On the upcoming Wednesday, a grand ceremony will be held at Sanam Luang to welcome a sacred tooth relic of the Lord Buddha. China is sending a precious piece of Buddha relics to Thailand for a 72-day procession in celebration of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua's 72nd birthday and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand. This piece of Buddha's remains, referred to as the "Buddha Tooth Relic from the Lingguang Temple", is arguably one of the most important Buddhist treasures ever discovered in China.
This relic has a mythological origin and a turbulent history. Based on the records, the Buddha left two pieces of tooth relics, one in Ceylon and the other one in a small northern Indian kingdom ruled by the Sakya clan (the Buddha's clan), named Oddiyana. In 1900, the European colonial armies raided Beijing and led to the destruction of the Lingguang Temple. From the stupa's ruins, a monk accidentally discovered an inscribed casket with a part read as "the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Sakyamuni Buddha". Later, devotees and scholars deem this tooth relic as a genuine piece from Oddiyana.
According to historical records, around the fifth century, the Oddiyana tooth relic was brought to Khotan, an ancient central Asian Buddhist kingdom. In 475 AD, Faxian, a determined Chinese monk, embarked on a pilgrimage to India. His journey started in Nanjing but unfortunately stopped only at Khotan, where the plank road was broken, and he could not proceed. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise--his determination and devotion helped him befriend a Khotanese monk who secretly conferred him a bronze casket. Within, there are a tooth and fifteen smaller pieces of remains of the Buddha. Out of joy, Faxian brought the casket back to Nanjing where he guarded it discreetly for 15 years.
During these years, a minister named Xiao Yan rose to power, abdicated the old emperor, and established a new dynasty. The new emperor was a devout Buddhist who aspired to become a wheel-turning monarch, like King Asoka. One day, his prince dreamed of the Buddha visiting China and an old monk spoke to him on his deathbed, "There is a sacred treasure in my storeroom." Following the omen, the prince sent envoys to various temples asking for "invaluable treasure." Faxian realised the opportunity and sent the tooth relic to the court.
The Emporer and prince were both exceedingly thrilled by the tooth relic. They patronised Faxian and entitled him to be a sangha patriarch. Since then, the relic had been preserved at a special stupa in Faxian's temple. After, the story of this tooth relic becomes murky and obscure, as the relic became the Holy Grail and palladium for all Buddhist emperors. Like the Emerald Buddha for the Southeast Asian kings, Chinese emperors hunted for it and fought for ownership. Then, whoever found it would move it to the capital and arrange grander processions.
In 936, a monk stored the tooth relic in a sandalwood box inside a stone reliquary. From the historical records, the relic had already been relocated to northern China. In 1071, a Khitan Duchess sponsored an octagonal thirteen-story stupa in Beijing and treasured this stone reliquary in a lower crypt -- the exact stupa was destroyed by the European armies and led to the 1900 rediscovery.
The establishment of the People's Republic of China -- a proudly Communist regime -- did not invalidate the value of this tooth. But the Communist Party of China (CPC) fully acknowledges its diplomatic and political value, just like the ancient nobles and royalties. China has been strategically utilising the Buddha tooth relic as a political and diplomatic instrument to engage with the Buddhist world.
In June 1964, a grand ceremony was held at Lingguang Temple in Beijing to enshrine the Buddha tooth relic in a new stupa, attended by Chinese Buddhists and delegations from more than ten Asian nations. The splendid concrecation ritual turned out to be a major pan-Asian Buddhist celebration. The Lingguang Temple became a pilgrimage site for Buddhists across the world. For instance, the Thai ex-premier Yingluck Shinawatra paid her tribute to the tooth relic at the Lingguang Temple on Oct 28, 2014.
The Lingguang Temple tooth relic has accomplished seven successful diplomatic missions, including a procession in Thailand for the celebration of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great's 75th birthday. On Dec 15, 2002, a charter flight carrying the sacred tooth relic arrived at the Don Muang Royal Thai Air Force Base. The relic was welcomed by the then Deputy Prime Minister, Wissanu Krea-ngam. After a 30-minute ritual, the relic was transferred from the aeroplane to the designated vehicle. The Buddha tooth relic was then escorted by a motorcade and protected by armed helicopters overhead, proceeding to Phutthamonthon, a giant Buddhist park 50 kilometres west of Bangkok. En route, thousands of Thai devotees knelt in reverence, with many holding Thai and Chinese flags or candles as their homage to the Triple Gems. A grand enshrinement ceremony commenced there with a 30-minute joint chanting by both Chinese and Thai monks. Everything was broadcast on Thai national television programmes.
On the third day of the procession, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn paid tribute to the tooth relic at Phutthamonthon. Additionally, the then-Supreme Patriarch of Thailand, Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara, at the age of 90, made a pilgrimage to Phutthamonthon to the sacred relic. By the end of the event, nearly 5 million people venerated the relic, including many who specifically travelled from neighbouring countries.
Soon, we will witness this Buddha tooth relic's second "voyage" to Thailand. It is a sense of déjà vu, not only pertaining to the 2002 Thai procession but also to the procession of the Indian "Kapilvastu Relics" earlier this year. China and India, two Asian superpowers, seemingly are engaged in a cryptic Buddhist diplomatic battle. Both states attempt to capitalise on Buddhism as their invaluable religious heritage, bolstering their national images and soft power.
Buddha's relics, like the Holy Grail and the Kaaba, are sacred objects that manifest their social and political power. The relics, fundamentally associated with the marvellous life and achievements of the Buddha, are the material testaments of the Buddhist teaching and the Buddha's indestructible sanctity. They are worshipped by the devotees, and the possession and display them signify a sense of paramount religious orthodoxy -- which is frequently associated with royalty, state authority, and governing legitimacy.
For millennia, the veneration of Buddha relics has followed a specific pattern of reverence and ritual, unchanged in essence. Yet, such sacred treasures have often transcended their religious significance, becoming tools for political legitimisation. State authorities and royal families across Asia have competed to claim stewardship over these relics, recognising their power to unite the faithful and validate their sovereignty. From King Asoka's assertion of Buddhist kingship to the modern diplomatic processions under state orchestration, relics worship reaffirms the intertwinement of spiritual devotion and corporeal authority.
The belief and faith in the Triple Gems ought to transcend national and cultural boundaries. The worship of Buddha relics is a pan-Asian cultural practice and oddly political as always -- these tiny pieces of ancient cremate remains host spectacular tours in numerous nations as agents of "Buddhist diplomacy". Their international exposures signify diplomatic friendship and boost nationalist Buddhist ideology. These relics connect pan-Asian international politics in a truly odd way.
Guanxiong Qi is a Thai Studies PhD student at Chulalongkorn University specialising in Thai Buddhism.