For those that were wondering this craze is about those big bronze Buddhist medallions that are currently selling like hotcakes.
Two articles explaining more can be found on the Hua Hin Blog:
http://www.huahinblog.com/2007/06/20/jatukam/
http://www.huahinblog.com/2007/06/22/th ... -jatukarm/
Jatukam fever
Jatukam fever
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
I was up at Huay Mongkol temple in April and they were selling those things for 1400 bt a time, which seems ridiculous for something aimed at the domestic market. It all seems very commercial; if you can believe this, they actually have an ATM machine in a Buddhist temple shop.
Outside they have billboards showing car crashes that people have survived wearing these things. The Thais I were with weren’t convinced by my pointing out that all the crashed cars were modern ones with airbags and safety cells, but at least it stopped them suggesting I bought any, so all was well in the end.
Outside they have billboards showing car crashes that people have survived wearing these things. The Thais I were with weren’t convinced by my pointing out that all the crashed cars were modern ones with airbags and safety cells, but at least it stopped them suggesting I bought any, so all was well in the end.
Well, I got the one I wear years ago from the ex's brother. He insisted I have it and it would protect me from danger - even bullets. He then proceeded to tell me a story of how the previous owner had survived a police shootout up country somewhere. "He got hit by 6 bullets and survived".
So, I wear that little piece of metal on a bit of string around my neck and other then nearly losing my leg a few years ago in a motorcycle accident, I'm OK.
At least I wasn't murdered by my ex. I assure you all that was a definite possibility a number of years ago.
So, it must work.
The best things in life are free!!!
So, I wear that little piece of metal on a bit of string around my neck and other then nearly losing my leg a few years ago in a motorcycle accident, I'm OK.
At least I wasn't murdered by my ex. I assure you all that was a definite possibility a number of years ago.
So, it must work.
The best things in life are free!!!
Get this tattoo, better than any amulet. Stops bullets and all other evil things. I got one years ago on my left shoulder and I still have monks come up to me during their rounds and comment upon how good and protective it is. I hope they're right. Pete 
PS: Thai's under 40 look at it and don't even know what it is?
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Teahouse ... buddha.htm
PS: Thai's under 40 look at it and don't even know what it is?
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Teahouse ... buddha.htm
Yeah, I should have gotten it someplace else to protect me from Thai puyings with sharp knives?STEVE G wrote:Pete, so you are saying this tattoo protects you from being shot in the left shoulder by someone over forty?
Now that I've blasphemed, I'm sure to lose my knighthood, whoops, wrong religion. But, if you want to hear something really spooky, I've got bad arthritis in my right shoulder, elbow and hip, but not my left. 
Left-Of-Center-Pete 
Before we (me) get beat up about making fun of religion, let me tell a little story.
I've got a friend of 20 years in HK, HK Chinese. His wife converted to Catholicism about 15 years ago but he never did. He owns a container freight business, broker, freight forwarder etc. About five years back one of the containers he had handled for a customer blew up and put a hole in a ship in HK harbour. The ocean carrier filed a 5 million USD law suit against him and his company. His wife told him to pray to Saint Jude, he did and the court found him innocent and all charges went to the shipper who had falsified what the cargo actually was, turned out to be hazardous chemicals that were declared incorrectly through no fault of my friend. He has now converted and is a big fan of St. Jude.
Each time I'm in HK and we get together, the talking always goes back to this story and I always start to joke about it, he always gets very upset at me. Until one day I said "Xxxxx, these Saints have sat up there for centuries and all they hear day in and day out are people crying, pleading, begging and praying for help. Don't you think they appreciate hearing a joke and laughing once and awhile...?" He agreed and is now enjoying a much better relationship with his patron Saint.
Our Muslim friends would gain much from this lesson as well. Mohammed was not some tyrant running around chopping peoples heads off and throwing veils on all the women. He was human, had a personality, had weaknesses, had a sense of humor and a sense of compassion and fairness. He was also a politician before he was a prophet which says a lot.
So, the moral of the story, the world will be a much better place once people start to smile and laugh more and not take life or religion so seriously. Pete
I've got a friend of 20 years in HK, HK Chinese. His wife converted to Catholicism about 15 years ago but he never did. He owns a container freight business, broker, freight forwarder etc. About five years back one of the containers he had handled for a customer blew up and put a hole in a ship in HK harbour. The ocean carrier filed a 5 million USD law suit against him and his company. His wife told him to pray to Saint Jude, he did and the court found him innocent and all charges went to the shipper who had falsified what the cargo actually was, turned out to be hazardous chemicals that were declared incorrectly through no fault of my friend. He has now converted and is a big fan of St. Jude.
Each time I'm in HK and we get together, the talking always goes back to this story and I always start to joke about it, he always gets very upset at me. Until one day I said "Xxxxx, these Saints have sat up there for centuries and all they hear day in and day out are people crying, pleading, begging and praying for help. Don't you think they appreciate hearing a joke and laughing once and awhile...?" He agreed and is now enjoying a much better relationship with his patron Saint.
Our Muslim friends would gain much from this lesson as well. Mohammed was not some tyrant running around chopping peoples heads off and throwing veils on all the women. He was human, had a personality, had weaknesses, had a sense of humor and a sense of compassion and fairness. He was also a politician before he was a prophet which says a lot.
So, the moral of the story, the world will be a much better place once people start to smile and laugh more and not take life or religion so seriously. Pete
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The understudy
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[quote="prcscct"]Before we (me) get beat up about making fun of religion, let me tell a little story.
I've got a friend of 20 years in HK, HK Chinese. His wife converted to Catholicism about 15 years ago but he never did. He owns a container freight business, broker, freight forwarder etc. About five years back one of the containers he had handled for a customer blew up and put a hole in a ship in HK harbour. The ocean carrier filed a 5 million USD law suit against him and his company. His wife told him to pray to Saint Jude, he did and the court found him innocent and all charges went to the shipper who had falsified what the cargo actually was, turned out to be hazardous chemicals that were declared incorrectly through no fault of my friend. He has now converted and is a big fan of St. Jude.
Each time I'm in HK and we get together, the talking always goes back to this story and I always start to joke about it, he always gets very upset at me. Until one day I said "Xxxxx, these Saints have sat up there for centuries and all they hear day in and day out are people crying, pleading, begging and praying for help. Don't you think they appreciate hearing a joke and laughing once and awhile...?" He agreed and is now enjoying a much better relationship with his patron Saint.
Our Muslim friends would gain much from this lesson as well. Mohammed was not some tyrant running around chopping peoples heads off and throwing veils on all the women. He was human, had a personality, had weaknesses, had a sense of humor and a sense of compassion and fairness. He was also a politician before he was a prophet which says a lot.
So, the moral of the story, the world will be a much better place once people start to smile and laugh more and not take life or religion so seriously. Pete[/quote]
Hi there Pete you are absolutely right we are far too serious with our lifes and sometimes our religion that we are so not loosen up anymore to see everything in a lighter wiev.
I hope this gets through to everyone of here
Pete my Man!!!
I've got a friend of 20 years in HK, HK Chinese. His wife converted to Catholicism about 15 years ago but he never did. He owns a container freight business, broker, freight forwarder etc. About five years back one of the containers he had handled for a customer blew up and put a hole in a ship in HK harbour. The ocean carrier filed a 5 million USD law suit against him and his company. His wife told him to pray to Saint Jude, he did and the court found him innocent and all charges went to the shipper who had falsified what the cargo actually was, turned out to be hazardous chemicals that were declared incorrectly through no fault of my friend. He has now converted and is a big fan of St. Jude.
Each time I'm in HK and we get together, the talking always goes back to this story and I always start to joke about it, he always gets very upset at me. Until one day I said "Xxxxx, these Saints have sat up there for centuries and all they hear day in and day out are people crying, pleading, begging and praying for help. Don't you think they appreciate hearing a joke and laughing once and awhile...?" He agreed and is now enjoying a much better relationship with his patron Saint.
Our Muslim friends would gain much from this lesson as well. Mohammed was not some tyrant running around chopping peoples heads off and throwing veils on all the women. He was human, had a personality, had weaknesses, had a sense of humor and a sense of compassion and fairness. He was also a politician before he was a prophet which says a lot.
So, the moral of the story, the world will be a much better place once people start to smile and laugh more and not take life or religion so seriously. Pete
[/quote]Hi there Pete you are absolutely right we are far too serious with our lifes and sometimes our religion that we are so not loosen up anymore to see everything in a lighter wiev.
I hope this gets through to everyone of here
Pete my Man!!!In Love with Hua Hin since 19naughty9 and it ain't fading!!!
(My fable for All Things Japanese knows no boundaries!) Proud Student of Stamford University Hua Hin Campus from 1999 to 2004 (5th Batch of Graduates.)
“Once you survive Stamford U Hua Hin Campus only you can survive anything!!!”
(My fable for All Things Japanese knows no boundaries!) Proud Student of Stamford University Hua Hin Campus from 1999 to 2004 (5th Batch of Graduates.)
“Once you survive Stamford U Hua Hin Campus only you can survive anything!!!”
That's one hell of a tatoo Pete. Just asked my wife if she knew what it was, and she started chanting at the PC. After a short while I realised that she was chanting the 3 lines at the top of the page.prcscct wrote:Get this tattoo, better than any amulet. Stops bullets and all other evil things. I got one years ago on my left shoulder and I still have monks come up to me during their rounds and comment upon how good and protective it is. I hope they're right. Pete
PS: Thai's under 40 look at it and don't even know what it is?
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Teahouse ... buddha.htm
Championship Plymouth Argyle 1 - 2 Leeds Utd 
Points 46; Position 23 RELEGATED
Points 46; Position 23 RELEGATED
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DawnHRD
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Pete, serious question about your tattoo (or other religious ones, for that matter) - is it bad luck or wrong for women to have tattoos such as that? Just wondered, as it's religious & I know that women aren't regarded in the same way (ie not allowed to touch a monk etc)
Oh, just thought of another question - did you get it done by a monk with the bamboo stick, or at a tattoo parlour? Any significance to the left shoulder, rather than the right?
Oh, just thought of another question - did you get it done by a monk with the bamboo stick, or at a tattoo parlour? Any significance to the left shoulder, rather than the right?
"The question is not, can they reason? Nor, can they talk? But, can they suffer?" - Jeremy Bentham, philosopher, 1748-1832
Make a dog's life better, today!
Make a dog's life better, today!
I don't know the answer to that, Dawn. I know many Thai women have tattoos, even the upper class gals. Their decorative tribal tattoos usually visible along their lower back when they're at the beach with shorts on, even though they think it's still hidden. I've never seen a Thai women with a religious tattoo though? Good question for an expert or a Monk. Maybe LOMU can ask his MIL?
I got the drawing of the tattoo at the Wat mentioned in the Geocity article way back in 1970 when I was at Takhli RTAFB. Takhli is very close to Nakansawan. I was a young kid then actually looking for temple rubbings to send to friends in the States and didn't like the looks of a Monk with a sharp stick and didn't understand any of it then. Tattoo parlors then were off limits to US military personnel also due to hepatitis and other nasty things. It sat in a chest in the States for years until I found it about 18 years ago then I had it done in California.
No idea why left and not right? Must have just been how I felt that day. When you see Thai men with it, many times it is a much large version across their upper back. I do know it's never to be in a low position like lower back, leg etc. Pete
I got the drawing of the tattoo at the Wat mentioned in the Geocity article way back in 1970 when I was at Takhli RTAFB. Takhli is very close to Nakansawan. I was a young kid then actually looking for temple rubbings to send to friends in the States and didn't like the looks of a Monk with a sharp stick and didn't understand any of it then. Tattoo parlors then were off limits to US military personnel also due to hepatitis and other nasty things. It sat in a chest in the States for years until I found it about 18 years ago then I had it done in California.
No idea why left and not right?
Must have just been how I felt that day. When you see Thai men with it, many times it is a much large version across their upper back. I do know it's never to be in a low position like lower back, leg etc. Pete