of Ketaki at the uppermost part of the lingam to lie to Lord Siva that He had reached the uppermost part of the lingam and had seen the end. When summoned, the Ketaki flower falsely testified that Lord Brahma had indeed seen the end of the lingam. Lord Siva became so infuriated by the dishonesty that He cursed Lord Brahma that He will thereafter never be worshipped by any human being. He also forbade the Ketaki flower to be used in any future Hindu ritual. Therefore, not many Lord Brahma’s temples survived in India today.
However, among the few Lord Brahma’s temples surviving Lord Siva’s curse is a fourteenth century temple in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India which sees large number of pilgrims annually. Lord Brahma may not have much remaining temples in India and may not have retained as many Hindu believers as He should, however, He undoubtedly did well in exile and has gain a wider and diverse base of believers in Thailand which helps Him expand territorially throughout the whole of SE Asia especially in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and now, in Taiwan.
Lord Brahma in Thailand
Although there is no Lord Brahma’s temple in Thailand but you are able to see statues of Lord Brahma worshipped in many temples and shrines across the Kingdom of Thailand. Perhaps the largest statue of Phra Prom measuring 7.8 meters high and 4.99 meters wide is located in Wat Chong Samaesan Sathirhip, Chon Buri, a historical temple constructed during the reign of King Chulalongkorn.
Wat Chong
Another gigantic Phra Prom statue may be seen in Wat Saman Rattanaram Chachoengsao which has became a top tourist attraction in recent years.
Wat SamaRatanaram
Most foreigners who are not familiar with Thailand have only heard of the shrine at Erawan Hotel and are oblivious of other prominent places which housed and worshipped Phra Prom on larger scales. Besides those afore-mentioned, Wat Bangkudeethong also houses a majestically constructed statue of Phra Prom.
Wat Bangkudeethong
Foreigners are mostly familiar with the Thao Maha Phrom Shrine at the ceremonial court in Earwan Hotel at Ratchaprasong intersection. However, most, if not all, of them mistook the Thao Maha Phrom Shrine as a temple.
There are two stories in relation to the Thao Maha Phrom Shrine. One was pre-Internet version and another post-Internet version.
Post-Internet version
The latest version of the story relating to the Thao Maha Phrom Shrine omitted all mysticism from it. It was said that in 1951, Pol. Gen. Pao Sriyanon was appointed the Police Commissioner of Thailand. The Erawan Hotel at Ratchaprasong intersection was scheduled to be built to accommodate foreign guests. However, during the early stages of construction, many accidents occurred. Finally, after five long years, the project was completed at the end of 1956 and Rear Admiral Luang Suvachan was invited to the opening ceremony. Rear Admiral Luang Suvachan, however, complained that no proper ritual was conducted prior to the construction and the foundation stone was not laid in accordance to auspice of astrological requirement. Furthermore, the name of the hotel “Erawan” is the name of Lord Indra, the God of heavens, lightning, thunder, storms, rains and river flows and, hence, sacred. More misfortunes were prone to occur without appropriate blessings. Rear Admiral Luang Suwachan instructed that it is necessary to seek the blessings of Phra Prom, the Creator so as to absolve all obstacles.
The Phra Prom court was immediately built. The initial intention was to cast a bronze statue of Phra Prom and has it coated with gold leaves but, due to want of time, a gilded stucco statue was constructed instead. The Phra Prom shrine was finally completed in front of the Erawan Hotel on November 9, 1956.
Pre-Internet Version
The pre-Internet version of the story was infused with mysticism instead of astrological perceptions. It was speculated that the location in which the Erawan Hotel sits was an elephant burial ground during ancient time. The construction of the hotel, its pile caps and columns construction had disturbed the spirits of the elephants which thus ran amok causing accidents in the construction site. A monk was invited to perform some rituals at the site and saw the cause of problem. He, therefore, instructed that Phra Prom’s shrine be constructed to subdue the elephant spirits.
Thao Maha Phrom Shrine
Whichever the version of Thao Maha Phrom Shrine is correct does not really matters because it is believed that the worshipping of Phra Prom helps dispel bad luck and frustration, and at the same time, promote good luck and success.
Today, the Thao Maha Phrom Shrine houses a new Phra Prom statue made in May 21, 2006 exactly two months after the original statue was destroyed in an isolated incident of vandalism. Nonetheless, the current Thao Maha Phrom Shrine serves as a generator of myths and tales for foreigners and a source of livelihood for some Thais who facilitate the needs to fulfilling the religious fantasies of foreigners.
As consistently mentioned in our other articles, sacred artefacts must be properly created and consecrated by Thai temples. It has all along been part of the Thai temple culture to make statues and amulets of Buddhas and Gods for believers to own and Phra Prom is also among the legion of highly demanded sacred objects. There are many temples making statues and amulets of Phra Prom but the most famous of them are Wat KiaoJamfar and Wat Noak.
Statues and amulets made and consecrated by Luang Pu Phrathep of Wat KiaoJamfar are quite pricey including the several batches of Phra Prom made. In contrast, those made and consecrated by Ajahn Jet of Wat Noak are more reasonably priced. Nevertheless, Phra Prom originating from both these temples are highly sought after for their effects.
Praying Phra Prom at Home
Another aspect of Phra Prom commonly misunderstood by foreigners is the setting up of a shrine at home. It is commonly misapprehended that Phra Prom must be worshipped outside of the house because He has four faces and neither must face the wall. His shrine should be analogous to that of the Thao Maha Phrom Shrine. Only if believers were to take a step back and look at Lord Brahma’s images in temples, it is not difficult for them to understand the above-mentioned misapprehension arose from stupidity. Once this stupidity is uncovered, the same will go for walking around Phra Prom’s statues when praying. Otherwise only the very rich people with their own yards may worship Phra Prom.
It is our culture and conceptualization passed down from our great teacher Luang Phor Somjit Sukkho that Phra Prom should be honoured on the same altar table as any other Buddhas and Gods unless for specific purposes such as that of Thao Maha Phrom Shrine.
Thanksgivings
When it comes to thanksgiving we are never short-supplied with funny actions from funny people. It is already sinful to offer meat to Phra Prom who is vegetarian and it is even more aberrant to strip dance before Him. The advocacy of strip dancing is probably influenced by the Hindu Story of Sarawati which is not within the discussion of this article but suffice to advise believers herein to discard such foolish act.
Actually offerings to Phra Prom are simple. The primary offerings comprise all types of flowers, fruits (especially coconuts), brown rice, sesame seeds, bean sprouts, herbs, pepper seeds, coriander leaves, basil leaves, fresh vegetables, incense, and frankincense. Just remember not to mix offerings.
Peejok has been with Wat Suan Luang for a long time, approximately some 200 years. Wat Suan Luang is located near the Mekong River. In the past it can only be reached by boats. The river curves right in front of the temple and the water erodes the river bank. One day, a piece of wood was seen floating in front of the temple. A villager paddled his boat towards that piece of wood and noticed it resembled the image of a naked boy. Since then, that piece of wood has been located at Wat Suan Luang.
Since the time of Abbot Phraku Samut Viriyaporn or Luang Pu Perk, he had moved the carving of the naked boy next to the altar table in his room. Upon the passing over of Luang Pu Perk, the new abbot noticed the old kuthip has been damaged and has to be demolished. A new kuthip needed to be built. The ubosot project started by Luang Pu Perk was also incomplete. Furthermore, the temple also needed a bell tower. Other wear and tear also needed repairs. It was obvious that he needed money to carry out those renovations and repair works. But he did not have the money. One night the new abbot prayed then sat and meditated in front of the altar. It was almost midnight and in a vision, he saw a little boy 7-8 years of age who called out to him and said: “Luang Por, make images of me. I will help will help you rebuild this temple”. In the past, the temple has not made any images of PeeJok.
“Luang Por, make images of me. I will help you rebuild this temple.”
The new abbot decided to make PeeJok’s images. Firstly, Luang Por created 259 images. PeeJok told the new abbot that he did not need to invite any guru monks to help him consecrate those images and all he needed was to meditate. The new abbot mediated in front of those images for three months before he released that batch of images to raise funds. Quickly, those images were snatched up by devotees and the abbot had to come out with several other batches. Most of the money received from the sales was spent on building the temple. It was pleasant to learn that those who invited PeeJok have their wishes fulfilled be it business, luck, or career. Even the sacred temple hall that enshrines the Buddha statues to allow the Buddhist monks who pay homage there are all built from PeeJok’s money.
The name of PeeJok came from the vision of the new abbot.
“I am no longer a little boy. I am aged. Call me PeeJok.”
He could possibly be 200 years-old. Since PeeJok said he is aged, then let him be addressed as “Pee”.
The miracles of PeeJok may be categorised into wealth, sales, and career. First, it’s wealth. Some of the wealth received is wealth due to devotees whilst some are from the request made to PeeJok. The second is sales. Most business people ask PeeJok to help bring customers to their shops and help them sell more items. The third is most common, devotees asked for promotion and help when they meet obstacles in work. This is evident by the donations devotees made to the temple.
What is the best way to do Kumanthep? Kumanthep are usually made from a variety of materials and usually takes the forms of children. PeeJok Kumanthep also comes in a variety of forms. He is made as a baby figurine or a young boy. Whichever the form, PeeJok Kumanthep comes to help those who respect and truly believe in him.
Vongphong Eiamlao (Miss Maekong), researcher and writer
You can copy the text by entering the writer’s name.
In our previous article “Kumanthong”, we tried to introduce a rational approach towards Thai Buddhism through dispelling misinformed falsehood, an over-emphasis on mysticism, and indulgence in superstitions. Coincidentally, on July 20, 2018, a conversation with a couple of Taiwanese customers prompted us to explore the subject matter in more depth. What prompted our decision is…perchance, our market ignorance. We had been in this trade for more than two decades but we have not heard that Kumanthongs have a big brother or a chieftain known as big brother Jook. Our bewilderment was probably ludicrous. We did some information search over the Internet and, as usual, there is an abundance of unverified information available. However, a search with the Thai language “พี่จุก” fortunately led us directly to the Website of Wat Suan Luang and an article titled “Prawat PeeJook Kumanthep Kaithip” written by Ms Vongphong Eiamlao pertaining to the origin of “PeeJook”. We have republished the said article with full credit to Ms Vongphong Eiamlao and Wat Suan Luang. The translation of “พี่จุก” into “大哥族” in Chinese has probably also resulted in misrepresentation. If anyone needs a literal translation, here is it. “พี่” is brother and “พี่จุก” is pacifier and, therefore, “พี่จุก” means brother “pacifier”. Anyway, we will provide an update in both English and Chinese versions soon. Nonetheless, in summary, the article neither support nor affirm any falsehood postulated by other writers. PeeJook is the name of the Kumanthep of Wat Suan Luang and not the “Big Brother” of “Chieftain” of Kumanthongs as speculated. The only correct information is that PeeJook appeared before Luang Phor Mai and offered to help raise fund for him to repair the temple. Other than that, PeeJook is like any other Kumantheps and helps to enhance believers’ luck, business, career and protection. Furthermore, it is specifically stated in the temple’s website that PeeJook is not a ghost or spirit and has to be honoured on the same altar table as “Guan Yim, Lord Ganesh, Rama V, Brahma or other gods” if an altar table already exists.
Many aspects of Thai Buddhism, especially those pertaining to the obscure, are an interesting subject which has left many people nonplus, bewildered and even paranoid. Kumanthong tops the list of mysticism in connection thereto. We are not going to sell you any “plaster” but to share with readers our conceptualization of the association between Thai Buddhism and the obscure. It is about the possibility of life associated with the law of karma, interplay of the two sciences where things begins from physical existence and impacts on continuation into the obscure and vice versa. Kumanthong exists within this wavelength.But it has to be reiterated at this instant that the existence of Kumanthong is equivalent to devas as mentioned in our earlier article and whose existence may be calculated according to the Lifespan of Celestial Devas. Unfortunately, the term “Kumanthong” has been used in the catastrophe of human rebirth to illustrate karmic retribution in many stories with Buddhist underpinnings, the cyclical process of pre-birth as a ghost to birth as human being and ultimately back as ghost again upon death. The cycle restarts with rebirth and repeats itself until one reaches nirvana that is enlightenment. In these stories, albeit the objective is usually novel, the delineation between Kumanthong and Pee Dek is unfortunately obliterated leading to terrible misinformation and the evolution of certain evil by-products. What is usually depicted in these stories stemming from abortion is a baby ghost (Pee Dek) and not Kumanthong (golden boy). If readers are observant, scriptwriters prefer a girl ghost to a boy ghost which they also call Kumanthong. Let us provide readers with a side-dish here. In Thai culture, there is a female counterpart of Kumanthong known as Kumarithong. This is something not known to many people, especially foreigners, and probably Kumari is not as popular as Kumanthong that scriptwriters gave her a pass. Moreover, what is missing in these occult stories is a ritual necessary to bring about a baby ghost that is controlled by a mantra. A baby ghost is not a natural consequent of abortion otherwise in this contemporary world we will have too many baby ghosts running amok! The preconditions of Pee Dek are, among other things, a fully developed fetus which died together with its mother that needs to be removed from its mother’s womb through black magic and its spirit summoned back into the fetus. So far, only the Story of Khunpaen has introduced these procedures to the audience.
Khunpaen: Legend of the Warlord
The process is complex and the product is naturally rare and expensive. Frankly, it is an offense in Thailand and, probably, in most other countries. If you think you can get a baby ghost for a couple of hundreds or thousands, we advise that you might as well buy yourself a Chucky collectible.There is more value for the amount spent.
Chucky Collectible
Despite these fallacies more and more ludicrous additions were subsequently added by scriptwriters. If you are aware, in these stories, karmic retribution usually set in within the next ten years and the baby ghost has grown up with time to be a little boy or girl. Probably, scriptwriters find a baby or even a toddler is incapable of inflicting much terror so the baby ghost needs to grow up. This line of story is picked up by people purportedly “selling” baby ghosts. This, however, in itself raises many questions and, among others, is a very intrinsic question that, assuming the truth of the said propagation, then would the baby ghost ultimately grows up to be an adult ghost, an old ghost, and a dying ghost? Funny, isn’t it? Or, no, it’s scary…to be shallowly fooled! These are all loopholes and adversities unforeseen by storytellers but still many people got duped.
Kumanthong in reality is neither about a ghost story nor a literary story as seen in the story of Khun Phaen. It is about the law of universe pivoting on the cycle of life which are depicted in these stories. This law of the universe is explained through Buddhist philosophy about Karma. It is perplexing to those who do not understand the concepts of Buddhism, especially Theravada Buddhism, and consequently deciphering surface value thereof inevitably leads to wrong understanding about Thai Buddhism and Kumanthong. This may sound hurting to the unlearned souls, but unfortunately, truth is never pleasant especially when it contradicts one’s make-belief. As a believer and practitioner of Thai Buddhism with a little academic foundation, allow me to posit that this world cannot exist on pure-science alone. Despite the advancement in both science and technology there is something lingering in the obscure which has not disappear with these advancements. Science can neither explain nor cover this subject matter. However, denial also does not serve any beneficial purpose save to conceal ignorance and dejection. Similarly, superstitions have no positive contribution both physically or spiritually. Moderate academics began toying with the theory of dual-existence which I view as an attempt to compliment spirituality whist simultaneously provides a gloss over science and nothing more. It still does not explain the scientifically obscure. In lieu of the dual-existence theory, I am more inclined to view the world as well as Thai Buddhism through the lens of dual-sciences, which is a co-existence of two sciences, pure science and mental science.
I do not deny the existence of mystique falling within the realm of obscurity which I classify as mental science but I reject superstitions which are primarily based on falsehood and ignorance. As a Thai Buddhist, you have to know a basic tenet of Thai Buddhism and that is “punna”, a Pali term which literally means wisdom. You may not be equipped with a library of knowledge but you must have, or at least cultivate, the ability to identify and reject falsehood. Stories may be entertaining but they must not be confused with facts and become a part of or a way of life. Take another example. The Buddhist tenet of rebirth states explicitly that all spirits shall return to the wheel of reincarnation after death and who then, within the Buddhist community, has the authority to disregard this tenet? A simple analysis like this will tell you that tampering with the spirits of deceased beings is un-Buddhist and cannot have any relation to Thai Buddhism. Therefore, do not let yourself be misled into a un-Buddhist way of life.
