Buddha Amulets
Author : Peter Vredeveld
The Buddhist amulets are carried upon by the members of various Buddhist communities worldwide, especially by the communities following Theravada Buddhism in mainland Southeast Asia, like Thailand, Laos, Burma, and Cambodia.
Buddhism is reaching out to more and more people in the world. The number of followers of this particular religion has increased rapidly not only in the eastern part of the world, i.e., Asia but also in the western world of Europe and America. Consequently, the increase in followers means increased demand for various forms of Buddhist art for both religious and collection purposes. These artifacts are considered holy and are taken as items of enormous importance for the followers of Buddha and Buddhism. Buddha statues are one of the most popular and in-demand Buddhist artifacts worldwide. This is natural considering the way they represent the Buddha in his physical form. Another Buddhist artifact of such importance and demand is Buddhist Amulets or Buddha Amulets.
Buddha Amulets
For the followers of Buddhism, Buddhist amulets are blessed items. These amulets are small and mystically powerful objects that are believed to have the ability to provide a person carrying them with good fortune and protection from any mishaps in their lives. Similarly, amulets are also believed to be a way to get closer to the Buddha, especially if a person wears them around their neck. The Buddhist amulets (or Talismans as they are also known in the Western world) are carried upon by the members of various Buddhist communities all over the world, especially by the communities following Theravada Buddhism in mainland Southeast Asia like Thailand, Laos, Burma, and Cambodia. Almost every Buddhist in these countries has at least one Buddhist amulet. Also, carrying it as a great respect for the Buddha, it is common for these amulets to be worn by people of all ages in these countries. Though the teachings of Buddha do not encourage the use of amulets, today's Buddhists surround themselves with as much protection as possible by wearing, carrying, or keeping at least one amulet at home and workplace. Explicitly Buddhist in form, these amulets often take the form of miniature Buddha statues or representations of various holy monks. Similarly, these Buddhist amulets are small Chaityas or Buddhist stupas.
Buddhist amulets are primarily used to collect funds for the temples or monasteries producing the amulets. Traditionally, the followers and worshippers of the Buddha would be able to obtain an amulet as a blessing from a Buddhist monastery by simply donating money or oil to the monastery. After the donation procedure, the monastery monk will give the amulet as a gift to the followers. With time, this gift changes into a tool to help enhance luck in different aspects of the followers' lives. Thailand has a peculiar tradition of placing Buddhist amulets under a stupa or any other Buddhist shrine structure when constructed. There have been many instances where many amulets were found following the collapse of these structures.
The Buddha amulets come in various styles and shapes. They are primarily made of metal, wood, bone, or plaster. An amulet may contain ash from the burnt incense or old temple structure, hair of famous monks, etc., to increase the items' protective power. After an amulet is made, the maker will request the monks residing in the monastery or from the other monastery to chant prayers and bless them. For an authentic Buddhist amulet, this process may take almost three years.
Thailand is one of the world's biggest producers, sellers, and exporters of Buddha amulets. These amulets are available in every village and city in the country. The price of these amulets depends on their appearance and origins, makers, ages, and the classes of spells enchanted upon them. Some rare or antique Buddhist amulets, like rare and antique Buddha statues, can fetch enormous amounts of money. Therefore, it is easily understandable how this particular Buddhist artifact has been in demand in the Buddhist world.
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