Introduction

Guman Thong have been widely known and respected within Thailand for centuries. The Thais believe that Guman Thong can bring wealth and fortune, protect from danger and guard commercial premises and rice fields.

So widespread is this belief that today you will find Guman Thong present in almost every business including modern supermarkets, restaurants and shops.

Khun Chang Khun Paen is an 18th century epic poem and one of the most important works in Thai literature. It is from this story of a tragic love triangle that we first introduced to Khun Paen and Guamn Thong.

 

It was a period in time when magic and alchemy ruled the world, something which today is overlooked and ignored, discarded and hidden like a polyester leisure suit. We are all too enlightened to have ever believed in anything so stupid or dangerous.

But think again, the story of magic, an important element of this epic, is the story of mankind, the story of humanity, the embodiment of natural law. It is filled with hope and ecstasy, failure and despair. It is the greedy and self centered search for power and a spiritual striving for transcendence and a glimpse of the very person of God.

The legend of Khun Paen and Guman Thong is far more relevant today than at any other time throughout the entire history of the human race and it encompasses virtually every aspect of what we are and yet to become.

History

The earliest records of  Guman Thong are from a period about 500 hundred years ago, during the reign of King Rama Thibodi II of Ayudhya Kingdom. (B.E.2034-2072  A time when Thailand was at war with the northern forces of Chang Mai and the Burmese.

It was during this time that soldiers sought to learn sacred sciences and acquire amulets to protect themselves in battle. The tradition and knowledge of which have been passed down to a select few through the generations.

We know about Guman Thong from various literary works and in particular about the legendry warrior from Ayuthaya known as Phlai Kaeo or Khun Paen, a soldier that lived during the period 1491-1529, and a disciple of the guru monk, Ajahn Kong,

His skill and bravery on the battlefield bring him to the attention of the King who bestows the title of  ‘Khun’, a high ranking military officer.

 

   

As a novice, Phlai Kaeo is schooled in the “inner ways" (Thai: ทางใน, thang nai). This phrase refers to beliefs in supernatural powers which exist within human beings and other natural objects, and which can be activated through taught skills. These beliefs stem from the Tantric school of Buddhism, and are found as a substratum in Buddhism throughout Southeast Asia and other parts of the Buddhist world.

Khun Phaen is also schooled in Kata Akom (mantra) or formulas with supernatural power. They are used for such purposes as stunning enemies, transforming his body into other forms, opening locks and chains, putting everyone else to sleep, and converting sheaves of grass into invulnerable spirit warriors. Khun Phaen also uses love formulas to captivate women, and to allay the wrath of the king.

Finally, Khun Phaen has a corps of spirits which he looks after. They defend him against enemy spirits, act as spies, and transport him at speed. In a famous passage, Khun Phaen acquires an especially powerful spirit from the still-born foetus of his own son. This spirit is known as a Guman Thong (Thai: กุมารทอง), a golden child.