Jatukham Fever

[Mid]

there's that as well ...........................

[Plus]

I've posted the background story of Jatukam on the fist page that needs serious updating.

Jatukam Ramathep are so named after two deities protecting Buddhist stupa in Nakhon Si Thammarat. In Sri Lankan tradition they are called Kattugham and Rama, Rama is the Rama of Ramayana, incarnation of Vishnu. Interesting that Buddha is also considered an incarnation of Vishnu, but it's Rama, the King, who serves as a guardian of Buddha, the saint.

The second deity, Kattugam, is a son of Shiva, also known as Skanda, and he is the chief general among Hindu Gods. What is interesting about him is that his other name is Murdagan - the deity of Taipusam festival, the Hundu equivalent of self-mutilating Phuket vegetarian festival, and it is celebrated just across the border in Malaysia, though usually in January.

I find this intertwining of Buddhist and Hindu traditions fascinating, especially as it comes from Sri Lanka, the source of Thai Theeravada tradition.

Thanks to the guy who did all the important footwork and wrote an article for the Nation.

As for the craze - I don't approve it in any way, though as people are worshipping images of real gods, there must be some benefits in that reagrdless of the motives.

[sabaijai]

I've posted the background story of Jatukam on the fist page that needs serious updating.

Jatukam Ramathep are so named after two deities protecting Buddhist stupa in Nakhon Si Thammarat. In Sri Lankan tradition they are called Kattugham and Rama, Rama is the Rama of Ramayana, incarnation of Vishnu. Interesting that Buddha is also considered an incarnation of Vishnu, but it's Rama, the King, who serves as a guardian of Buddha, the saint.

The second deity, Kattugam, is a son of Shiva, also known as Skanda, and he is the chief general among Hindu Gods. What is interesting about him is that his other name is Murdagan - the deity of Taipusam festival, the Hundu equivalent of self-mutilating Phuket vegetarian festival, and it is celebrated just across the border in Malaysia, though usually in January.

I find this intertwining of Buddhist and Hindu traditions fascinating, especially as it comes from Sri Lanka, the source of Thai Theeravada tradition.

Thanks to the guy who did all the important footwork and wrote an article for the Nation.

As for the craze - I don't approve it in any way, though as people are worshipping images of real gods, there must be some benefits in that reagrdless of the motives.

I think you mean Murugan, not Murdagan.

So you're saying that Jatukham is Skanda/Murugan (Hindu god of war)?

I can find no mention of 'Kattugham' (nor Jattugham) on the Web. How does 'Kattugham' become 'Jatukham'?

The common wisdom is that 'Jatukham [and] Ramathep are the aliases of brother princes Inthara Sairen and Inthara Khao Kheo, sons of King Jantharaphanu, who ruled the Sri Thammasoke realm, the capital of the Krung Srivijaya Kingdom (757-1257) in southern Thailand'. (source: The Nation)

Thai historians agree that if there is any antecedent cult it goes to Avalokitesvara, Mahayana Buddhism's world protector/future Buddha (in which case the Jatukham Ramathep cult does contain a Buddhist kernel).

I don't see anything in Jatukham Ramathep images that corresponds with the iconography for Murugan/Skanda (esp bow and peacock). The actual mudra (hand position/posture) of most images match Avalokitesvara exactly. In this Google image search for Skanda, only one resembles the typical Jatukham Ramathep/Avalokitesvara posture. As with Avalokitesvara images, some images of Jatukham show multiple heads/faces.

The Avalokitesvara connection makes sense when you note that in Thai history the deities/princes were rulers of a part of Srivijaya, a Mahayana Buddhist kingdom.

Interesting theory, though, what's your source?

Jatukham Ramathep

Avalokitesvara

Jatukham Ramathep

Avalokitesvara

Original images, Nakhon Si Thammarat:

And Srivijaya's most significant work of art, found in Chaiya, Surat Thani: Avalokitesvara (note the cord/garland draped from left shoulder to right hip, iconographic for all Avalokitesvara/most Jatukham)

[Plus]

Jatukam - Skanda connections was found by the guy I mentioned, there are two deities mentioned on the stupa itself, he traced their origins to Sri Lankan temples where their identities are clear.

"At the Great Stupa at Nakhon Si Thammarat, the stairs leading up to the circumambulatory terminate in a narrow stage with four images of gods. To the extreme left and right are two gods in brick and plaster with no attributes. However inscribed stone plaques (in apparently old lettering) announce that they are Lord Khattugama and Lord Ramadeva.

The door in the centre consists of two wooden leaves each carved with a deity in high relief. One is obviously Vishnu with his disc and conch, but he also holds a bow, indicating that he is the Rama incarnation.

The other deity has four visible faces and so has been identified as Brahma, but he holds weapons (unlike Brahma who holds sacrificial implements).

If one counts the invisible faces (at the back of the relief) one gets six. The six faces and the weapons indicate the god Skanda (known in Sri Lanka as Kataragama) who has six faces and holds all weapons as Commander of the Heavenly Forces.

A 16th century Pali chronicle (see Penth, H Jinakalamali Index, Pali Text Soc, 1994) tells the following tale: the King of Sukhothai had heard of the fame of a Buddha image in Sri Lanka and he desired to acquire it. He sent an emissary to the king of Nakhon Si Thammarat, who reported that Sri Lanka was invincible as it was protected by four gods, namely Khattugama, Rama, Lakkhana and Sumana.

In Sri Lanka, today, popular tradition claims that the island is protected by four great deities, among whom are Kataragama (Khattugama in Pali) and Rama under the tittle Upulvan (the Blue God or Vishnu) but as he holds a bow we must suppose he is the Rama incarnation."

I believe these two are actual inscriptions:

The rest of the article: http://nationmultimedia.com/search/page.ne...amp;id=30034231

[dog412]

thailand is steeped in ancient vedic thought and beliefs. attempting to understand THAI buddhism without ancient INDIAN thought makes one's endeavour that much more prolonged, imho.

[sabaijai]

Jatukam - Skanda connections was found by the guy I mentioned, there are two deities mentioned on the stupa itself, he traced their origins to Sri Lankan temples where their identities are clear.

"At the Great Stupa at Nakhon Si Thammarat, the stairs leading up to the circumambulatory terminate in a narrow stage with four images of gods. To the extreme left and right are two gods in brick and plaster with no attributes. However inscribed stone plaques (in apparently old lettering) announce that they are Lord Khattugama and Lord Ramadeva.

The door in the centre consists of two wooden leaves each carved with a deity in high relief. One is obviously Vishnu with his disc and conch, but he also holds a bow, indicating that he is the Rama incarnation.

The other deity has four visible faces and so has been identified as Brahma, but he holds weapons (unlike Brahma who holds sacrificial implements).

If one counts the invisible faces (at the back of the relief) one gets six. The six faces and the weapons indicate the god Skanda (known in Sri Lanka as Kataragama) who has six faces and holds all weapons as Commander of the Heavenly Forces.

A 16th century Pali chronicle (see Penth, H Jinakalamali Index, Pali Text Soc, 1994) tells the following tale: the King of Sukhothai had heard of the fame of a Buddha image in Sri Lanka and he desired to acquire it. He sent an emissary to the king of Nakhon Si Thammarat, who reported that Sri Lanka was invincible as it was protected by four gods, namely Khattugama, Rama, Lakkhana and Sumana.

In Sri Lanka, today, popular tradition claims that the island is protected by four great deities, among whom are Kataragama (Khattugama in Pali) and Rama under the tittle Upulvan (the Blue God or Vishnu) but as he holds a bow we must suppose he is the Rama incarnation."

I believe these two are actual inscriptions:

The rest of the article: http://nationmultimedia.com/search/page.ne...amp;id=30034231

The Thai inscriptions read Khattukham and Ramathep (Khattugama and Ramadeva). But the images themselves don't follow what Wright describes in the article. Anyway I see his point now, that these guardian deities were brought from Sri Lanka, very plausible. Wright doesn't really explain who Ramadeva is though, still wondering about that one.

The amulets themselves have only been made since 1987, and in their form since then, they seem to follow Avalokitesvara, not Skanda. Perhaps it's a modern syncretism of the two.

Thanks for that link.

[dog412]

for what it's worth, AVALOKITESVARA BODHISATTVA, the fearless BODHISATTVA of great compassion. as this BODHISATTVA was about to enter nirvana, there was a great cry of lament from all beings, so AVALOKITESVARA thereupon renounced final release until all others entered. AVALOKITESVARA will saye anyone who asks for help and can assume any form-Buddha,king,monk,householder,woman,son,daughter-to bring people to salvation. represents perfect freedom,and is thus portrayed in both male and female forms. he/she is not bound in any way.

[fabianfred]

for what it's worth, AVALOKITESVARA BODHISATTVA, the fearless BODHISATTVA of great compassion. as this BODHISATTVA was about to enter nirvana, there was a great cry of lament from all beings, so AVALOKITESVARA thereupon renounced final release until all others entered. AVALOKITESVARA will saye anyone who asks for help and can assume any form-Buddha,king,monk,householder,woman,son,daughter-to bring people to salvation. represents perfect freedom,and is thus portrayed in both male and female forms. he/she is not bound in any way.

They all do that....

it is what being a boddhisatta is all about....... Boddhisattas are Buddhas in training.... they must have been present when another Buddha was teaching and almost become an Arahant, but are prevented from that because they vow to attain Buddhahood in the distant future....

None of them can do that...

we all have to work for our own salvation... they can only point the way...

The Mahayana have got the thing about boddhisattas twisted around so that they appear to be the same as Hindu gods and deities which can be prayed to and supplicated, and asked favours of......... not the original Buddhas teachings at all.

[Plus]

One more thing about Jatukam that sort of dawned on me recently.

People often mention that combination of two deities into one is nonsense, however the amulets are made from remnants of the offerings, things like burned insense powder - this is where their spiritual potency comes from. You can make it into whatever shape you like, or simply carry it in an enclosed capsule - it doesn't really matter.

I don't approve of all that brouhaha they made out of them but look at the big picture - items such as this are meant to inspire faith in people who worship them. It's illogical to expect that every worshipper would have absolutely pure motives right from the start. People are supposed to go through this process to purify themselves, and dismissing their attempts, however feeble, is not a sign of maturity.

[sabaijai]

Thai amulet craze "unacceptable face of Buddhism"

Thu Jul 12, 2007 9:19AM BST

By Noppawan Bunluesilp

BANGKOK (Reuters) - A craze for plasticine amulets that promise to make their owners "Super Rich" or "Rich without Reason" is sweeping across Thailand to the dismay of traditionalists in the predominantly Buddhist nation.

Some monks have come out swinging against the so-called Jatukam Ramathep frenzy, saying it has turned the Buddhist priesthood into an "amulet-blessing industry" despite the religion's shunning of earthly possessions and materialism.

Temples across the country are churning out thousands of the disc-shaped amulets, which are about the size of a coffee-cup lid and stamped with anything from images of Hindu deities to former Thai kings to Buddha.

To gain maximum "power", the amulet and its ingredients have to be prayed over by monks for days. A top-of-the-range gold-leaf edition from a well-respected temple costs 10,000 baht (148 pounds) or more -- more than a month's wages for many Thais.

The nation of 65 million people, most of whom remain deeply superstitious despite the rapid modernisation of places such as Bangkok, has spent more than 20 billion baht on the amulets this year, newspapers say.

The scale of the phenomenon is now so large the Revenue Department is looking into ways of taxing amulet sales despite a convention that donations or money going to Buddhist temples are exempt from tax.

EMOTIONAL PROP OR SIMPLE SCAM?

The craze stems from a highly respected policeman called Phantarak Rajadej, who died aged 103 last year in the southern seaside town of Nakhon Si Thammarat. Phantarak, who many Thais believe had magic powers, was said to have made the first amulet.

After his death, the number of amulets exploded, with hundreds of different "product lines" emerging with names such as "Super Rich", "Super Millionaire" and "Rich without Reason".

In the early stages of the craze, a woman was crushed to death in a crowd trying to place amulet orders at a Nakhon Si Thammarat temple.

Rather than wearing their talisman discreetly under their shirts, as Thais have done since time immemorial, Jatukam owners display it proudly on the outside, suspended on a thick gold chain that would be more at home on the neck of a U.S. rap star.

"My life has got better since I bought my first Jatukam," said 45-year-old Somchai Vichitbanjong, who now owns nearly 500 different varieties.

"I usually have a Jatukam with me all the time. Whenever I go out, if I'm not wearing one I have to go back home and get it."

Besides Thais' long-standing belief in luck, some believe the craze is a reflection of the political uncertainty that has gripped the country since last year's military coup against Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

"Jatukam supports people and makes them feel strong, as well as giving them clarity of thought," Phra Taweesak, abbot of Bangkok's Wat Srinuan, said after a blessing ceremony for a consignment of several thousand amulets.

Others disagree, saying it is a blatant scam by unscrupulous monks playing upon the superstitions of ordinary people to raise money.

"When some temples want a new building, they just use Jatukam to raise funds," said Phra Payom Kalayano, a high-profile abbot who has launched a range of edible, chocolate-flavoured "Jatukam cookies" to encourage Thais to spend money on essentials such as food rather than trinkets.

The craze is also undermining a religion already under threat from Bangkok's transition into a throbbing international metropolis over the last few decades, he says.

"Recently, materialism and the amulets have diverted people from the core of Buddha's teaching," he told Reuters at his leafy monastic compound on the outskirts of the teeming capital.

"This makes Buddha's teaching fade away."

[Mid]

"Recently, materialism and the amulets have diverted people from the core of Buddha's teaching," he told Reuters at his leafy monastic compound on the outskirts of the teeming capital.

"This makes Buddha's teaching fade away."

Sound truck just drove past flogging them ................................................

[jumnien]

Hardcore Christian fundamentalists are not appreciative of the popular narrative surrounding the Easter Bunny. Likewise hardcore buddhist fundamentalists develop resentment and judgement aroung the Jatukam phenomenon. Sitting in meditation can allow them to develop insight into their resentment and judgement which can be a vital part of the process of liberation. One taste of this freedom and one develops a craving for more!!!!

[Mid]

Opinion

Just a thought :An irrational exuberance for Jatukam Ramathep?

Of course, it's a matter of personal belief if anyone wishes to put on one, two or more Jatukam Ramathep amulets.

Published on July 21, 2007

snip

Believe it or not, the endangered dugong might be threatened by this hullabaloo. Their tiny population off the western coast of Thailand is currently under close scrutiny. A baby dugong was recently found dead in Phang Nga province under suspicious circumstances. Its eyes were badly bruised and part of the skin around the eyes was sliced off.

The inclusion of substances believed to be sacred in the mixing of materials used to mould Jatukam amulets has become a new selling point and one advertisement boasted the use of whale fat and dugongs' "teardrops". Yes, teardrops. To squeeze the tiniest drop means torturing the animal to the utmost pain. What in the world have some people come to?

The Jatukam Ramathep amulets have had an effect never before seen and, to an extent, this has been devastating to basic Buddhist teachings. The religion itself is not to blame, but rather the people involved - both obsessive traders and consumers - who reflect excessive gluttony and to a certain point, as in the cases of the dugongs or having the materials flown through the air, complete absurdity.

snip

It all starts from within.

Veenarat Laohapakakul

nationmultimedia.com

Edited July 20, 2007 by Mid

[jts-khorat]

Yes, there is a strong belief of "magic" as you call it in Thai Buddhisim. Simple people wish to have simple solutions.

For the poor Thais, life is hard and it is better to believe in some easy solution.

Simple solutions for simple people are all good and fine; but that a temple stands behind this, giving it its authority -- and following from this that the Thai Sangha is sanctionizing this behavior -- smells very much like the selling of indulgencies leading to the split of the Catholic church and the Reformation.

Not that I see anything like a Reformation coming for Buddhism or Thailand: but amulets are certainly outside the teachings of Buddha (at least in my limited understanding). Just another sign of the sorry state of affairs in Thailand. TiT.

[pete_r]

Looking for parallels in the Christian tradition, this Jatukham fever brings reminiscences of the golden calf mixed with the merchants of the temple stories. imho.

[Mid]

Experts fear Jatukham fever may endanger dugongs

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Conservation experts fear that fierce competition in the promotion of Jatukham Ramathep amulets may have sparked renewed interesting in the hunting of dugong, whose teardrops are believed by some to have magical powers.

Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) biologist Kanjana Adulyankosol told the Gazette that fears stemmed from promotional material used by one Jatukham seller coupled with the February 14 discovery of a dead baby dugong with unexplained trauma to the eyes.

“There is a belief that dugong teardrops possess special powers because mother dugong are known to become obsessed when searching for their lost young,” she said.

snip

PHUKET (Gazette/Kom Chad Luek):

story isn't going away ..........................

[Mid]

MEDIA / ADVERTISING

Jatukarm amulets good news for papers

WORANUJ MANEERUNGSEE

The Jatukarm Ramathep craze has brought good fortune to the country's newspapers, which recorded 10.47% growth in advertising spending in July due almost entirely to the amulets.

The results for newspapers were among the few bright spots for the ad industry, which recorded total spending growth of just 1.93% in July and a decline of 0.04% year-on-year for the first seven months, said Nielsen Media Research.

snip

bangkokpost.net

one for the 1/2 full , 1/2 empty folks ............................

[brahmburgers]

dugong tears !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There really is no limit to the depths of idiocy that superstitious people will plumb.

what's next, sparrow tongues, butterfly poop, dragonfly breath?

The Chinese are bad enough, voraciously killing and ingesting endangered species. ...but are dugongs really being butchered for their tears? - that sounds too sicko. It makes one hope that epidemics will scourge the planet to lessen the heavy numbers of this one hyper-destructive species (not dugongs) ....man.

[meatball]

Dear Member,

Namo Amitabha,

Recently I have the good fate to meet a Thai friend, as Jatukham Ramathep Amulets is very famous in Thailand now, and coincidently he is a Jatukham Ramathep Amulets collector. So, I ask him why Jatukham Ramathep Amulets become so popular in Thailand within such a short period, for merely less then five years? (BE2550).

I wish to share the information gather for my Thai friend with all members in this forum. Jatukham amulets is the most in trend amulets in Thailand now, from the information gathered, the reason why Jatukham amulets becoming such a hot and expensive items is because His Highness The King is wearing a Jatukham amulet presented by Archan KhunPan.

According to my friend, one day the King is not feeling well, so His Highness went to visit the doctor with the company of bodyguards. As the doctor examine the King, the doctor decided to give The King an injection. Something strange happened, the needle can’t penetrate the King skin!

As a doctor living in a Buddhist Kingdom, out of respect and curiosity, the doctor ask the King what His Majesty wearing or do to His Highness Himself? Until the medicine injection needle can’t penetrate His Highness skin! Under the eyes of the doctor and The King Bodyguard, the King pulls out a Jatukham amulet and proceeds with the injection and medical examination.

After that incident, news spread, the price and popularity of Jatukham amulets which first created on BE2530, soaring higher and higher, until today. (BE2550)

I am definitely not doing any promotion here, till this moment I never posses any Jatukham amulets by Archan KhunPan, I only collect amulets in the form of triple gems, like Guru Monks, Bodhisattvas and Buddha, not in other form. Because only the Arahants, Bodhisattvas or Lord Buddha we can fully trust.

Confucius told all his followers to keep a distance from spirits and deities with Respect Even the almighty god or divas from the higher realms we can’t fully trust, because Gods, divas or spirits still trap inside the six realms, have feelings, desires, and differentiations. Only Arahants, Bodhisattvas and Buddhas are the one who is truly compassionate, and can be trusted by all beings for protection and teachings.

don’t waste time in praying for wealth or happiness from others form of Beings or even Deva, because life of human beings is very short.

We can’t bring our collection to the grave, and even if our next generation buried us with our beloved collection, it’s doesn’t mean anything, do any good or give any help to us after life.

We can’t bring anything to our next life only our good deeds and bad karma, so why spend our hard earn money and especially our most precious time into some Super Famous and Popular Amulets? Do you believed me? You will gain more merit and protection, if you sincerely spend one thousand dollars in practicing the art of life liberation, donations to the poor or charities, then spending the same amount of money on some Super Famous and Popular amulets?

Please follow the dharma and if you have some extra money, do more charities with a pure heart, because only good deeds and karma, we are carrying into our next incarnation, not any powerful Super Famous and Popular amulets…

Back to the topic about Jatukham Ramathep amulets, which famous in bring wealth and good fortune to wearers, as a Buddhist, I do feel confuse at first and can’t explain why for those people who don’t practice the art of giving can enjoy the fortune just by wearing the amulet, after days of searching, by coincident, maybe by luck or blessing from Buddha, I come across a book by Rev. Zen Yen, the Q & A of Buddhism, the Rev. told us, statue, water or other objects (please allow me to refer as sacred objects in this article). If this objects blessed by a holy man or woman in any religions who really practiced deep meditation and have the purities to bless others, do posses some kind of power that help the human beings in ways to improve their life, relationship, health or fortune.

The power of this sacred objects is not eternal, but only for a period of time depends on the level of practice and purities of the person who blessed the objects. For example, if a person has a fortune-fetching object, bless by a holy man and he do wear it and enjoy the wealth due to the blessing. Actually, the fortune the wearer enjoying at that moment, is the wealth belongs to him due to the good deeds or good karma of his pass actions.

In other words, what he is enjoying now is his own wealth in the future. The fortune is just being carry forward by the sacred objects, he just enjoy it earlier after blessing by the sacred object. It’s just like getting a loan from the bank, one day we still have to “Pay Back” our debts. According to the same book, if the person do use the fortune bring by the sacred objects in a good way, to do good deeds by practicing the art of giving, he or she will enjoy a greater fortune in the future, because in Buddhism, he is just using his own wealth from the future to practice the art of giving. So, it is just like an investment, a very good investment that guarantees to bring great wealth and fortune in future. Life is like banking, if we do good, then good deeds is debiting into our bank account, if we do bad, we are drawing out our hard earn savings.

Sacred objects or good great amulets is very hard to come by, not to mentioned in the extent of posses one, so I hope those members who posses such good great amulets, please follow the teaching of Lord Buddha and do practice the art of giving. Use the sacred objects or amulets in the correct way, to help other beings and our own self, to shape a better society and a built a better life in this world. Because you are the blessed and lucky one who have the “Good Fate” to posses such a sacred objects.

Most members in this forum, maybe one hundreds percents! Belongs to the most gifted minorities group of human beings in this world, who afford to have spare time and money, to collect amulets and surf the Internet. If you were one of the minorities in this world who can afford to have some spare time and money, I strongly believed that, you will gain more merit and protection, if you sincerely spend ten percent of your money which plan to rent an amulet, in practicing the art of life liberation, donations to the poor or do charities & etc. Then saving the ten percent of money and giving it to some great “Amulet Dealers”.

Believed me, if you don’t do any charities with a pure and sincere heart, even you are wearing the full set of Jatukham Ramathep amulets or the most expensive grand five amulets in Thailand is also useless! You won’t get any blessing from the triple gems! Because only good deeds and bad karma, we are carrying into our next incarnation, not amulets…

You “Must” do charities with a pure heart! If you want to get the blessing from the triple gems of the Buddha Amulets you are wearing!

If you do charities with a pure heart! You will get the blessing from the triple gems; even you are not wearing any Buddha Amulets!

Please use your hard earned money with wisdom. If you don’t donate money to temples or charities organizations, at least spare some of your amulets collecting fund for your own parents, children and family, give a small amount of extra money to those who really care about you, like your parents or the family members that you loved. As New Year is approaching, a small, any not too expensive and useful gift to all family members, do mean a lot to them...

I am a beginner in Buddhism, do correct me if I am wrong, please don’t feel offended or believed in all the words that I said, before a human achieved the level of Arahantship, his or her mind is still fill with certain doses of 3 poisons, that’s greed, hatred and ignorance and cannot be fully trusted.

I wish to clarify that, I have no intentions to criticize or promote any amulets. Buddhism or other religions, Gods, Dieties, Devas, countries, devotees, people, groups or members in this forum, please don’t feel hesitate to share you views in this forum, even you haven’t achieved the level of Arahantship, you do have the abilities to analyze, as all living beings are endowed with the Buddha nature.

Thank you very much for your precious time in reading this article; I welcome other members here to share their views, thoughts and valuable advice with me and other members in this forum.

May the blessing of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas of the ten directions be upon all sentient beings!

Thank you for your precious time, please feel free to express your view and share your thoughts with all of us.

Namo Amitabha

[camerata]

According to my friend, one day the King is not feeling well, so His Highness went to visit the doctor with the company of bodyguards. As the doctor examine the King, the doctor decided to give The King an injection. Something strange happened, the needle can’t penetrate the King skin!

Sounds like another of the many miracle stories one hears in Thailand, probably put out by makers of Jatukham amulets. I wouldn't take this kind of thing seriously, if I were you. There is always some new trend or other in Thai amulets. A few years ago it was Rama V amulets.

Please follow the dharma and if you have some extra money, do more charities with a pure heart, because only good deeds and karma, we are carrying into our next incarnation, not any powerful Super Famous and Popular amulets…

You're "preaching to the converted," meatball. Most of this forum's members don't pay any attention to amulets.

Back to the topic about Jatukham Ramathep amulets, which famous in bring wealth and good fortune to wearers, as a Buddhist,

If they did, half of Thailand would now be rich. Since they clearly aren't rich, we know for sure that Jatukham amulets don't have any power.

[meatball]

These JTK amulets are being used by some businessman who trade amulets to make big bucks..

The temples which made them also benefited as they earn money to rebuild or refurnish their temples or for other charities after selling the amulets for token amt of money.

But the big winner is those amulets traders or businessmen

[rahu07]

Isn't it the way? Most amulet seller thought by using the word "rent" they are not selling the amulet. Some collector too, thinking by using the word rent they are not BUYING the amulet.. As long as money is involve, what do we call it? It's just an excuse for them to make money.

[eggomaniac]

Why take a chance on getting trampled to death in a stampede for an amulet, which might work; when one can stay home and obtain wealth for their next 7 generatiions by chanting Om Mani Padme Hum 1000 times?

[phetaroi]

I might be wrong, but in Buddha's time the world was full of "magic", it was as real as ones family members.

The Buddha taught that "magic" can not bring the end of suffering (nibhanna)....only the Eightfold Noble Path can do this....so....magic is mostly just a distraction which too often leads people astray.....at least this is how I understand the Buddha's teachings.

I have formed no personal opinion about this, but let me ask a question about what you wrote.

You said, "The Buddha taught that "magic" can not bring the end of suffering (nibhanna)....only the Eightfold Noble Path can do this....so....magic is mostly just a distraction which too often leads people astray.....at least this is how I understand the Buddha's teachings."

Did Buddha also teach that there is no magic?

That is different than teaching that magic cannot bring an end to suffering.

[sabaijai]

Chownah's post was made on 2007-04-15 and he is no longer with us (as a member, that is), but I don't think the suttanta says there is no magic. Just that it wasn't conducive to attaining fruit of the path.

[somluck]

Anyone remember this in the papers when Limthongkul was shot?

He claimed he was saved by the jatukarm phayant he was holding in his hand

He is a Jatukarm fan

http://www.billionmore.com/article/article.php?id=29

Edited February 20, 2010 by somluck