Thursday, December 24, 2009

Wat Wangprongke in Lopburi

Wat Wangprongke is the temple of LP Lah in Lopburi province. Above we see a statue of Phra Buddha Sothon.
A statue of the respected LP Lah.
The current abbot of the temple Ajarn Thon. He is a disciple of LP Lah and recently consecrated a batch of Leklai amulets.
The Ubosot.
Phra Ruang and Phra Leela images at the side of the Ubosot.
9-tier Leklai Phra Somdejs chanted by Ajarn Thon.
Python Skin Takruts made by Ajarn Thon.
Inside the Ubosot.

Group members having their photo taken with Ajarn Thon on my 2nd visit.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Wat Kren Kathin & Wat Tha Klong

Wat Kren Kathin and Wat Tha Klong in Lopburi province are headed by LP Pian, a well-known guru monk for consecrating Mit Mor (magic knifes). Above we see the main chedi building at Wat Kren Kathin. However there are no relics enshrined inside it yet.
The Ubosot.
LP Pian and Buddha shrine.
Inside the Vihara is a small glass chedi contaning the Buddha's relics.
A display cabinet showing the popular batches of amulets and buchas made by the temple.
Taking a photo with LP Pian after receiving a blessing from him.
Outside at the temple park, most of the buildings are still not completed yet.
One of the completed Sala.
The large Pang Tawai Net (Sunday) statue still under works.
9" Mit Mor obtained from Wat Kren Kathin.
The amulet counter at Wat Tha Klong.
The altar inside the hall.
The long Leknami sword (24"). It was very beautiful and attractive, but I did not chow for fear of not being able to bring it back to Singapore.
The 10" Leknampi Phra Kan I chowed at Wat Tha Klong instead.
Everyone posing with the Mit Mors at Wat Tha Klong on my 2nd visit there.

Saturday, December 05, 2009

Tiger Woods and his Women

The Dhammapada says:

"For a person forced on by his thoughts,
Fierce in his passion and focused on beauty,
Craving grows all the more.
He's the one who tightens the bond (of suffering)."
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All the beings in this world are driven by their own lust and craving towards suffering, for they are ignorant of the consequences of unrestrained desire. This is the Prison of Lust, and even people with very good karma cannot escape from it. The latest celebrity to fall into this self-created prison is Tiger Woods, our world famous golf player. Obviously Woods is one who has it all - wealth, fame, respect and a beautiful wife. But like most men, he can't resist other beautiful women, who would gladly sleep with him for who he is. So eventually his wife found out and gave him hell, causing Woods to crash his car trying to escape from her. Now, Woods have to cough out millions of dollars to pacify his wife and beg her not to divorce him; millions more to prevent his other lovers from doing a "kiss and tell" to the media. Shame, injury, loss of wealth, stress and frustration - these are the karmic fruits of his Kamesu Miccacara (sexual misconduct).
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Seeing the suffering that such deeds lead to, the wise applies mindfulness to lust arising in the mind, and does not let it go out of control. I hope that Woods will learn his lesson from this shameful episode.