Wat Salapoon in Ayuttaya

Wat Salapoon in Ayuttaya is the temple of LP Sawat, a respected master in the town district. He recently consecrated a batch of Phra Sangkachai, Sivali and Phaya Krut amulets.

The Phra Sangkachai shrine, with LP Tuad, Sivali and Somdej Toh at the side.

Outside the Ubosot.

Inside golden Buddha statues inside the Ubosot.

A closer look at the Buddhas.

The golden Chedi behind the Ubosot.

The amulet counter. At the right side we can see the new Phra Sivali buchas.

LP Sawat's kuti. He was not around at that time.

Hell Park at Wat Muang in Ang Thong

Wat Muang is a famous temple in Ang Thong province with a large Buddhist theme park. Above we see the Chinese Shrine to Bohisattva Guanyin.

The Thousand Arm Guanyin statue inside the shrine.

The temple has 2 Ubosots, Gold and Silver. This is the gold one.

Another angle of the Ubosot. It has Chinese Dragon guardians and many lotus sculptures outside.

The silver Ubosot is where the monks perform their daily chantings. There are many Lersi statues outside.

Inside the silver Ubosot. It is filled with mirrors creating an effect of infinite space.

The undecaying body of Ajarn Kasem, the previous abbot. It is venerated inside the silver ubosot.

Arjan Kasem's bucha and photo portrait. He passed away relatively young.

The large golden Buddha statue of Wat Muang - Phra Buddha Maha Nawamin.

Phra Buddha Maha Nawamin towers over the Hell Park and the entire temple. I took a video of the statue and its surroundings.
Now we come to the Hell Park. This is Phra Malai preaching to the hell-beings on Uposatha days.

The barbed tree where sinners who commit sexual misconduct are forced to climb up and down by the torturers and their hell-hounds.

A woman sinner who like to cheat others being hanged by her limbs and mercilessly slashed by her torturer.

Sinners who are addicted to alcohol and other intoxicants are force to drink boiling metal liquid by the torturers.

Sinners who constantly lied, abused or slandered others have their tongues hooked in hell, or are forced through the meat grinder.

Those who killed, murdered or slaughtered other beings are themselves slaughtered alive by the torturers in hell. They die and keep coming back to life to go through the same torments again and again due to the force of their own evil karma.

And there are the thieves and robbers, who are impaled and sawed up in hell.

Tall statues of male and female hungry ghosts, who have to suffer constant hunger and thirst.

The ungrateful sinners who repay kindness with evil are thrown into the wok of boiling oil to be fried alive.

The Hall of hell where King Yama and his judges decide on the appropriate punishments for the sinners, in accordance to the unwholesome deeds that they have committed. Every good or evil karma done shows up in the judges' record books without fail.

A statue of Phra Sivali, the symbol of great merit. Indeed merit is the thing that sustains all beings; for without merit beings are doomed to suffer endlessly in the wheel of Samsara. The Hell Park serves to reminds us to avoid evil and make as much merit as we can when we are alive. Once we die and fall into the lower realms, it will be too late to repent.

LP Suk of Wat Makhamtao

LP Suk of Wat Makhamtao (1847 - 1934 CE) was perhaps the greatest Wicha master of modern times. He was famous for his amazing powers of transformation and they were the stuff of many legends. The most famous legends were the one where he transformed elephants belonging to some arrogant merchants into houseflies and another where he transformed a man into a crocodile. The latter story was widely reported in Thailand during that time and there were many witnesses who saw the event. LP Suk had many disciples but his favorite one was of course Prince Chumpon, founder of the Thai Navy. Above we see the main Vihara of Wat Makhamtao in Chainat. From the web of Saisin above we can see that a consecration ceremony has taken place recently.

The LP Suk shrine. His life-sized wax statue sits inside the glass room. LP Suk's katha is:

Namo Tassa (3x)

Iti Arahang Sugato Gesaro Nammate

Prasiddhime Ihi Aho Namo Buddhaya. LP Suk's sacred Wicha manuals on display.

LP Suk's old takruts and amulets.

Copper Rians and Powder Pidtas that LP Suk chanted.

LP Samran's shrine. LP Samran was a direct disciple of LP Suk and the past abbot of Wat Makhamtao after LP Suk.

The 2508 (1965) batch of amulets that LP Samran chanted.

Phra Somdej Prok Po from the 2508 batch.

Phra Khun Paen from the same batch.

Wat Nongbua in Chainat

Wat Nongbua in Chainat province is the temple of LP Na, one of the grand disciples of the great guru LP Suk of Wat Makhamtao. Above we see the temple gate.
Inside this Vihara we can see the standing statues of LP Suk, his best disciple Prince Chumpon as well as LP Na.
Ruins of an old chedi.
Outside the Vihara.
A big statue of Phra Pang Palelai.
A modern-styled great Chedi building.
The Ubosot.
The Sala. A meeting was going on.
The amulet counter inside LP Na's Kuti.
The altar inside the Kuti. The Luang Pee there gave me and my friend 1 holy relic of Phra Sivali each from this altar.
A strange encased elephant trunk with many Yants placed beside the altar.
LP Na was not around, but we saw his photo portrait.
A 5" Phra Phaisachyakuru Puttajao (Medicine Buddha) bucha that I obtained at the temple. It was the last one left.

Koran verses appearing on baby

This week there was an interesting report on a 9-month old baby boy in Russia's southern republic of Dagestan, who had verses from the Koran appearing and fading away from his body every few days. This mysterious case baffled the doctors, nurses and Muslim leaders who examined the baby. Since then, thousands of Muslim pilgrims are flocking to his parents house to catch a glimpse of this "miracle baby".

Naturally, Muslims will see this as an assurance of their faith. Even though skeptics have dismissed this story as yet another hoax, I believe the wise should give it the benefit of doubt until proven false. According to scriptures of Abrahamic religions, every time God wished to communicate with Mankind, he will do so through his prophets, angels or miraculous signs. So if God wished to use the baby as his scroll, it is perfectly normal for him to do so. But whether this story is true or not is not important; what is more important is whether the warring factions in that region are willing to abandon the anger in their hearts and end the conflict.

As such, we are reminded again of the futility of belief in an Almighty God; who is said to be able to create or destroy anything at will, yet cannot make the world a more peaceful and happy place to live in. So many people have abused his name to commit all sorts of atrocities and acts of terror, but God is also unable to stop them. Indeed, despite his limitless powers God also cannot make Man relinquish evil and cultivate goodness even if he wanted to. Ultimately it is Man himself who must decide his own path by choosing to follow either good or evil in his mind, and reap the fruits of his actions accordingly. Such is the law of Karma that applies to all beings universally, no matter whether you are human, animal, God, angel or whatever else.

That is why Buddhism does not emphasize on miracles of divine manifestations or psychic powers, but the miracle of instruction, which leads Man to change himself from within his own heart, not externally. Thus the Kevatta Sutta says:

"And what is the miracle of instruction? There is the case where a monk gives instruction in this way: 'Direct your thought in this way, don't direct it in that. Attend to things in this way, don't attend to them in that. Let go of this, enter and remain in that.' This, Kevatta, is called the miracle of instruction."

Skillfully refining his own mind, avoiding all evil and cultivating all that is good, Man gradually reaches the end of all suffering. That is the true miracle.

Barbie Doll Shrine of Pulau Ubin

Malaysia's New Life Post paper on 17.10.2009 did a report on the peculiar Barbie Doll shrine on Pulau Ubin, Singapore's biggest offshore island. For the purpose of this report their reporters came over to Singapore and made a trip to Pulau Ubin. It is the only one of its kind in this region. The shrine has gotten so famous that even European tourists have come to pay their respects. Locals who have come here to pray for lucky 4-D numbers from her and managed to win also adore her like a wealth deity.

According to legend, the spirit residing in the Barbie Doll is that of a German girl, who resided on Pulau Ubin with her parents more than 100 yrs ago during the colonial era. Her parents started a small coffee plantation on the east side of the island, living a quiet life. However when WW1 started the Germans were treated with suspicion by the British rulers, and her family was no exception. In 1914, the British sent troops to arrest the German family with the intention of putting them in a concentration camp. The parents were captured but this German girl managed to escape to the hills behind the plantation. But in the end she accidentally fell down a cliff and got herself killed.

The photo of the lavishly decorated Barbie Doll. Even though the girl died, but her spirit continued to linger restlessly around that area for many years. So in order to pacify the girl's spirit, the villagers decided to build a shrine for her, naming it "Lady Datok Shrine". Datok is a Malay title for a noble person or respected elder. In the past devotees did not pray to a Barbie Doll, but an urn containing a lock of blond hair and crucifix necklace belonging to the German girl. But 3 years ago, she entered the dream of a local villager who has migrated to Australia, instructing him to go to such and such a shop to buy such and such a Barbie Doll. He was then to bring the doll back to the shrine from Australia. Though he was not fully convinced, he decided to follow her instructions to go look for the doll. And not surprisingly he did find the shop and doll described in his dream. So the villager brought the doll back to install inside the shrine, and from then on, the shrine started to become more and more popular. People came regularly to ask for various kinds of blessings from this German girl's spirit and in return, they brought offerings of perfume, cosmetics, facial products etc (things that a lady would like) to give thanks. That's why we see her "bucha" adorned like a goddess. This is not unlike the Mae Nak shrine in the Prakanong district of Bangkok.

This shabby looking shack is the German girl's shrine. Outwardly it looks unimpressive, but what draws people is the "powerful" spirit inside! It is indeed strange that a European girl can come to this part of Asia and become a deity after her death. If we look at it in Buddhist terms, she is one of those Petas (ghosts) with great merit 福德鬼 and thus has the ability to help people. Previously she did not have a proper rupa (form), but now she has taken up residence in a doll, which is called Upadana Khanda, or the aggregates of clinging. Although she enjoys the veneration and offerings of her devotees, she would still have to leave all that behind when her Peta lifespan comes to an end. Thus Petas are characterized by their strong clinging to the physical world. Mae Nak was like that, and the Ghosts of Bang Rajan were also like that. The Dhammapada says:

I

"Beset by craving,

People run about like an entrapped hare.

Held fast by mental fetters,

They come to suffering again and again for a long time."

I

Seeing the danger of clinging, the wise cultivate dispassion towards all physical possessions and mental phenomena, and will eventually reach the shores of Nibbana.

Ming Yi's Conviction

The ST reported on 7.10.2009 that "Former Ren Ci Hospital founder Ming Yi and his former personal assistant Raymond Yeung were found guilty on Wednesday on charges over an unauthorised loan from the charity's funds to his aide in 2004. Ming Yi, 47, was convicted on four charges, two of them jointly with Yeung, 34. They will be sentenced on Nov 11."

When asked by reporters what he would do now until Nov 11, he replied "Nothing. I will continue with my daily life as I have done before." Despite strong calls from the public and Buddhist community for him to disrobe, Ming Yi had yet to show any intention of heeding them. But in actual fact, Ming Yi had committed 1 of the 4 Parajika offences of stealing and is thus technically no longer a monk even if refuses to disrobe. Parajika are the most serious offences under the Vinaya and warrants expulsion from the Sangha, with no chance of ordination again in this lifetime. These 4 Parajika rules are the same for both the Theravada and Mahayana Vinaya. The only difference is for the Mahayana, there is no recognised Sangha authority to enforce the rules, unlike Theravadin countries like Thailand or Burma.
Ming Yi's current situation is just like that of Devadatta, as described in the Ubhatobhatta Jataka story of the foolish fisherman. In it the monks residing at the Bamboo Grove described Devadatta as one who was not fulfilling the duties of a monk as taught by the Buddha. So he was not really a monk, but somebody who wandered here and there pretending to be a monk. And he was also not a layman, as he had lost the resourcefulness of a lay person. Therefore he was like firewood that has been burned from both ends and smeared with dirt in the middle. Losing out from both sides, no longer gaining the achievements of a monk nor the benefits of being a member of the royal family. Likewise, Ming Yi failed in his monastic duties, broke the precepts and thus can no longer be considered a monk. He was also not a lay man, having gained the wealth and fame he has through the veneration and donations of his devotees. Excuses of being a "modern monk" appear hypocritical to the discerning, and cannot justify his indulgences in worldly luxuries and the 5 sensual pleasures.
In the words of Mr Li Muyuan, chairman of the Buddhist Lodge, if you want to be a "modern monk", it is best to disrobe and wear a t-shirt and jeans instead. As a lay person, you can do business, make as much money and enjoy yourself as much as you want, without fear of anybody criticizing you. But if one remain as a monk, one will be scrutinized by the public, the laity, as well as fellow monastics. Not to mention the invisible Noble Ones and guardian deities in the 10 directions. If Ming Yi has any sense of moral shame and fear of wrongdoing left in him, he should disrobe ASAP and bravely face the consequences of his misdeeds. Only then can there be redemption and repentance for him. May he turn from the darkness and return to the light of wisdom, sadhu.

2nd Trip to Nakhon Si Thammarat

On my 2nd trip to Nakhon Si Thammarat I visited a few more important landmarks there. Above is the famous Lak Meuang or City Pillar Shrine.

The City Pillar here was unique in the whole of Thailand due to its special Jatukam head. As we know in 2530 Khun Sanpetch and Khun Pan invited the deity of Jatukam to reside in the pillar with the help of medium Ajarn Kopong, so as to return peace to the then chaotic province. Curiously there were also 2 LP Tuad buchas on the altar below the sacred Jatukam pillar.

On the roof above the 8-faced Jatukam head there was a hexagram with 8 Rahus and 28 constellations.

The large urn in front of the shrine.

Then I headed over to Wat Mahathat. This is a video of the main shrine leading to the sacred Phra Boromathat Chedi.

A close up of the statue of Jatukam's brother Ramathep, guarding the left side of the Chedi entrance.

And of course Jatukam himself on the right.

The Ayuttaya style Phra Ruang at the side.

After that was the Phra Buddha Sihing shrine hall, located between the provincial hall and court house. Quite surprisingly, the sacred Buddha Sihing bucha of NST province was quite small, with only a lap width of 7". This 700 yr old Buddha statue from Sri Lanka once mystically prevented a bandit-planted bomb from exploding inside the shrine.

My driver prayed to the Buddha image for safety and success.

A closer shot of Phra Buddha Sihing.

The 5" Buddha Sihing bucha I chowed from Wat Mahathat recently.

PT Kling of Wat Thaluntong

Portan Kling was a famous guru monk in Nakhon Si Thammarat known for making Phra Pikanet and also Jatukam amulets. He passed away not long ago and his body can be viewed at Wat Thaluntong. Above we see the temple gate.

The golden Chedi building housing the body of PT Kling.

The Sala with a small amulet counter. Unfortunately very little of Portan Kling's amulets are left at the temple.

Rahu gate, used for luck changing rituals.

The Ubosot.

PT Kling's undecaying body in a glass casket.

A close-up video of PT Kling's body. A small shrine.

Parting shot of the Chedi.

PT Klai of Wat That Noi

Portan Klai (1876-1970) of Wat That Noi was one of the most famous guru monks in Nakhon Si Thammarat (NST) one generation ago. He was called the "Golden Mouth Master" because he kept a vow of silence for many years. PT Klai did not want to speak because whatever he said came true, and he felt sad for the bad things that happened as he predicted. Although he did not speak, followers found ways to get around his vow - they got him to nod or shake his head in response to their queries on various matters. Above we see one of the temple gates of Wat That Noi.

The Sala.

A 3-D model of the entire temple.

A Chinese shrine.

Inside the shrine was the skeletal Bodhisatta, the 5 ascetics, Phra Indra playing the lute (to remind the Bodhisatta of the Middle Way) as well as the lady Sujata who offered milk rice to him before his final struggle towards Enlightenment.

A pavilion.

Inside the pavilion was a Pang Palelai Buddha and PT Klai.

A very live wax statue of PT Klai. Beside him was the portrait of the current abbot (didn't get his name).

The big white Chedi housing the body of PT Klai.

Another big Sala.

A large Phra Non (Reclining Buddha) facing the Chedi.

The 1st storey entrance to the Chedi building.

The 2nd storey entrance to the Chedi itself.

The body of PT Klai.

A closer shot. Only his skeleton was left after 39 years.

PT Klai's Katha:

Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Samma Sambuddhasa (3x)

Buddhang Arahang Buddho

Dhammang Arahang Buddho

Sanghang Arahang Buddho

Phra Kru Pisit Anthagaro Namo Buddhaya.

The Buddha altar beside PT Klai's casket.

Another Chinese shrine to Bodhisatta Guanyin. There are many Chinese devotees from Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore supporting this temple.

Inside the vice abbot's kuti. This was the main altar.

The side altar with a Buddha painting, a wax bucha of PT Klai and various Jatukam buchas.

The kind vice abbot, Ajarn Chamnan. He treated us to lunch and a big bunch of chikus as desert. He speaks good English and had visited Singapore many times!

A 5" bucha of PT Klai that I chowed at the temple.

Wat Tonliap in Songkhla

Wat Tonliap is the sacred place in Songkhla where the mysterious Cobra gave the baby Poo (future LP Tuad) a crystal ball, and also the place where LP Tuad's mother buried his placenta. Above we see the LP Tuad Sivali shrine with a cobra below.
This is the statue of LP Tuad seated on a coiled cobra, similar to those at Wat Pako.

And this is the Chedi (partially covered by the yellow cloth) under the Banyan Tree where LP Tuad's mother was said to have buried his placenta.

The full view of the old Banyan Tree.

The Vihara in front of the Banyan Tree.

The main altar inside the late abbot's (LP Jamnian) kuti. This is also where they keep the amulets and buchas.

The shrine to the sacred cobra. When I was back the 2nd time, an image of baby Poo (LP Tuad's birth name - means crab) was added to the cobra statue.
This is a close-up shot of the sacred Naga pearl given to LP Tuad by the cobra, which is now enshrined at Wat Pako.
The main altar inside the LP Jamnian Vihara.

A big portrait of the late LP Jamnian.
Another standing portrait of him. LP Jamnian's undecaying body can still be viewed inside the LP Jamnian Vihara. Although he passed away several years ago, but we could still remember him as one of those famous guru monks in Songkhla who specialized in LP Tuad like Ajarn Nong of Wat Saikow and LP Daeng of Wat Si Mahapo.

A video of the undecaying body that I took.
Newspaper cutting showing a batch of LP Tuad roops and rians being consecrated in 2538 (1995).
Photo of LP Jamnian conducting the consecration.

A LP Tuad on Cobra special pim bucha by LP Jamnian.

Wat Diluang in Songkhla

Wat Diluang in Songkhla is one of those famous LP Tuad temples where Ajarn Tim made LP Tuad amulets for from 2505- 2506 BE. The first thing that strikes you when you visit this temple is the large LP Tuad statue above the main shrine building.

Climbing up the stairs, I took a closer look of the statue. In front of LP Tuad is a smaller Buddha statue with Ayuttaya royal attire.

Looking down from the shrine.

The Vihara below the LP Tuad statue.

The Sala.

The Ubosot.

Photos of a new batch of Wat Diluang Iron and Matchbox LP Tuad amulets.

The Luang Por at Wat Diluang. He is not the abbot so I did not ask his name, but he looked very much like Ajarn Nong of Wat Saikow during his younger days! I thought maybe he was a relative of Ajarn Nong.
Silver LP Tuad Stamps I chowed from the temple.

Wat Khao Kut in Songkhla

Wat Khao Kut is a new hilltop temple overlooking the scenic Songkhla lake. On the peak of the hill is the above white Chedi, which houses the Buddha called Somdej Jao Gor Yor.

A video I took of the Chedi and the view of Songkhla lake.

The temple shop. It has many amulets but most were from other temples.

Photos of the latest LP Tuad Rian Lor Boran by Ajarn Klang Saeng, the abbot of Wat Khao Kut. Another photo showing the various materials used to forge the LP Tuad medals.

And this is the young Ajarn Klang Saeng, which has amazingly kept a vow of silence for more than 3 years. He is now known as the "golden mouth master" like Portan Klai of Wat That Noi. Why they are called golden mouth is because you could not get them to talk even if you offered them gold bars. I asked Ajarn to bless the items I chowed from the temple again as a gesture of respect. The 5" LP Tuad bucha with elephant head that I obtained there.

Asking Favors from Ghosts

The Dhammapada says:

"Though month after month for a hundred years,
one should offer sacrifices by the thousands,
yet if only for a moment one should
worship those of perfected minds;
that honor is indeed better than a century of sacrifice."

Yesterday night was the 1st day of the 7th lunar month, which is believed to be the ghost month by the Chinese. Scores of people went to the Choa Chu Kang cemetary at midnight to burn various offerings, joss sticks and joss paper to the ghosts as they are released into the human realm, in the hope of getting protection, good luck and lottery (4-D) numbers from them. They have been following this tradition of theirs for quite a few years. On the other hand, thousands of Chinese families across Singapore today also burned similar offerings to their ancestors and the wandering spirits to make them happy.

But can those people get what they want? I seriously doubt so. What they are doing is no different from taking refuge in the ghosts; but unfortunately most of these ghosts are in a worse state than us humans. How then can they give us protection and good (money) luck? Although there are indeed some ghosts of great merit like Tua Ya Pek (White Wuchang), who have the power to shower deserving devotees with wealth; but ultimately they themselves are subjected to the wheel of birth and death that is called Samsara. What more for those ordinary ghosts, who are forced by their own karma to go through many unspeakable sufferings everyday? How can these poor beings offer humans any help?

Thus that is called taking the wrong refuge in the eyes of the wise. As long as one take refuge in those that are not yet free from the defilements of craving, anger and ignorance; those that still have to be born again and again, one will always be disappointed sooner or later. In the end when your time is up, none of those beings could offer a good word for you even as you stand before King Yama in the Halls of Hades. By then it will be too late to blame yourself for your own ignorance.

So what is the true refuge that one could depend on without fail? It is the blessed one, the perfected one, the fully enlightened one - "Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhasa". This is something chanted by pious Buddhists everyday, yet they do not know what it means. Most people think it is paying homage to the historical Buddha, or the golden Buddha statues that they worship in the temples or at home. But the truth is those are only the external forms of the Buddha, not the real Buddha. The real Buddha is the quality of pure awareness within you. The mind that knows the good and bad of all things that arise and pass away, but does not identify with any of them. The mind that is unmoving, yet does not abide in anything at all. Such a mind is the field of merit for the entire world, worthy of the most precious offerings. This is what we should all pay homage to and take refuge in. If one can abandon all craving, anger and ignorance in the mind, it will be the ghosts who come and make offerings to you during the 7th month and not the other way round!

Biechuan Si (别传寺) in Danxia Mountain

On the northern tip of Guangdong province, in the Shaoguan county there is a majestic range of red sandstone mountains called Danxia Shan (丹霞山). And in Danxia Shan there's a famous Chan monastery known as Biechuan Si (别传寺). After touring the peaks of Danxia, we descended a very steep flight of steps carved into the cliff to reach the temple. You had to hold the railings tightly as you went down so as not to fall off.

On the cliff we can see 4 words "Easy as ascending to Heaven" - surely this is an oxymoron when we think of how difficult it is to climb up or even down the steps.

The Wind Riding Pavilion for people to rest on the way down.

Yet another almost vertical flight of steps.

More calligraphy on the cliff "Stepping out on the top of the Pole" - this refers to the critical stage of Chan meditation where one must give up even the most subtle attachment to the all-encompassing emptiness.

The temple well. Behind there is a shrine to the earth deities Tudi Gong and Tudi Po.

Finally reaching the entrance of the temple. This temple was the place where Master Danxia Tianran of the Tang dynasty once stayed. He was the main character of the Koan of "Danxia burning the Buddha statues".

The inner wall of the temple with the words "Namo Amitofo".

Outside the Grand Hall.

The monks were doing their evening chanting in the hall when we were there.

Climbing up to the highest hall in the temple - the Vairocana Vihara.

Looking down from the Vairocana Vihara.

A grand 3-D Mandala depicting the Avatamsaka Universe of Vairocana Buddha. Vairocana sits right on the top, representing the Dharmakaya, and on the 2nd tier, the 4 Buddhas - Amitabha, Ashobhya, Ratnasambhava and Amoghasiddhi representing the Sambhogaya. All the other Buddhas in the myriad worlds below represent the Nirmanakaya.

The hall has mirrors on all sides, creating infinite reflections of the Mandala. This is also a core teaching of the Avatamsaka Sutra - the infinite inter-connectivity of all realms and the sentient beings who inhabit them.

The Guanyin Hall, which was still under construction.

The Guanyin statue on the main altar.

An ancient iron pagoda outside the temple.

Wat Koksaman in Hadyai

Wat Koksaman is the biggest Buddhist temple in Hadyai town, located not far from the bridge, on the other side of the railway.

The Jatukam shrine, which is not fully built yet.

And this is where they plan to build the world's first black jewel LP Tuad statue. The concrete body of the statue and shrine structure were already up.

The beautiful Ubosot.

Phra Indra in fierce Yakka form.

The Phra Prom shrine. Behind is a LP Tuad shrine.

Phra Jantra in fierce Yakka form.

The multi-tiered spires and Phaya Krut image.

Images of Phra Narai and Ong Por Jatukam above the doors. Side view of the LP Tuad statue.

LP Pahn shrine. LP Pahn was the founder of this temple.

The Sala.

Statues of Lersi and ancient kings.

2" buchas of LP Tuad, made to gather funds for the black jewel LP Tuad project.

Siang Teng in Hadyai

Tong Sia Siang Teng in Hadyai is an important charity organization in Southern Thailand to help casualties in traffic accidents and other mishaps. If the victims are alive they would be sent to the hospital but if they are dead they would help to give them a proper cremation. Above we see the entrance to the Siam Teng.

The office. I went there to make a donation to the organization.

The Chinese temple inside.

Their operations building, where the ambulances are parked.

The Phra Sampogong Buddha shrine.

Inside the Chinese temple are 3 main deities.

In the middle is the statue of Patriarch Tai Hong Gong (1039-1125CE), a great Chan Master of the Song dynasty, who is revered by the Teochew Chinese in Thailand.

On the left was Tua Pek Gong, a popular earth deity who likes to give wealth to devotees.

On the right was Jow Mae Lim Kor Neo, a well-known female deity in Pattani province.

The calligraphy on the board says "Illuminate your Heart and see your Nature", the ideal of Chan Buddhism.

A 3" bronze bucha of Tai Hong Gong I chowed from the temple.

Wat Nok in Thonburi

Wat Nok is located in the Thonburi district of Bangkok, not far from Wat Paknam. Using the address from an amulet magazine ad, I took a taxi there. Above we see the temple gate.

The newly built Vihara.

The entrance to the Vihara. An image of Jatukam is above the door.

The principal Buddha statue of Wat Nok.

Below the Buddha were cabinets with relic-holding chedis.

All around the hall were statues of the 500 Arahants. The images were the same, but the names were different.

The golden chedi on the top floor of the Vihara.

The crematorium.

The Ubosot. Below was the temple shop and store room.

Lots and lots of Buchas here. Above we see the famous Wat Nok Phra Prom statues sitting on 4 elephant heads. Too big for me to bring back though.. The latest batch of Tao Wessuwan statues. They also have many Chinaraj and Nakprok buchas.

One of the altars inside the temple shop.

The famous Phra Prom shrine of Wat Nok.
One of the Tao Wessuwan buchas that I chowed back.

LP Thammarangsi of Wat Khao Panom Din

The late LP Thammarangsi is another very famous master in Surin famous for his Metta magic. He specialized in making lockets and takruts. But before we went to Wat Khao Panom Din, we went to visit LP Jai, who was LP Thammarangsi's senior disciple. The reason was he was the only one who kept LP Thammarangsi's old amulets - there were none left at the temple. Above we see LP Jai's small kuti in the middle of a padi field in Ban Pong village. There were many flies and ants around, and LP is trying to gather funds to build a temple here for the benefit of the villagers.

After chowing amulets and receiving a long blessing from LP Jai, we took a photo with him. I could feel LP is a very sincere and compassionate monk.

Arriving at Wat Phra Puttabat or Wat Khao Panom Din. It was some distance away from Ban Pong village.

The long sheltered walkway leading to the temple.

A Phra Ruang statue outside still under construction.

The main altar inside the LP Thammarangsi Vihara.

Paying respect to LP Thammarangsi's undecaying body, which was inside a glass room.

LP Thammarangsi's portrait.

His Metta katha:

Namo Tassa (3x)

Na Metta Mo Metta Put Metta Tha Metta Ya Metta

Sappechana Pahuchana Metta Ehi Ehi Mak Mak. (5x)

A Burmese Jade Buddha on another side of the Vihara.

The Sala with various murals.

The Shrine Room with the Buddha's Footprint (Phra Puttabat).

The bell and drum tower.

The Ubosot.

The beautiful marble Chedi.

The Buddha statues inside the Ubosot.

LP Thammarangsi's old Khun Paen amulet.

His famous 3.6" big takrut.

LP Hong of Wat Petburi

LP Hong is perhaps the most famous and powerful guru monk in Surin. His fame spreads to as far as Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, with thousands of devotees. A master of Khmer magical arts, his life is full of legendary stories, as written before in various amulet magazines. However at the very old age of 93, his health has been getting weaker and weaker. Above we see the Phra Prom Gate of the Promakun Sala.

The Rahu shrine.

The Kuan Yin Bodhisattva shrine.

The 2 bulls outside the Promakun Sala.

LP posing with a young boy for the devotees.

A video of the interior of the Sala and LP having his meal. An Angmoh guy and his Thai wife have also come to pay homage to LP. Later a group from Malaysia also came.
The Phra Mae Thoranee statue outside the Sala.

The golden LP Tuad shrine.

The Khmer-styled stone Nakprok shrine.

One of the altars in the Wat Petburi Sala, which was some distance away from the Promakun Sala.

Another altar.

A large photo portrait of LP Hong.

The interior of the Wat Petburi Sala.

A parting shot with the Lersi statue under a tree.

One of the LP Hong 6" Mit Mors (magic knife) I obtained at Wat Petburi.