Venerable LP Taweesak, making some amulets levitate while he bless them!

A startling and fascinating aspect of Thai Buddhism lies in the belief of the Thai populace in the magic powers of some of their Buddhist Masters, and in the fact that from time to time these Masters provide hard evidence of their powers! Many Masters make amulets with sundry powers (and sometimes surprising!), distributing them to their followers or selling them in the temple shop to support the maintence of the monks, or the expansion of their various charitable projects. There are too laymen Magic Masters (black & white) who who are in the same business.
Not a week passes in Thailand without one of the nation's major newspapers reporting some new anecdote regarding amulets and ghosts. There are, moreover, at least twenty specialized magazines keeping collectors up to speed regarding events to attend: a Temple blessing ceremony, the arrival of a grand Master....

This world is for the most part hidden, and even forbidden, to foreign interlopers. Indeed, it is urged that one become "in the know" to comprehend and savor this special universe, where miracles occur daily and the out of the ordinary is the norm. I have been able after some years to penetrate the world of amulet collectors and make friends there, as well as meeting several celebrated Masters.

In the pages which follow, I undertake to help you uncover the wealth of this sector of Thai culture. The documentation and photos which I'm bringing forth have taken me several working years to gather together and are for the most part available nowhere else.

I will put forth too numerous Magic amulets which I have collected directly from temples I have visited, as well as culled from private collections. If you treat them with respect, these objects can bring you abundance both spiritual and material. They are the glimmers of a thousand-year old tradition and in no way should be considered tacky little good luck charms.

It is my heartfelt wish that you spend a few pleasant moments in this part of the site, and that you thereby acquire the impetus to discover more about Thailand and its Theravadin Buddhist practices.

Kunzang Namdjial