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Ring from Thailand
Inc88
Explorer
I was given this ring as a gift and was told it was from Thailand and related to Buddhism but i have no ideal what it says or any other info about it. If there's any members that can read the engraving and shed some light on the ring itself it would be very appreciated. Thanks
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Comments
My Thai is a bit rusty, but I think it starts;
" One ring to rule them all
One ring to find them...."
@ThailandTom any idea?
The resident fantasy nerd here says that does not look like any ring made in middle earth :-P
Didn't @vinlyn also live in Thailand?
Yes, but I can't read Thai.
It does remind me a tad of what we used to call "signature rings" in Thailand...but not quite, and they had nothing to do with Buddhism...and I haven't seen them in years.
You could try putting each individual letter into something like Google Translate and see what comes up.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_alphabet
I have asked my Thai ex to look at the pics. As soon as he comes back online, perhaps we'll get some information. He is usually online often.
The ring has the name of an abbot who had it cast -- Luang Por. It is apparently in Khmer (Cambodian) language. As I recall, Luang Por is an honorific title for highly respected abbots.
http://www.luangphor.com/
A little more info: "Luang Phor GUY is very famous Guru-Monk in Cambodia and many provinces of Thailand nearby Thailand-Cambodia's border. Luang Phor GUY was born in the year BE. 2475(now he is 75 years old). His father is the greatest Cambodian ritualist specialize in all of Cambodians Vedas but he is not a Buddhist monk. While his son, Luang Phor GUY interested in Buddhist and entered priesthood when he was very young.... Luang Phor GUY becoming very popular since 30 years ago while villagers are sensitive to the power and to the needs of the spirit world. According to observations had recored in the early 1970s, villagers consulted the local guardian spirit to find out what the coming year would bring, a new province chief held a ceremony to ask the protection of the spirits over the province, and soldiers obtained magic cloths and amulets from Luang Phor GUY to protect them from the bullets of the enemy during the war period in Cambodia."
Interesting! Thanks @vinlyn. Seems that it's not really related to Buddhism per se, but more the Thai/Cambodian cultural additions to Buddhism in the region (which is arguably still "Buddhism," but I guess I mean canonical Buddhism).
A fascinating aspect of Thai Buddhism is the amulet market found in some temples. It's a near obsession for many, with whole magazines devoted to the topic.
Wow! Thank you so much for the information @vinlyn , i would never have been able to figure all of that out let alone think the ring had ties into ritualism of that nature. Sorry if i inconvenienced you in order to translate the ring, but i would like to ask you and anyone else that is knowledgeable about the amulet market and the way it plays into the culture and Buddhism...ritualistic amulets doesn't really scream Buddhism to me but after a look online there seems to be all sorts of different images of the Buddha including ones with multiple heads, different colors, unusual creatures, and amulets of animals, and a strange abundance of amulets with phallic images..of what i assume is to help with "romantic shortcomings"?
It was kinda fun tracking it down.
Not all Buddhist temples have amulet markets, but many do, including some of the more important royal temples in Bangkok. It's literally like a farmers' market, except they're selling amulets, rings, knives, etc., most with some animism related to them. As I mentioned earlier, you can buy magazines on the topic, and many people at the markets are quite "knowledgeable".
There are many legends about amulets. And my memory is fuzzy, but somewhere back in Thai history a foreign diplomat was given an amulet and then shot at, but the amulet protected him. I'm probably a little off on how that story went...it's been a long time...but the gist of it is correct. Most amulets have some specific purpose -- protection, virility, wealth, etc. The fact that they mostly don't work doesn't seem to faze the Thais.
Then, the more famous and obvious superstition is the whole spirit house concept. Virtually every Thai home or business or government office has a spirit house. After all, since you took the land away from where the spirits lived, you need to appease them and give them a place to live. The 4-faced Buddha mentioned in another thread -- which is actually not a Buddha at all -- is the same concept. The largest mall in Southeast Asia is across the intersection from where the Erawan Shrine is located. And across the street is another large mall. All 3 locations are actually Hindu shrines, not Buddhist, but most of the worshipers there are Thai Buddhists.
Almost every village and city in Thailand has a city pillar where the spirits of the forefathers of that city live. They are usually literally a pillar (a phallic symbol), usually housed in a very ornate spirit house. They protect the city. Where they are placed and when they are dedicated is determined by astrologers...to be at the most propitious time and location.
And weaving its way through all this is Buddhism. Monks, often abbots, or even high Buddhist patriarchs usually bless such places. Planes and trains and military weapons are often blessed by Buddhist monks.
It is genuinely difficult to separate Buddhism from animism in Thailand.