LP Put of Wat Klang Bang Phra

On 17.1.08 I went to Wat Klang Bang Phra, the temple of the late LP Put in Nakhon Pathom. It is just some distance away from Wat Bang Phra. So it is no surprise that LP Put used to be good friends with LP Peun. I first heard of the temple from a friend who came here in the past. He told me there were a lot of "good stuff" that could be obtained from this temple, and thus there I was to find out for myself.

In front of the Sala we could see a billboard advertising the new batch of amulets and takruts to commemorate the 9th aniversary of LP Put's passing away in 2542 BE (1999 CE).

This is the preserved body of the crocodile subdued by LP Put in the past. Notice that the devotees still make offerings to it. That's why LP Put was known as 伏鳄罗汉 or Crocodile Subduing Arahant.

They really have a lot of good stuff here. You can see the whole corridor of buchas and amulets on display. Coincidentally, when I was there the monks were conducting a chanting ceremony for LP Put, who passed away 9 years ago on the very same day. It was LP Put's death aniversary and many devotees from the area came to participate in the auspicious ceremony. I feel this should be a sign of my karmic affinity with LP Put. Regretably, I did not manage to take a close look at LP Put's undecaying body in this Vihara as there were too many people around.

These are the 2 buchas of LP Put I obtained from the temple. The left one is 5-inch (knee to knee) and has LP holding a walking stick. The right one is 3-inch, with LP raising his right hand in blessing.

A small seated Tao Hanuman bucha from the temple. Hanuman is holding his command flag and trident. There are also some blessed "objects" embedded below the bucha. There are many other interesting things available at the temple. You guys can take your time to slowly look them through if you visit. Highly recommended.

On my 2nd trip to Wat Klang Bang Phra in Apr 2009 I managed to take more photos. This is the undecaying body of LP Put. A closer shot of LP Put's body, which appeared to be still in very good condition.The various Buddha statues in the LP Put Vihara.

The altar to LP Put's wax statue.

A closer look at the statue.Outside the Luang Por Tubtim Vihara.Luang Por Tubtim is the presiding Buddha image of this temple.A closer look at the image. It looks very much like LP Sotorn in Chachengsao. The Phra Leela statue outside the Vihara.
The big Luang Por Yai Buddha image at the back of the temple.

A video of Luang Por Yai and the surroundings.

The Vihara close to Luang Por Yai. That's all for the Apr 2009 visit.

Oxhead & Horseface

Who are Oxhead and Horseface? They are believed to be the 2 soldiers of King Yama, in charge of bringing the spirits of the dead to Hades for judgement. Chinese call them "Guichai 鬼差", whereas the Thais call them "Yama-toot". Their tasks are somewhat similar to Black and White Wuchang, but they are of lower rank than the Wuchang duo. Legend has it that in ancient times there were a buffalo and a horse who were worked to death by their owners. When they went to Hades, King Yama took pity on these 2 poor beasts and gave them posts as his soldiers. They retained their animal heads and have been faithfully doing their jobs ever since.

On the 12th (12.2.08) there was an article in Shinmin paper where a certain 70-year old Uncle Huang related a strange tale about "Oxhead and Horseface". He didn't believe in such things, but an accident that happened 30 years ago changed his mind. At that time, Huang and his wife went to Malaysia to attend an international business conference. When it was lunchtime, the couple and their 5 colleagues proceeded to the lift lobby, intending to go to the cafeteria below for their meals. Suddenly, Huang felt 2 pairs of eyes staring at them. He turned his head to look, only to see 2 big-sized guys standing in 1 corner of the lobby. They looked quite fierce and had ghostly pale faces. Their steely stare sent shivers down the spine of the normally bold Huang. The lift arrived with a "Ding" sound. Huang and company tried to rush into the lift, but the 2 guys were much quicker, squeezing in before them. As the lift was already full with 7 people inside, Huang and wife had no choice but to let his 5 colleagues go down first. But deep in his heart he breathed a sigh of relief for not having to take the lift with the 2 scary guys.

As the lift doors were about to close Huang suddenly had a bad premonition. But when he tried to press the lift button it was already too late. Just 3 secs later there was a deafening crashing sound coming from within the lift well. The lift cables had snapped due to poor maintenance and the lift went crashing down all the way to the bottom of the well! None of his 5 colleagues survived the fall. When the police arrived to investigate, Huang told them surely that there were 7 people in the lift altogether, including the "2 fierce-looking guys". But the strange thing was the investigators only found the 5 bodies of his colleagues inside the lift. Where had the 2 guys disappeared to?

After that incident Uncle Huang started to believe that Oxhead and Horseface really exists. He believes that they are none other than those 2 guys that he saw entered the lift. He added, "Well now that my age is getting quite old, I think I'm going to meet those 2 guys again pretty soon!"

If one contemplates on this story one will see that Oxhead and Horseface have deep meaning behind them. Who are they really? Sickness and Aging. Sickness is like a stubborn ox that relentlessly pull us slowly towards death, no matter how well we take care of our own body. It may stop for a period to rest, and we get to be healthy for the time being; but soon it is going to start pulling and we will be falling sick again. Aging is like a single-minded race horse, carrying its rider towards the finishing line as fast as it could run. Nobody can stop the horse until it finishes the race, and the moment we are born we are already on it. As long as we are alive, we can't really be freed from the "steely stare" of Oxhead and Horseface. Only when we find that thing which is not born, that which has no becoming, then will they stop bothering you once and for all. Why don't you start looking for it?

Phra Pathom Chedi & Phra Ruang

On 17.01.2008 I visited Phra Pathom Chedi 大佛塔 in Nakhon Pathom, which is the temple with the biggest Chedi in Thailand and the world. Towering 120m over the provincial town of Nakhon Pathom, the Chedi with its glazed bright orange tiles shines like a golden sphere in the sky. Visible for miles, it is indeed the world's tallest Buddhist monument. Above is the northern entrance to the Chedi.

A view of the Chedi up close. Located in the center of Nakhon Pathom, approximately 56km west of Bangkok, Phra Pathom Chedi attracts Buddhist devotees from around the world. For visitors coming towards the city, the first glimpse of the majestic Phra Pathom Chedi - which means "The First Stupa'' leaves a long lasting impression.

It takes almost 5 mins to walk round the Chedi, large as it is. The origins of this great Chedi date back 2,000 yrs to King Asoka's reign in the 3rd century B.C. During that time he sent out missionaries in all directions from India to faraway lands to spread the Buddhist teachings. One such land was Suwarnaphum, in present-day Thailand. From Phra Pathom Chedi and other archaeological findings discovered in the city area, it is believed that the city was a center of civilization during that era and is thus one of Thailand's most ancient cities.

In this Vihara we see a painting of the Chedi's internal structure. The original chedi with its unique stupa design in the shape of an upside-down bowl was 39m high, similar in style to that of the Sanchi Stupa in India. The original monument is still there, but has been restored over the years. In 1853, Thailand's King Mongkut (Rama IV) commanded the construction of a new huge chedi covering the original one (a replica of the original stands south of the present day one) and took nearly 17 yrs to complete. Unfortunately, he did not live to see the Chedi being completed. The height from the ground to its top spire is a towering 120.45m high & its total diameter at the base is 233.5m!

The view from within the Vihara. Phra Pathom Chedi does not only have great significance for Thai Buddhists; throughout Thailand's history it has also been a very special chedi for its rulers. To be sure, it has always been a royal tradition for the reigning King to offer candles and joss sticks whenever passing Phra Pathom Chedi.

A Dvaravati style seated stone Buddha on the other side of the Chedi.

The Phra Non (Reclining Buddha) in the western Vihara of the Chedi.

This is the 8m tall gold-plated Phra Ruang 大塔佛 image in northern Vihara of the Chedi. It is a magnificent Sukhothai style standing Buddha in the posture of "preventing calamities" or "stopping the relatives from fighting". Thus it is believed to have the power to bring peace and protection from disasters. The original image was first discovered in 1909 by Crown Prince Vajiravuth (who later became King Rama VI) damaged and buried in the ground at Sukhothai. He had it dug up, and upon inspection, found that its head, hands and feet still in good condition. The Prince immediately took a liking to the image's beauty, and thus ordered its restoration. Upon its completion, he gave it the title of "Phra Ruang Rojanarit". The image was moved from Sukhothai and installed at its present location in 1915, and in accordance with his wishes, King Rama VI's ashes were buried at the base of Phra Ruang after he passed away. Since then the sacred image has become an icon synonymous with Phra Pathom Chedi. This is evident in the way their Chinese names are arranged, which are "Buddha of the Great Pagoda" and "The Great Buddha Pagoda" respectively.

This is the beautiful 12-inch (15 inch including base) Phra Ruang bucha I obtained from the temple, also made from Pit Thong (gold-coated bronze) material. I also saw many other nice images available there, so it was a pity that I could not collect more! Perhaps next time..

LP Wat Raiking of Nakhon Pathom

Luang Por Wat Raiking 来金佛 is the most revered Buddha image in the province of Nakhon Pathom, believed to be able to grant wishes. Everyday there are many devotees, from here as well as from Bangkok coming to pray for all sorts of things. I visited Wat Raiking for the first time on 17.01.2008. The temple was founded in 2334 BE (217 years ago) during the reign of King Rama I. It is in the common posture of subduing Mara, and measures 4 cubits 2 inches knee to knee, 4 cubits 16 inches high. The image is believed to be casted by Lan Chang artisans. Legend has it that the Buddha floated down the river to land in this area. A temple was built here to house the sacred image. It was then named "Wat Mongkon Chindaram" by a royal patriarch, but nobody uses that name; instead everybody prefer to call it Wat Raiking, which means "Ginger Plantation Temple". Above we see the Sala outside the Ubosot.

A web of Saisin (holy thread) hangs above the Ubosot in front of LP Wat Raiking. Recently we can see this in most of the temples we visit as there are many consecration cermonies going on.

A close up the sacred Buddha image.

The Katha chanted to revere LP Wat Raiking is as follows:

Namo tassa (3X)

Gayena Wajaya Wa Jetasawa

Mahesakkaya Tewadaya Apipathidang

Ittipadiharigang Mangkala Jindarama Putta Padimagarang

Poochamihang Yawacheewanja Sugammigo Sukapatthitaya (Sathu).

People sticking gold leaf on the Phra Sangajaya image outside the Ubosot.

This is the 5-inch LP Wat Raiking bucha that I obtained from the temple. It is made of Pit Thong (bronze with gold coating) material and consecrated in 2523 BE (1980 CE). It emanates a compassionate and peaceful golden aura. No wonder the people here respect this Buddha image so much.

This is the 5cm wooden medal consecrated last year (2007) by the temple. It is light and very well-crafted. Suitable for guys but girls may find it too big. Wat Raiking is a great temple and I will definitely come to visit again in the future.

A Little Dog which prays to the Buddha

Last week there was an article reporting a certain pet dog living in a Buddhist monastery in Okinawa, Japan. The 18-month old long-haired Chihuahua is named "Conan" and the strange thing about it is whenever the abbot does his sutra-chanting, Conan will stand on its hind legs and clasp its front paws in reverence. Like the monks, it would also do a "gassho" before it eats or go out.

The Mahakaruna Citta Dharani Sutra says:

"If I must head for the Animal realm, let all animals become wise."

The Bodhisattva cannot be seen, but he manifests in all the 6 realms to help sentient beings. If a common animal is wise enough show reverence for the Triple Gems, how much more so for us humans? On the other hand, some may ask why is Conan in the body of a dog, when it obviously deserve to be in a higher form. Ven Zhaozhou's Koan of a dog's Buddha-nature comes to mind. Does a dog have Buddha-nature? No. But all beings have Buddha-nature, why not the dog? Because it did wrong even when it knew better. Does a dog have Buddha-nature? Yes. Then why is it in the body of a dog? Because past karma obscures its consciousness. So from this we know that taking refuge in the external Triple Gems is not enough, for they are unstable like all other sankharas (formations). Only by taking refuge in the inner Triple Gems could one find the true path to the end of suffering. What does it mean to take refuge in the inner Triple Gems? To take refuge in the Buddha means to take refuge in your own mindfulness, to be constantly aware of the movements of the mind in the form of likes and dislikes. To take refuge in the Dhamma means to take refuge in your own wisdom, which knows better than to let the mind follow its own likes and dislikes. To take refuge in the Sangha is take refuge in the harmony of mindfulness and wisdom, understanding that they are fundamentally non-dual. Seeing that the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha arise only to deal with defilements and dissolves when defilements are no more; such that nothing really arises or dissolves is called the highest refuge - Nibbana. Let us all take refuge in the inner Triple Gems, sadhu.

Ajarn Od of Wat Saimai

Ajarn Od of Wat Saimai is one of the rising "young" stars of the Thai Buddhist amulet world (the other being Ajarn Daeng of Wat Rai in Pattani). Wat Saimai is located in the Rangsit area of Bangkok, near the old airport. When I was there (on 18.01.2008), the temple was thronging with hundreds of Thai people all waiting and queuing up to see Ajarn. They were there because it was the launching day(s) of a new batch of amulets from the temple, and Ajarn was also giving out freebies. I only managed to cut queue and meet him thanks to my driver, who told the police officer guarding his kuti that I was from Singapore. The kind officer let us in specially to see Ajarn in consideration that I have come a long way (sort of). Coincidentally, another brother from Singapore also happened to be there for the same purpose. Ajarn Od drawing Yants on my Rians. He looked quite serious, but he was actually quite capable of joking with us; he offered to test the protective power of the takruts he gave me by hacking me on the back with his sword! Obviously I declined, to the laughter of those people present. Whew!

These are the you-know-what takruts I received from Ajarn. On the right are Ajarn Od's first batch of Rian (medallions). Each person was only limited to getting 3 pieces, so I bought 3 and gave one of them to my driver in appreciation for his help. Before I went to Bangkok, I did not know Ajarn's story. Then on further enquiry, my driver told me that sometime ago one of the Thai princes tested out Ajarn Od's takruts by trying to shoot him with a pistol. The prince tried 3 times, but the pistol failed to work everytime due to the protective power of the takrut. He was amazed and prostrated before the master. So from that time Ajarn Od became famous and many people went to Wat Saimai to pay respect to him. I seriously count myself lucky that I too was able to meet him and receive takruts from him.

LP Poon of Wat Pailom

LP Poon of Wat Pailom in Nakhon Pathom used to be famous for making Hanuman and Kumantong amulets and images. At least, that was what all the Singaporeans and Malaysians know about. Among Thais in the province he was also well known for doing a lot of charitable works like building schools and hospitals with temple money. Since LP Poon passed away a few years ago, Wat Pailom has been taken over by his successor, the plump Ajarn Foon. He has managed to keep the name up so far, despite some negative stories being revealed about him. On 17.01.2008 I visited this temple for the first time. It was quite well decorated and furnished, showing that this is still a rich temple. Above is the Ubosot of the temple.

A large flying Hanuman statue with flag and trident outside the Ubosot.

The gate of the Ubosot with the 2 Yakkha guardians. Below is the billboard advertising the most recent batch of amulets made, "Neung Nai Paen Din". It was consecrated on October last year, and Phra Sangaraj also came to participate in the chanting.

Another view of the Ubosot.

Inside the main Vihara we can see LP Poon's wax statue as well as his body in a glass coffin. We could see that the body had turned totally black, same as LP Peun of Wat Bang Phra. It was not an "undecaying body". Think the temple should cremate LP Poon rather than put his body on show indefinitely to attract visitors.

Here we see a large Kumantong as well as a few Lersi (hermit) statues.

The various mystical masks kept by LP Poon.

This is the 2-inch mini Jatukam bucha I obtained at the temple, made from black bronze and Pit Thong. It is part of the recent "Neung Nai Paen Din" batch. There are also many more stuff available at the temple counter, if one can bother to go through them.

History of Phra Mongkon Bopit

Wat Mongkon Bopit is another one of the popular temples in Ayuttaya. The current temple building was built in 1956, but the Buddha image inside the temple, Phra Mongkon Bopit had been around since the early Ayuttaya Period (1448-1602 CE).

It is one of the largest bronze Buddha images in Thailand, measuring 9.55m from knee to knee and 12.45m high without the base. However the image was almost destroyed twice in its long history. In 1706 CE its head was damaged by lightning and it was only restored decades later during the reign of King Boromakot (1742-43 CE). Another shot of the Buddha where many "white orbs" could be seen. When Ayuttaya fell to the Burmese in 1767 CE, the Vihara's roof was burned and again the head and its right arm was broken. It was left like that for more than 180 years and it was until 1956 that the temple and image was completely restored once again. In 1990 Phra Sangharaj presided over a candle lighting ceremony before Phra Mongkon Bopit, making a call for people to make merit by covering it in gold leaf. HM Queen Sirikit was the first to answer the call by donating 70,000 baht to the restoration fund. The people followed suit and eventually we have the Phra Mongkon Bopit completely plated in gold as we can see today.

This is the silver Phra Kring that I obtained from the temple 3 years ago in 2005. It was consecrated in 2538 BE (1995 CE). Visiting the temple again on 18.01.2008, I found that things have changed a lot, and the compounds outside the temple has since become a tourist market.
This is the latest 3-inch Bucha of Phra Buddha Mongkon Bopit that I obtained from the temple in July 2008. It is made of black bronze material. This bucha was consecrated in 2539 (1996). Gold-foil coated ones are also available.
The gold-foil coated 3" bucha I obtained in Jan 2009.