Luang Pho Too Buddha amulet Nuea alpaca from the venerable Chao Phra Khun Somdej Phra Phuttajahn Kiaw (Luang Phu Kiaw Uppaseno), abbot of Wat Saket Ratcha Wora Maha Wihan (briefly Wat Saket or Sarket, also called golden mountain), Bamrung Muang Road, Kwaeng Ban Bat, Khet Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bangkok, Thailand, from the year B.E. 2542 (1999).
The venerable Phra Somdej Kiaw created the amulet on the occasion of the 100-annual celebration of Wat Saket in a small series from a precious and only seldom used alpaca alloy.
Wat Saket, also called the golden mountain (Thai: Phu Khao Thong), is a royal temple 2nd class. It is one of the oldest Wats in Bangkok. 318 steps lead up the artificially filled up mountain, to a big golden Chedi in whose top is a small narrow room with a gilt Chedi. In it there are relics of Buddha which were found in 1897 in Nepal and were immured in the 5/23/1899 in the small golden Chedi.
His Majesty king Phra Nang Klao, Rama III of Siam, let build the golden mountain or better, let make the first try to build this structure. However, after approx. half a height was reached, it crashed. One tried to stabilise the construction with thousands of trunks, however, still during these works it crashed again. King Mongkut, Rama IV of Siam, let make an other try and had better fortune. This time the foundation stood firm. However, only to his son and successor to the throne, king Chulalongkorn, it was granted to let finish the construction. In November, 1899 the golden Chedi was consecrated with a 7 days and nights durable ceremony.
Likewise extraordinary is the Phra Prathan, the main Buddha of the Wat Saket, lying at the foot of the golden mountain. The Luang Pho Too has a big, broad nose and pouting thick lips what is the case in Thailand very seldom and only with several hundred year-old statues.
Every year in November ten thousands of Thais make a pilgrimage to the golden mountain to climb the 318 steps and to honour Buddha as well as his relics.
The amulet shows on the front, in the background, the golden mountain with the golden Chedi, in front of it the Luang Pho Too Buddha of Wat Saket is to be seen.
At the back there is the Yahn of the venerable Phra Somdej Kiaw with the stroke "Phra Barom Saririkkathat Baromma Prot Wat Saket (Phu Khao Thong)".
The amulet is in a silvery metal casing, height approx. 4.2 cm, width approx. 2.9 cm, thickness approx. 1.1 cm and weight approx. 18 grammes.
The amulet protects its owner against illness, accident and misfortune, It gives him luck and helps him to lead a life in prosperity and without need. Amulets of Wat Saket are valid as especially protecting and luck-giving, because they were created and consecrated „under Buddha“ and the relics. Many Thais which have honoured Buddha's relics on the golden mountain and have bought there an amulet, immediately after this buy at the foot of the mountain with one of the lottery shop assistants waiting there a lottery ticket. In the media it was and it is to be heard over and over again that one or two of them should really have won a fortune and wealth.
Chao Phra Khun Somdej Phra Phuttajahn Kiaw (Luang Phu Kiaw Uppaseno) was born in the year of the dragon, on Sunday, the 3/3/2471 (1928), in the Ban Chaweng, Tambon Boo Phud, Amphoe Koh Samui, Changwat Suratthani.
He was fifth of six children of the married couples Mr. Loen and Mrs. Yhee Chookchai. After the end of the elementary school, at the age of 12 years, he helped up to his ordination in the parental agriculture.
At the age of 18 years, in the 6/6/2489 (1946), he ordained in Wat Sawang Arom, Ban Boo Phud, Amphoe Koh Samui, Changwat Suratthani to the novice (Buat Naen).
In the 5/1/2492 (1949) he ordained in Wat Saket to the monk (Buat Phra). In 2514 (1971) he assumed the office of the abbot in Wat Saket. In the 1/14/2547 (2004) he was appointed the provisional Supreme patriarch, because his holiness Phra Somdej Sangkarat fell ill incurably with cancer and was and is constantly in the hospital.
