Making Buddhist amulets in Lamphun

A Buddhist temple in Lamphun, near Chiang Mai, is giving Thais and foreigners a rare opportunity to make Buddhist amulets out of clay and experience an ancient craft while participating on a spiritual level. Or at least simply acquire a unique souvenir.

Buddhist amulets are some of the most popular items produced by Thais. Markets in virtually every city and village sell them, ranging in price from one baht to more than 3 million baht.

Throughout this predominantly Buddhist country, amulets are made of clay, stone, wood, metal, ceramic or other materials.  

Various sizes depict the Buddha, prominent monks, animist spirits, fearsome ghosts, zombies, abstract designs, calligraphy, animals and other imagery.

At Lamphun's 14th century Wat Phra Yuen, two white-robed, shaven-headed Buddhist nuns invite visitors to push a wad of clay into a small rubbery mold and make some of their own amulets while visiting -- any day of the week.

"It only take five minutes or so to make an amulet," says Mom Siriporn Phanjana, 62.  "But it takes about one month for the clay to dry. The clay comes from many places. People who respect Buddha bring the clay. It has to dry slow, outdoors in the shade.  We put them in an oven, to harden the amulets, at the very end. 

The amulets are supposed to be deposited at the temple's spired, rectangular stupa, which displays four large, standing Buddha statues on the stupa's four sides and was reportedly built during King Kuna's 1355-1385 reign.

"But you can take the amulets home if you like," says another Buddhist nun, Mom Sarkorn, 60, who is also dressed in white, with her head shaved. 

"Usually foreigners take them home as soon as they make one, and don't leave them here to dry," says Sarkorn, who has been helping people make amulets at this temple for the past six years. 

"The clay has not been blessed, so when you make an amulet and press it with your fingers, you pray," Sarkorn says. 

Both nuns sit in an open-air, roofed pavilion, near the rectangular stupa. Siriporn, however, might not stay long because she recently came to the temple after floods inundated her home in Bangkok.

"The amulets are made in 'Lamphun style' with the back of the amulet curved and smooth.  If you can't make it have the desired shape, wet it with this olive oil to soften the clay," Siriporn suggests, gesturing towards a small bowl. 

Nine different amulet shapes can be created with the rubbery molds, and most visitors make one of each because the number nine is considered very auspicious in Thailand. 

The nine rubbery molds are not for sale, apparently because the temple wants to maintain exclusivity over the shape of the amulets.  

"When you are finished pushing in the clay, squeeze the rubber mold and the amulet pops out," Siriporn says, guiding three Thai worshippers who are prodding wads of clay into their molds. 

"Push your thumb-print into the back of the amulet to make it unique and show that it is yours," the more experienced Sarkorn instructs. 

Most people donate 99 baht -- nine baht for each amulet they create -- and offer the coins and amulets at a shrine in the pavilion, along with flowers and incense.

Caring for your amulets

If you decide to keep the amulets you create at Wat Phra Yuen, you can easily protect them by purchasing a small, plastic, bubble-shaped container, available at most amulet markets.

Some containers include a gold frame, to emphasize the importance of the amulet, which can be worn on a gold necklace or displayed among other objects at home, work, atop the dashboard of your car, or elsewhere.

Amulets can also be dabbed with the delicate gold-leaf used by devotees who often add a small square patch to a large Buddha statue while worshipping at a temple or shrine.

Buddhists do not usually wear their amulets during sexual intercourse, nor allow amulets to be placed near the floor or anyone's feet.

Collectors buying or selling a valuable amulet are concerned about where it is made, the identity of the monk who presided over its creation, how old the piece is, if it has suffered any damage, and stories about the amulet's purported abilities -- such as protecting the wearer from danger.

Tell a Thai that you made your own amulet at Wat Phra Yuen and they might be very surprised, because amulets are often created by Buddhist monks , not ordinary people.

Travelers who come to Lamphun, which is said to be 600 years older than Chiang Mai, usually visit on a day-trip and also tour the town's other temples, including the much larger Wat Phra That Hariphunchai, which was built about 1,000 years ago on the site of Queen Chama Thewi's palace.

Wat Phra That Hariphunchai's 600-year-old stupa, Chedi Suwan, is topped by a nine-tiered umbrella made from pure gold.

Getting there

Lamphun is about 20 kilometers south of Chiang Mai, linked by frequent buses and samlors. Trains also run between Lamphun and Bangkok.