Material: Copper, Ga-wu (a type of amulet), Five-colored rice, Lucky amulet

Size: Approximately 5-7 cm (various styles available)

Description: In Chinese Buddhist circles, "amulet" usually refers to a blessed sacred object used to protect the wearer from misfortune and bring blessings and longevity. These items are called "blessed objects," "Buddha amulets," "protective Buddhas," or "sacred objects" in Buddhism (Thai: พระเครื่อง; Tibetan: སྲུང་ཡུལ, etc.).

I. Origin and History

1. **Earliest Source (Indian Buddhist Period, approximately 2nd century BCE to 5th century CE)**

- The earliest Buddhist "amulet" was actually a miniature version of a "relic stupa" and a "Buddha image." Ancient Indian believers would carve Buddha relics, scriptures, and Buddha images onto small stone tablets or clay imprints (called "kiln-printed Buddhas" or "Tsa Tsa" in Sanskrit), carrying them on their person or burying them under stupas, believing they would receive the Buddha's protection.

- The *Mahaparinirvana Sutra* and the *Lotus Sutra* mention that "those who uphold the scriptures will attain purity of the six senses and be protected by the gods," thus writing mantras and sutras on small pieces of cloth or metal and sewing them into clothing became the prototype of early amulets.

2. **Systematization after the Rise of Esoteric Buddhism (7th-8th centuries)**

- After the introduction of Esoteric Buddhism (Shingon School, Vajrayana) during the Tang Dynasty, a large number of "Dharani talismans" and "mantra plaques" appeared.

- The most famous is the "Sarva Tathagata Hridaya Guhya Sarira Dharani" (abbreviated as "Dharani of the Jewel Box Seal"). After being translated by the Tang Dynasty monk Amoghavajra, it was stipulated that this mantra be imprinted on a small stone pagoda or metal plate and worn on the person or placed in the home to "eliminate disasters, prolong life, and eradicate sins." This is the earliest officially recognized amulet in Han Chinese Buddhism.

- Tibetan Buddhism developed the "Guardian Gau" (གའུ, Gau), which contains scriptures, relics, Tibetan medicine, and the hair of a guru, and is considered the most powerful amulet.

3. **The Theravada Buddhist Amulet Culture (13th Century onwards)**

- The most famous "amulets" in Thailand, Myanmar, and Cambodia originated in the Sukhothai Kingdom (13th-14th centuries). High-ranking monks would mix Buddha images, scripture powder, sacred soil, pollen, relics, etc., and press them into small amulets, then bless them using ancient methods for 108 days or several years.

- The oldest systematically produced amulet is the "Sukhothai Uthong Amulet." Later, Luang Phor To (Somdej To) produced a large quantity of "Somdej Amulets" during the Rattanakosin Dynasty (19th century), laying the foundation for modern Thai amulet culture.

II. The Most Famous Anecdotes and Miraculous Stories

1. **Thailand: Luang Phor Tim's "Coin Phra Pidta"**

Luang Phor Tim (LP Tim, passed away in 1979) created coin amulets between 2517 and 2522 BE (Buddhist Era), which are hailed as the "Number One Amulet for Bulletproof Protection." Numerous cases circulate in Thailand of soldiers and police officers being unharmed after their amulets shattered during gunfights, the most famous being the testimonies of military and police personnel in southern Thailand during the 1990s.

2. **Thailand: Luang Phor Toh during World War II**

Thai soldiers extensively wore the "Somdej Phra Pidta" amulets from Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. Many soldiers miraculously survived the Japanese invasion. Later, King Rama IX of Thailand also wore amulets from this temple for a long period.

3. **Tibet: Padmasambhava's "Black Medicine Gau"**

It is said that black pills personally blessed by Padmasambhava were placed in a gau box to ward off evil and poison. It is said that the Dalai Lama wore this amulet when he fled to India in 1959, and poisonous snakes and wild beasts avoided him along the way.

4. **Han Chinese Tradition: Six-Syllable Mantra Amulet Card**

Since the Qing Dynasty, many eminent monks (such as Master Yin Guang and Venerable Master Xu Yun) would write "Om Mani Padme Hum" or the Cundi Mantra on small red papers and give them to laypeople to sew into their clothes or hang around their necks, believing it could protect them from car accidents and weapons.

III. The Impact of Amulets on Buddhism

1. **Positive Impacts**

- **Enhancing Public Faith:** Many illiterate people develop a sense of "Buddha in their hearts" by wearing amulets and mantra cards, indirectly promoting the spread of Buddhism.

- **Serving as a Source of Funding for Buddhist Propagation:** Many ancient temples in Thailand rely on amulet production to raise funds for temple repairs, education, and disaster relief (for example, Luang Phor Thuad's Somdej amulets almost rebuilt the entire old city of Bangkok).

- **Preserving the Tradition of Tantric Blessing:** The "meditation blessing" and "fireproof, waterproof" rituals involved in making amulets ensure the continuation of the oral transmission of Tantric Buddhism.

2. **Negative Impacts and Controversies**

- **Commercialization and Superstition:** The modern amulet market value often ranges from hundreds of thousands to tens of millions of Thai baht, leading to a proliferation of counterfeit amulets and scams, resulting in the phenomenon of "worshipping amulets instead of worshipping Buddha." - Questioning of Orthodox Doctrine: Early Theravada Buddhist communities criticized "amulet worship" as heterodox practices, and the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand prohibited the excessive commercialization of certain temples in the 1950s and 1960s.

- Within Tibetan Buddhism, there is also criticism that "Gau" (amulet amulets) have become a business, deviating from their original purpose of "protecting the Dharma."

Summary: Amulets, evolving from the clay imprints of relics carried by people in ancient India to the diverse Thai amulets, Tibetan Gau, and Han Chinese mantra cards of today, are essentially "condensing the blessings of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas into a portable form." They are one of the most effective mediums for Buddhism to penetrate the lives of ordinary people, but also one of the most controversial due to commercialization. For practitioners, the correct attitude remains: "Amulets are merely a contributing factor; true protection comes from the protection of the Three Jewels and one's own adherence to precepts and recitation of Buddha's name."