Teachings from Luong Phor Waen

On Amulets

‘After Man’s death his own amulets were produced and made their way into the tortuous and circuitous market-place, which the master would surely have frowned upon. In his old age Ajaan Waen blessed amulets bought to him by the laity (quote …) and saw this in terms of dispensation of goodwill or love-kindness to his many visitors. According to a monastic informant who was with Waen at the time, he once said in dismay that ‘I nearly gave up my life many times in pursuance of my practice and when people come to see me [instead of asking about how they can practice theselves] all they want is for me to bless a medallion!’ (Taylor, 1993, p. 184).

‘As explained to me, in the fetish (in the literal sense) process of exchange, the ‘giver’ has no control over the functional use to which the relic or amulet is put (whether for local prestige, political or personal power, thaumaturgic, and so on). To put this another way, the concentrated moral vigour manifest in the artifact is transformed by the receiver (at the coarser spiritual level) and used for worldly gain or to legitimate entrenched secular power. Indeed, every sanctified amulet manifests radiating energy (te’cho) which the Buddha himself possessed in immense (quote…..). Some of the laity may consider this as a protective or manipulative force (as in saksit powers), while others might argue that by reminding the wearer of the Doctrine [dhamma], and particularly that part of it that counsels alertness, it enables him [the amulet owner] to keep out of harm’s way. (quote…). (Taylor, 1993, p. 189).