Por Sala Tan

Historical Background
This Sang Ka Chai image, carved entirely from Burmese ice quartz, once occupied a prominent position on Por Sala Tan’s personal altar throughout his lifetime. After his passing, it was carefully preserved by his son and student, Ac Lek, in the storeroom of their family home in Fang. During my recent visit, this piece was obtained directly from that collection, marking the transfer of a relic that has absorbed over three decades of continuous prayer, offerings, and ritual energy.

Material and Symbolism
Ice quartz has long been revered across Himalayan and Indic traditions as a gem of divine resonance. In Nepal and India, ascetics and yogis often used beads and relics made of this stone, considering it the chosen medium of Goddess Kali for channeling attraction, magnetism, and power. Its natural translucence symbolizes the meeting point between form and spirit — matter made luminous. Within this context, the depiction of Sang Ka Chai — the Thai embodiment of wealth, contentment, and charm — carved from ice quartz amplifies his signature blessings of abundance and good fortune.

Spiritual Significance
For over 30 years, this statue stood witness to Por Sala Tan’s daily chants and invocations. The prolonged altar exposure imbued the quartz with the vibrations of his practice and the constant flow of merit offerings. Such prolonged presence transforms the piece into what practitioners refer to as a living relic — one that continues to radiate its accumulated spiritual charge even after the master’s passing. The energy emanating from the image is palpable; even through photographs, it conveys serenity and magnetic warmth.

Description and Preservation
Standing approximately 3 inches tall, the sculpture bears gentle traces of age on its base, with the upper surface retaining a soft crystalline sheen typical of Burmese ice quartz. Despite decades of altar use, the carving remains well-defined, its smiling expression reflecting both Por Sala Tan’s lighthearted compassion and the inherent blessing of Sang Ka Chai: wealth that flows easily, happiness that endures, and merit that multiplies quietly over time.