LP Koon Wat Ban Rai

Kon Buri of LP Koon B.E. 2520 (1977)

• Master / Lineage: Luang Phor Koon Parisuttho (Phra Thep Witthayakhom)
• Temple: Wat Ban Rai, Dan Khun Thot, Nakhon Ratchasima
• Year: B.E. 2520 (1977)
• Materials: Kon Buri – the remnant the master used, wrapped in dried banana leaf
• Size: Approx. 1.5"
• Casing: Original clear casing from decades ago

Personal Notes

This piece came from the same driver who gave me my Por Than Klai Loop Om.

He is a very old man now. But when he was younger, he made a journey for LP Koon.

He drove from Nakhon Si Thammarat all the way to Korat. More than 25 hours. Over 2 days. Just to see LP Koon.

That is how he received this Kon Buri.

He kept it all these years. Then he passed it on to me.

Just like my Kruba Duang Dee and Por Than Klai pieces, I will not keep the money from this one. All proceeds from this sale will go to a charity of my choice.

LP Koon gave away everything he was given. It feels right that this piece gives once more.

Summary

This is a Kon Buri of Luang Phor Koon Parisuttho of Wat Ban Rai, Nakhon Ratchasima.

Kon Buri means the remnant the master used. It is wrapped in dried banana leaf, just as LP Koon rolled his own.

It is not a pressed amulet. It is not a temple batch. It came straight from the master himself.

His close disciples treasured these remnants. Ordinary devotees almost never got one.

Historical Background

The boy from Ban Rai. LP Koon was born Koon Chatphonkrang on 4 October B.E. 2466 (1923). His home was Ban Rai, a poor farming village in Dan Khun Thot, Nakhon Ratchasima.

He lost his mother young. At the village temple, three monks taught him Thai, ancient Khom script and protective Wicha. There was no other school.

The monk. On 5 May B.E. 2487 (1944), aged 21, he was ordained at Wat Thanon Hak Yai. His monastic name was Parisuttho, "the pure one".

He trained under Luang Phor Daeng of Wat Ban Nong Pho. Then under Luang Phor Khong Phutthasaro. Dhamma, meditation and Wicha.

Then he walked. Barefoot, on tudong. Through the Northeast to Phra That Phanom. Into Laos. Into Cambodia. Deep in the forest, alone with his practice.

The builder. Around B.E. 2496 (1953), he came home and began building Wat Ban Rai. He never left again.

Donations poured in. He gave them away. Schools. Hospitals. Scholarships. Village works across Thailand.

In B.E. 2547 (2004) he received the royal title Phra Thep Witthayakhom.

The squatting monk. Everyone knew him by his squat. He said it was the most comfortable way to sit. Ready to stand. Ready to work.

He spoke bluntly, in the rough Korat way. He tapped devotees on the head for luck. And he gave his blessings to anyone who asked. Rich or poor. He did not choose.

When he blessed something, he said only one thing mattered. A mind in samadhi. With that, one minute was enough.

The miracle. In B.E. 2536 (1993), the Royal Plaza Hotel in Korat collapsed. Survivors credited LP Koon's amulets. His fame spread across Asia.

The last gift. LP Koon passed away on 16 May B.E. 2558 (2015), aged 91, after 71 years in robes.

Even then, he gave. His will left his body to the Faculty of Medicine at Khon Kaen University, to teach young doctors. No grand royal funeral. Just one final act of giving.

Origins of the Material

For most of his life, LP Koon kept a hand-rolled leaf roll by his side. It was a habit from his village youth. In old rural Korat, young men rolled their own in dried banana leaf.

It became part of his image. LP Koon squatting. A roll in his hand. Talking with his disciples.

But for him, it was not idle. LP Koon said that while he used it, he held his mind in concentration until the very end of the roll.

What remained was the Kon Buri. And disciples asked for every one.

Close disciples kept them all. Ordinary people had almost no chance. Thai amulet writers recorded a single one once fetching 20,000 baht.

In his later years, doctors asked him to stop for his health. He did, and urged everyone else to stop too. After that, there were no more.

Every genuine piece holds a moment of LP Koon's own concentration. Sealed and kept.

Blessings

• Metta Maha Niyom: kindness, popularity and goodwill
• Klaew Klaad: safety and protection from danger
• Chok Lap: good fortune and luck
• Wealth and success in trade and career
• Baramee: the personal spiritual power of LP Koon

How to Wear

Wear it as a pendant, or carry it with you. Keep it close, the way his disciples did.

It pairs well with other Wat Ban Rai pieces of LP Koon, such as his coins, takrut or portrait amulets.

When not wearing it, keep it in a clean, respectful place. It is a personal relic of the master. Treat it like one.