I aint sayin shes a gold digga

Stopped by the gold shop today.  I was given a Buddha amulet awhile back as a gift.  While I’m not Buddhist, I appreciated the sincerity of the present, as it was brought to a monk and blessed specifically for me.  I’ve been meaning to get it put into a proper case and onto a good necklace for awhile…but it just kept falling off the “todo” list.  Feeling the need to do a little “sympathy” shopping, I finally got around to it today.  Gold here in Thailand is very pure, with most of the jewelry being 98% or higher.  Since the gold has very little additives in it, the buyer can use the “purchase” as an investment selling back the gold whenever they need the cash. *Which is what most of the local bar girls do with their presents when their “boyfriends” head home.

The history of Thai and Thai-Khmer Buddha amulets is very old and goes back to the Siam kingdoms of Sukhothai and Ayuttaya (Khmer art and culture, which have there roots in Hinduism, influenced these kingdoms very strong)

Possibly the oldest amulets known are from the Haripunchai period (today the area of Lampun province, around 1,000 years ago).

The first amulets where made and blessed from monks then given to warriors and fighters to enhance and strengthen their ability to fight. It was believed that through their faith in Buddha the amulets would protect them against being beaten, injured or killed in a fight.  Over the years there are now a lot of different types and styles of amulets, but it can be said that there are probably around 15 styles of amulets which are preferred and in which people mostly believe in.

The very old amulets are now collectors items, being that they are so rare.   Needless to say that the prices for different amulets  can vary significantly.  You can purchase them anywhere from less than 10$ all the way up to 1 million USD.

Like I mentioned, old and rare amulets are very desired in Thai society and very high priced.  Most of the  desired amulets are already in the hands of wealthy families which are keeping these amulets for the mentioned beliefs. These amulets then are given as a heritage through generations.   Many foreigners mistakenly purchase counterfeit amulets, without knowing they are replicas.

It isn’t a necessity to buy an old, famous and high priced amulet however, Thai’s believe that a good blessed amulet, which has the same style as the original desired “famous” one, will do the same duty, because it has also been blessed.

Thai’s believe that whoever wears an amulet needs to treat it with respect, allowing the true spirit to unfold.

Over the centuries when amulets were used from the Buddhist believers there were certain rules that followed:

Keep your amulet around your neck or in a shirts pocket, an amulet should not be kept lower than the waist/belt (so not in a trousers pocket).

You can wear the amulet all the time, even when you have a shower or sleep. But it is said, that you should not wear it when you are engaged in a “sexual act”. (if the amulet is on a chain around your neck, some one can just move the amulet on the chain around so it hangs on the persons back and not laying on the chest) Better take it off.

If you take your amulet off, put it on a high place like a shelf, board or table. The amulet should not be kept on the floor or touched with feet.

It is also good luck to keep an amulet for protection against an accident in your car. It should hang from the drivers mirror or be kept in a higher place in the car.

There is a saying: “If you take good care of your Buddha, he will take good care of you”

But also: “The amulet is only bringing benefits of luck, fortune and protection to those who are good people, which are not doing or thinking in a bad or evil way (to others). Be good to others and they will be good to you”.