Feature Explores History of Revered Thai Buddhist Amulets
A feature article surveys several renowned Thai Buddhist amulet series, including Luang Por Soon's carved Hanuman, Luang Por Phra's Phra Somdej Hwaek Man, Luang Pu Yaem's commemorative coins, and Luang Pu Sing's Suea So Kaat tiger amulets. The piece details each amulet's origins, design features, blessing history, and status among collectors, highlighting their cultural and spiritual significance across multiple Thai provinces.
The article opens with a Dhamma teaching from Luang Por Cha Supatto of Wat Nong Pa Phong in Ubon Ratchathani: "Enemies within the mind must be fought with calm." It then profiles the celebrated carved Hanuman amulets of Luang Por Soon Chanthachote from Wat Salakun in Pak Kret, Nonthaburi — one of the five masterpieces in the Benjapakee set. These amulets, crafted from rak and phud wood and later from ivory, come in two presses: the intricate Khon-mask face and the simpler Krabi-mask face, both now rare and highly valued.
In Buddhist Era 2550 (2007), Luang Por Phra Attasanto (Phra Khru Wijit Chayanurak), abbot of Wat Kok Dok Mai in Chai Nat, produced 1,000 Phra Somdej Hwaek Man oil-powder amulets based on Luang Por Koo's formula. The square-pressed amulets feature a Buddha in Mara-vijaya posture with a curtain-drape frame, fish-roe border, and on the reverse a tukata yant with the phrase "Namo Buddhaya" and the Thai numerals "W.K.50." Luang Por Phra blessed them alone annually for nine years (2550-2558), making this a sought-after series.
The first-series Luang Pu Yaem coins were issued in BE 2516 (1973) to mark his 60th birthday while he was deputy abbot of Wat Sam Ngam in Nakhon Pathom. Blessed by both Luang Por Toh and Luang Pu Yaem, the oval coins bear Luang Pu Yaem's portrait on the obverse and a Buddhasangame yant with commemorative text on the reverse, plus a "Yor" code punch.
In BE 2537 (1994), Luang Pu Sing Khampiro, former abbot of Wat Si Suk in Maha Sarakham, created rectangular Suea So Kaat (broken-chain tiger) amulets to fund a sermon hall at Wat Nam Thieng. The amulets depict Luang Pu Sing seated in meditation on a two-legged tiger with a broken chain on its front legs, with yant script on the obverse and a daily-posture Buddha on the reverse, inscribed as the sermon-hall construction series.
