The Path of Faith in Thai Society
Tao Wessuwan is no newly famous deity. He has accompanied the Thai land for ages — as the gate-guardian of ordination halls, in mural paintings, in literature, and in high royal ceremonies. This chapter traces the long path of his veneration, from the past to today's wave of popularity.
If anyone thinks Tao Wessuwan is a deity who has only risen to fame in these past few years, they will have to think again.
In truth, he has stood beside the land of Thailand and the hearts of Thai people for many hundreds of years. It is only that, in the past, he dwelt quietly, as a familiar guardian so much a part of the scene that we may have overlooked him. The wave of popularity today is therefore not a new birth, but the "awakening" of a faith that was already rooted deep.
This chapter will lead us back along that long path.
The Gate-Guardian Who Watches the Sacred Doorway
If you have ever walked into the ordination hall or shrine hall of an old temple, you may already have walked past Tao Wessuwan without realizing it.
For the figure of the yaksha that stands guarding the gateway arch or the door panels of many an ordination hall and shrine hall is Tao Wessuwan, or one of the gate-guardians in the same tradition, performing the duty of protecting the entrance to the sacred Buddhist precinct, warding off all that is evil from intruding upon a holy place.
A New Look at the Familiar
The next time you enter a temple, try observing the figure of the yaksha guarding the gate. You may be standing before Tao Wessuwan, performing the very same duty he has carried out since the Buddha's own time — guarding the realm of the Dhamma — only this time in the form of Thai sacred art.
In Mural Painting and Literature
Tao Wessuwan has also long appeared in Thai art and literature.
In the mural paintings of various temples, we often find images of the Four Heavenly Kings and the host of deities in scenes connected with the life of the Buddha or the Traibhūmi cosmology. And in literature and the Traibhūmi tradition, the tales of Mount Sumeru, the Cāturmahārājika heaven, and the Four Heavenly Kings have been basic knowledge that Thai people absorbed through listening to sermons and teachings since ancient times.
It is this very familiarity that has embedded the name "Tao Wessuwan" in the cultural memory of Thai people, even if the younger generation may not have noticed it.
In the High Royal Ceremonies
The exalted standing of Tao Wessuwan is also reflected in his appearance in important royal ceremonies of Thailand.
In high royal ceremonies, especially those connected with the cosmology of the universe and Mount Sumeru, the four Heavenly Kings are often invited to appear as guardians of the directions, in keeping with the tradition that places Mount Sumeru at the center of the universe — a pattern handed down in the Thai royal court for ages.
A Point of Interest
That the Four Heavenly Kings should appear in high royal ceremonies reflects that the belief in them was not confined to the level of the common folk, but was part of a cosmological tradition embedded deep in Thai culture at every level, from the rural village temple to the royal court.
From Familiarity to a Faith Ablaze
So why has a deity who has dwelt quietly all along come back to "blaze" so fervently in the hearts of people in this age?
As we recounted in the opening chapter of this book, the wave of popularity today arises from many factors converging together: the uncertainty of the times that drives people to seek a refuge for the heart, the power of social media that spreads faith with great speed, and the appearance of beautiful sacred images at various temples that have become destinations for the faithful.
But what has made this wave "stick" and endure is not merely those external factors, but rather the foundation of familiarity that has long existed in the hearts of Thai people. When the right moment came, the faith that had been sleeping awoke and bloomed.
An Overview of the Path
The path of faith in Tao Wessuwan in Thai society is therefore a story of "continuity," not of "a new birth" — from the gate-guardian watching the doorway, to mural painting and literature, to royal ceremony, and on to the wave of popularity today. All of it is one and the same stream, flowing on without a break.
A Faith That Should Walk Forward
In an age when faith is in full bloom, the important question is not only "how shall we venerate him," but "how shall we venerate him with understanding."
This entire book is intended for just this — so that people's faith may rest upon correct understanding, may come to know his true nature, and may take his virtues as a model, rather than merely drifting along with the current on the surface.
This is a faith that can walk forward steadily and beautifully.
Before We Go On
We have now retraced the path of faith in Thai society in full, and among all the landmarks of faith, there is one that stands out in particular, and that may be said to be an important starting point of the wave of popularity in the present age.
That place is Wat Chulamanee, in Samut Songkhram Province, with the story of Luang Pho Itth and the vision that gave rise to the renowned Tao Wessuwan.
In the final chapter of this book, we will visit Wat Chulamanee, and close our journey with the story at this place of faith.