Sangajayana

Sangajayana is worshiped by Thai people as a great fortune monk. His name emerged from a synthesis of Sang+Gajayana. Sang means conch while Gajayana was the name of an important disciple of Lord Buddha.

An old bronze Sangajayana with big round potbelly.

Buddhistic legend says Gajayana's physical body was so similar to Lord Buddha that many people frequently misidentified him as the Lord. Gajayana felt uncomfortable with that wrong identification. So he magically transfromed himself to be an ugly monk with a big potbelly, wishing to be looked different from the Lord.

An old wood-carving Sangajayana , Wat Bang Nam Won Temple.

He was applauded by people as a monk of humble consciousness with his high respect to the Lord. Then came the great fortune to Gajayana !! People gathered to make merit by offering him a great deal of food and many other needed things. Such the occurrence was called in Thai language "Mahalapa" or the unexpected great fortune.

Left : Bronze Sangajayana of Ayuthaya period brushed with black lacquer and gold leafs . Right: An old holy-powder votive tablet of Sangajayana,Wat Ngern  Klong Toey.

In the early of Ratanakosin Period about 170-180 years ago, a piece of ancient bronze "Sang" and a bronze figure of "Gajayana" were found in a monastery in Bangkok.The monastery was later called "Sangajayana" after the two good omen objects were found.The monastery and its name still exists nowadays.

Though the name "Sangajayana" was emerged from the two specific words,the name has later been practically called to any of big-potbelly monk figures. In Thai belief the big potbelly implies a depot for the coming fortune.The gilded bronze Sangajayana seen on the left is the early Ratanakosin period art piece.

Old antique Sangajayanas were made varied in sizes, the large sizes of 5 to 9 inchs height for house altar were normally made from bronze.The smaller sizes were made from various materials as amulets for good fortune. Some guru monks carved them with ivory tusk.The votive-tablet forms were also made from holy-powder plaster, both white and black colors.

善加財佛

善加財佛的法像是胖胖的，且肚子大大的，讓人看起來非常的討喜對泰國人而言，佩帶善加財佛的佛牌，可以令自己是受人喜愛的。

從泰國大城皇朝時期以來，善加財佛的法像，在每間佛寺皆會供奉及督造。據說善加財佛在世時，長相端正，皮膚呈現如黃金般的色澤，而且貌似佛陀，因而使得很多天人，和一般凡人皆會因為看到他，而將祂視為與佛無別，對待他如同佛陀ㄧ樣，而且甚至有些天女會貪戀其樣貌，而久留不走。

因而使祂非常困擾，因此他便運用神通力，將自己變為現今眾所看到的樣貌，以免有天人和人將其誤以為佛陀。善加財天資聰穎，非常擅於講經說法，並且非常生動有趣，常常會因此吸引許多人在旁聆聽，而且祂常常會幫助信徒，讓信徒衣食無缺。之後不知隔了多久，善加財尊者仍常常被信徒看到祂雲遊各地講經說法，使得信徒對他的神異深信不已。泰國人之所以會供奉善加財佛，是因為他們希望自己和家人都可以如善加財佛ㄧ樣，身體健康、財源廣進，而且也希望自己如善加財佛ㄧ般，是具有魅力且身形端正莊嚴的人，並且也是希望自己如善加財佛ㄧ樣，能夠得到廣博的智慧，辯才無礙。

善伽財（Sang Kat Chai KATHA）

Om Mohi Mohi Maha Mohi Soha

Om Muni Muni Mara Soha。