Wayne's Dhamma Blog 水月佛法博客

LT Chuan of Wat Kwang

2012-01-23T03:12:00.011+08:00

LT Chuan of Wat Kwang in Suphanburi province is a disciple of LP Mui Wat Donrai specializing in Metta based Wicha. He has recently came out with a batch of Kumanthong, Hoonpayon and takruts to help raise funds for renovation. However when I reached there LT was not around. Above we see the temple gate.
The monks' kuti.
Main Sala.
The Ubosot.
Guanyin Shrine.
Many cows grazing in the field.
7-day Buddha shrine.
Buddha statues inside the Sala.
Framed poster of the whole range of amulets created by LP Mui.

Visiting LP Jaran after the Flood

2012-01-17T02:58:00.006+08:00

Video of the main altar and LP Jaran meeting the devotees as usual. Notice the buchas of LP Thep and LP Derm, 2 of his most important guru masters.
Closer shot of LP receiving Dana.
Luang Por Dam 5" bucha that I chowed outside LP's kuti. Luang Por Dam is the mystical black Buddha statue from Ayuttaya.

LP In of Wat Nong Noi

2012-01-15T01:02:00.009+08:00

Wat Nong Noi is a rustic little temple in Songkhla province which has recently came out with a batch of LP Tuad amulets to generate renovation funds. Above we see the temple gate.
Main altar in the Sala.
Statue of LP In, the previous abbot who was a prominent master in this district.
Poster advertising the LP Tuad - LP In medals.
Statue of Prince Siddhatha's renunciation.
The catalog of this Saoha batch.
LP Tuad mini buchas from this batch.

LP Seua Dam of Wat Si Nuan

2012-01-09T01:38:00.009+08:00

LP Seua Dam (Taweesak) the master of AJ Kring resides in Wat Si Nuan, located in the outskirts of Bangkok. It took me 1 hr to reach there from the city centre, after passing through many rural districts and rough roads.
The Ubosot. The temple was quite under developed and hard to reach, despite being in Bangkok.
The Naval assault boat on display in the courtyard.
Main altar in the Sala.
Portrait of LP Seua Dam in his younger days. He bears a strong resemblanc to AJ Khun Pan, despite being a bandit chief during that time.
The Phayants available at the counter. There were not much to chow and the prices for his takruts were sky-high.
Another part of the altar.
Statues of King Taksin and Rama V in the veranda. Didn't manage to take a shot of LP Seua Dam as he did not allow me to.

Ajarn Kring of Wat Khao Din

2012-01-04T02:26:00.015+08:00

Wat Khao Din in Suphanburi province is the temple of Ajarn Kring (on the left), who is a disciple of LP Seua Dam (Taweesak) and the abbot there. Although only in his early 30s, he has already been bestowed the rank of Phra Kru.
Portrait of LP Seua Dam.
Photo of LP Seua Dam in his youth as a Cowboy.
Posters of LP Seua Dam making takruts fly out of the tray with his mental power.
The main Vihara.
Temple counter entrance.
The Ubosot.
Giant cymbal near the temple gate.
Phra Sivali, Upakut, Sangkachai and Setthi Nawagot shrine.
Staircase leading to the hilltop Vihara.
The main Sala.
The crematorium.
Beautiful mother of pearl mitmor that I chowed there.

LP Nak of Wat Huay Jorake

2011-12-26T02:04:00.005+08:00

LP Nak of Wat Huay Jorake in Nakhon Pathom province is another one of the old-time guru monks who specialized in powerful Pidta amulets. His old Pidta are among the top 5 most highly prized Pidta amulets in Thailand. Above we see the LP Nak shrine in the temple.
Poster of LP Nak and his 6-armed Pidta amulets.
Poster of the 111th aniversary batch of Pidta made in 2551.
One of the last 2 sets of Pidta from the above batch left in the temple. They are of Mekapat material.

Plan to build the biggest U-Thong Buddha in the world

2011-12-24T02:56:00.004+08:00

Wat Palelai plans to build the largest U-Thong Buddha statue in the world inside Suphanburi province, and has came out with a batch of amulets and images to raise funds. Above we see the promotional poster.
A model of the planned statue in the temple.
5" U-Thong Buddha bucha which I chowed from this batch.

San Jao Por Lak Meung of Suphanburi

2011-11-30T01:03:00.013+08:00

San Jao Por Lak Meung is the largest Chinese temple in Suphanburi province, comparable to the Nezha temple in Chonburi. It has many rich supporters and devotees who make it into some sort of a theme park cum temple. Above we see the temple gate with twin dragons above.
Large fountain in the courtyard, obviously for Fengshui purposes.
The joss paper furnace built into a pagoda shape.
The beautiful 7-storey Pagoda.
Statue of Guan Gong.
Giant Dragon statue which holds a Chinese cultural museum below.
The 9-dragon Mural behind the main shrine.
Inside the main shrine is the twin stone tablet of Jao Por Lak Meung, which is interestingly worshipped as a stone god 石本头公 by the Chinese.
Incense urns outside the shrine.
The side gate.
Full view of the Giant Dragon spewing water statue from the carpark.
Jao Por Lak Meung bucha made from roof tile material. Actually they resemble Tao Wessuwan and Phra Narai, Devas usually depicted as guarding the Ubosot doors in Thai temples.

Prison of Lust - Yishun murders

2011-11-26T01:03:00.005+08:00

The Dhammapada says:

"Such a man acquires demerit
and an unhappy rebirth in the future.
Brief is the pleasure of the frightened man and woman,
and the king imposes heavy punishment.
Hence, let no man consort with another's wife."

Recently in the news is the case of the Yishun murders where a mother and daughter were knifed 98 times (Source). The attack happened after 45-year-old Wang Zhi Jian from China quarrelled with his lover Zhang Meng and attacked her while she was sleeping. He also attacked her daughter when she was awakened by her mother's cries. Later, he went into another room and attacked another mother-and-daughter pair who was staying in the same flat at Block 349, Yishun Street 11. In her bid to escape, one of the women, Yang Jie, ran to the kitchen and climbed out the window while holding on to the ledge. Wang then hacked at her fingers. Unable to hold on, she fell to her death. Her daughter was injured. The suspect is believed to have killed the three victims within 1 hr 49 mins.
It was also revealed that the woman had an affair with the suspect when they first met in China. Wang had only been in Singapore for 10 days before he attacked the women. He was here on a 30-day social visit pass. He had previously met with Zhang Meng in Singapore the same year in July and August, hoping that she could introduce him to a job. Zhang and Wang had been engaging in adultery on a regular basis in China and had to run away when Zhang's husband discovered their misconduct. They continued living together immorally in Singapore with Zhang's daughter in close proximity. So it was inevitable that their unwholesome lifestyle ended quickly in a violent tragedy.
The Prison of Lust traps those in the karma of "Kamesu Michacara", leading them to misfortune and punishment in this life and having to climb the tree of spikes in the next. Zhang's husband, a rich police officer in China, is ashamed of the wife's infidelity and refused to have anything to do with what happened here. They have not divorced yet. Innocent victims of the violence include Zhang's daughter and the other pair of mother and daughter sharing the flat. Although tragic, the fact that they were all there together to be killed indicates that they were linked by the same negative karma from past existences. The only surviving girl of the murders was the one that stood by and watched. Unfortunately the cycle has come full circle and will end with Wang being hanged for his crimes. Thus we know that the prison of lust traps sentient beings not only in this life but in many cases it spans across several existences. But no matter in which existence, it drives them to woe and suffering all the same, as long as they do not awaken to their wrong doing. Sad indeed are these beings, never hearing the Dhamma, creating negative karma and suffering for it again and again, yet never learning from their mistakes from life to life. It is hard to see when will they ever be free from the wheel of Samsara.

LP Purachet of Wat Suwannaki

2011-11-25T02:35:00.013+08:00

Wat Suwannaki in Suphanburi province is the temple of LP Purachet, an upcoming monk specializing in spirit amulets. He has learned from Lersi masters as well as famous ones such as Kruba Baeng and Kruba Kitsana. Above we see the Ubosot.
Banner advertising the consecration of Lek Lai by LP Purachet 2 years ago. It was reported on Thai TV channel 5.
A large Bodhi Tree in the courtyard.
The cremation hall.
The main Sala.
Mae Hong Prai in a small coffin kept by LP. Some offerings of cosmetics and a mirror can be seen.
Main altar in LP's kuti.
LP reblessing the KMT and other amulets that I chowed.
A shot taken with LP.
Hoonpayon amulets soaked in oil. There are bone fragments embedded below.
Very unique looking KMT bucha.

LP Nuam of Wat Po Sijaren

2011-11-21T00:37:00.012+08:00

LP Nuam of Wat Po Sijaren in Suphanburi province is an old guru monk famous his special Wealth and Metta amulets. When we arrived at the temple we were greeted by this King Naresuan shrine with many Rooster statues as his guardians.
The Drum Pavilion.
The main Sala.
The cremation hall.
The monks' quarters.
The Ubosot with a very nice Naga perimeter wall.
The Mondop where the temple counter is.
LP Nuam blessing the 3 pairs of Fighting Fish buchas that I chowed.
A shot taken with the 91 yrs old master.
The special Fighting Fish roops which is said to be able to swim during the consecration.
The Nawa shell Khun Paen with old Bang Krang powder behind.

Wat Ampawan miraculously untouched by the floods

2011-11-15T01:30:00.004+08:00

The Dhammapada says:

"Even the Devas hold dear the Noble One,
whose senses are subdued like horses
well trained by a charioteer,
whose pride is destroyed and
who is free from the cankers."

Just heard from my friend who went for a 9-day Vipassana retreat at Wat Ampawan in Singburi 2 weeks ago that the temple somehow remained mostly dry, despite being situated just beside the Chao Phraya river. Most of the province is seriously flooded and even villages nearby the temple are still under water today, yet miraculously the flood waters did not affect Wat Ampawan much. There was still food and water readily available and the practitioners inside could continue with their meditation without any problems.

Why does the flood waters not overwhelm the temple? There are 3 reasons:
1) The Barami of LP Jaran - having completely purified his mind, he is respected by both the Water and Earth Devas, who commanded the waters not to enter his temple.
2) The Practitioners themselves - practicing Vipassana earnestly, they are protected by the Dhamma. The great flood is an outer manifestation of the inner craving of sentient beings, which has accumulated to an unstoppable level. Yet when it is arrested by the power of mindfulness, the waters of craving can find no way to enter.
3) The many Devadas residing there - having gained great merit from LP and the others, they have vowed to be guardian deities for the temple. As such they keep the temple dry and unharassed. They also ensure that there will always be a constant supply of daily necessities for everyone.

This is also a live testament telling us that the gates of the Deathless are still open at Wat Ampawan. If one wishes to see the end of suffering in this life, one should head there to sincerely support and practice meditation. Anumodana Sadhu!

LP Chaem of Wat Tagong

2011-11-13T01:35:00.012+08:00

LP Chaem of Wat Tagong is an old time guru monk of Nakhon Pathom province, and one of the important masters of LP Tae Wat Sam Ngam. He taught LP Tae a lot of the Wicha of making KMT passed down since ancient times. Above we see the fountain in the centre of the courtyard.
Shrine to LP Chaem.
Other prominent monks from Wat Tagong.
The Chedi containing Lord Buddha's relics. In front is a Mae Thorani shrine.
The main mondop.
Display chedi with some of the holy relics.
Billboard showing the old amulets of Wat Tagong.
Inside the main Sala. The current abbot of Wat Tagong is seated on the right.
The temple counter. The senior monk there told me that he had worked in Singapore when he was young.
Phra Pidta from LP Chaem.
Clay KMT roops from LP Chaem.

PT Wan of Wat Lorn

2011-11-08T01:26:00.016+08:00

Wat Lorn in Pattalung province is the temple of PT Wan, one of the top guru monks of the South in the 60s and 70s. He was one of the 108 monks who consecrated the 2505 batch of LP Tuad at Wat Suwankiri. Above we see the temple gate.
Billboard asking for donations to build the Ubosot.
Statues of past white-robe Ajarns of Wat Lorn, disciples of PT Wan. Pattalung has a strong magical tradition originating from Wat Kao Or.
Statue of PT Wan in the shrine.
Golden-white Chedi of PT Wan.
Shrine to LP Tuad, Somdej Toh and PT Klai.
The main Sala.
The altar in the abbot's kuti.
Ajarn Nipon, the current abbot and grand disciple of PT Wan performing Lersi Krop Sian blessing on me.
It is done on both front and back.
Drawing Yant on forehead.
Portrait of the 2505 consecration ceremony at Wat Suwankiri in Songkhla province.
AJ Nipon doing the candle wax pulling blessing ceremony.
He has to chant with his Lersi Mitmor while pulling the wax.
A shot taken with AJ. Behind him is the portrait of PT Wan.

LP Suk of Wat Pah Wai

2011-11-01T00:10:00.011+08:00

LP Suk of Wat Pah Wai in Singburi province is an old guru monk who has recently come out with an excellent batch of Kring amulets to build up the temple. Above we see the main altar in LP Suk's kuti.
Poster of this batch of Kring "Soot Yod Puttakun".
Poster of last year's "Jaren Suk" batch of amulets.
A shot taken with LP Suk.
Respecting LP before taking my leave.
Pidta Yant Yung from Jaren Suk batch.
Roop Sangkachai from the same batch.
The number of guru monks who help to bless the Soot Yod Puttakun batch of Krings.
3 of the 16 Pims of Krings available for this batch.

LP Chan of Wat Bang Sam

2011-10-30T23:18:00.012+08:00

Wat Bang Sam in Suphanburi province is the temple of LP Chan, who has recently came out with a batch of amulets to get funds for renovating the temple. Above we see the temple gate and spacious courtyard.
The Kuti of LP Chan.
Rows of small Chedis containing the remains of the faithful.
The main Vihara.
Shrine of the 7-day Buddhas.
The Ubosot.
Main Sala.
A shot taken with LP Chan.
Phra Mahesuan amulets of Nawa material from LP.
Phra Kong amulets of Takua material.

LP Paew of Wat Nongpongnok

2011-10-21T02:35:00.016+08:00

LP Paew of Wat Nongpongnok is perhaps the most highly regarded guru monk in Nakhon Pathom now, famous for the strong power of his blessing and amulets. There are 3 temples under him in the province. LP has learned from the top guru monks of the past such as LP Ngern Wat Donyaihom, LP Chaem Wat Tagong and LP Parn Wat Bangnomkho. Above we see the temple gate, which itself is a giant takrut with "Phra Pai" Yant in the middle.
Side view of the Ubosot.
Outdoor Buddha shrine.
Lersi shrine under a tree.
Magic ox?
The grand Vihara still under construction.
Phra Sivali shrine.
The Bell tower.
Front view of the Ubosot.
The temple shop. We see portraits of LP Paew and poster of the Divine Animal Somdej amulets that he blessed.
Entrance of the main Sala.
Main altar in the Sala, with a replica statue of Phra Buddha Chinaraj.
Takrut Phra Pai Sagot Tab, one of LP's most famous takruts.
Takrut Solot Mongkon, another one of his most popular takruts.

Shocking Cruelty of China Drivers

2011-10-18T00:37:00.004+08:00

This is a video of a recent TV news program talking about a traffic accident in Foshan, China. A 3-year-old girl was knocked down by a van. Although the driver realized he had bumped into a girl, instead of stopping to help, he accelerated his van so that its rear wheels run over her again. Later another driver also ran over the girl without stopping. Meanwhile, dozens of pedestrians walked past the dying girl, but none of them even stopped to take a look at her. In the end only a trash collector old lady showed some sign of humanity.

Currently the little girl is already brain dead in hospital after being ran over 4 times by the cruel and inhuman drivers. Just as inhuman are all those passer-bys who just walk past or around her as if she was invisible. Even after being arrested, the first driver showed no remorse at all for his cruelty nor any concern for his victim. This incident really reflects the complete moral decay of China's populace today. Although they are clothed like humans, they are no better than beasts. Devoid of the traditional values of Confucianism, Taoism & Buddhism, such a nation is doomed to self destruction despite its whatever economic success.

The Dhammapada says:

"Fools, their wisdom weak,
are their own enemies;
for they go through life,
doing evil that bears bitter fruit."

The minds of the present generation of people in China are hopelessly trapped in deep ignorance and greed, no thanks to the cultural revolution and relentless pursuit of material progress since the economic reforms of the 80s up till today. Everyday they commit all sorts of evil deeds just to be better off than the next man, ignorant of the karma that they create for themselves. Atheistic in their outlook, firmly believing that there is nothing after death, they fear no wrongdoing, other than the harsh punishment of the law. One can say this is the remaining ills of socialism in a nominally socialist China, caught up in the unstoppable wave of capitalism. All of them are laying the seeds of future suffering which will bear fruit in a very collective and powerful way. The only way to curb this widespread inhumanity among the Chinese is for the leadership to revive the traditional teachings of Confucianism, Taoism & Buddhism across all the schools in China, instilling wholesome qualities in the children from young. Only then can they grow up to be pillars of the country and lamps for the whole world. If not, it is not difficult to predict that the future of China is truly bleak indeed.

Red Shirt Leader's Amazing Escape

2011-10-08T02:24:00.005+08:00

Last week there was an article by our local correspondent in Thailand, Liang Dongping regarding the escape of Red-shirt leader Arisman Pongruanrong from the crackdown in Bangkok last year to Cambodia. After disappearing for many months since the crackdown, he was thought to be dead, probably killed by the soldiers. But recently he resurfaced in Cambodia, telling the Thai media through the phone an amazing story on how he managed to escape at that time.
Arisman related how he was given 3 amulets by a monk and taught a katha of invisibility some time ago. At first he did not make much of it, but after the monk appeared in his dreams reminding him to wear the amulets, he started to do as he was told. So when the troops moved in to attack the protesters on May 19th last year, he wore his amulets and calmly walked barefooted out of the Rachaprasong barricade, while reciting the katha. He walked all the way to the Makasan bridge a few kilometers away before making his escape on motorbike. Believe it or not none of the soldiers at Rachaprasong was able to see him and he travelled all the way to Cambodia unstopped. Arisman hid in Cambodia until today, and fearing persecution he only dared to resurface after the Peua Thai party came back to power.

Mr Liang commented that he was sceptical of this story, but there were many in Thailand who believed Arisman. Mysticism has always been a part of Thai culture and history, deeply rooted inside their psyche. Liang added that there were many "magic men" or white-robe Ajarns in Thailand, the most famous one being White Dragon King in Pattaya. He was like the Godfather of many HK and Taiwan celebrities, but hardly known in Thailand itself. But Liang didn't really believe much in such things, dismissing the mysticism as superstition.

However, there's no need to doubt the protective powers of properly consecrated amulets as they have been proven since ancient times up to today. That is why so many people both in and out of Thailand believe in them. There is no point trying to convince sceptics as such things have to be experienced for oneself before one can believe that they are real. As for mystical powers such as the katha of invisiblity, that is real too. This kind of Wicha exist in many Asian mystical traditions since time immemorial and are only taught to a selected few. Arisman must have great affinity with the monk for him to teach the katha to him. But I think it is also his good karma and that he is not destined to die or be captured at Rachaprasong. Let's hope that he can make good use of his luck and knowledge to help bring reconciliation back to a politically torn Thailand.

Ajarn Pon in Bangkok

2011-10-06T01:47:00.008+08:00

Ajarn Pon aka Lersi Payakarat is the top young Ajarn in Bangkok today. He is a disciple of LP Hong Wat Petburi and famous for his display of magical powers as well as Maha Amnaj Kongkapan amulets. I visited him at his house temple recently.
We can see the many Lersi statues on the altar behind AJ Pon.
AJ writing Yants on the amulets that I chowed.
Another closer shot.
AJ blessing palakits for me on my 2nd visit there.

Video of AJ making the palakits "come alive" with his mental power.

On my 3rd visit there he does the same with some bigger Palakits.

LP Hock of Wat Thakam

2011-09-30T01:31:00.011+08:00

LP Hock of Wat Thakam in Songkhla province was most famous for his 108 criminals' ash Phra Leela amulets created in 2506-2509 (1963-1966). It was one of the most special batch of Leela amulets in Thailand due to its content, and the effectiveness of this Leela amulet is still remembered by all collectors up to this day. The first batch had no inscriptions behind whereas the second batch had some Akaras inscribed behind. LP Hock passed away soon after making the second batch.
The temple gate of Wat Thakam. However Wat Thakam today is pretty much deserted save for a couple of young monks. There are also no amulets left in the temple.
The altar in the main Sala.
Phra Ruang statue.
Skeletal Buddha shrine under the Bodhi Tree.
Statues of 2 Jow Ngors carrying the temple bell.
The LP Hock shrine.
Walking around in the empty courtyard.
Statue of LP Hock in the shrine.

Mother & Son Double Suicide Case

2011-09-26T00:05:00.006+08:00

The Dhammapada says:

"Four misfortunes befall a heedless man who commits adultery;
acquisition of demerit, disturbed sleep,
thirdly blame, and fourthly a state of woe."

Currently there is a very hot news report in the local Chinese papers Shinmin and Wanbao regarding the double suicide case of Ms Chen Shishi and her son. In a bid to foil her ex-husband's attempts to get custody of their son, and also out of rage and frustration, Ms Chen drowned herself and her son together in Bedok Reservoir. The marriage of Ms Chen and her husband were fraught with many problems from the start. Eventually they had a bitter divorce when the husband Chen Yanxing had an affair outside. But Mr Chen still wanted to get back his son despite their tense relationship, so after many fights, it led to the tragedy of a double suicide.
Family portrait of the Chens during happier times. Both mother and son wore red when they committed suicide, and they died with their eyes wide open and almost popping out. So much so that their eyes could not be closed even after they were embalmed for the funeral wake. According to Chinese beliefs, this signified that they died with much anger and hate in their minds. LP Jaran once said in his Law of Karma books that those who died with strong clinging in the minds became hungry ghosts 饿鬼 and those who died with anger became demons 恶鬼. Such ghosts are very difficult to deliver or 超度 due to the strong hatred 怨气 consuming their entire consciousness. They will not let go or give up until they take revenge on the party who aggrieved them. A good example was the ghost Mae Nak, portrayed in many Thai horror movies. No exorcist could subdue her and only someone as highly attained as Somdej Phra Puttajarn Toh could pacify and deliver her from that demonic state.
The ex-husband still defiant yesterday, when questioned by reporters. He denied being responsible for the suicide of his ex-wife and son. However I see dark Chi clouding his eyes and forehead and know that he is going to be in a lot of trouble soon. Needless to say the vengeful spirits of the mother and son will not let him off so easily.
Chen Yanxing's attitude softened later, after he saw the gruesome corpse photos of the mother and son, said to be rotting yet still with eyes wide open. So he secretly went to the funeral wake early this morning to "apologise" to both of them and gave many child offerings to the casket of his son (none for the wife though). He had to go when all of the relatives were still asleep as he was afraid of being beaten up. Unfortunately such a superficial gesture won't appease the angry spirits who will haunt him for a very long time. It also won't save him from the calamity that will befall him soon. The only way for him to lighten his karma is for a highly attained monk to be the peacemaker and preach to the angry spirits so that they may give up on seeking revenge (unlikely in Singapore); or he must ordain to become a monk and deliver them himself. If he does not repent his sins, nothing can save him from the fruits of his evil karma.

Wat Chum Saeng in Rayong

2011-09-23T01:11:00.007+08:00

Wat Chum Saeng in Rayong province is the temple of Ajarn Dek, a senior disciple of LP Sakorn Wat Nong Grab. Relatively small, it recently came out with a batch of Khun Paen amulets to raise funds for the temple, with the help of LP Sakorn. Above we see the Ubosot.
The main Sala with the bell and drum towers.
Big billboard advertising this "Pratanpon" batch of Khun Paen Prai Kuman and Pidta.
Staircase leading to the side Sala and temple shop.
When I was there the higher end KPs of this batch were all gone. There were only lower end ones like the above double-sided Yant KP.

Kids possessed after exploring haunted school

2011-09-22T02:57:00.004+08:00

A couple of days ago there was a news report in Hong Kong regarding a bunch of kids who went to explore an old abandoned school in Yuen Long district, rumoured to be haunted. During the trek, some of the girls claimed they heard footsteps and saw 2 female ghosts, 1 red and 1 white. All of them ran out in panic and fled all the way to the Ping San train station. 3 of the girls fainted and when 1 of them woke up shortly after, she acted in a "possessed manner", strangling herself and biting a boy who tried to help her. The girls were later sent to the hospital.

The Mahayana Scripture "法苑珠林" says:
"When we talk about ghostly beings, know that they are those who are prone to evil and commit all sorts of unwholesome deeds in secret. They dwell in uninhabited places like rocks, caves, cliffs, pits, wilderness and forests."

Uninhabited places like abandoned buildings are a magnet for invisible lower-realm beings, because they are places closest to the frequency of the ghosts. They are dirty, dark, damp and lifeless, conditions most suitable for beings with very coarse minds. When these ghosts reside in such places, they are bound by their own negative karma and will remain in their own suffering till their ghostly lifespan runs out. Being deeply attached with strong craving, they certainly don't like to be intruded on, especially by humans. These HK kids like to look for adventure in haunted buildings, but what they find is just trouble too much for them to handle. Intruding into such places without any purpose or protection is certainly a foolish hobby. The girls are lucky that they only fainted with fright; they could very well become mad in serious cases of possession. These girls who bumped into ghosts have been tainted with much negative Chi in them and probably need to be cleansed with holy water for their own good.

When Buddhist monks past by those uninhabited places in their tudong travels, or have to reside in them temporarily, the custom is to first radiate loving kindness to the invisible beings there, before reciting a protective katha like the Atanatiya Paritta, Itipiso or Chinabanchon. This is out of respect for the ghosts or deities staying there before them. As such, these beings usually just leave them in peace. If they are rude and heedless, won't they also not end up like these foolish kids?

Ajarn Sawai of Wat Phaksak

2011-09-19T00:29:00.012+08:00

Ajarn Sawai is the senior disciple of LP Dit and the current abbot of Wat Phaksak in Pattalung province. LP Dit is one of the great guru monks of Pattalung along with Ajarn Kong and Ajarn Nam around 50 years ago. Above we see the altar inside AJ Sawai's kuti.
Photo shot of AJ Sawai, already in his 80s.
Portrait of LP Dit with AJ Kong and AJ Nam during the consecration ceremony at Wat Phaksak. AJ Sawai is in the background.
Having a shot taken with AJ.
Poster of the first batch of Sangkachai roops by LP Dit, co-chanted with AJ Kong and AJ Nam in 2483 (1940). I managed to chow 1 piece of this great amulet.
Article on the 2nd batch of SKC roops consecrated in 2504 (1961). It was also the final batch by LP Dit as he passed away in 2507 (1964).
And this is the poster of the Pidta roops chanted by AJ Sawai with AJ Kong and AJ Nam in 2516 (1973). AJ Kong and AJ Nam passed away soon after that.
Phra SKC roop 2504.
Phra Pidta roops 2516.

Sex Exorcism of Fake Fengshui master

2011-09-16T02:48:00.004+08:00

Today there is a news report regarding an unemployed middle-aged man Luan Yujian in Hong Kong, who pretended to be a Fengshui master and sexually abused the teenage sister of his girlfriend in the pretext of exorcising the "ghosts" haunting her body. This took place over a period of 6 yrs, and Luan used many different threats and excuses to make the girl give in to his sexual demands, which includes oral sex to shut out evil spirits and anal sex to purge black magic etc.

Interestingly, this is but one of the string of religious conmen sex abuse cases that happens in HK every once in a while. HK may be a cosmopolitan Asian city, but much of the populace are generally still quite superstitious as well as ignorant when it comes to what is orthodox Fengshui, Taoism and Buddhism practices. It is this ignorance and superstition that give charlatans like Luan a chance to pretend to be some sort of master or priest to cheat people. And when those victims happen to be young women, they are almost sure to be sexually abused by these conmen. Of course, such cases happen in other Asian cities as well, but they are not as widely reported as those in HK and Taiwan.

When you talk about Fengshui, there is no part of the art that involves exorcising evil spirits. As for Taoism, the Maoshan school has many methods suitable for that purpose, as simple as drawing a 5-thunder talisman, burning it in a bowl of water and giving it to the victim to drink. Of course whether it works or not depends on the power of the practitioner. Buddhism also uses Mantras or Parittas to be chanted over a bowl of water to achieve the same purpose. Sacred instruments like Mit Mor, Mai Kru or even Takrut can be used in the same way. But certainly when anybody say that they need to use sex to exorcise demons you can be sure they are just lustful criminals, who know nothing of proper Wicha. It is quite ironic that modern people are all so smart in technology and worldly ways, yet totally ignorant when it comes to spiritual culture and traditions. If they are not educated accordingly, it won't be possible to reduce the number of such crimes happening.

Wat Suwankiri in Songkhla

2011-09-16T01:53:00.018+08:00

Wat Suwankiri in Songkhla province is the temple where 108 top guru monks from Southern Thailand gathered in 2505 to create the first Egg Pim LP Tuad amulets. At that time PT Kling was the abbot. Above we see the temple signboard.
Old Chedi built on a boulder.
Chinese style Pagoda.
Beside the Sema stone.
Phra Ruang statue in front of the Ubosot.
Side view of the Ubosot.
White bell tower.
View of the road leading to the temple.
Main altar in the Sala hall.
AJ Mongkon, the current abbot of Wat Suwankiri.
Having a shot taken with him.
The poster showing PT Klai, LP Chuang and PT Nuan here at Wat Suwankiri in 2505.
Phra Buddha Siwichai amulets consecrated at that time.
The famous Egg Pim LP Tuad amulets chowed from the temple.
They were also featured in the encyclopedia of early LP Tuad amulets.
Description of the guru monks involved, the diffferent pims and materials used.

LP Anan of Wat Bang Pi Noi

2011-09-05T02:38:00.015+08:00

Wat Bang Pi Noi in Samut Prakan is the temple of LP Anan, famous for the efficacy his Phaya Wanon (Monkey deity, one of Hanuman's generals) amulets and images. He is well promoted by Malaysian tabloids like New Life Post. Above we see the temple gate.
The main Sala.
The side Salas.
The Ubosot.
The main Vihara with various LP statues inside.
The big Phaya Wanon statue outside the Vihara. Normally he is depicted as holding a baton. Interestingly they offer him bananas and red fanta drinks.
LP Anan reblessing the amulets I chowed.
Having a shot taken with LP while he engraves on my snake-bone bracelet.
The Phaya Wanon tree made of different kinds of wood.
Another beautiful Wanon tree.
The altar in LP's kuti.
New amulets and images to be blessed. Behind we see wax statues of LP's gurus.
2 of the Wanon roops that I chowed.

Ajarn Mahatana in Samut Prakan

2011-08-30T23:58:00.008+08:00

Ajarn Mahatana in Samut Prakan is a powerful white robe master who specializes in various "Kreng Lang" or non-mainstream amulets dealing with spirits. Above we see the LP Pinak portrait on the altar at his house. According to AJ he has learned the wicha of making certain spirit amulets from LP Pinak, as well as other masters.
The Lersi and Burmese Devas altar. Notice the Mae Per statue on the right.
Having a shot taken with AJ. Behind him is a poster in Chinese advertising his visit to Singapore.
One of his specialities, Khun Pet and Mae Per amulets. There's a big emphasis on Yin and Yang combination for the best effect.
Burmese Devas Nat Hong Tong and Nat Boboyee amulets.

LP Lee of Wat Asokaram

2011-08-27T03:09:00.018+08:00

Video clips I took at the temple.
Wat Asokaram is the awe-inspring temple of LP Lee, who is one of the most prominent Forest Ajarns of the previous century. He was famed for his deep insights into the Dhamma and meditation, as well as his ability to teach them to others using various metaphors. Above we see the 13 Chedis of Wat Asokaram, represent the 13 Tudong precepts.
The Grand Vihara.
Shrine to King Asoka the Great. Some believed LP Lee to be King Asoka in his previous existence.
Replica of the King Asoka Pillar.
Reclining Buddha statue carved out of a Mai Takian trunk.
Model Skeleton for Asubha meditation practice.
Chamber containing various artifacts used previously by LP Lee.
Replica statue of Phra Buddha Chinaraj in the main hall.
The golden casket of LP Lee.
Another side chamber venerating the few great Forest Ajarns.
The Relic display.
Closer look at the precious relics of past Arahants.
3" bucha of LP Lee that I chowed.

Ajarn Pijan of Wat Po Pak Hai

2011-08-20T02:04:00.010+08:00

Ajarn Pijan of Wat Po Pak Hai in Ayuttaya is another upcoming monk, who is a disciple of LP Thongsuk (deceased). He is in his 40s but gaining popularity in Ayuttaya. Above we see the beautiful Chedi of the temple.
A new batch of wooden Phra Pang Ham Samut (pacifying the ocean) Buddha that have been consecrated in the Ubosot for some naval officers.
The main Buddha image inside the Ubosot.
An old photo of LP Thongsuk with LP Jong Wat Natangnok. He was quite close to LP Jong and learned many things from him.
External view of the Ubosot.
Altar inside the Sala.
The temple counter with Somdej and Pidta amulets.
Taking a shot with AJ Pijan, who gave me a special Metta blessing.
Special pim wooden pidta amulets from AJ Pijan.

HK celebrity Cecilia Chung's Kumanthongs

2011-08-16T01:40:00.004+08:00

Recently there was an article in the HK Paparazzi mag "Oriental Sunday", regarding celebrity Cecilia Chung being discovered to have Thai Buddha and Kumanthong buchas venerated in her Yang Ming Shan private apartment. Cecilia (supposedly a Christian), who is pending a divorce and custody battle with husband Nicholas Tse, is said to be "using the evil power of evil gods and little ghosts" to help her defeat her husband in court.
In other words, those reporters are equating Thai Buddhas with "evil gods" and Kumanthongs as "little ghosts". Such deep prejudice really appalling, revealing their complete ignorance and lack of respect for Thai Buddhism. Thai Buddha images and Buddhist art have a long history and are highly prized worldwide for their beauty and elegance. Well casted and consecrated Buddha buchas serve to remind us of the 9 virtues of the enlightened one, possessing the power to purify our minds when we venerate them with a sincere heart. To describe them as "evil gods" is simply mind-bogglingly offensive. As for Kumanthongs, it is also not right to look down on them as "little ghosts" created by black magic. Although long ago Khun Paen did use black magic to transform his unborn child into Kumanthong, modern KMTs are nothing like that. The earliest modern KMT images comes from LP Tae Wat Sam Ngam, who fashioned them from clay. The purpose of inviting child spirits to reside in those clay images is to give them a chance to help people improve their lives, and thus create merit for themselves. Such KMT spirits have taken the 5 precepts under the guru monks who invite them, and will not help the owners to do evil. As such, they are to be respected as little helpers, not feared as if they are demons. I do hope the Buddhist association and communities in HK will file a formal complaint to their government for this offensive article, just like what we did in Singapore with Pastor Rony Tan.

LP Chern of Wat Kok Thong

2011-08-16T01:21:00.013+08:00

LP Chern of Wat Kok Thong, Ayuttaya, was one of the top disciples of LP Parn Wat Bangnomkho and LP Jong Wat Natangnok. He was quite a famous guru monk in Ayuttaya until he passed away in 2543. Above we see the temple gate.
The temple counter.
The long row of Salas and kutis.
Various framed up phayants blessed by LP Chern.
Statues of LP Parn and LP Chern.
A life-like wax statue of LP Chern, placed in front of his kuti.
Distant view of the bell tower.
The back entrance.
5" bucha of LP Chern.
Silver divine animal Somdej amulets.
Set of Garuda, Rooster and Rachasi Somdej amulets.

Wat Manicholakan & LP Saeng Chedi

2011-08-09T01:50:00.017+08:00

Wat Manicholakan in Lopburi is the temple of LP Dew, an expert in making Phra Prom amulets from the lineage of Ajarn Heng Wat Saket. He learned the wicha from LP See's brother, which also learned directly from Ajarn Heng. Above we see the temple gate.
The main Sala.
LP Dew's kuti.
The white Chedi of the temple.
A shot with LP Dew, who is in his early 50s. LP Dew drawing Yants on the Rian that I chowed.
Rian Phra Prom mass chanted in 2548 by LP Dew.
Billboard telling us the places of interests in Lopburi town. The LP Saeng Chedi is just opposite Wat Manicholakan.
Phra Leela shrine outside the LP Saeng Vihara.
The great Chedi of LP Saeng, who was the teacher of Somdej Toh in meditation. Although LP Saeng was younger than Somdej Toh, he still learned from LP Saeng as he has reached a higher Jhana than him.
The wax statue of LP Saeng in the Vihara.
Statue of Somdej Toh holding scripture.
Photo of LP Jaran with Chao Kun Nuan, who was the former abbot of Wat Manicholakan. This was taken in 2529 (1986) during the opening of the Vihara and consecration of the statue of LP Saeng.
The statue of LP Saeng.
Outer view of the Vihara.

Ajarn Rak of Wat Ban Muang

2011-07-28T01:10:00.014+08:00

Ajarn Rak of Wat Ban Muang in Lopburi is one of the top disciples of LP Thom. He is quite young, only a few years older than me, but has learned much wicha from his master when he was still alive. Above we see the temple gate.

The Ubosot.

The cremation pavilion.

The main Sala.

The Mae Takian shrine.

The "Luang Por Nak" statue that is still under construction.

Display counter inside Ajarn Rak's kuti, with a portrait and wax bucha of his guru LP Thom.

The altar in his kuti with a Phra Kaew bucha.

AJ reblessing the items that I chowed.

A shot with the upcoming master.

AJ Rak's Mitmor Tao Wessuwan.

His Takrut Narai Plaeng Roop.

LP Thom of Wat Cherng Tha

2011-07-18T02:07:00.013+08:00

Wat Cherng Tha is the temple of LP Thom, who used to be the top guru monk in Lopburi until he passed away some years ago. It is also famous for its Lopburi-Khmer style Nakprok Buddha statue.

The very old "Luang Por Nak" Buddha statue which is believed to grant the wishes of the faithful.

The front altar with various relics.

The temple counter. I chowed one of the smaller Luang Por Nak buchas made of sandstone. Unfortunately it was badly damaged when I brought it back to Singapore.

The LP Thom shrine in front of his kuti.

A life-like wax statue of LP Thom sits in front of his undecaying body in the glass casket.

A closer shot of LP Thom's body.

The side Vihara.

The Mai Takian shrine.

White Chedis and a row of Lopburi style Buddha statues outside the Ubosot.

LP Pichet of Wat Kok Mor

2011-07-12T01:30:00.014+08:00

LP Pichet of Wat Kok Mor is an upcoming guru monk in Lopburi, and his temple is famous for its wood carving sacred objects. Above we see the Phra Huyan shrine. It is said that the Phra Huyan is the most famous Buddha image and amulet in Lopburi province.

The Ubosot of Wat Kok Mor.

Entrance to the inner courtyard.

The Pikanet shrine.

A portrait of LP Derm outside LP Pichet's kuti.

Statues of Phra Sangkachai and Poo Chiwok in the temple shop.

LP Pichet drawing Yants on the Lersi Mai Tao that I chowed.

The main altar in LP's kuti. Other than the big Phra Kaew statue, I can see many chunks of crystals and minerals below. LP has some Chinese blood and is able to speak a little Teochew dialect.

Photos of LP Suang.

Phra Upakut 7" bucha made of teakwood.

Rare teakwood Cobra Staff from LP Pichet. It is now in the hands of a local collector.

Master Pushou of Tampines

2011-07-08T01:12:00.005+08:00

Master Pushou 普寿师父 of Tampines St 11 is a very ordinary looking old man with great abilities. He is the spiritual teacher of a Buddhist group "Sakya Mee Toh Hall". The name Pushou was given to him by Ven Hongchuan, the late abbot of Bright Hill temple. Already 69 this year, he had the ability to see various supernatural beings since very young. During his late 30s he suddenly gained the ability to chant Buddhist kathas and use various methods to help people with spiritual problems, all without any master to teach him. Throughout the past few decades, he had tried to ask many famous highly attained masters why he possessed all those abilities, but gained no satisfactory answer. He only managed to find out that he was Lord Buddha's relative from Queen Maya's tribe in his past life. Some of his followers also believed he is the incarnation of 财光佛 "Wealth Light Buddha", a unique Buddha image unlike any that most of us have ever seen.

The side altar in Master Pushou's house. His house was like a warehouse of all sorts of religious and occult artifacts.. which made me feel dizzy immediately after I stepped in. But I felt better after the master gave me some blessed water to drink.

The main altar in the house. The black statue in the middle is the "Wealth Light Buddha" which I mentioned earlier. Although it did not look like any Buddha image we know, there were many miraculous stories surrounding it, as told to me by the master. He hopes to be able to help more people with his special knowledge and guide them towards the right path.

PT Plad of Wat Kok Sung

2011-06-18T01:48:00.015+08:00

Wat Kok Sung in Songkhla province is the temple of the late PT Plad, a well-known guru monk who specialized in Kongkapan items as well as LP Tuad amulets. Above we see the temple counter.

The inner altar of the Sala.

The Lersi shrine.

The Jatukam shrine.

The impressive Ubosot.

The PT Plad Vihara, where his undecaying body is displayed.

PT Plad's life-like statue in front of the glass casket, contributed by foreign devotees.

The Pikanet shrine behind the temple gate.

Statues depicting Lord Buddha subduing the bandit Angulimala with his supernormal powers.

The Phra Prom shrine.

The recent batch of Khun Paen buchas made by the temple. This is the last piece there.

Also the new KMT buchas which have been mixed with LP Hok Wat Thakam's old Phra Leela powder.

LP Sakorn of Wat Nong Grab

2011-06-16T22:41:00.012+08:00

LP Sakorn of Wat Nong Grab, Rayong is perhaps the most prominent of LP Tim's disciples. His temple is just as famous as Wat Lahanrai. It was not difficult to see that it is very rich as well. Above we see the beautiful Mondop.

The Chedi behind the Ubosot.

LP Sakorn's grand kuti.

The Sangkachai shrine.

The temple shop.

Poster of the range of amulets consecrated by LP Sakorn.

The main altar inside LP Sakorn's kuti. As we can see the main Buddha is a golden Phra Kring statue!

LP Sakorn's standing potrait.

The Chuchok statue. But unfortunately we did not get to meet LP Sakorn as he was resting upstairs.

LP Tim of Wat Lahanrai

2011-06-12T01:17:00.020+08:00

As all of us know, the late LP Tim of Wat Lahanrai was the most famous guru monk of Rayong who created the first Khun Paen Prai Kuman and Phra Kring Chinabanchon amulets, respected in the whole of Thailand. He is nothing less than a legend here in Rayong province, with many prominent disciples. Above we see the shrine room with his wax statue. The temple counter. There are only 3" bucha of LP Tim and some amulets blessed by his disciples available here. Poster showing the range of amulets created by LP Tim in his lifetime. All those amulets are highly valued in Thailand until today. The range of Khun Paen Prai Kuman amulets, perhaps the most representative of them all. The main Sala. A large outdoor LP Sotorn Buddha statue. The LP Tim Vihara. Gate to the Sala with a Pidta Yant Yung statue. The Ubosot. The main altar inside the Ubosot. The Phra Kring Chinabanchon statue. In the middle of the statue is the highly prized Phra Kring Chinabanchon amulet by LP Tim. The Chedi that is still under construction. The side Vihara. A parting shot of the standing LP Tim statue.

LP Pin of Wat Yang Ngam

2011-06-04T01:06:00.009+08:00

I went to Wat Yang Ngam in Rayong to meet LP Pin, hoping to see some of those famous KP and Owl amulets that he consecrated. But I was disappointed as there is none in the temple. LP said he only have 1 piece of copper rian with him. Later I learned this was not his temple, and he was originally from Wat Klong Wai Pong. He left that temple to stay here due to problems with the committee members. So in Wat Yang Ngam, LP just minded his own business and let other people run the show. The half-built Ubosot of the temple. The bare Vihara. Despite being run-down, things were generally still neat there.

Veteran HK actor returns as Black Butterfly

2011-05-24T00:01:00.006+08:00

There's an article in Wanbao paper today regarding veteran HK actor Deng Guangrong returning to his house as a black butterfly 1 week after his passing away. Strangely the butterfly could understand what his daughters say and respond accordingly. Deng's wife was originally sceptical about the Chinese belief that the souls of the dead returning to visit their families after 7 days, but after experiencing this phenomena for herself, she had no choice but to be convinced.
Why do the dead souls take the form of insects or small animals like birds? Simply because it is the most convenient way to manifest themselves to their loved ones. The bodies of such small creatures are coarse and easily perceived, unlike their ghostly forms which cannot be perceived by ordinary humans. This also proves what the Tibetan Book of Bardo says is true: that the consciousness in the in-between has limited powers of transformation and teleportation at will. They can appear in any coarse form that they wish and be teleported to any place in the world. The only place they cannot pass is the Vajrasana, the seat of Lord Buddha's enlightenment in Bodhigaya. This is the place where only fully enlightened beings can enter - the blissful realm of complete cessation. Long and painful is the never-ending journey through the wheel of Samsara. Arising and passing away again and again in accordance with our karma, there is no place where one can remain for long. That's why we must seek the refuges of the Triple Gems within ourselves, whether in life or in death. Even the first fruit of sainthood is worth more than all the wealth, power and happiness in this world combined. For the fruit of sainthood opens the door to the Deathless, surpassing all the worldly things which must eventually crumple into dust. Who will accompany me on this Noble Path?

LP Boon of Wat Thung Hiang

2011-05-23T23:22:00.016+08:00

LP Boon of Wat Thung Hiang is a well-known guru monk in Chonburi who has learned from many great masters like LP Suang, LP Promma and PT Klai. I went to visit this master to see what interesting stuff he has at the temple. Above we see the Phra Sivali and Mae Thoranee shrines.

The principal Buddha image in the Ubosot.

The bell tower.

The yet to be completed shrine to LP Thep Lok Udon, the legendary Arahant who lived since King Ashoka's era and is still alive somewhere in Thailand today. Only a special few who have affinity with LP Thep can find him. He is also the master of my master LP Jaran.

The minor Sala with various Buddha and Lersi statues.

The main Vihara.

The Phra Sangkachai shrine. The Sangkachai here is unique in Thailand as it is portrayed as eating from his bowl, instead of holding his belly or with 2 open palms like in other temples.

The altar in LP Boon's kuti with many Phra Chai buchas.

The Phra Chai Fon Sen Ha bucha I chowed from LP.

Passing to LP for him to rebless.

Having a last shot taken with LP.

The LP Thep Lok Udon bucha that I chowed. Very few temples in Thailand has it.

The Phra Chai Fon Sen Ha bucha.The LP Thep shrine was completed on my 2nd trip there.

Having a shot with LP Thep.

The completed Phra Chai Fon Sen Ha shrine.

Nezha Temple in Chonburi

2011-05-18T01:05:00.008+08:00

Clip of the majestic pavilions in the courtyard of the Nezha Temple in Chonburi. This must be one of the grandest Chinese temples in Thailand and Southeast Asia.

Clip of the main hall inside the Nezha temple.
The Temple Gate.
The high Dragon Pillar that reach to the sky.
Mahayana monks chanting Sutras inside the main hall at the request of some devotees.
The bell tower. This bronze bell is many times bigger than a man!
Billboard outside with an introduction about this temple, which is quite a tourist attraction here.
Nezha lockets I chowed at the temple.

Wat Angsila in Chonburi

2011-05-15T00:56:00.014+08:00

Wat Angsila is the temple of Chaokun Sri, the famous top guru monk of Chonburi many decades ago. There were many well known Pidta amulets made during that time. Above we see the Chiang Saen Buddha statue in the minor Sala.

The main Sala.

The bride across the pond in front of the Sala.

The Ubosot.

The side Vihara.

Chaokun Sri's Chedi.

The main Vihara.

The Rahu shrine.

Phra Sivali shrine.

Having a shot taken with the current abbot, LP Poonsap. He kindly gave us free Pidta amulets after learning we are visitors from Singapore.

Wat Tonson in Ang Thong

2011-05-14T23:01:00.013+08:00

Clip of the principal Buddha statue of Wat Tonson in Ang Thong. It is called "Somdej Phra Si Meung Thong", but actually it is a replica of the famous Phra Buddha Chinaraj.
The temple gate.

Another large outdoor Buddha statue.

Entrance leading to the main Vihara.

Close-up shot of Somdej Phra Si.

Large billboard advertising the temple.

A beautiful Mondop.

Replica building of the Mahabodhi Chedi at Bodhigaya.

Undecaying body of LP Tim Wat Phra Khao

2011-05-12T00:12:00.005+08:00

I passed by Wat Phra Khao and saw that they already set up a Vihara to house LP Tim's undecaying body. Above we see his life-like wax statue and the glass casket with his body behind.

A closer shot of the body.

2 pieces of his final batch Khun Paen amulets that I chowed.

Ajarn Si Thep of Wat Perd Nimit

2011-05-10T00:20:00.011+08:00

Ajarn Si Thep of Wat Perd Nimit is an upcoming young master in Pathum Thani who just started making amulets to raise funds for building a large Buddha statue "Luang Por Thong Sak" at his temple. He is also famous for his candle flame blessing to boost the luck of devotees.

The temple counter.

Ajarn talking to some female devotees.

The rest of the counters.

Ajarn applying Metta oil to the Kumanthep bucha I chowed.

Ajarn's Kuti.

The elaborate temple gate leading to the road.

Parting shot of the temple.

Fengshui at Wat Khao Kut in Songkhla

2011-05-05T00:56:00.008+08:00

The majestic view of Songkhla lake outside of the main Vihara at Wat Khao Kut. Looking at the 2 hills at the Dragon sector and vast expanse of water in the Pheonix sector, one can be assured that this hilltop temple will produce 2 great masters, one of which I believe is Ajarn Klang Saeng. Although there is no obvious Tiger, it does not matter since there are no women staying at the temple.
The Phra Buddha Nimit statue on the main altar. On the left of the Buddha is a LP Tuad statue.
Photo of the consecration ceremonies held here.
Ancient holy materials used for making the amulets.
On the left of the altar are golden statues of the great gurus LP Parn and LP Lingdam.
A shrine to Lersi Nakaraj (Naga King) outside of the Vihara. The katha is Namo Tassa (3x) followed by "Om Phrom Lersi Phaya Nak Nak Mat (9x)".
Exterior view of the shrine.

PT Boonhai of Wat Tha Muang

2011-05-05T00:36:00.010+08:00

PT Boonhai of Wat Tha Muang, Nakhon Si Thammarat, is another old guru monk who only recently start to consecrate amulets. When I arrived at the temple, it was already close to dusk. Above we see the Ubosot.

The amulet counter.

Some of the Kring and Pidta that I chowed.

PT Boonhai reblessing the amulets that I chowed.

Receiving them from the master.

One of the old salas.

A small shrine building.

Catalog of the "Song Nam" batch of amulets and buchas that PT blessed last year.

Wat Mamuang Khao in Nakhon Si Thammarat

2011-04-23T01:08:00.010+08:00

Clip of the surroudings at the famous temple of "Thousand Swords" Pidta Pangpakan - Wat Mamuang Khao in Nakhon Si Thammarat.
Photos of AC Khun Pan with the abbot when he came to do the consecration of Pidta PPK in 2545.

The only 2 original batch Pidta PPK buchas left in the temple, worth many thousands of dollars today.

The LP Sotorn altar in the abbot's kuti.

Signboard of the new batch of Pidta PPK bucha consecrated last year in 2553.

Having a shot taken with the abbot. Unfortunately I forgot what was his name.

The 5" Pidta PPK bucha that I chowed.

PT Nuan of Wat Sai Rah

2011-04-21T01:26:00.015+08:00

PT Nuan is one of the most famous guru monks of Nakhon Si Thammarat still alive today. He was famous for one batch of Kring amulets with many miracle stories. The boss of Fordlane in Singapore once invited him down to Singapore a few years ago. The journey to his temple Wat Sai Rah was very far, almost 5 hrs away from Hatyai. The temple was very grand, with many attractions. Above we see the temple gate.

The 12" Buddha Sihing bucha that was available for pre-order.

The temple counter.

The Jatukam Lak Meuang shrine.

Another Jatukam shrine.

The Guanyin shrine.

The Phra Ariya Metteya (Maitreya) shrine.

The Ubosot.

The Main Sala.

Kuti of PT Nuan. Unfortunately he seldom meet visitors nowadays.

A parting shot before I left.

5" bucha of PT Nuan that I chowed there.

LP Chuang of Wat Kuan Pantaram

2011-04-15T00:51:00.012+08:00

Wat Kuan Pantaram in Pattalung is the temple of LP Chuang, an old guru monk in his 80s. Relatively less famous than many other masters from the Wat Kao Or lineage. Recently his temple came out with a batch of amulets, so I decided to go take a look. Above we see the temple gate.

The monks' kuti.

The Ubosot.

The Shrine to LP Ne, the master of LP Chuang.

The statue of LP Ne.

The bell tower.

LP Chuang reblessing the Sangkachai Pangpakan bucha I chowed.

And also the rest of the amulets.

Having a shot taken with LP Chuang.

LP Chuang's photo with PT Klai and PT Nuan taken at Wat Suwankiri in Songkhla in 2505. They were consecrating a batch of LP Tuad amulets at that time and LP Chuang (in the middle) was the youngest among them.

Pet Nampi stones from LP Samchai

2011-04-13T00:49:00.005+08:00

Pet Nampi stones (on the right) are a kind of special mineral that can be made into an amulet when properly consecrated by a master. LP Samchai of Wat Dongradee recently obtained a batch of these stones from Uttradit province to bless. On the left are his famous Kongkapan takruts.

The altar outside LP's kuti. There's a bucha of King Yama, Lersi Promma, Chinese Taoist deities as well as Kumanthongs.

LP Samchai reblessing the Pet Nampi and takruts.

Another shot taken with LP Samchai.

LP Chuan of Wat Khao Gaew

2011-04-09T01:46:00.009+08:00

LP Chuan of Wat Khao Gaew, Ang Thong, is one of the living disciples of LP Tae, junior to LP Yaem. Only recently has LP Chuan started to use the wicha he learnt from LP Tae to make Kumanthongs. I visited him to obtain a few KMTs as well as other spirit based amulets.

LP Chuan took a long time to rebless the KMT buchas I chowed.

Having a photo taken with LP Chuan.

The big KMT shrine in the courtyard.

Elephant head water fountain.

The Ubosot. Apparently the temple was quite well to do, despite not having much fame.

First Trance Experience

2011-04-05T02:10:00.003+08:00

Tonight I had my first trance experience as I was initiated into a school of Taoist Wicha. Previously when I did my Thai Sakyants I did not experience such things, but just now I could really feel the energy of certain present deities coursing through my whole body. My mind was conscious and I did not try to control it; everything just happened by itself. It was a fierce trance of animal deities, not unlike those you see during those Wat Bang Phra "Wai Kru" ceremonies. The other initiates had more gentle trances. I also somehow drew Taoist talismans to be consumed by myself, although I had no idea what Yants I was drawing at all. Very strange yet quite amazing. The path of Wicha begins right here. May the Ariya Sangha and Great Lersis guide me, sadhu.

Miraculous "Talking" Buddha Statues in KL

2011-03-21T23:17:00.005+08:00

Recently there is an interesting news report on miraculous Buddha statues at the Puxian Buddhist Centre in KL, Malaysia being seen "talking and blinking". As we can see in the above video, the report is true, but unfortunately the centre has become a circus as a result of the big hoo ha.

Master Yongjia said in the Song of Enlightenment:

"Who is without thought, who is without birth?
If it is truly the Unborn then there is nothing that is not born;
Summon a wooden robot and ask of it,
'Apply yourself to seeking Buddhahood, when will you achieve it?'"

Buddhas of bronze and wood are not the real Buddha, nor can they attain Buddhahood. They are inanimate objects and only appear to blink and talk as a result of the devotees' cultivation efforts there. Like the moon's reflection in the water, one should not be deceived by the reflection and should directly look at the moon itself. What ordinary people call miracles are merely ripples in a still autumn pool. Has the full autumn moon even moved one bit? Enough! Be quiet. The more you speak, the more confused will they become. Shut your eyes, shut your mouth! Perhaps you will realize how to see without seeing and talk without talking. All of you deserve to be struck with a baseball bat. Pah!

Aftermath of Japan's Tsunami

2011-03-18T01:53:00.004+08:00

The Tao Te Ching says:

"There is nothing in the world more soft and weak than water,
and yet for attacking things that are firm and strong,
there is nothing superior to it."

Looking back at the twin disasters that hit Japan days ago, it is clear that what devastated Japan was not the 9.0 magnitude earthquake, but rather the powerful tsunami that it caused. What took the Japanese many years to build - cities, ports, farms etc were destroyed in mere seconds before the fury of nature's power. Seemingly solid, unmoving structures of concrete were smashed to pieces by the unstoppable water brought in by the tsunami. Cars, ships, planes were no better than twigs being washed here and there in a flood. Despite Japan's advanced building technologies and disaster warning system, thousands of people living in the coastal regions around Sendai still perish in the blink of an eye.

This tells us that no matter how smart Man think he is or how advanced he becomes with technology, he remains no match for Nature's power. Man can never conquer Nature, nor should he ever try to. That's why the sages of the past teach us to live in harmony with Nature and flow in accordance with its energy. The wise do not try to fight against Nature, but discard their egos instead and become One with Nature. He who is One with Nature is One with the Tao. He who is One with the Tao knows the Chi movement of both Heaven and Earth, and can thus avoid all calamities and use them to his advantage. As such he is called the Great Sage. But alas, there are no such people in Japan anymore. It has also become a country which can no longer produce any good and capable leaders. In the aftermath of this major disaster, the Japanese populace can only rely on themselves and on the assistance of other nations to help pull them through.

LP Liu of Wat Rai Daeng Thong

2011-03-11T16:58:00.014+08:00

LP Liu of Wat Rai Daeng Thong, Nakhon Pathom, was a famous master of the Phaya Dao Reun "Wealth Turtle" amulets who passed away more than 10 yrs ago. His most famous amulet was the Phra Sangkachai Wealth Turtle Rian that he co-consecrated with LP Koon of Wat Banrai many years ago. They are famous for their Metta and wealth attraction power. Above we see a statue of LP Liu in the main Sala.
The amulet counter. The current abbot is Ajarn Chon, but he was not around.
The Guanyin shrine pavilion.
The beautiful temple gate.
Giant Statue of LP Liu riding turtle in the new Vihara.

Clip of the giant statue.
The exterior of the LP Liu Vihara is still under renovation.

Phra Upakut shrine. My driver said he felt very serene in this temple. I replied it had a very good energy flowing around inside. Perhaps LP Liu's spirit was still around to bless devotees.

3" LP Liu riding turtle bucha that I chowed at the temple.

Consecration Ceremony at Wat Puthaisawan

2011-03-09T01:36:00.002+08:00

Chancing upon the consecration ceremony of a batch of Lersi and Rahu statues at Wat Puthaisawan in Ayuttaya. At the end of the clip we can see LP Poon of Wat Ban Paen.

Mae Takian of Wat Nang Kui

2011-03-09T01:06:00.012+08:00

Wat Nang Kui is an ancient temple established during the Ayuttaya Era. It is famous for its over 400 yrs old Buddha statue Luang Por Yim as well as its guardian deity, Mae Takian. Above we see the principal Buddha image inside the Ubosot.

The famous Luang Por Yim Buddha statue. It has a very serene smile, thus it is given the name "Yim", which means smiling in Thai. The old Chedis standing outside the Ubosot. The Dvaravadi period Luang Por Sila statue in front of the Ubosot.

The remaining chunk of the Mai Takian tree trunk. The old tree collapsed years ago and this was what's left of it.

The Mae Takian shrine, built around the Mai Takian tree stump. She was originally the rich lady during the Ayuttaya Era who donated this piece of land for building the temple. Thus the temple was named after her - "Nang Kui". After she passed away, she became a tree deva who resided in this Mai Takian tree as a result of her merit. Mae Nang Kui continued to watch over this temple as its guardian deity even though the tree had collapsed years ago. People come to pray to her for good luck all the time.

The Katha to venerate Mae Takian.

The sheltered walkway leading to the Ubosot.

Blessed roop images of Mae Takian, made from the Mai Takian wood powder.

Takruts carved out of the Mai Takian wood.

LP Si Meung of Wat Kan Tod

2011-02-21T15:41:00.013+08:00

When we arrived at Wat Kan Tod, it was already close to dusk. This is the temple of the venerated LP Si Meung, who is an expert in making metta and wealth sacred objects in Suphanburi. Above we see the Ubosot.

The twin Salas.

Another shot of the Sala.

Inside LP's Kuti, we chowed the items to let him rebless.

LP applying holy powder to some of the amulets.

Chanting a prayer of blessing.

It is done.

LP inscribing a good luck Yant on the top of my head.

Another shot. It feels slightly prickish.

LP giving a goldfoil blessing on my forehead.

Followed by a Salika Lin Thong blessing on my tounge.

One of the Took Gae (gecko) I restocked at the temple.

Ajarn Nikom's House in Suphanburi

2011-02-13T00:53:00.010+08:00

Ajarn Nikom is a famous white-robe wicha master in Suphanburi, with many fans and followers in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. During my past NS reservist training, I met another Ajarn in Singapore who was his disciple. From him I heard much about Ajarn Nikom's abilities. Above we see a video that I shot inside AC's house.
When I was there, a female Malaysian dealer as well as a local monk had come to consult AC on certain kathas.
AC reblessing the amulets I chowed at his house.
Blowing his "energy" onto the amulets.
AC applying holy powder to the Poo Jao Saming Prai bucha that I chowed.
Poo Jao Saming Prai is the Patron Lersi of Necromancy and occult arts.
Meeting AC again on my subsequent trip there.
Having a "Ling Lom" sakyant done by AC's brother. My body is too fair compared to my face and limbs.. I badly need an even tan!

A close up the Ling Lom "draft".

Another short sakyant clip taken by my friend.

Wat Bang Krang in Suphanburi

2011-02-10T23:19:00.011+08:00

Equally as famous as Wat Palelai is Wat Bang Krang, home of the oldest Khun Paen amulets in Thailand. Here they have up to 400yrs old type of antique Khun Paen, worth many thousands of Sing dollars. Above we see the main Buddha image in the Ubosot.
The Chedi with various relics on display.
A closer look at the relics.
A signboard talking about the history of Wat Bang Krang as well as the past patronage of King Rama V and Poet Sunthon Phu.
An old Mondop.
Vihara of Luang Por Kaew.
The ancient Buddha statues inside the Vihara.
The tent shrine to a long Mai Takian log.
The temple counter.
A piece of the BE 2492 Twin Khun Paen that I chowed.

Wat Palelai in Suphanburi

2011-02-10T00:27:00.006+08:00

Wat Palelai is perhaps the most famous temple in Suphanburi, well-known for its large Luang Por Toh statue depicting Lord Buddha retreating in the Palelai forest, as well as its old Khun Paen amulets. Above we see the external temple counter.
Outside the Main Vihara.
The billboard advertises the BE 2490 batch of Khun Paen just taken out from the Chedi to let devotees chow.
Devotees outside the Vihara.

Video of Luang Por Toh that I took inside the Vihara.
The 5" Luang Por Toh bucha that I chowed.

LP Khom of Wat Pai Rong Wa

2011-02-04T02:22:00.011+08:00

History of LP Khom

LP Khom of Wat Pai Rong Wa was a famous guru monk in Suphanburi during the 80s. He was well versed in meditation and most remembered for building the large Buddhist theme park at Wat Pai Rong Wa, which remains a strong tourist attraction to this day. LP passed away in 2533 (1990) at the age of 88. Above we see his wax statue.
LP Khom's undecaying body in the glass casket can still be seen up close.
A bas relief of LP Khom's body, covered with gold foil.

Taking a shot with LP Khom's glass casket behind me.
The final batch of Nang Kwak buchas consecrated by LP Khom in 2531 (1988).

The large Phra Buddha Kodom statue in the theme park.

Video of the Buddha statue.
A replica building of the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhigaya, India.

Video of the interior of the replica building.

Questions & Answers on the Netherworld IV

2011-02-01T00:33:00.002+08:00

The following is an interview of Mr Li Shu by his good friend Lin You Xiang. It is called "幽冥问答录" in Chinese. Mr Li had worked as a Judge in the Netherworld in the beginning of the previous century, and wished to share his experiences with his close friends. This interview was written down many decades ago and gives a very detailed, first-hand account of life in the ghost realm.

Q61: In the netherworld are there cultivators who recite Amitabha? If reciting and chanting Sutras have such great merit, why don't all the ghosts quickly practice so as to be liberated from their state of woe? If they don't know how to chant, why don't they learn from the human world?

A: Once a person enters the netherworld, his mind will be blocked by his own negative karma; as such he won't know how to do recitation or chanting. Even if we humans recite and chant, they also won't be able to see or hear us. That's why if we want to cultivate, we must do it while we are still alive. Once we die and go to the netherworld, it will be very difficult to do it.*

Q62: Since ghosts can see and hear what is invisible and inaudible to humans, then how come they cannot see or hear us reciting or chanting?

A: As I said, this is due to their own karmic obstacles. Look at the people in this world - some are without religion, some are oppressed by cold and hunger; they too cannot hear us reciting or chanting. Even if they do hear us by chance, they will be too caught up with their own desires, disbelief or lack of will. So at the end of the day, they also won't cultivate or chant; how are they any different from those ghosts who can't see or hear?

*However on Uposatha days, the Teachers of the Netherworld like Phra Malai and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva will appear to the ghosts, and through their supernormal power, these beings will be able to hear the sacred verses and learn to chant. But this only applies to those ghosts whose negative karma are not very severe.*

Q63: How do the voices of ghosts sound like?

A: They sound sharp and short-breathed.

Q64: From the perspective of the ghosts, humans and ghosts are living mixed with one another. But from the perspective of humans, both worlds are separate and distinct. How do we really define the borders of both worlds?

A: That appears to be a border, yet it cannot be clearly defined. The exact situation is very difficult to be explained with words.

Q65: The spirits of the living and the ghosts of the dead - are they different in form?

A: I have not paid much attention to that. But of course there is a slight difference.

Q66: How does it feel to be a ghost?

A: They feel that they are suffering a lot. Thus what they talk about is mostly sad and tragic stuff.

Q67: When the ghosts are send for rebirth, does the Lord of the Netherworld admonish them to give up evil and cultivate what is good?

A: No. Except for those destined to be reborn as animals. Those ghosts won't know where they are heading, and the womb or egg will be made to appear like attractive men or women, palaces or pavilions so that they will be happy to enter it.

Q68: When the sky is clear and the sun and moon are shining brightly, how come their light won't reach the netherworld? Is there something blocking out the light? If the human world is separate from the netherworld, then how can humans and ghosts walk side by side?

A: Because the netherworld is always covered by clouds and fog, sun and moon light cannot shine on it. But ghosts can roam freely in the dark regions of the human world, especially at night. That's why they can walk side by side with humans.

Q69: What calendar is used in the netherworld? Are all the official documents dated?

A: During the Qing dynasty, we used the Qing calendar (xx year of Emperor so-and-so's reign etc). Basically no different from the human world.

Q70: If humans are reborn from ghosts, then what are the children of ghosts marriages reborn from?

A: They are reborn from the residual Chi (energy) left over after people die.

Q71: Can the ghost children be reborn as humans when they grow up?

A: They can't.*

*Ghost children possess no independent sentience apart from their ghost parents - they are like muppets or robots. That's why they cannot be reborn into other realms.*

Q72: Is there bad weather in the netherworld like wind, rain, hail and snow?

A: Didn't see any, but whenever there is such weather in the human world, the ghosts will somehow also suffer from the cold, coiling up and shivering in great unease.

Q73: Are there social gatherings for ghosts like marriages, birthdays and funerals etc?

A: Yes, no different from the human world.

Q74: What are the uses for joss sticks and candles during offerings?

A: Candles provide ghosts with light, and joss sticks are for summoning them with the smell.

Q75: What about fire crackers?

A: Ghosts are afraid of the exploding noise, so it is no advisable to use them.

Q76: Chanting Buddhist Sutras produce great merit, then what about Confucian texts?

A: They have merit too.

Q77: The guardian deity of Buddhism is Weituo, and for Taoism is Wang Ling Guan. Does Confucianism have any guardian deity?

A: No, because Confucianism is not established from the belief in gods. However their classics are also protected by good deities, no doubt about it.

Q78: Where do the salaries of netherworld officials come from? Do they collect taxes of money and grain as well?

A: I once asked my colleagues about that, but they told me not to ask. Thus I also have no idea.*

*All those hell bank notes and paper money burned in the human world end up in the netherworld government treasury.*

Q79: The light rays emitting from human heads; which are good and which evil?

A: Red, white and yellow come from good people and black comes from evil people.

Q80: Ghosts are reborn from humans, and humans from ghosts. So which came first in this world, human or ghost?

A: There are 2 aspects to look at this. In the far ancient times when heaven and earth have just separated, and where the atmosphere of innocence still prevailed, naturally there were humans first before the ghosts. But in the later eras when humans become more corrupt, ghosts come before the humans.

Q81: Do ghosts miss their previous spouses and kids in the human world?

A: Quite a lot. But as time goes by, they will slowly forget them.

*This is the final installment of this series.*

- The End -

Thoughts after watching "Hereafter"

2011-01-25T00:58:00.003+08:00

Ah.. a Hollywood movie about the mystery of the afterlife and the in-between. While the interlinked stories are interesting, this movie does not try to provide any answers. All 3 main characters still remain in the dark as to what the next world is like. But by the end of the movie, they have found new meanings in their lives to continue on.

What this movie really reveals is that 99% of the world is still in ignorance about the nature of death. Despite the great advances that modern man has made in science and technology, yet he is no more knowledgeable about his own mortality than men in ancient times. Which is strange, since none of us can escape the final destination. One would think that something so pressing should deserve much more attention then it is getting. However we are always so lost in the pursuit of our own desires that we either try to sweep it under the carpet, or conveniently subscribe to long existing wrong views about it. 99% of people fall into the pits of either eternalism or nihilism. Those with religion will believe that their souls live forever and those without will believe that there is nothing after death. Even among so called Buddhists, it is hard to find people with "Right View". Verily, finding one with right view is as rare as finding a needle in a haystack.

So what is the right view? Not to subscribe to these 2 kinds of wrong view is the right view. Not to subscribe to any kind of duality is the beginning of true seeing. Thus the scriptures say, "Without views one maintains the right view". It is not the same as indecisively sitting on the fence, but a conviction born from understanding the nature of emptiness. Although we think we are born and die, but what is born and die is not really us. Because in the great void nothing ever comes into existence or ceases to exists. Like movie characters dying on the screen; have they really died? The world is no different from a movie screen, and what we believe we are are in reality only projections of our own deluded mind. When the mind stop projecting, then only can one see that there is only a blank screen, and that the mind is no different from the screen; the mind IS the screen. But just in case you start to cling to that as the truth, the mind is also not the screen. If you realize something here, just see it silently is enough; do not cling to any concepts at all, otherwise King Yama is not going to let you off when you step into the "hereafter".

LP Boon Ler of Wat Kam Yard

2011-01-23T00:44:00.014+08:00

LP Boon Ler of Wat Kam Yard in Ang Thong is a well-known Bodhisatta monk and a great healer cultivating the 10 Paramis. However when I went there LP was away in Bangkok.

The old Ubosot of the temple, where takruts mystically "flew" down from the roof top after one of the male devotees made a wish to see the power of the Buddha statue inside.
The LP Tuad and Somdej Toh shrine beside the old Ubosot.

The "flying takrut", which lay women at the temple said had powerful protective powers - one of them had a son who wore it and met a serious traffic accident where the car was completely wrecked, but the guy was miraculously unharmed.

An old tree in the middle of the courtyard.

The bell tower.

Statue of King Thaksin riding his horse into battle. This temple had some historical link to the great king.

The Chedi where mystical Biagae with healing and poison absorbing qualities were excavated.

The Sala of the Reclining Buddha.

Stairs leading up to the Chedi.

The Monday Buddha (Pang Ham Samut) statue inside the Chedi.

Signboard mentioning about the consecration of a new batch of King Thaksin amulets.

Visit to Wat Panom Yong

2011-01-03T01:27:00.015+08:00

Wat Panom Yong in Ayuttaya is the temple of LP Jamlong, the famous wicha master. He is not the same as LP Chamlong of Wat Chedi Daeng, as some might get confused. Above is the temple gate.

The yet to be completed Phra Rahu Shrine.

A cute pony beside the shrine. It is quite tame.

A big poster indicating the number of masters who will come to consecrate the Rahu shrine.

The Chuchok shrine. LP Jamlong is an expert in the Chuchok spell.

The temple counter.

The Ubosot.

Outer gate of the Ubosot.

The altar to the presiding Buddha image of the temple.

Having a shot taken with LP Jamlong, who kindly explained to me how to use some of his amulets.

The "Takrut Kor Mah" (Dog Neck Charms) or Maha Amnaj Takruts that I chowed from the temple.

The famous Luang Por Chao Noi Buddha Shrine outside the temple.
Katha to worship Luang Por Chao Noi.

LP blessing the bag of Phakod that I have chowed.

The Phakod Peun Kram Bon Yan.

The Legend of LP Jamlong

2010-12-31T00:29:00.006+08:00

“My name is Long, Long with an L not an R, as Rong means always the second best, I am Jamlong and I will not be second to anyone.” That's what LP Jamlong used to say last time. He is a real adept monk from the old capital and this is certainly not a boast. LP's brief history goes like this - before he joined the Sangha he was a ‘Li-ke Guru’ (Li-ke is traditional Thai opera), and he also knew the ‘Chuchok Spell’ (Chuchok is a beggar king). Other Li-ke bands have to ask people for work, but for his band it was the other way round as they received so many invitations all the time. As long as he used the Chuchok Spell, all the money and necessities of life will keep coming to him without much effort.

Later he got tired of living in the superficial society, so he ordained and went to studied with LP Er of Wat Panomyong. LP Er is the one who taught Thailand’s statesman, Mr. Preedee Panomyong (he was also the one who advised Mr. Preedee to use the last name of Panomyong, after the name of the temple instead using his Chinese family name). After that LP went to practice with LP Pan of Wat Pad Ar. From there he learned to make the ‘Phakod’ (sacred knotted cloth) or ‘Bullet Proof – Gambling House Afraid – Magical Knotted Cloth’. His first try was done by using ‘Bungsukun’ cloth (a yellow robe placed on the coffin before lighting the pyre for performing a requiem by the monks). He tested the cloth by throwing it to the fire, and somehow it won’t burn. I know it sound ridiculous but if you don’t believe it, you can underline this paragraph and go to ask LP himself whether this is true or not.

At one time when LP Tim of Wat Phra Khao was still healthy, some villagers from Ang Thong Province came to worship Luang Por Chao Noi (the famous Buddha statue) of Wat Panomyong. They then paid a visit to LP Tim and asked him for some sacred objects with power for doing business. When LP Tim learned that they had already passed Wat Panomyong, he told them, “You have missed a real deal there; isn’t LP Jamlong there at Wat Panomyong? Why don’t you ask such things from him? He is quite an adept monk.” LP Than Chaokhun Sawat of Wat Salapoon also praised LP Jamlong as ‘one with very powerful mental force’. His Metta was really more intense than LP Sawat when he was younger. These testimonies guarantee that LP Jamlong is one of the most adept Wicha monks in Ayuttaya.

One day LP had a strong inspiration, so he took out some copper foils, rolled them up and bound them with twined rope. He then coated them with black lacquer before tying them around the neck of his dogs. The villagers and his disciples called it ‘Takrut Kor Mah Ayuttaya’ (Dog Neck Charms of Ayuttaya). Those dogs who wore the Maha Amnaj takruts were typical local Thai dogs. One of them dog had a fight with a foreign dog the size of a man. And the result? This Thai dog won without any scratches and the foreign dog had to run for its life. ‘Tam’ was another one of those dogs that wore his takruts. It took a nap at the Sala of the Sleeping Buddha which is situated at the temple’s frontage. Some villagers brought food to make a votive offering to the Sleeping Buddha and also wanted to light some firecrackers. To their surprise, the firecrackers won’t burn at all; they just keep extinguishing. Finally someone realized what's happening and bent down to see Tam lying under the table. They knew right then that it was Wat Panomyong’s dog and had to drive him off. This time those firecrackers burn normally and exploded loudly as they should. Another story was told that some naughty kids used a handmade muzzle-loading gun to shoot the dog but it also won’t fire. Miraculous, right?

LP Chom of Wat Klang Khun Paen

2010-12-28T00:26:00.014+08:00

LP Chom of Wat Klang Khun Paen, Ayuttaya is the successor of the great master of Metta magic LP Sawai Wat Preedaram. I decided to visit this LP to check out his stuff. Above is the Mai Takian shrine at the temple.

The giant gong.

Devotees praying inside the Ubosot.

Front gate.

Side view of the Ubosot.

The main altar inside LP's kuti. Many Lersi buchas. Notice the giant Khun Paen on the left!

Photos of LP visiting devotees in Hong Kong.

LP drawing Yants on my Khun Paen amulets.

LP inscribing Yants onto my Chuchok bucha.

Photo with LP Chom. He is getting more and more popular overseas.
My Chuchok bucha.. it looks "live".
Having LP perform a Nanathong gold foil blessing on my forehead on my 2nd trip there.

Closer view.

LP blessing the small tiger palakits that I chowed.

Blessing the big tiger palakit bucha.

Applying Metta oil.

Blessing completed.

Good Children Bad Children

2010-12-25T00:58:00.002+08:00

During the Qing dynasty era there was a rich man in Zhejiang province named Wang Weng, who had inherited much wealth from his ancestors. Wang married at 20 yrs old and in the 10 over years that followed, he had 9 children with his wife. However all these 9 children were retarded or of low intelligence. Despite their condition the parents still loved them very much.

In the reign of Emperor Qianlong, there was a severe famine and many people died of starvation. At this important time, Wang sold all his property and used the money to help with disaster relief in his hometown. Many lives were saved as a result of his generosity. Everyone who had received aid were very grateful and regarded Wang as a living Bodhisattva. What they did not know was that both Wang and his wife were strong devotees of Bodhisattva Guanyin. That was why they were able to perform Dana so readily, without any hint of stinginess. Dana is the foremost of the 6 Paramitas and Wang had indeed followed the Buddhist teachings wholeheartedly.

What happened after that brought a big shock to many people; Wang's eldest son contracted an acute disease and died soon after. In the space of a few years, the rest of his 9 children fell sick and died one after another! Everyone was puzzled and thought, "Wang and his wife made such a big merit by selling all their property to save so many lives; why did they not reap any good fruits for their good karma? Maybe their belief in Guanyin is not efficacious at all?" And there were also the foolish who thought, "Do good deeds and you get evil results. That proves there is no point doing good at all. Better for me to do what I want!"

Wang and wife were of course deeply saddened by their children's deaths, but due to their strong faith in Guanyin, they did not give up their belief even after what happened. They continued to pray to Guanyin everyday without fail. One day they wrote a proclaimation and burnt it in front of their Guanyin bucha to express their pain.

That night Guanyin appeared in Wang's dream and told him, "Good man, do not be sad. The 9 children you had previously were 9 demons, sent by the Heavenly Emperor into your family. As a result of hidden evil karma created by your ancestors, these 9 demons manifest as your 9 bad children to squander away all the wealth that they have accumulated. But due to the great merit that you have made by selling your properties to relief the great famine, he had decided to recall the 9 demons back. Not long after this the Scholarly Star will descend into your family. You have a bright future ahead, therefore rejoice!"

Wang woke up the next morning and told his wife what he dreamt about. To his surprise, his wife said she dreamt of the exact same thing! From then on the couple no longer felt sad and were inspired to continue helping those in need. Soon after Wang's wife conceived again and in the years that followed she successfully gave birth to another 5 children. All these 5 children were very intelligent, had excellent memory and were well-learned in all things. One of them was Wang Wenjian, who became the top scholar of the empire and eventually promoted to a Minister in the imperial court. Even up till today, Wang's descendants continued to be very prominent in their achievements.

This is a true story. The moral of the story is: Do not be happy if you have children; for they may well be your debtors from previous lives coming to claim what you owed them in the past. Do not be sad if your children die also, for they may just be leaving after claiming back the full debt from you. Or they may be your creditors, who will also leave once they have repaid what they owed you previously in full. Most of the time smart children who do their parents proud but die in their prime are such creditors. Complex as karma is, the intricate connections between close relatives can basically be summed up with 3 words - Debtors and Creditors. That's why those who can gain insight into the emptiness of worldly life and relationships will be able to remain calm no matter what happens.

Ming Yi reinstated as Abbot

2010-11-24T01:53:00.004+08:00

On Monday (22.11.10) there was an article on how the Foo Hai monastery held a grand ceremony recently to reinstate Ming Yi as their abbot, and also to commemorate his 20th year as the leader of that temple. This was followed by a big dinner at Pan Pacific Hotel. Most of the Buddhist community in Singapore felt this was very inappropriate as he had just been released from jail. Instead of keeping a low profile to repent on his moral errors, here the monastery is ironically putting him up on a pedestal once again.

Upasaka Li Muyuan, chairman of the Buddhist lodge rightly criticised that such behaviour was "an exaggeration" and unprecedented in the history of Buddhism. None the great masters of the past ever promoted themselves like that. In the Nirvana Sutra, the Buddha said,

"After I enter Nirvana, you should rely on the 4 Dharmas as your teacher."

What are the 4? Namely:

1) To rely on the doctrine and not the person

2) To rely on insight and not on knowledge

3) To rely on the meaning and not the words

4) To rely on the transcendal meaning and not the conventional meaning

The wise know thoroughly the danger of feeding the ego and thus avoid such ceremonies which serve no purpose at all. Instead of relying on the good doctrine as their teacher, the fans and followers of Ming Yi continue to rely on him for "guidance". He cannot even guide himself.. how can he guide others? It is pitiful indeed, that Ming Yi makes one mistake after another, which will compel him to embark on a path of no return. He is not worthy of the Sangha robe that he clings so dearly to.

Questions & Answers on the Netherworld III

2010-11-18T02:49:00.001+08:00

The following is an interview of Mr Li Shu by his good friend Lin You Xiang. It is called "幽冥问答录" in Chinese. Mr Li had worked as a Judge in the Netherworld in the beginning of the previous century, and wished to share his experiences with his close friends. This interview was written down many decades ago and gives a very detailed, first-hand account of life in the ghost realm.

Q41: Between ghosts and humans, whose numbers are greater? Humans are afraid of ghosts, are ghosts also afraid of humans?

A: The number of ghosts in the netherworld are more than humans. Coming and going, here, there and everywhere. Humans walk in the middle of a path, ghosts walk at the sides. Humans like to walk in the light, ghosts like to walk in the dark. Ghosts are also afraid of humans; they usually move away when they see humans approaching. If the person is a righteous gentleman, ghosts will also respect him. Those people harassed by ghosts are usually of crooked character or down on luck. As such from the afternoon till the night, try to avoid walking at the sides of a path or where it is dark. When going out at night, don't walk so fast or cough a few times to let the ghosts know you are approaching. If you accidentally bump into them, you will feel a sudden chill. When Yin and Yang energy clash, both will feel uncomfortable as a result.

Q42: Is there a difference in how ghosts walk as compared to humans?

A: The feet of ghosts can't be clearly seen. It is as if they were walking in smoke. They move much faster than humans.

Q43: Why are ghosts afraid of roosters crowing?

A: Because that means that sunlight is coming soon and they have to hide. This is similar to humans avoiding the heat emitting from an oven. However for ghosts who have virtue and merit, they won't be afraid of sunlight.

Q44: Sir, your past karma must be quite exceptional and different from ordinary people. Will you be freed from the wheel of rebirth in the future?

A: It's easier said then done. I cannot avoid it even in my next life. I asked my "colleagues" to check my future destination for me and they told me I will be reborn in the Nanyang district of Henan province. However decades have passed since then and I know not whether there are any changes.

Q45: Do the officials in the netherworld get reborn also?

A: Of course. Like those officers in the civil service who find it easier to switch to a better job than ordinary people due to their positions, the netherworld officials are no different.

Q46: When ghosts head for rebirth, do they enter at the moment of conception or at the moment of child birth?

A: Both scenarios can also happen.*

*If according to the Buddhist scriptures, the consciousness to be reborn is drawn into the new being at the moment of conception.

Q47: Since there are so many ghosts staying indefinitely in the netherworld, why don't they seek to be released from that state ASAP?

A: Because there are more ghosts than humans and thus there is not enough supply to meet the demand. Furthermore the family which the ghost will be reborn into must have some past affinity with each other; otherwise it won't work out. If the ghost had a wide social circle when he was alive, then he would find it much easier to be reborn. But if he was a poor person who remained in his hometown his whole life, knowing very few people, then it would be very difficult. This kind of ghosts would have to wait very long to find a family that may have some affinity with him.

Q48: Of the 3 main (Chinese) religions of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism, which is most respected in the netherworld?

A: They respect all 3. However Buddhism is the most revered.

Q49: Buddhists get reborn in the Pure Land, Taoists get reborn in the celestial realms; where do Confucianists go to?

A: Also in the celestial realms. They won't just disappear.

Q50: Why did you give up on being a judge later?

A: I didn't want to do it on the long term, and had asked to resign several times; but they did not approve it everytime. Later I was taught by a colleague to recite the Diamond Sutra. I followed his instruction and after I finished reciting the Sutra for 2,000 times, I was no longer drawn to the netherworld.

Q51: Sir, are you able to see ghosts at normal times?

A: When I was a judge, I could see them all the time, no matter whether my consciousness was with my body or not. I started to see less of them after 1911 and after 1921 I stopped seeing them altogether.

Q52: How were you notified the first time you went to the netherworld?

A: One night I dreamt of a man in ancient attire visiting me and asking whether I could help him with some task. I replied, "What is it that you need me to help you with? I'm afriad I might not be capable enough to do it?" The person said, "As long as you agree, there is nothing you can't do." I did not know why he was here, but seeing that he was sincere and polite, I agreed tentatively. He appeared happy and told me he would come back to fetch me in a few days. Then I woke up and thought it was just a dream, so I did not think much of it. However after 4-5 days the person really came back and said, "Thank you for you cooperation. I have specially prepared a horse carriage to fetch you." I saw the carriage outside the door, so I hopped on. Later we arrived at some magistrate building and there I alighted there. The person brought me inside into a side room. After a while I was asked to preside over a court and pass judgement. A prisoner was brought before me and the jury officers related his case. When they asked me to sentence, I replied that I have never done this before and did not dare to pass judgement haphazardly. The officers said, "As long as you sincerely evaluate the evidence, you can make a decision according to your wish." I thought about it for a while and said, "Ok let's pass such a sentence." The officers agreed and asked me to sign on the judgement book. The prisoner was then taken away and I was taken back home using the same carriage.

Q53: Did your parents know about this then?

A: At first I kept it secret and did not dare tell anyone. But later my parents saw me alone in the reading room quite often and heard me talking to people, thus they gradually know what I was doing. After I became a netherworld judge, sometimes friends from there would come to visit me. However only I could see them and hear them talking. Others could only hear me talking.

Q54: When your ghostly friends came, did you have to prepare food for them?

A: A cup of tea was all the hospitality required.

Q55: Do they have holidays in the netherworld?

A: No different from the human world. During all the traditional festivals like Chinese New Year and Mid-autumn festival, we were given a few days off. However there was no Sunday rest day in the netherworld.

Q56: How come ghosts are able to shape-shift?

A: All ghosts have that ability, but they must be given approval by the netherworld authorities.

Q57: Have you judged any important cases?

A: They were all quite routine. There was hardly any case that was beyond reason. The sins were always obvious and the evidence clear cut. I've not come across complicated and hard to understand cases.

Q58: Have you toured around the netherworld?

A: No.

Q59: Are Ox-head and Horse-face* for real?

A: They are only masks, used to scare those fierce spirits. For those good-natured people they don't use them.

*Netherworld soliders tasked to bring the dead down to the courts to be judged.

Q60: Do animal and bird spirits appear in the same form in the netherworld?

A: They belong to the juristiction of another department. I'm not too sure about it.

To be continued..

Prison of Anger: Death of Darren Ng

2010-11-05T00:04:00.005+08:00

The Dhammapada says:

"He whose conduct is very bad,
Is like oak tree choked with ivy;
So does he inflict upon himself,
what enemies would wish for him."

A young boy's life was lost for nothing, all because of a staring incident between 2 groups of youths. Those 4 guys who killed him are themselves charged with murder, their own lives ruined. The root cause for all this violence and tragedy is none other than their own Anger. Anger is their prison, for it binds and burns these kids, reducing them all to ashes in the end. Even the friends of the victim show themselves to be full of anger at the funeral; little do they realize what consequences such behaviour will bring for them in the near future.
Young people today have no education in the Dhamma, and as such they have no control over their base emotions. Unrestrained, these emotions drive them to do all sorts of foolish deeds, leading to their own ruin. If Darren and his friends could suppress their anger and just walk away from the other group's "challenge", it would not have ended up in bloodshed. There is a time to fight and there is a time to just walk away. Those wise in the Dhamma avoid conflict even before it can materialize into action, by shutting one's eyes and ears from external bad influences. Ignorant people think that to walk away from a fight is cowardice, but it takes true courage to overcome your own ego and do the right thing. If we have to fight, it will be for a just cause; to protect the weak and the innocent. Never to support our own egos or out of anger for those who offend us. This is the way of the Dhamma warrior. Hope all the angry young people out there can learn a lesson from this tragedy.

Live Crab Dispenser Machine in Nanjing

2010-10-31T01:48:00.003+08:00

Well the Chinese have done it again.. a seafood business in Nanjing have come up with the world's first live crab dispenser machine and placed it in one of their subway stations. Crabs of different sizes are packed in small containers and kept live in near freezing temperatures. Consumers simply have to insert their money and the crab of their choice would be dispensed out. The vendor even gives a guarantee that if anybody gets a dead crab, they will compensate them with 3 live ones. How creative.. one can only imagine the suffering that those crabs go through, frozen and trapped in a tight container, conscious but unable to move.

The Dhammapada says:

"When evil karma is immature
the fool thinks it is honeyed,
but when the evil has matured
then to the fool comes suffering."

The hunger of the Chinese for live seafood knows no bounds. As are result this hunger, millions of sea creatures are slaughtered everyday to satisfy their hunger. Of course, this also applies to land animals as the Chinese eat everything with their backs facing the sky. There are some well-known inhumane ways to slaughter and prepare seafood, and now they have thought of another inhumane way to sell them to consumers. It is appalling indeed that they have such scant regard for the welfare of animals. But of course, nobody will think of protecting crabs or other sea creatures from cruelty in China, since everyone thinks of them as "food" like chickens and pigs. Businesses that are built up from taking lives and being cruel to animals can never prosper, for the evil karma accumulated will have serious consequences for all those in the business. As Buddhists, even if we cannot be vegetarians, we should at least not contribute to the demand for live animals, but settle for dead ones. The craving for fresh and tasty meat is something that leads many to the states of woe. By weakening the demand for live animals, we also reduce the cruelty perpetrated towards countless animals everyday. The world will be a better place if the Chinese can learn to have more respect towards all life.

Ajarn Wutai of Wat Wihan Sung

2010-10-24T23:46:00.014+08:00

Ajarn Wutai of Wat Wihan Sung in Pattalung is famous among the Malaysians for his powerful takruts. So I decided to pay him a visit to chow some as well. Above we see the temple gate.

Standing Deva statue on the wall of the Ubosot.

The bell tower.

The Chedi in front of the Ubosot.

Ajarn Wutai's kuti.

The yet to be completed Vihara housing Ajarn's casket, which we thought was strange since he was still young.

The large Jatukam statue in Ajarn's kuti.

The Phra Sivali and Phra Pang Umbat statues.

The rest of the statues.

Portraits of Ajarn and his masters.

Ajarn reblessing the takruts for us.

Having a photo taken with Ajarn. He usually shows his serious Samatid posture for photos. There were a lot of interesting weapons and staffs kept behind him. However they were not for chow.

Wat Kok Don in Pattalung

2010-10-16T21:15:00.012+08:00

Wat Kok Don is an old temple in Pattalung founded by Ajarn Kaew. It was recently renovated with new wooden structures by the current abbot Ajarn Satian. Most of the buildings are built from wood, thus giving the temple its name "kok don".

The monks' quarters.

The hall with a small display counter.

A low wooden tower.

The old Sala.

The new wood Sala.

Short clip of the interior of the new Sala.
The main altar, even the Buddha statue and Disciple statues are made of wood.

Having our photo taken with Ajarn Satian.

The catalog of the new batch of amulets to help build up the temple. It will be consecrated together by Ajarn Satian and Ajarn Pachuab next month.

PT Wong of Wat Huay Raya

2010-10-14T00:53:00.002+08:00

PT Wong of Wat Huay Raya in Nakhon Si Thammarat is a little known master with a very high level of Wicha knowledge. His Nanathong gold foil blessing was very simple, yet extremely powerful. Whereas it took effort for other masters like Ajarn Prasoot to blow 9 pieces of gold foil into your forehead, PT Wong magically sends them into you with an almost effortless tap of his font. We were not allowed to wash our face before the sun set and each person can only do this blessing once in their lifetime. Past friends who did it experienced various effects after the blessing. Some felt giddy, some felt feverish, others felt ok. I was one of those who felt alright. Those who did not, as I understand, had some Yin energy in them; which was why they did not feel so well. PT did not make any amulets and his altar was filled with golden Buddha images as well as the various powerful Lersi. He did not allow people to take photos of him or his altar as he did not want any fame or too many devotees to come and look for him. I respected his wishes, so I only took a short video of the surroundings standing outside PT's kuti. PT Wong is indeed one of the hidden dragons in this part of Thailand.

Ajarn Pon of Wat Khao Huay Haeng

2010-10-09T12:42:00.013+08:00

Arriving at Wat Khao Huay Haeng in Trang. This is the cave temple of the upcoming master, Ajarn Pon.
The Cobra shrine outside the cave temple.
Close up of the Cobra deity.
Coming batch of Jao Sua and Buddha roops to be made by Ajarn Pon.

The main Buddha altar inside the cave temple.

Ajarn Pon's talking mynah. It's a very smart bird!

The temple counter.

Altar of Jao Sua Jook, a power Kumanthong spirit residing in this hill. Jao Sua Jook means "son of the tiger king".

Another altar for Ajarn's masters.

Their big Jaukam statue.

Chedi on top of a rock.

Ajarn Pon drawing Yants on his hand-carved Jao Sua Jook buchas, made from fragrant wood.

Ajarn had just came back from the hospital after an operation. That's why he was resting on the couch. However, he still kindly draw Yants on the buchas for my friend and bless them personally for him.

Having our photo taken with Ajarn. These KMT buchas are very "saksit" or effective. My friend's hairs stood on end when he received them from Ajarn. When Ajarn invited Jao Sua Jook's spirit down, I could hear all the dogs howling even though it was in the afternoon. Later that night when they brought the buchas back to the hotel, there was another incident. We left the buchas in the hotel room and left for dinner, switching off all the lights and air con. However when we went back to the room, the lights and air con was on again. Who switched them on? It was the KMT's way of telling us they were there. Nowadays it is difficult to get these hand-carved wooden KMT buchas. But I did not chow any as I'm not a KMT collector.

Outside Ajarn's kuti, preparing to leave.

The Legend of Lersi Poo Seua

2010-10-04T00:31:00.003+08:00

From this source:

The legend of Poo Seua (Grandfather Tiger) was related by LP Kalong a long time ago. LP said that when he was young he liked to go into the jungle and mountain in order to practice meditation in seclusion. This was for the benefit and welfare of Buddhism. One day, LP went to spend his rain retreat at Wat Dao Dueng in Singburi province. At that time, the temple was badly dilapidated.

During the first night of stay there, a strange incident happened. There was a strong wind blowing and ghostly screams were heard.

On the second night, there was a strong rotting smell and also a mass of big black ants. There were about 10,000 of ants crawling around the resting area of LP.

On the third night, there were sounds of a giant as huge as a tree walking around.

With regards to the various incidents that happened, LP dealt with them with his Discipline, Concentration and Wisdom. Skillful in Wicha LP surmounted the obstacles smoothly, until there was a shadow which appeared in the place where LP was sitting and chanting.

When LP opened his eyes, he saw an old man with a fierce looking face, who was over a hundred years old. The face gradually changed into the face of a ferocious tiger.

Poo Seua asked LP, "Venerable Sir, who are you and where did you come from?"
LP answered, "I am Kalong, and I came for seclusion so as to practice meditation according to the teachings of the Buddha."

Poo Seua then told LP the truth, "The incidents that happened the last few nights arose mostly from my power. I thought that you were trying to challenge me."

Poo Seua continued, "In my previous life, I was ordained at the time of the 2nd King of Ayuttaya, about 500 yrs ago. My name was LP Krut and we ever practiced together."

"In my previous life, I practiced the occult art of Seua Saming until I was very skillful. My body transformed from a monk into a Tiger-head Lersi because of Seua Saming's spell. This remained so until I passed away."

"After death, I became Lersi Poo Seua and continued to practice until today."

In order to prove that he was speaking the truth, Poo Seua brought LP to a secret treasure chest hidden under a large rubber tree. There were two 9" golden Buddha images inside. It was the proof that in their previous lives, LP Kalong and LP Krut made them together as an offering to the propagation of Buddhism. After digging them out, LP buried the Buddha images back.

After that, the news spread throughout the village and it made the villagers came looking for the golden Buddha images. But nobody ever found the hidden treasure.

In BE2513 (1970), LP built Wat Kao Laem in Sakaew, which was previously a part of Prachinburi province. One day, when LP was meditating, Poo Seua manifested in the presence of LP and mentioned, "I want to practice here too."

At that time, LP was building the ordination hall but still lack the funds to build a shrine for Poo Seua. There was a villager who heard the news, so he came to try his luck. He made a wish for good luck, and it happened that he won a 6-figure sum of prize money. He utilized the money to build a shrine for Poo Seua. The shrine was erected under the Makkha tree in front of LP's kuti and there it remained until today.

Maoshan Taoist Black Magic

2010-10-03T00:21:00.003+08:00

A couple of days ago, there was a report in Shinmin paper about a reformed pimp, Li Weiming, who is now a pastor. He said he used to be the godson of a Singaporean triad boss operating in Penang, who controlled girls with Maoshan Taoist black magic and manipulating them to work as whores. This boss knew how to draw the talisman of controlling people's minds 迷心符, which must be burned and mixed with water to be drank by the victims. So he employed those handsome pimps to entice innocent young girls with sweet talk, coercing them to drink the charmed water. Once the girls drank it, they become complete slaves to the master, willing to obey his every command. This was the dark secret behind their prostitution ring. Li eventually grew disenchanted with helping his godfather do evil. He left the boss and came back to Singapore to atone for his sins, which led him to the embrace of Christianity. As the Chinese proverb goes, "Putting down the butcher's knife, become a Buddha from where you stand". Good luck to him.
The Maoshan sect of Taoist Wicha is one of the most famous schools of magic in old China, and was once the figurehead of popular Taoism in Southern China. Though Maoshan has largely died out in Mainland China today, it continues to live on through practitioners in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. It was popularized through HK vampire movies in the 80s and 90s, starring the late Lin Zhengying as the Maoshan master battling various vampires and ghosts. Incidentally, Lin is not a legitimate Maoshan practitioner. Maoshan Wicha 茅山术 is divided into 3 levels, consisting of High, Middle and Low 上, 中, 下. Each level is further divided into 3 sub-levels, totalling 9 parts. The Lower 3 levels of Maoshan Wicha 下三茅 deals mainly with black magic, controlling ghosts and spirits to do one's bidding. At this level, it is very easy to use the knowledge to do evil. But every Maoshan practitioner must go through this stage of learning first. If they succumb to the temptation of use black magic for their own selfish aims, they will be stuck as "Lower Mao" 下茅 and cannot progress to the Middle or High levels. Drawing talismans to enchant people's minds belong to the Lower Mao and the triad boss should be one such practitioner who "turned to the dark side". By using Maoshan Wicha to harm innocent young girls, he has accumulated very serious evil karma for himself. Great suffering awaits the boss when this karma ripens and his consciousness reappears in hell.
One good way to help those victims is to use a sacred Mit Mor to make holy water for them to drink. By invoking the 5 most powerful divine weapons, the holy water will destroy the Maoshan black magic used to control the girls. However, depending on the length of time that they have been enslaved, they will still be permanently damaged mentally to various degrees by the spell. As such, the harm of using such talismans is far-reaching indeed. Wicha, no matter Taoist or Buddhist in origin is a double-edged sword that can be used for both good and evil. Ideally, only the most righteous characters should be allowed to learn them. But in reality that is hardly the case. Thus we must all be very careful about the instruction and application of Wicha.