[Buddha-l] "Soul" and Buddhism

[Weng-Fai Wong]

I was in Malaysia yesterday and, out of curiosity, I picked up two 
interesting magazines - one called "Thai monks" and another called "Thai 
amulets" - for a bookstore. These are in English and there are at least 
3-4 more in Chinese of the same genre - all apparently published in 
Malaysia.

On page 2, the second para of an article called "Getting to know Guman 
Thong" in "Thai monks", the unspecified author boldly declared:

"A 'soul' is the spiritual part of a human. It is simple and hidden in 
one's heart. Some say it is in the brain while some other parts of the 
body (sic). It is said that it is kind and full of intelligence and 
potential, as what Buddhists call 'Buddhist soul'."

It then went on to expound the origin and wonders of "rearing" Guman 
Thong, which it clarify is not a "little ghost". It also introduces a 
host of Thai monks all with the title "Luang Phor", all learned in the 
Dhamma, able to perform miracles with one believed to be an arhat at 7.

There is also an introduction to "The Figure of Phra Pitta" which the 
article says is one Sangajaya "a monk of great fortune who lived in the 
Lord Buddha's time" who was later transformed to "Phra Kawampati (Pali 
pronunciation) or Phra Kawambodhi (Thai pronunciation)". It promises 
magic to those wearing its blessed amulet. The article ends by reminding 
all "Remember that all Thai amulets of every piece and every kind must 
be blessed, without exception, through the consecration rituals 
performed by meditative gurus, otherwise they are fake or ineffective 
amulets for wearing."

Is there any scholarly study or introduction to this aspect of Thai 
Buddhism as well as all these monks involved?

W.F. Wong