Nowadays, many people claimed that, they were Tok Raja’s disciples. Many amulet traders in Malaysia, Singapore and even Thailand claimed that their gurus / achan / phor mor was one of Tok Raja’s disciples. Their claimed was made non other than to sell their amulets and soaring their amulets selling and making a huge profits from it. Amazingly, most of the new and naïve Thai amulets collectors were successfully conned and bought the propaganda items at price up to their nose. Their nonstandard, fake, imitate, mass chanted amulets were sold like a hot cake. Snap....cash and carry upon reaching the amulet shelves !
Who is/are/was/were the real Tok Raja disciple/disciples ?
First and foremost, in order to identify the real Tok Raja disciple, he must be at least 70-75 years old now ( BE 2552). This is because Tok Raja had already passed away 47 years ago( BE 2505 – 2552 ). How about Than Dam ? As we knew, Than Dam passed away in his 67-year-of age, on 2nd December 2008. That means, in BE 2505 Than Dam just in his early 20s. Than Dam was born on Tuesday, April 15, BE 2484. ( Rat year ). His natal village was Kampung Kok Jumbok, Tak Bai, Narathiwat, Thailand. Than Dham was ordained and entered monkhood in year BE 2504 ( 26th July 1961 ) in Wat Mai Naparam. Than Dam Buddhist name is LP Dam Janthasaro.
Meaning to say that, Than Dam had just ordained 1 year before Tok Raja reached Paranibanna. So the question is…..since he was only 1 year in monkhood, did he really had travelled to study wichah under / with Tok Raja ( Achan LP Krone of Wat Bangsek ) ?
This is because the real Tok Raja disciple must be ordained or entered monkhood at least 10-15 years before BE 2505. Tok Raja always made sure that the newly ordained monk are well verse with the teaching of Buddhism before he taught them the wichah. According to my grandpa, Tok Raja never accepted a young man / new ordained monk as his disciple because he worried they will misused and couldn't handle It ( Wichah ).
Presently, there are only two persons who can vividly identify the real Tok Raja disciples. The first person is Long Chei, 87 ( 87 years old in BE 2552 ). He is the caretaker of Wat Uttamaram, Repek, Bangset. ( Info bout Long Chei is in progress ! ). Another person is Achan Kuan (Long Kuan), the youngest brother of late Chau Khun Chan, also in his 87 years old ( BE 2552 ). He had been following Tok Raja since age of 15, even became one of Tok Raja LUK JOM, his young assistant. According to Achan Kuan, late Luang Phor Daeng, Wat Khok Sai Chainat is the real Tok Raja disciple. Achan Kuan revealed the real stories about Luang Phor Daeng when he was interviewed by one of the popular and prominent Thai Amulet Magazine.
Perhaps, Achan Kuan now is one of the Tok Raja old disciples who are still alive. The other one is Phor Mor Phep, in his 90s. (Nobody knows about this folk, he lived some where in a remote area in Bukit Sireh, Kuala Krai). I have met him twice, as he is my friend’s wife great grandfather. He is old but still superb !
Back to Achan Kuan please.........Achan Kuan is one of the phor mors that personally taught by Tok Raja about Wichah, on how to cure black magic and as well as on how to perform the WAI KRU ceremony. He also learned the arts of making sacred tongkat, various tangkais and waist tangkai ( Thit Ser Mon by Kelantanese ! ) both from Tok Raja and Chau Khun Chan.
Nowadays, it is hard to obtain the tangkai or thit ser mon made by Achan Kuan, due to his old and deteriorate health. All of his tangkais were in his handwritten. Achan Kuan also made special tongkats for Than Boon, the present abbot of Wat Uttamaram ( aroung 10 to 14 cm, if I’m not mistaken). The donation to be made in order to own this tongkat is RM699 and still available. (Must be rent personally from Than Boon, were not displayed openly at the amulets corner).
According to Than Boon, this special tongkat were made from Jangrak tree. This tree was planted by Tok Raja himself to get the latex from its fruits to make phra phakawan.
A few years back, this Jangrak tree was struck by lightning. Then, Than Boon took it as a sign from Tok Raja which wanted / ordered him to make used of it and to be made the sacred tongkat. We( local Repek folks and Kelantanese ) strongly believed that, the yants / khoms inserted in the tongkat were the original tongkat yants from Tok Raja. This tongkat also undergo the WAI KRU and PLUG SAEG ceremony by many famous monks both in Kelantan and Thailand ( including Than Dam ).
Back to the discussion above, according to Achan Kuan, the real Tok Raja disciples must be able to name all of Tok Raja Gurus. It is because all Tok Raja disciples had to undergo the WAI KHRU ceremony. During this ceremony, Tok Raja will PUJA and INVITE all of his gurus before passing through the WICHAH knowledge to his newly selected disciples.
If my grandpa is still alive, I’m firmly believe that he will be the FIRST person who will do that……identify and clear the air about the rumours and false claimed by irresponsible people. If he is still alive, he must be in his 108 years now. ( Passed away peacefully in 1999 at age of 98 ). Cut off the nonsense………back to the discussion.
In a nutshell, Than Dam WAS NOT Tok Raja disciple as rumoured by irresponsible parties. He may had learned the wichah from his gurus, his gurus might be one of the Tok Raja disciples ( Than Dam actually was studied and learned wichah under his prominent guru, Luang Phor Dee, Wat Sangha Sitharam, Narathiwat. Luang Phor Dee was one of Tok Raja disciples ) If that so, it doesn’t fit the claimed that he WAS Tok Raja disciple. He’s actually Tok Raja disciple’s disciple ! He might studied and learnt Tok Raja wichah BUT NOT DIRECTLY FROM TOK RAJA ! sadhu ! sadhu !
My personal advises are.....Beware of the propaganda by irresponsible Thai amulets collectors, sellers, traders or even unqualified achan and guru monk. Beware of their false claimed.
In collecting Thai amulets, do not use your ears or eyes per se , as Buddha says………
Do not accept anything on mere hearsay thus have we heard it from a long time.
Do not accept anything by mere tradition thus been handed down through many generations.
Do not accept anything on account of rumours without any investigation.
Do not accept anything just because it accords with your scriptures.
Do not accept anything by mere supposition.
Do not accept anything by mere inference.
Do not accept anything by merely considering the appearances.
Do not accept anything merely because it agrees with your preconceived notions.
Do not accept anything merely because it seems acceptable or should be accepted.
Do not accept anything thinking that the ascetic is respected by us/people.
Sadhu ! Sadhu !
sabbe satta sukhita hontuk,
Wie.sukhihotu09 !
