Monday, November 16, 2009

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.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

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.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

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.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

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.