About religion

Cartoon character amulets & wall paintings, part of one temple's approach to get children interested in Buddhism & its teachings.

Click button to listen to Buddhism for Children download

Local News

Wat issues Doraemon amulets

3/09/2012

SUPHAN BURI - A 700-year old temple in Suphan Buri's Muang district has made headlines again by issuing amulets of a god holding an iPad and of a famous Japanese cartoon character wearing a Thai headdress, and distributing them to visitors as souvenirs, reports said.

Wat Sampa Siw is already famous for depicting the Japanese cartoon character Doraemon, among many others, in murals of the Lord Buddha’s stories of past lives and after lives.

The murals are said to attract people to the wat to learn about Buddhism and history.

The reports said the temple has became the talk of the town again when it began issuing amulets and lockets depicting the Japanese first “Anime Ambassador” and “iPad God."

The temple invited nine famous monks in Suphan Buri to perform religious incantations on these amulets.

A monk at Wat Sampa Siw said that the amulets and lockets are given to visitors to the temple as souvenirs, as well as to children as rewards for their showing an interest in Buddhism.

(Source: Bangkok Post, Local News, Wat issues Doraemon amulets, 3/09/2012, link) 

 
Buddhism for Children Vocabulary

amulets - any object but its most important characteristic is its alleged power to protect its owner from danger or harm เครื่องราง (See Wikipedia)

Doraemon - a Japanese cartoon that later became an anime series about an intelligent robotic cat named Doraemon, who travels back in time from the 22nd century to aid a schoolboy (See Wikipedia)
Doraemon amulets

murals - a very large painting on the wall (on a building, for example), a wall painting จิตรกรรมฝาผนัง (See Wikipedia)

attract - to cause someone to be interested in something ดึงดูดความสนใจ
Wat - a Thai Buddhist temple (See Wikipedia)

issue - officially give something to people ออกคำสั่ง
issue amulets
Wat issues Doraemon amulets

headline - the title of a newspaper article printed in large letters (tells reader what the article is about)
made headlines - was an important news story (made it to the newspaper as a story that people read)

headdress - a decorated piece of clothing that someone wears on their head เครื่องประดับศีรษะ,  สิ่งที่ประดับบนหัว, เครื่องสวมศีรษะ
Thai headdress - worn by dancers in the Thai Ramakien drama ชฎา
cartoon character wearing a Thai headdress

distributing - giving something to many people
souvenir - something you buy during a trip or special event to remind you of that fun time in the future; momento ของที่ระลึก
distributing to visitors as souvenirs

A 700-year old temple in Suphan Buri's Muang district has made headlines again by issuing amulets of a god holding an iPad and of a famous Japanese cartoon character wearing a Thai headdress, and distributing them to visitors as souvenirs, reports said.

depict - to describe someone or something using pictures or words
depicting the Japanese cartoon character Doraemon

murals of Lord Buddha’s stories of past lives

Wat Sampa Siw is already famous for depicting the Japanese cartoon character Doraemon, among many others, in murals of Lord Buddha’s stories of past lives and after lives.

attract - make people want to go to a place or do some activity
attract people to the wat

the talk of the town - the story that everyone is talking now (around the town)

locket - a very small case with a photo of a loved one worn on a chain around the neck (See Wikipedia)
issuing amulets and lockets

incantation - words with special power to do something that are repeated over and over again (example: the wizard uttered the magical incantation over and over again) (See Wikipedia)

religious incantations
perform religious incantations on the amulets

reward - something nice given to a person when they do something good รางวัล
give to children as rewards

interest - the feeling of wanting to do something or learn about something ความสนใจ
show interest in - show other people that you are interested in something (example: the young man showed an interest in the young woman)
showing an interest in Buddhism.

give to children as rewards for their showing an interest in Buddhism.

The murals are said to attract people to the wat to learn about Buddhism and history. The reports said the temple has became the talk of the town again when it began issuing amulets and lockets depicting the Japanese first “Anime Ambassador” and “iPad God." The temple invited nine famous monks in Suphan Buri to perform religious incantations on these amulets. A monk at Wat Sampa Siw said that the amulets and lockets are given to visitors to the temple as souvenirs, as well as to children as rewards for their showing an interest in Buddhism.