The Regionalization of Local Buddhist Saints: Amulets, Crime and Violence in Post–World War II Thai Society

TLDR: In the course of this increase in the popularity of amulets, those with the image of the Buddha or that of a Buddhist saint clearly established their supremacy over other non- or quasi-Buddhistamulets as discussed by the authors.

Abstract: The increase in crime and violence and the rising popularity of so-called Buddhist amulets in Thai society after World War II were directly related. While the cult of amulets had been long and widely practised among the Thai, it was only during the war years and thereafter, when crime and violence surged throughout the country, that the cult of Buddhist amulets grew dramatically in popularity. In the course of this increase in the popularity of amulets, those with the image of the Buddha or that of a Buddhist saint clearly established their supremacy over other non- or quasi-Buddhist amulets. Many highly respected “local” monks, living or dead, whose sanctity and amulets had previously been known largely to a closed circle of local followers now became more widely known. The prestige of the local saints grew and expanded beyond their local communities, encompassing a wider geographical region. The period saw what one may term the regionalization of local Buddhist saints in Thailand.