Yantra and Auspicious Symbols
Beyond the icon, the yantra has long accompanied belief in Tao Wessuwan — from the cloth yantra the ancients hung above an infant's cradle to ward off spirits, to the amulets carried on the body. What are these yantras, what do they mean, and why are they bound to this guardian deity?
In the days when our grandparents were still children, above the cradles of newborns in many households there often hung a small cloth inscribed with mysterious characters.
That cloth was a cloth yantra, and one of the yantras most favored for hanging above a child's cradle was a yantra connected with Tao Wessuwan, in the belief that it would help protect the little one from ghosts, demons, and malevolent spirits that might come to disturb.
This belief has been handed down for generations in Thai society, and it endures to this day. This is the story of the yantras and auspicious symbols bound up with this guardian deity.
What Is a Yantra?
First of all, let us come to understand what a yantra is.
A yantra is a sacred diagram composed of characters, numbers, geometric patterns, and various symbolic figures, arranged systematically according to ancient manuals. It is believed that when the characters are inscribed and the yantra is consecrated correctly, it gains power in various aspects according to its purpose — whether protection from danger, loving-kindness and popularity, or fortune and wealth.
The yantra is an inheritance of belief that blends both Brahmanic and Buddhist outlooks, and it is part of the culture of sacred amulets that has accompanied Thai society for ages.
Understand It Rightly
A yantra is not "magic" that works of its own accord in some miraculous way. In the correct understanding, a yantra is an aid that inclines the mind to recollect what is sacred and virtuous. The true power therefore lies in the faith and good conduct of the one who venerates it, not in the characters alone.
Why Is the Tao Wessuwan Yantra Renowned for Protection?
When speaking of yantras for protection against unseen forces, Tao Wessuwan is one of the first deities people call to mind, and there is a reason for this that accords with everything we have told throughout this book.
For he is the King of Yakshas and of all non-human beings, the one who holds power over ghosts and demons. To invoke his name or his spiritual majesty through a yantra is thus like asking for protection from the very "master" of the non-human beings directly. Ghosts that mean harm would not dare to violate one who stands under the majesty of the King of Yakshas.
A Connection to the Sutta
Notice that this idea accords precisely with the Āṭānāṭiya Sutta that we recounted in chapter 9 — the mantra that Tao Wessuwan offered rests upon the same principle: invoking the names of the Great Kings and the yaksha generals so that ill-intentioned non-human beings will be afraid and not dare to harm. The Tao Wessuwan yantra is thus a continuation of this principle of protection in the form of inscribed characters.
The Cloth Yantra Above the Cradle
The custom of hanging a cloth yantra above an infant's cradle is a beautiful and touching reflection of this belief.
People of old believed that a newborn is at a delicate age, sensitive to unseen forces, and therefore in need of special protection. Hanging a yaksha yantra or a Tao Wessuwan yantra above the cradle was thus a way of asking the King of Yakshas to help guard and watch over their children, keeping them safe from evil things.
A Warm Perspective
Behind this custom lies the love and care of parents for their child. The small cloth yantra above the cradle is therefore not merely an amulet of belief, but a symbol of the parents' hearts, longing to protect their little one by every means they know.
Amulets and Carrying Them in the Present Day
In the present day, the belief in the protection of Tao Wessuwan has been transformed into many kinds of amulets — from lockets worn around the neck, to medallions, to small cast images for carrying, all the way to stickers for the car.
People like to carry his image or his yantra with them, especially when they must travel far, go to unfamiliar places, or work in hazardous conditions, in the belief that they will receive protection and pass through safely.
Yet however much the form may change, the core of the belief remains the same — it is the seeking of refuge in the majesty of the guardian deity, to protect oneself from every peril.
A Point of Caution
Having an amulet or yantra with us should serve as a reminder to conduct ourselves well and to remain mindful — not as a license to be careless or to do dangerous things in the thought that one is already protected. True safety arises from our own heedfulness and good deeds.
Before We Go On
We have now seen how the belief in Tao Wessuwan as a protector has spread widely from sacred images to yantras and amulets in Thai society.
But his greatness is not confined to the land of Thailand alone. If we journey beyond the country — to Japan, China, Tibet, and other Buddhist lands — we will find that this very same deity is revered under forms and names that differ in astonishing ways.
In the next chapter, we will set out on a journey across cultures, to meet Tao Wessuwan in the form of Bishamonten of Japan, Duowen Tianwang of China, and Vaiśravaṇa of Tibet.