Ayutthayan Protective Practices and Devices: Manual of Wat Pradusongtham
Potprecha Cholvijarn
Journal of International Buddhist Studies May 11, 2026 DOI: 10.65680/83361712026 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Legend Period music Center category theory Eurasian exchange networks |
| Key points | Presents an analysis of protective practices and devices from an eighteenth-century Thai Buddhist manual, including yantras and visualization techniques believed to allow manipulation of natural forces. |
Abstract
This article presents a summary and analysis of protective practices and devices described in an eighteenth-century manual from Wat Pradusongtham. This temple was an important meditation center during the late Ayutthaya period and the seat of a monk of a Rachakhana rank. The manual describes the legend and characteristics of the Triple Gem Qualities yantras which are three protective diagrams that represent the qualities of the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha, along with the Ratanamālā protective chant associated with them. It also provides instructions for visualizing four Pali syllables, na, ma, a, and u, which represent the four precious gems and the four elements (dhātu) that make up the body and the physical world. These four gems are used by the adept to manipulate the forces of nature, cure illnesses, perform miraculous powers, and activate protective devices.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mechanisms of mindfulness | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cites 3
- Supreme Patriarch Suk Kai Thuean’s Method of Visualizing the Elements Journal of Contemplative Studies July 23, 2025
- Visualising the Dhammakāya through a Buddha Image: The Dhammakāya Text and Its Significance for Traditional Tai–Khmer Buddhist Practices Religions December 22, 2023
- The Ancient Therav?da Meditation System, Bor?n Kamma??h?na: ?n?p?nasati or ‘Mindfulness of The Breath’ in Kammatthan Majjima Baeb Lamdub Buddhist Studies Review February 24, 2016