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30 September 2007

1 Million Baht house robbery in Nongprue.

Police Lieutenant Choosak from Banglamung Police Station was called to house number 49 in Soi Nong Hin in Nongprue in the early hours of Friday Morning after a robbery at the house was reported. Police were met by Khun Sompop aged 42, the house owner, who explained that Buddhist Amulet’s known in Thai as “Jatukum” were stolen along with a DVD Player. The stolen Amulet’s included a number from 1979 which are considered as extremely valuable. The estimated value of the stolen items is over 1 Million Baht. The point of entry for the thief or thieves was a ground floor window. No prints were found and no witnesses came forward. Police are now on the lookout for anyone selling these valuable items.





http://www.pattayacitynews.net/news_01_06_50_3.htm

26 September 2007

Jatukam and other amulets


Jatukam are a relatively new amulet to Thailand. They are, first and foremost protection amulets, secondly they are wealth amulets. They were first created in 1987 in Nakhon Si Thammarat, a province in the south. Jatukam's were originally introduced to raise money for a Chedi and the smaller buildings which surround it in Jokjakarta, Indonesia. (Nakhon was the spiritual centre of an ancient realm of 9,000km2 that included India and Indonesia). The Jatukam include at least two of three depictions, one is the monkey type figures (Rao Hu), second is the Ramathep figure, and third is the monkey with face covered by his hands (less popular). The Jatukam pictured is a Chedi Rai (pronounced Jay-dee-rai). It is instantly recognisable, even to people with very limited knowledge of JTK. It was designed in Thai year 2530 (1987). For more complete information, check my Nakhorn Si Thammarat page travelogue. *** I have just returned to Phuket after being away for 3 months. You would not believe the change! When I bought my first Jatukam piece in January for 20,000 baht, only a few Thai people were wearing them. Now, my main Jatukam piece is worth about 100,000 baht (in May) and I've heard that it could be worth up to 200,000 baht. There are Jatukam shops everywhere, probably 10 at each main shopping centre, but be warned, as much as they will try to convince you that the pieces are real, I can almost guarantee you that they're a copy. There have been newspaper reports recently where Jatukam figures have shown up in photos, even digital pictures and ones that were taken by farangs (westerners). This has added to the hysteria and popularity of the Jatukam. The Jatukam in the picture, as worn by my friend, is my main piece. I have a blue one, because I was born on a Friday. Every day of the week is represented by a different colour.
www.virtualtourist.com

24 September 2007

Bangkok temples the seat of spiritual strength


There are about 887 Bangkok temples and it would take more than a lifetime to see them all. Some of the better-known and interesting temples associated with the Chakri kings are listed here in the order in which they were built.

Bangkok temples in the pre-Rattanakosin era


On the Thonburi bank of the Chao Phraya is the glittering Wat Arun or the Temple of Dawn, an old temple in the Pre- Rattanakosin era, showered with thousands of porcelain fragments. King Taksin passed the old temple at dawn and vowed to restore it. The Emerald Buddha was kept here until the reign of King Rama I when the Temple of the Emerald Buddha was built.


The Temple of the Reclining Buddha, Wat Pho or Wat Potoram, is one of the Bangkok temples dating back to the 17th century. King Rama I expanded the temple when Bangkok was established as capital of Thailand. The centerpiece of Wat Pho is the huge statue of the reclining Buddha, almost 50 m in length.

Wat Mahathat dates back to the Ayutthaya days and has an interesting history. Prince Mongkut, who later became King Rama IV, was ordained as a monk here in 1824.

Bangkok Temples in the Rattanakosin era

When Bangkok was established as the capital, starting what is known as the Rattanakosin era, several temples were built by the Chakri kings.

The most famous of the Bangkok temples is the Temple of the Emerald Buddha or Wat Phra Kaew.

This was the first temple to be built during the Rattanakosin era.

The temple was built from 1782 – 1784 during the reign of King Rama I to house the Emerald Buddha.


This much-revered statue with a long history has traversed more than 1,000 km across half of Thailand before it was finally installed in this temple in 1784.


In 1807, King Rama I started the construction of Wat Suthat. The construction of this temple spanned three reigns of the Chakri Kings and was only completed in 1843.


One of the more famous temples is Wat Bowornniwet built during the reign of King Rama III. Prince Mongkut, future King Rama IV, was abbot here in 1832 and started a long royal tradition.

Wat Rachanatdaram a royal temple built in 1846 by King Rama III, is renowned for the Loha Prasat or Metal Castle within which the relics of Buddha are stored.

Wat Thepthidaram in Mahachai Road opposite the old Fort Mahakarn community, was built by Rama III in 1836.

Sunthorn Phu, the famous Thai poet, considered the Shakespeare of the Thai literature, was ordained as a monk here.

On an artificial hill almost 100 m high stands Wat Saket or Temple on the Golden Mount towering over the old city.

Building of this temple started during the reign of King Rama III. Owing to difficulties in firming the artificial mount, the temple wasn't completed until the reign of King Rama IV.

Wat Rachanatdaram, Wat Thepthidaram and Wat Saket are in the same vicinity. To visit these wats, please see map to the Royal Temples.

The magnificent Marble Temple or Wat Benjamabophit was built by King Rama V in 1899 near Dusit Garden to replace two older temples pulled down to construct the new palace.

These Bangkok temples are not only places of worship and spiritual retreat but are also steeped in the rich history of the Rattanakosin era and the Chakri kings.

For a Bangkok temple that's not famous for its regal connections, history or old architecture but for a legendary female ghost, visit Wat Mahabut in Phra Khanong. To visit this unusual temple, please see the map to Wat Mahabut. I would visit the place in broad daylight.
http://www.tour-bangkok-legacies.com/bangkok-temples.html

21 September 2007

Prapongwan Udomchoke 8 Arahun Suwanna Bhumi














Details:

This is one of the most popular (and expensive) series of Jatukam Ramthep amulets created in recent years and is known as the "Chedi Rai batch", or official named was "Prapongwan Udomchoke 8 Arahun Suwanna Bhumi". It was recorded that although as many 50,000 pieces were originally created, all of them were sold out within a few months.
The green ceramic version is without doubt the most stunning Jatukam amulet ever created. You simply cannot buy these amulets, and we are so lucky to have an entirely genuine piece.
The amulets were created by Major Police General Khunpunta rakrachdech, (Khun Pan) . He created this version to help Wat Pra Mahatat of Nakon Si Tamarat province gain funds towards the support the various renovation projects being carried out at the temple.
It was said that after the landslide success of the "Chedi Rai Version", many senior monks had asked the famous police general to help their temples create new series of the sacred amulets to assist in their own renovation projects.
Though Major Police General Khunpuntarakrachdech had promised to help them create new sacred amulets, he could not complete this task due to his death at the end of last year (B.E.2549).
Therefore all the burden of this work was transferred to other accomplished associates, and in particular his son.
Indeed a new series was later created and was called "Prapongwan Udomchoke Pathom Arahun Suwanna Bhumi", and although was designed differently from the old "Chedi Rai" version, it was still created with the same sacred materials.
Prapongwan Udomchoke Pathom Arahun Suwanna Bhumi amulets would be given to 20 temples, and all of them had passed the 4 sacred ceremonies, which were strictly organized according to the belief of Jatukam Ramthep and the 12 Naksat of Srivichai Suwanna Bhumi Kingdom as follows:
1st ceremony, at 06.16 am., on November 10th, B.E.2547, at Khao Ngoo, Rachburi province, in order to worship the Hindu gods.
2nd ceremony, at 18.30 pm., on November 12, B.E.2547, at Viharn Soong Maha Ued, Nakornsridharmarach province, in order to transfer magic power into the amulets.
3rd ceremony, at 18.30 pm., on November 17, B.E.2547, at the deep sea of Nakon Si Tamarat province, in order to transfer magic power into the amulets.
4th ceremony, at 15.31 pm., on December 10, B.E.2547, at Wat Pra Mahatat, Nakon Si Tamarat province, in order to transfer magic power into the amulets.
Sacred materials
Several kinds of sacred materials were used to create these sacred amulets such as the sacred powder of Nakon Si Tamarat province's sacred chedi of Wat Pra Mahatat (from the renovation in B.E.2538), sacred powder from Jatukam Ramthep (since renovation in B.E.2544), sacred powder of many sacred amulets from several temples, including, sacred powder of Pra Yodkhunpol amulets B.E.2497, sacred powder of Pra Putaravadi amulets B.E.2505, sacred powder of Pra Mahawan of Wat Khao Or amulets B.E.2485, several kinds of sacred powder that were collected by Major Police General Khunpuntarakrachdech during his life time.
Furthermore, sacred soils and powder from many sacred premises were also used in the mixture, including,
• Sacred soils and powder from Wat Punnaram, Rachburi province,
• Sacred soils and powder from Sajjapunt Mountain, Saraburi province,
• Sacred soils and powder from Wat Pribplee, Petchburi province,
• Sacred soils and powder from Wat Pra Buddha Chai, Rachburi province,
• Sacred soils and powder from Wat Tum Khao-ngoo, Rachburi province,
• Sacred soils and powder from Wat Sri Buddha Ram, which was built by Prince Duen Denfa in B.E.300,
• Sacred soils and powder from Wat Khao Bundai-it, Petchburi province,
• Sacred soils and powder from Wat Kong, an ancient temple which was built in B.E.200.
Lastly, several kinds of powder from sacred Thai plants and trees were also added into the mixtures such as Mai Takian, Mai Krabok, Mai Kraton, Mai Makham.


SUPPLIED WITH ORIGINAL TEMPLE BOX AND CASE AND IN 100% MINT CONDITION
price xxxx Bath
If you want to buy
you go to http://www.siam-amulets.com/amulet_details1.php?id=484&page=9&lower=32&PHPSESSID=e602ec12e45dfcb93eefdef4b4ab0768

19 September 2007

Hundreds of Buddhist monks to spend Buddhist Lent in violence-wrecked southern Thailand

BANGKOK, Thailand -- Hundreds of yellow-robed Buddhist monks arrived in Muslim-dominated southern Thailand on Wednesday at the start of Buddhist Lent in the hope their presence will promote peace in the insurgency-wracked region.

Buddhist Lent — a three-month period — marks the beginning of the rainy season in Thailand, a time when villagers present offerings of food and flowers to monks who must remain on temple grounds. The age-old practice is traditionally to prevent them from trampling new plants and insects.

"The 346 monks will spend this time in various temples in the area to boost morale among the Buddhist population there and to bring a message of peace to a place torn apart by the insurgency," said Air Force Commander Chalit Pukbhasuk who saw the monks off from Bangkok.


The monks traveled by air force plane to the south and will be spending their time at temples in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, Thailand's three southernmost provinces where 2,300 have been killed since an Islamic insurgency flared in January 2004.

Bombings and drive-by shootings are a near-daily occurrence in the region, and while initially Buddhists were the main targets, Muslims are also coming under attack.

Authorities will provide security for the monks with 24-hour patrolling of temple grounds and surrounding areas, said army spokesman Col. Akara Thiprote.

Last year, Buddhist monks in Narathiwat halted their alms-seeking rituals after coming under fire, and some Buddhist temples became military barracks and heavily guarded fortresses.

However, military authorities said Buddhist monks have become less of a target in recent months.

"The assailants seem to have been targeting more strategically, attacking security authorities more ... there are fewer attacks on symbolic targets like Buddhist monks and public school teachers," said Akara.

He also said that recent arrests of suspected insurgents have limited the area of attacks and restored confidence among minority Buddhists in the area.

Up to 10 percent of Thailand's 65 million people are Muslims, most of whom live in the three southern provinces where they are a majority. Muslims have long complained they are treated as second-class citizens in predominantly Buddhist Thailand.
http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=52,4542,0,0,1,0

18 September 2007

The Lord Buddha works

The latest celebrity to discover that these Jatukam amulets are, you know, popular, is … wait for it … Ad Carabao! Not the holiest entertainer we can think of, but the new model he's come up with - the "Don Sethi" - is a fund-raiser for charity.
And everyone's favourite songs-for-life singer isn't actually late getting into the talisman stream of things, either.


Ad has long collected amulets, which is why he's so gosh-darned lucky all the time, and he figured out early on that a Jatukam would be a great way to raise some hefty baht for Don Jedi district in his native Suphan Buri province. He even got Dhanin Chearavanont, the big boss at the Charoen Pokphand Group, to preside over the amulet-minting ceremony, which means you'll be able to buy them at every single CP retail outlet, which means everywhere.


But first, Ad had to be reminded that he'd thought up the idea. He'd told the abbot of Wat Thakum in Don Jedi ages ago about this great notion, but he was, you know, drunk at the time. He always gets great ideas when he's, you know, drunk.


Months went by, and then one day the abbot called him and said, "So?"


Ad, who had fallen asleep under the latest Harry Potter book, replied, "So what?"


"What about the amulet?"


"What amulet?"To put this story out of its misery, Ad found himself last week onstage with his old band Carabao at a free concert, as part of the ceremonial casting of the talisman, which he had somehow remembered to design himself. The fans enjoyed the music and Ad got yet another message across.


He swears this is a one-off deal, though. "It'll only be this model - I won't be creating any more Jatukam amulets."


So, if you do happen to come across another new model being sold in Ad's name, either someone's pulling a fast one - or he's been pissed again and back to see the abbot.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/09/10/entertainment/entertainment_30048338.php

17 September 2007

Erawan Shrine


by Malinda Wood
Built in 1956 to ease the mishaps that plagued the construction of the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, the Erawan shrine has become a popular place of worshippers who seek spiritual power to help them achieve their goals in life and business. The notion of the shrine is similar to spirit shrines erected in houses and in front of commercial buildings in Thailand. Obviously influenced by Hinduism, the shrines are believed to bring good lucks to worshippers. Located at the intersection of Bangkok's famous shopping street in front of the Grand Hyatt hotel, Erawan Shrine is perhaps the most respected and visited shrine in Thailand.
The shrine consists of a gold leaf plated statue of 4- headed 8-armed Hindu god Brahma seated inside a shrine that is richly decorated with small glasses and tiles. Beside the shrine is a group of classical dance performers available on hand for hire. Each day hundreds of Thais and foreign visitors, particularly Asian tourists, can be seen offering colorful flower garlands, lotus, incense and candles. At the same time they make a wish. If the wish comes true, they will come back to donate small teak elephants or provide a classical Thai dance show or whatever they promise to do or to offer as a grateful note to Brahma. Erawan Shrine is surrounded by some famous Hindu shrines.
For example, the Trimurti shrine and the Genesha Shrine are two revered Hindu deities situated in front of the high-end shopping mall of Central World Plaza while the Lakshmi Shrine can be found inside Gaysorn shopping Plaza. Just across the road from Erawan Shrine in front of the Intercontinental Hotel is a black statue of Vishnu (Narayana) riding a garuda. All of them are easily accessible by sky train (Chidlom Station) and worth a short visit.
www.circleofasia.com

16 September 2007

Revered Thai monk flogs sarcastic fortune cookies

Bangkok, Thailand -- One of Thailand's most revered Buddhist monks has branched out into the fortune cookie trade to mock the "Jatukham fever" currently seizing the nation, news reports said Saturday.
Monk Payom Kalayano, abbot of the Suan Kaew Temple and a crusader against superstitious beliefs, on Friday launched a line of "Jatukham" cookies, modelled after the Jatukham amulet that has made a fortune for other Buddhist monks and temples nationwide.

Payom Kalayano's cookies promise to make the buyer "super rich" by following the four steps to wealth prescribed by the Lord Buddha - diligence, thriftiness, associating with moral people and leading a life of simplicity, reported the Bangkok Post newspaper.

The fortune cookies, four to a pack, sell for a modest 60 baht (1.70 dollars).

The monk said he was inspired to produce the cookies to mock the frenzied trade in Jatukham talismans, which are expected to gross 20 billion baht (571 million dollars) in sales this year.

Jatukham fever started last year when the Mahathat Woramahawiharn Buddhist temple in Nakorn Si Thammarat, 550 kilometres south of Bangkok, began to attract thousands of visitors a day to buy Jatukham Rammathep talismans, named after two princes of the Krung Srivijaya Kingdom in southern Thailand (757-1257).

The special amulets, which were first produced in 1987, have seen a surge in popularity after the death at age 110 of well-known policeman Phantharak Rajjadej, who helped create the 50 centimetre amulet. Original models of the amulet that sold for 100 baht (2.80 dollars) now fetch up to 600,000 (17,143 dollars).

Sales of the amulets, which are anointed by Buddhist monks at Mahathat Woramahawiharnj temple, have sparked such a frenzy that a 51-year-old woman was trampled to death on April 9 in the crush to get reservation coupons for the talismans.

Other Buddhist temples nationwide are now producing their own Jatukham amulets to cash in on the craze, but the Suan Kaew temple is the first to offer Jatukham fortune cookies.

Buddhism does not officially support the use and trade in lucky amulets, which are more in keeping with Brahmanical beliefs than Buddhism, but Thai temples and monks have been actively involved in the multi-million dollar industry for decades.
http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=52,4317,0,0,1,0

14 September 2007

Thailand's frenzy for amulets


By Jonathan Head, BBC News
"Monks are supposed to renounce money. The teachings of the Buddha have been killed by the demonic religion of consumerism" - Sulak Sivaraksa, Buddhist scholar
Bangkok, Thailand -- For advertisers in Thailand, the most spectacular location to promote their products is on the side of the country's tallest building, the Baiyoke Tower in Bangkok.
<< Jatukam Ramathep is depicted on the Baiyoke Tower, Bangkok's tallest skyscraper

But the image that appeared there a few weeks ago was not the usual logo for shampoo or a mobile phone company.

It depicted the statuesque head of a mythical Hindu figure, Jatukam Ramathep - actually a combination of two ancient deities, the guardians of some of Thailand's holiest Buddhist relics.

So what was it doing on a Bangkok skyscraper? The answer is that was selling itself, and doing a whole lot better than the rest of the Thai economy.

Thais have always been keen on amulets. Usually bearing the likeness of the Buddha or other religious figures, they are worn round the neck to bring good fortune.


But no amulet has ever been as popular as the Jatukam Ramathep.

Royal connection

These amulets have been made for about 20 years, and were promoted without much success by Police Major-General Phantarak Rajadej, a police chief in Nakhon Si Thammarat, the town where the relics are thought to be located.

Phantarak Rajadej's death last year changed everything.

A larger-than-life character who was reputed to possess magical powers, his funeral was attended by tens of thousands of people, including Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, the heir to the Thai throne.

Copies of the amulet were given out at the funeral - many of them not authentic, complained his family - and belief in their mystical powers began to spread, pushing up the value of older versions.

On Sunday mornings, crowds build around the main temple in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Wat Mahathat, one of Thailand's most revered Buddhist temples.

They file between the heavy white-washed walls into a small room, filled floor-to-ceiling with an array of statues depicting giants and mythical animals, all bedecked with flowers.

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=52,4803,0,0,1,0

13 September 2007

Believing the unbelievable.

In tune with the wave of anti-religious publications; most notably by authors Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens, I will attack the subject here.



The three names above might not ring many bells with Thais, except those interested in biology, a field in which Richard Dawkins is a prominent figure. However, they are the spearhead of an international movement fed-up with irrationality. Maybe the largest offspring of irrationality and superstition is religion.


One can debate why people in southern Thailand are being blown up and decapitated, but I doubt that even the slimiest of politicians would deny outright that it has something to do with religion. People are quick to blame this on Islam, and they are partly right to do so. But the people killing innocents and the people buying Jatukam Ramathep amulets because they believe they are magic have something in common; an irrational belief. Although the beliefs are different, they are utterly groundless and deserve no respect whatsoever.


Yes that's right, NO respect. And this goes for all groundless claims; be them nazi ideology, horoscopes or a preacher that says condoms are immoral and so forth.


Why are we so prone to accept the ridiculous claims of such things as horoscopes, spells and a belief in invisible gods? And why on earth are we so afraid of the people that accept these things that it is practically considered disrespectful to question them? If someone walked up to you and said he could summon monsters you would probably tell him he was crazy or demand proof. If you are a man of faith, and someone comes up to you and says he spoke to jesus last night you would probably say congratulations. Buddhism is different in the way that in its essence (but not in it’s entirety) it encourages using rationale and critical thinking. But I am sure that all but the most confused individual will agree that this is far from what is the commoners view and practice of buddhism in Thailand. How many cars have you been in without a blessing in the ceiling? And what are the odds that the guy you stop on the street believes in all sorts of spirits or ghosts; I would say fairly high.



I ask again, why are people so easily persuaded into such irrational thought? Smarter people than me have tried to come up with answers and I won't recite their various conclusions. However, one thing is for certain and that is that it has never been beneficial for a society to cultivate irrationality.


If you indulge in astrology, spirit guides, magic amulets and other irrational and baseless activities or respect such things you act as a fertilizer for the next extremist that thinks; 'I feel that hurting this person in the name of my belief is ok and that is enough evidence for me.'


We tell our kids stories about santa claus, magic and wizards, when they grow up we tell them that it's not true; don't forget to remind yourself of that as well.

http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/narcisuss/2007/08/17/entry-1

10 September 2007

Vendors earn more than they dreamed of in Nakhon Si Thammarat

Sales of Jatukarm Ramathep amulets are thriving in Nakhon Si Thammarat's Muang district, with many sellers earning more money than they ever dreamed of.
Duangchanok Amornsak closed down her traditional dance school in August last year and began trading Jatukarm Ramathep talismans.
She admits to making a good profit as demand for the amulets _ which are priced from 199 to 150,000 baht _ has surged. She also sells T-shirts bearing the image of the talisman, and books and pictures.
"I used to get about 10,000 baht a month as a dance teacher. Now I earn from 100,000 to 200,000 baht a month from selling the amulets," she said.
Stalls selling the amulets are on almost every road in downtown Muang district. Although the amulets were introduced in the province 20 years ago, Ms Duangchanok believes their popularity jumped only recently, with the funeral of Pol Maj-Gen Khun Phantharak Rajadej, a well-respected local aristocrat.
Thousands of people flocked to the cremation of Khun Phantharak to obtain the amulets, which were distributed by his children as keepsakes.
Sales of the amulets have stimulated the local economy, putting an estimated 100 million baht into circulation.
Pailin Arunjit also quit her job to become a talisman vendor.
Ms Pailin said she invested 30,000 baht to open her business three months ago. Now she earns about 100,000 baht a month.
"I had never thought that I would have what I have today. My monthly salary as a department store worker was a few thousand baht," she said, adding that she is now able to pay off her debts.
Ms Duangchanok said she believed the talisman would sell well for the next two to three years before dying down, as was "the law of nature".
She personally believed in the magical powers of Jatukarm Ramathep and had various versions of the amulets in stock.
"I don't try to persuade anyone to believe me or to buy the talismans from me. There is no point in owning the amulet but not behaving well. Jatukarm Ramathep will only protect decent people, bringing them good luck," she said.
The amulets comprise a group of talismans with images of a deity and symbols dating back to the ancient Malay kingdom of Srivijaya, of which Nakhon Si Thammarat was a part.
http://pages.citebite.com/i1q4n3r4y7eho

07 September 2007

What's after the cookie?

After Phra Payom of Wat Suan Kaew gained success with his initiative to launch special Jatukam cookies, to remind people to perform good deeds instead becoming too obsessed with the famous amulets, the well-known monk yesterday had another product to offer.

The Suan Kaew Foundation yesterday released a T-shirt with the logo "Wear This T-Shirt and Follow the Teachings", featuring the pattern of a necklace with a big round Jatukam amulet around the neckline for those who don't have an actual amulet to wear.


"After I introduced the cookies into the market, I was thinking what to do to make people become better aware of the teachings of the Lord Buddha," Phra Payom said. "So, we designed a T-shirt with a special stylised drawing that should promote the Lord Buddha's teachings."


People tend to wear Jatukam Ramathep amulets in a visible position. However, the pattern of the Jatukam amulet will be seen as part of the T-shirt design.


"I believe this T-shirt will be popular, because it's like you're wearing the Lord Buddha's teachings all the time," Phra Payom said.


Two months ago, the Suan Kaew Foundation launched its special cookies, which proved to be so popular that the Foundation still receives orders for 800-1,000 tins a day.


The new T-shirt comes in different colours - pink/yellow, pink and blue green - and sales for Bt180. The first lot of T-shirts is a limited edition, with only 999 available for sale.


Phra Payom said that after the T-shirts, he plans to launch more products as part of the Jatukam series. But he refused to disclose any details yet. Stay tuned and wait for next month.

06 September 2007

Thai temple makes lucky charms of infants' ashes

BANGKOK (Reuters) - A Thai Buddhist temple has been reprimanded by religious authorities for selling amulets containing the ashes of cremated infants to raise money for a plot of land and a crematorium, an official said on Tuesday.

The bodies of 28 foetuses or infants who died of natural causes were cremated legally at the temple's aging incinerator, they said, as Thailand's craze for Jatukam Ramathep amulets promising wealth showed no signs of easing.

"It is not illegal, but it is inappropriate," an official of the local office of Buddhism told Reuters.

"The chief provincial monk has submitted a formal reprimand letter to the temple's abbot," said the official, who declined to be identified.

The Thawee Kara Anant temple in a northern Bangkok suburb was taking advantage of a craze for the amulets that promise to make their owners "super rich" or "rich without reason" sweeping across predominantly Buddhist Thailand.

In July, it made 140,000 disc-shaped amulets about the size of a coffee-cup lid from a variety of herbs and human ashes and had sold most of them, a monk at the temple said.

The idea of mixing the human ashes into the "Multiple Rich" amulets came after neighbours told the abbot they saw spirits of dead infants buried in the temple graveyard in their dreams asking to be freed, monk Lertsak Thitayano told Reuters.

"The abbot wanted to set them free so he decided to cremate them and make merit for them by mixing their ashes into the amulets to empower them in helping the people," he said.

To gain maximum "power", the Jatukam Ramathep amulets, named after two Hindu gods, 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 ($300) or more -- more than a month's wages for many Thais.

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

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.


http://africa.reuters.com/odd/news/usnBKK51983.html

05 September 2007

Jatukarm craze on the wane, but faith intact

Nakhon Si Thammarat _ The demand for Jatukarm Ramathep amulets has faded with few requests now being made to a temple to perform rituals for the talismans. Phra Rajthammasuthee, abbot of Wat Phra Mahathat Voramahaviharn in Nakhon Si Thammarat and provincial chief monk, attributes the declining demand for Jatukarm Ramathep talismans to oversupply. However, public faith in the amulets remains high, he said.

During the Jatukarm amulet craze, the temple, where the talismans originated, had been fully booked for rituals, said the abbot. Now only a few amulet makers made requests for his temple to perform rites for new models of the talisman. Previously, the temple received 700-800 requests a month.

The oversupply of amulets including the sale of the fake ones caused prices to drop sharply. Some fake amulets sell for just five baht each.

A source said the atmosphere at the temple was quiet. Owners of amulet stalls in the temple compound had to sell other products just to survive. Over the past few months, crowds of people from all regions flocked to this temple to buy amulets, which brought quick riches to the makers and retailers. Some company employees quit their jobs to enter the business which yielded handsome profits during the boom.



http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/13Aug2007_news03.php

04 September 2007

Learning political lessons from the runaway Jatukam train

Published on September 5, 2007
Makers of Jatukam Ramathep amulets may be getting a bit too inventive for their own health.

As the multi-billion-baht bubble is about to burst, we could foresee using cosmic dust as a key component in new amulets, as well as making them candy-coloured and conducting blessings at zero gravity. But dead infants' ashes?

Religious authorities initial reaction to this latest Jatukam innovation was predictable: they said there's "nothing illegal" about it. It may not have occurred to these officials, though, that mixing infants' ashes in amulets is not unlawful probably because no lawmakers in the past, here or anywhere else on earth, had anticipated something that bizarre. In other words, just because there's no law prohibiting people from crossing the street on their hands does not necessarily mean you have the right to try it.

The Jatukam phenomenon and Thai politics are giving us great food for thought, with the superstitious craze in Thailand going a long way in explaining our political predicament. Matters sound familiar indeed: first there was a little hype, then it turned into something pervasive, and once the "masses" are hooked, a semblance of legitimacy begins to build. Instead of strengthening principles, this "legitimacy" weakens them.

One may be tempted to think that ardent Jatukam believers are operating on blind faith, but they are not much different from people adoring a politician or political party. In a society that is supposed to value simplicity and modesty but has gone wild with amulets, which its producers boast will deliver unimaginable wealth and invincibility to the wearer, a distorted political system is anything but a surprise.

Anyone who has studied the Jatukam boom closely should be able to write a manual on "How to Win Elections". Go overboard with promises and full-blown marketing efforts because people will love them. And the names of the different types of Jatukam amulets teach us that there ought to be no sense of shame when it comes to bluffing your opponents. After an "Incredibly Rich" model was issued, rival versions popped up including the "Immediately Rich" model, the "Rich Without Reason" model, and the "Exploding Sky Rich" model, to name just a few.

More importantly, only cowards and losers stop at the line. You cross it, back and forth, until it's no longer there. Jatukam makers have managed to get the best of both worlds through this strategy. On one hand, they successfully sell the amulets as spiritual recourse; on the other hand, they tell their customers that being ridiculously rich is life's main purpose. And don't forget to claim credit by saying that you're doing it for the poor, like the producers of the baby ashes model did when they argued that some of the proceeds from the amulets would go to building a crematorium for the destitute.

Once you step over the line, you not only help yourself, but also both your customers and competitors. Putting babies' ashes in amulets in a Buddhist nation may be hardly acceptable initially, but it will only take like two days. If your ends win over the masses, they won't question your means that much. It's even easier for your competition, whose hypocritical side can't wait to rear its head. They will embrace your initiative, but hate you for getting there first.

Once you manage to make everyone believe that dead infants' ashes can be the essence of something spiritual and sacred, everything else is all yours. You can even proclaim that you truly represent the religion. After all, it's "you" who bring millions of people back to the temples like nobody had ever done before. How good will it feel to associate your name with the highest and most valuable doctrine, which you actually smear, and have those who question your means labelled heretics?

Just be careful about the bubble. You will be thriving on a shaky foundation that you yourself undermine. When it crumbles, you may feel like blaming your enemies, who force you to come up with weirder and weirder plans like the baby ashes in order to stay afloat, but remember it's you who crossed the line first. Now you may want to redraw the line, to get back to the principles that you once showed contempt for, but it's already gone forever.

No, making dead babies' ashes a component of amulets for people to worship is not illegal. A lot of your "customers" may still love it and you may argue that some of your competitors have even done nastier things. But the point is Jatukam is big and the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Just because there is no law specifically against it doesn't mean that such a practice cannot bring the whole industry down.

Tulsathit Taptim

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/09/05/opinion/opinion_30047779.php

03 September 2007

Cookie shortage: Jatukam T-shirt, anyone?

The overwhelming success in marketing Jatukam cookies as an antidote to amulet fever has resulted in inspired outspoken Buddhist monk Phra Payom Kalyano to extend his production line to Jatukam T-shirts to combat superstition and magical thinking about money with clothing instead of munchies.

Indicating that orders for Jatukam cookies had exceeded his production capacity, Phra Payorm, abbot of Wat Suan Kaew in Bangkok's north suburban province of Nonthaburi, said Tuesday the pure reason behind the distribution of Jatukam cookies was to urge people to stick to good deeds and hold on to the Lord Buddha's teachings.

The cookies were made almost the same shape and design as Jatukarm amulets which have been produced in mass and sold in great volumes. The nationwide marketing of Jatukarm amulets has sparked off criticism among some people who strongly disagreed with what they termed "Buddhist commercialism."

Phra Payorm said a limited collector's edition of 999 Jatukam T-shirts will be produced and sold for 180 baht each. The front of the T-shirt is printed with a Jatukam logo and carries a short statement encouraging people to work hard and save money.

Wearing the Jatukam T-shirt is almost equivalent to possessing the Lord Buddha's teachings, according to the renowned abbot. He did not deny that the sale of the T-shirt was more or less "Buddhist commercialism" but he asserted that the "revenue from the sales will go to help the poor and develop temples." (TNA)

the Nation

02 September 2007

Officials sued for fraud over amulets

Angry buyers say they were duped by ads

In a dispute over the "Ruay Lon Fa" series of Jatukham Rammathep amulets, Nakhon Si Thammarat residents yesterday filed a lawsuit against a kamnan, a court official, a military officer, an attorney, a bank clerk and a state official.

Muang Nakhon Si Thammarat-based lawyer Wisanu Saowapa and 15 other residents sued Chian Yai district's Tambon Khao Phrabath kamnan Yongyos Kaewkhiew and five other people for fraud.

The five were Ratchaburi Provincial Court official Arun Khaosaeng, Lt-General Chatri Thatti from the Defence Finance Department, public prosecutor Wichet Musikrangsi from the Attorney-General Office's special case division, Krung Thai Bank clerk Surat Srimai and Nakhon Si Thammarat Educational Area 1 official Nipa Thongnok.

The plaintiffs have accused the six defendants and unnamed accomplices of providing false advertising and using the provincial court's office to make reservations for the amulets in February, leading the public to believe the court had made the amulets.

Besides producing leaflets with different information regarding patterns, the amount of Jatukhams made and the price, the group was also accused of promising the public it would produce the amulets exactly as advertised, when the actual amulets were found to be quite different.

The plaintiffs filed a compliant with Muang Nakhon Si Thammarat police station.

Yongyos then promised to refund the locals on June 30. However, no refund was paid on the day or the rescheduled date of July 16 - leading to the lawsuit.

Meanwhile, Yongyos declined to comment on the case, saying he would let justice run its course and he did not want this to be a conflict in the province.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/08/22/national/national_30046004.php

01 September 2007

A wing and a prayer for Jatukham craze

The Jatukham Rammathep craze has literally gone sky-high. The Royal Thai Air Force took some much-sought-after amulets on routine flights on F-16 and F-5 fighters in the hope of boosting their supernatural powers and market value.

Air Chief Marshal Paisal Sitabutr, the Air Force's deputy commander, could not explain the logic behind his reasoning but maintained the jets' supersonic speed would quicken one's good fortune, protection and prosperity. The unprecedented height would make the amulets stand out above the rest, literally and figuratively. Moreover, Paisal told The Nation yesterday, the fact that such a "dignified" institution as the Air Force was behind the making of this series of amulets would boost its reputation and sales.

On Monday, the Air Force organised incantation rites for its amulets in Prachuab Khiri Khan. Paisal said the Air Force decided to join the Jatukham Rammathep fever because it wanted to collect huge sums of money for renovation of Wat Mahathat in Bangkok and the twin pagodas, Phra Mahathat Napha Methanidon and Phra Mahathat Naphaphon Phumisiri, on Doi Inthanon in Chiang Mai. The renovation projects costing about Bt100 million are to commemorate the 80th birthday of His Majesty the King in December, he said. "During these days, what else can be done to generate huge money better than Jatukham?" he said. [Indeed!] Paisal saw nothing wrong in the Air Force generating money by producing amulets and using the fighter jets in the incantation. "We have fighters that fly regularly. We just asked the pilots to take the materials [to produce the amulets] with them. We did not hold any special flights for this thing," he said.

The Air Force's action bemused respected archaeologist Srisakara Vallibhotama. "Why didn't they take them up to Mars?" he asked sarcastically. Srisakara questioned the attitude of the Air Force, which is a security-related institution, towards the Jatukham hype and said the process by which these amulets were created lacked moral authority. "You are doing something against nature. How can things produced by an unnatural process contain Dharma of the Buddha, as Dharma means nature?" he asked.

Since last year, Jatukham fever has spread throughout the country, grabbing the attention of celebrities, politicians and ordinary people. The Kasikorn Research Centre estimated that from late last year more than Bt20 billion had been generated by the Jatukham craze. The Revenue Department was considering whether to tax enterprises related to the soaring sales of Jatukham items. The Air Force's incantation rites took place just a few days after the outspoken abbot of Wat Suan Kaew in Nonthaburi, Phra Payom Kalayano, one of the country's most revered Buddhist monks, launched an edible Jatukham cookie to mock the craze for the popular talisman.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/06/20/headlines/headlines_30037352.php