Monday, December 14, 2009

The Secrets of Phra Pidta of Wat Uttamaram, Repek, Finally Revealed !

Phra Pidta of Wat Uttamaram was followed the traditional way of making Phra Phakhawan of Achan Long Phor Khron. Present wat abbot, Phra Khru Boon Tham is issuing of this limited hand made edition of Phra Pidta.

Associates with the 45th anniversary ( BE 2550 ) of Khron Paranibbana, Phra Khru Boon Tham ( Than Boon ) revealed to the public the traditional ways /methods of making Phra Pidta. These methods are using / following the same methods used by Tok Raja in those day. According to the Long Chei, the pidta was created for the fund rising purposes. The purpose of making this superb Phra Pidta was due to the lack of fund to complete the Chedi and cremation hall, Achan Long Phor Khron appeared in Than Boon dreams and had ordered Than Boon to create the this special phim of Pidta amulet to be rent out to the devotees.

The Achan Long Phor Khron’s traditional mould gadget was made of 2 pieces of wood which are connected with the hinge. There were two holes on the woods surface to place the Pidta mould, hinged woods with 2 holes to fit the Pidta mould, one on each sides. The Pidta mould was made of fibre.

These two pieces of woods were pressed together tightly by using hand to mould the Pidta. The moulded Phra Pidta was painted and coated with Black Janrakh Wax or Getah Rengas Hitam ( not the normal crystal clear rengas ) by local folks. Each Pidta was individually pressed and blessed by Than Boon then.

Pictures of blessing for ALUJAKH ( Seeking Permission ) from Achan Long Phor Khron before the making pidta processes begin.



Pictures showing Than Boon is preparing the wanj.



Pictures showing Than Boon is inserting the wahn into the mould.



Pictures showing Than Boon is moulding the Pidta by pressing the two pieces of woods.



Picture showing Than Boon is applying the Black Rengas onto Pressed Phra Pidta.



Pictures showing Than Boon is picking out the Pidta from the mould.



Pictures of the successfully moulded Phra Pidta.



These traditional ways and processes were rather complicated than the modern ways. Which are using the moulding machine and the amulets were pressed and completed within a minutes compare to Long Phor Khron traditional ways. Than Boon spent around 30 to 45 minutes to complete each of the Pidta amulet. This is why Phra Pidta / Phakhawan from Wat Uttamaram is very special indeed.

Apart from this special phim of Phra Pidta. There were several phims of Phra Pidta / Phakhawan which were hand made, pressed and blessed personally by Than Boon or Chau khun Mit. In order to identify such special hand made amulets, there are some hand print marks on the reverse side of the Pidta amulets.

Some old batch of hand made Phra Pidta of Wat Uttamaram.



Modern moulding machines to produce amulets.

a. Hand press moulding machine



b. The mould / block



c. Computerize moulding machine



According to wat committee, a total of 300 pieces of this special phim Phra Pidta were made and the thambun for this pidta is RM 3999. The devotee who rent out this Pidta will be given away a tongkat too ( made of janrakh tree, which strike by lighting, a donation of amount RM699 if renting out the tongkat individually ). Do correct me if I’m wrong .

You can’t find this pidta on the wat shelves. If you are interested in, kindly contact and consult Than Boon personally. Why ? Should ask Than Boon……

Tempurung Buta

Buah kelapa unik yang sukar untuk ditemui. Kelapa Buta ini diperolehi daripada seorang pak Cik tua yang bernama Ismail Dara dari daerah Machang. Beliau merupakan seorang Islam yang berketurunan Melayu Kemboja. Beliau berhijrah ke Malaysia ( Kelantan ) dalam tahun 60an.







Phor Than Chau Khun Onn - Wat Sungai Padi, Narathiwat.




Asking Favors from Ghosts

The Dhammapada says:

"Though month after month for a hundred years,
one should offer sacrifices by the thousands,
yet if only for a moment one should
worship those of perfected minds;
that honor is indeed better than a century of sacrifice."

Yesterday night was the 1st day of the 7th lunar month, which is believed to be the ghost month by the Chinese. Scores of people went to the Choa Chu Kang cemetary at midnight to burn various offerings, joss sticks and joss paper to the ghosts as they are released into the human realm, in the hope of getting protection, good luck and lottery (4-D) numbers from them. They have been following this tradition of theirs for quite a few years. On the other hand, thousands of Chinese families across Singapore today also burned similar offerings to their ancestors and the wandering spirits to make them happy.
But can those people get what they want? I seriously doubt so. What they are doing is no different from taking refuge in the ghosts; but unfortunately most of these ghosts are in a worse state than us humans. How then can they give us protection and good (money) luck? Although there are indeed some ghosts of great merit like Tua Ya Pek (White Wuchang), who have the power to shower deserving devotees with wealth; but ultimately they themselves are subjected to the wheel of birth and death that is called Samsara. What more for those ordinary ghosts, who are forced by their own karma to go through many unspeakable sufferings everyday? How can these poor beings offer humans any help?

Thus that is called taking the wrong refuge in the eyes of the wise. As long as one take refuge in those that are not yet free from the defilements of craving, anger and ignorance; those that still have to be born again and again, one will always be disappointed sooner or later. In the end when your time is up, none of those beings could offer a good word for you even as you stand before King Yama in the Halls of Hades. By then it will be too late to blame yourself for your own ignorance.
So what is the true refuge that one could depend on without fail? It is the blessed one, the perfected one, the fully enlightened one - "Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhasa". This is something chanted by pious Buddhists everyday, yet they do not know what it means. Most people think it is paying homage to the historical Buddha, or the golden Buddha statues that they worship in the temples or at home. But the truth is those are only the external forms of the Buddha, not the real Buddha. The real Buddha is the quality of pure awareness within you. The mind that knows the good and bad of all things that arise and pass away, but does not identify with any of them. The mind that is unmoving, yet does not abide in anything at all. Such a mind is the field of merit for the entire world, worthy of the most precious offerings. This is what we should all pay homage to and take refuge in. If one can abandon all craving, anger and ignorance in the mind, it will be the ghosts who come and make offerings to you during the 7th month and not the other way round!

PT Kling of Wat Thaluntong

Portan Kling was a famous guru monk in Nakhon Si Thammarat known for making Phra Pikanet and also Jatukam amulets. He passed away not long ago and his body can be viewed at Wat Thaluntong. Above we see the temple gate.
The golden Chedi building housing the body of PT Kling.
The Sala with a small amulet counter. Unfortunately very little of Portan Kling's amulets are left at the temple.
Rahu gate, used for luck changing rituals.
The Ubosot.
PT Kling's undecaying body in a glass casket.


A close-up video of PT Kling's body. A small shrine.
Parting shot of the Chedi.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Monday, December 7, 2009

Wat Uttamaram Bangse

This article is dedicated to the Siamese community in Kampung Teresek, Repek - a small but peaceful village. Without this community existence, there will never be any history arise for many devoted Buddhist who have faith in Tok Raja to cherish. Therefore, Repek (Bangsek) village is considered a sacred birthplace of this legendary monk whom lived during our lifetime. While the profound Dharma is still flourishing at Wat Uttamaram that once initiated by Tok Raja, we share the joy of gaining merits for ourselves and partake the efforts and good cause dedicated by Tok’s successors to carry out his heritage for today’s generation.


Namo Bodhisato Punnak Suwanno Patissimae





Wat Uttamaram's Main Shrine

Wat Uttamaram at present day is located at Repek, Pasir Mas in Kelantan near the Rantau Panjang/Thai border. This temple was known as Wat Bangsek in the past with a legendary monk and its colorful temple history. Until today if you were to ask its local villagers for Wat Uttamaram direction, they won’t know unless you mention Wat Bangsek. Truly as Malaysian Buddhist, we should feel grateful that we have one such miraculous monk Venerable Khron Ratchanaren the 1st Chief Abbot whom had made Wat Uttamaram Bangsek so well-known and respected all over Malaysia and Thailand. Venerable Khron Ratchanaren had earned trust and respect by many people including Bomoh whom had faith in him. The Venerable earned high admiration and was bestowed the title “Tok Raja” by then H.R.H. Sultan of Kelantan.




More than a hundred years ago, according to Repek kampong folks this temple was originally located at Lubok Jong when the young venerable was first ordained as a Sammanera Bhikku. Lubok Jong is situated not that far distance from Repek. Venerable Khron went for further studies in Pali and Buddhist examinations in Songkhla. Upon completing his monastic studies and spiritual assignments at several temples in Songkhla, he then requested for a transfer home to his birth village firstly relocated to Wat Kampong Dalam. It was believed that sometime from B.E. 2468 (A.D. 1925) onward Venerable Khron relocated Wat Bangsek and re-established Wat Uttamaram in Repek to further spread Buddhism and to teach Vipassana Kamathana meditation technique. Venerable Khron strongly believed in education as the source for knowledge.







Life was tough in the early days at Wat Uttamaram as it was surrounded by thick forested jungles and the only mode of transportation then is via its river networks. Today we can still see a small river at the temple entrance and another downstream river at the backyard. In addition to this geographical set-back, the temple ground was also inherited by devilish spirits and supernatural forces that constantly disturb temple residents. Venerable Khron had a tough time convincing new novices and ordained monks wanting to learn and practice Buddhism under his guidance to stay for longer period of time. That was the time when Venerable Khron began making his legendary ‘Tongkat’ sticks that can perform miraculous cure for any type of ailments and they can be used to exorcise evil spirits that will not be discussed here.




Venerable Khron “Tok Raja” was greatly admired by the kampong Bomohs and they too learned from him sacred versus ‘Katha’, exorcism techniques and healing ailments. One of the oldest and still living disciple Bomoh in Tok Raja’s era is Archan Kuan age 87 years (A.D. 2009) whom is also the younger brother of the late Chao Koon Chan, the second Abbot of Wat Uttamaram.



Perhaps it is worth mentioning that despite Tok Raja’s high Vicha knowledge and attainment, he has a very erratic temper and observing the Precepts and monastic code of conducts strictly. In those days, the temple compound has a variety of fruit trees. The locals dare not dare to pluck any of these fruits within the temple vicinity fearing repercussion without the approval from Tok Raja. The villagers don’t even dare to touch any of these sweet fruits even though they are fully ripened and almost going to be rotten. When Tok Raja said ‘you all may eat now’, only then the villagers dare to take all the fruits to their heart’s content. The same goes for petty thieves whom commit acts of stealing valuables inside the temple will find it impossible to leave as though they are trapped within a giant maze and lost inside the temple ground. That was the miracles that Tok Raja could perform and are feared by many for some good reasons.




Peace and happiness began to surface in the village but not for long when war soon broke up. During World War 2 the Japanese Imperial Army invaded Malaya through amphibious landings and fought against the British in Kota Bharu the capital state in Kelantan. That was a very dangerous time to live in for everyone of different faith and religions. Local villagers often seek Tok Raja’s protection and blessings during this turbulent period. As a result of compassion Tok Raja created the first batch of Phra Pidta Phakhawan proven with good properties to protect oneself from all dangers “Klaew Klad” and impenetrability “Kong Kraphan”. It is an arduous process to make this first ever powerful and proven Pidta Phakhawan. As a result, only 99 pieces was produced based on the information gathered from Tok’s descendents. Soon after that Tok Raja again created his 2nd batch of Phra Pidta Phakhawan totaling 199 pieces. In those days, Tok never fix any price for people who have faith in him seeking his Pidta Phakhawan unlike today. According to one of Tok’s great grand nephew, Tok will giveaway all his hand crafted Pidta based on fate and the real need of the person seeking it. When Tok said he will give away the Pidta the day after tomorrow, he will not give it any other day even when the requestor begged him.




Tok Raja had dedicated his entire life in spreading Buddhism teachings and helping people from all walks of life. On 19 November 1962 at the age of 86, sadly Tok passed away due to old age. But his lifelong dedication and service to the community and Sangha Order will never diminish in the heart of those whom knew him and have faith in him from the past till present.





With regards to Tok Raja's house where he was born and stayed as a child, Repek villagers could not confirm since it's more than 100 years ago. However, Tok's former residence inside the temple (behind the Main Shrine) is located on the 2nd upper floor. No visitors are allowed to enter his former bedroom because of a strange emitting force that is very powerful till today since he passed away. According to a source from one local Repek folk, even if someone were to sleep directly below Tok's former bedroom at the ground floor, he will not be able to sleep through the night as if some form of powerful energy interfering a good night sleep. What is more to sleep inside Tok's room. The same goes to Chao Koon Chan's former room too behind Tok's room on the upper floor. This strange phenomena is believed to be a direct result of a fully attained monks. The stairway leading to the upper floor is always locked and the rooms are used as the temple storage rooms.


Venerable Chao Koon Chan also widely known as ‘Ah Kong’ became the 2nd Chief Abbot at Wat Uttamaram after the demise of Tok Raja in 1962. Chao Koon Chan was also a native from Repek but he is not related to Tok’s family lineage. Chao Koon Chan was conferred the eccelestical title of Phra Vicaranayanmuni Nayaka Maha Thera by the Buddhist Sangha Council of Thailand for his services and contributions to Buddhist teachings. Subsequently he was also bestowed the title Lord Abbot of Kelantan state by H.R.H. Sultan of Kelantan in the 60’s.





Chao Koon Chan had brought many improvements to the community and conducted various charities during his lifetime as the 2nd Chief Abbot. On the 30th day of November 1992 at 6.45 am, Chao Koon Chan passed away peacefully at age 84.





After the demise of Chao Koon Chan, Venerable Than Mit returned from abroad and became the 3rd Chief Abbot at Wat Uttamaram for almost 9 years till his demise. He is also the Chief Abbot at Wat Uttayamuni in Singapore at the same time. It was said that Than Mit followed Tok Raja’s advice to set-up Wat Uttayamuni after his demise to avoid any misunderstanding.







It is a well-known fact that Than Mit is related to Tok Raja family lineage and his birthplace is also in Repek. On the subject of impermanence “anicca” following the universal law of karma as taught by Lord Sakyamuni Gotama Buddha, Than Mit passed away on 25th May 2001.


The present Chief Abbot at Wat Uttamaram is Phrakhru Udomdhamma Patibhano or also widely known as Than Boon. For over 80 years since the humble beginning of Wat Uttamaram (Bangsek) initiated by Tok Raja, it has served its purpose as a learning centre for important Buddhist teachings and meditation subjects. This huge responsibility is passed on to Venerable Than Boon as the current temple Abbot to carry out its heritage in spreading Buddhism teachings and to serve humanity.





As a visitor to Wat Uttamaram, we must be grateful that unlike any other temples in Thailand, Than Boon can converse in local Malay and English language apart from the Thai language. People can converse with Than Boon easily and ask questions on any Buddhism subject matter. Venerable Than Boon displays high composure and benevolence despite how tired he maybe with temple activities and still kind to give blessing upon requests. Let us all wish Than Boon successfully bring the Dharma to all sentient beings and uphold Wat Uttamaram’s heritage for the benefit of all.





Although Wat Uttamaram had achieved strong admiration and recognition from neighboring Thailand, visiting Wat Uttamaram by travelling on a long distance journey may deter most people from getting there. In Kelantan there are nearly 20 Thai temples including Wat Uttamaram and it is a great opportunity for those who take interest in visiting Thai Buddhist temples to take up the first step.





Firstly, we may want to ask ourselves what is Wat Uttamaram so famous for? This is where the infamous Tok Raja Pidta Phakhawan and Tongkat originated from. Both Pidta Phakhawan and Tongkat are so sacred and they are very famous all over Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. As Malaysian Buddhist following the Theravadian tradition, we must be grateful that we have our very own renowned Thai Buddhist temple in Kelantan that was also highly revered amongst Thais. If you have faith with Tok Raja, renting a Bucha is a good idea. Not many people are aware that Tok’s favorite beverage is Black Coffee (without sugar or cream). As a sign of respect and paying homage to Tok Raja’s bucha is to serve a glass of black coffee every morning and pray to Tok for his blessing. Of course in the event black coffee is not available, the alternative is always a glass of clear water to venerate Tok Raja. Hope this information is useful to anyone and by the merits of this sharing may you also find peacefulness and success from Tok Raja’s bucha.






The other major obstacle faced by most temple goers is the lack of clear road directions to get to Kelantan. There are several options on how to get there either by land or air. The quickest way to get to Kelantan is of course by flight as there is one domestic airport at Pengkalan Chepa in Kelantan capital city Kota Bharu. The other popular choice of travel is to drive all the way to the North East Coast state of Kelantan. For driving option, there are several routes depending where you are residing. To begin with, let’s emphasize on the starting point within the Klang Valley. From Petaling Jaya or Kuala Lumpur, we can take the journey either by Gerik or Gua Musang route. Travel Route Option 1: via Gerik. Drive towards Ipoh using the North-South Highway. Turn out at the Kuala Kangsar exit from highway. The remaining distance to Repek, Pasir Mas from this point should be approximately 300km. At Kuala Kangsar follow the road sign to Gerik. This is a long and winding road going up hills as though you are on the way up to Genting Highlands. Mobile phone reception is weak and may be out of reach most of the duration. Next look out for Jeli road sign and head towards Rantau Panjang. At Rantau Panjang, you look for signboard direction to Pasir Mas. Keep a look out for Repek signboard on the left shoulder of the roadside along the Pasir Mas road. Temple is approximately 15km away from Rantau Panjang immigration checkpoint. Once you spotted Repek road sign, turn left and go till you see a T-junction. At the T-junction you will find a Police Station on your right side. Turn right and not very far you will find a small shop lot name Satinni. Turn left after the shop and go straight up the kampong road till you cross a small bridge. Not far approximately 100 meters you will see Wat Uttamaram signboard. Total distance from PJ to Wat Uttamaram = approx. 550km, Travel time average 7.5hrs. Travel Route Option 2: via Gua Musang. We have inserted important snapshots of road directions along this route for ease of navigation. Drive towards Kuantan using the Karak Highway. At the end of the Karak Highway after paying the toll, you must keep to your left and turn into Bentong. You will reach a T junction take the right turn towards Bentong town.



Follow signboard from Bentong head towards Raub.



After reaching Raub township, follow signboard to head towards Kuala Lipis.






It is a long journey from Kuala Lipis to Gua Musang and you will bypass a lot of kampong villages throughout the journey. Although this stretch may be long and winding, it will be very rewarding with beautiful sceneries along the way. Keep your speed limit check at cruising speed. Upon reaching Gua Musang, look for signboard and head towards Kuala Kerai.




Next is head toward Machang upon reaching Kuala Kerai.




From Machang go toward Tanah Merah. The traffic can be a slightly heavy at this Machang-Tanah Merah stretch. Upon reaching Tanah Merah, simply follow the road that leads you into the small but lively town. You may want to have your lunch or take a quick snack. There will be 2 traffic lights. Just go straight to bypass this township. From the 2nd traffic light, going straight it will be another 30km before you reach the end where you will see a Round About. Turn 9 o’clock and you are on the Rantau Panjang highway (no need to pay toll). Approximately 5 km you will see Hospital Pasir Mas signboard on your left. Immediately keep your vehicle to the right hand side and ready to take the next turning in front to the Right. You will see the small Repek and Wat Uttamaram individual signboard.




Go straight in and reach a T-junction. At the T-junction you will find a Police Station on your right side. Turn right at that T-junction. You are not very faraway from Wat Uttamaram.



After the T-junction, not very far you will find a small shop lot called Satinni (above). Turn left after this shop and go straight ahead the kampong road till you see a small bridge. Not far approximately 100 meters you will see Wat Uttamaram signboard.



Finally visitors will be greeted by a big entrance upon entering the temple compound.




Total distance from PJ to Wat Uttamaram = approx. 500km. Travel time average 7.5hrs
For visitors going from northern parts e.g. Penang or Ipoh, it is advisable to take the Gerik route. A word of advice for first-timers: Perhaps the best time to visit Wat Uttamaram or any other temples in Kelantan is during off-festive season. Avoid going during temple festivals e.g. Kathina or any special blessing ceremony as there will be too many people and accommodation will also be a problem. The best time to start your travel journey is before 6am to avoid heavy traffic. You should be able to reach Wat Uttamaram by latest 2.00pm depending how many stops you have made along the journey. Before proceeding with your journey, it is also advisable to arrange for hotel accommodation in advance based on your budget. Below are several hotels in Kota Bharu city center that is approximately 24km away from Wat Uttamaram; Crystal Lodge, Grand Riverview, Royal Guesthouse, Dynasty Inn. To go to Kota Bharu follow the road back to the Round About (where you came from Tanah Merah earlier) and look out for Kota Bharu direction. For the more adventurous traveller, they may opt to seek accommodation with locals in Kampung Teresek. Instead of putting up in hotels, a homestay may be a good experience for individuals wanting to get a taste of what life is like in kampung environment. You will get a chance to experience the simple livelihood of Kampung Teresek folks.



Please visit the website for more information on Homestays at Kampung Teresek in Pasir Mas itself that is within a short distance to Wat Uttamaram. Please do not expect hotel service as very unlikely you will find it here. Simply stay for a nostalgic experience and feel the tranquil life by turning back the clock to the past during Tok Raja's time. Remember to respect elderly hosts. For avid amulet collectors as well as beginner who have never been to Kelantan, this is the chance to take a closer look by yourself at what is installed in Wat Uttamaram's amulet counter.



We would like to wish you a successful journey to discover the wonders and heritage of Kelantan’s most legendary temple made famous by Tok Raja’s Phra Pidta Phakhawan. Sabbe Satta Sukhi Hontu! May All Sentient Beings Be Well and Happy Always!