The Diamond Shield Yantra

The Diamond Shield Yantra (Sacred Script of the Qualities of the Buddha) The above yantra (sacred script) is written in Cambodian characters and is known as “Yan Kropetch”. It is a set of verses which Buddhists recite to reflect upon the qualities of the Buddha. Luang Phor Parn of Wat Bang Nom Kho, Ayuthaya province, found the yantra in B.E (1915) while he was making a pilgrimage to Suphanburi province, Thailand. Shortly before he found this great yantra, he was meditating and an intuition arose in his mind that there was a very important plate buried in the main cetiya of Wat Phra Sri Ratana Maha Dhat, Suphanburi province, waiting for him to recover. Not long after that; he arrived at the cetiya and found an ancient silver plate inscribed with the above yantra. The plate also states that for one who recites these verses everyday, his/her body will be covered with a “Diamond Shield” and will be safe from all dangers. The person will never be destroyed by his/her enemies. However, the enemy will be destroyed by some strange phenomena because of the reflective result from the powers of the “Diamond Shield”.

To read the yantra, begin from top to bottom (i.e. column-wise), left to right. The romanised Pali version of the yantra is : “Iti Piso Bhagava Araham Samma Sambuddho Vijja Carana Sampanno Sugato Lokavidu Anuttaro Purisa Damma Sarathi Sattha Deva Manussanam Buddho Bhagavai” meaning : “He is a Blessed One, a Worthy One, a Rightly Self-Enlightened One, consummate in knowledge and conduct, one who has gone the good way, knower of the cosmos, unexcelled trainer of those who can be taught, teacher of divine and human beings, Awakened, Blessed”. As a fitting tribute to the memory of the Lord Buddha, this same yantra will be engraved in gold on a curved shape wall to be erected behind the Palelai Buddha image in our chedi. It will allow all who visit the second floor of our chedi to also take time to reflect upon the qualities of our Great Teacher while admiring the beauty of the manuscript, just as any good pilgrim will do while visiting the Buddhist pilgrimage sites.

Make Your Aspiration for Enlightenment ! It is an ancient tradition for Buddhists to make their aspiration for Enlightenment by placing some sacred object in a temple building, Cetiya (pagoda) or Buddha image. In order to facilitate this for our members and devotees, the Maha Sangha and Management Committee has made arrangements for a special casting of the Diamond Shield yantra on 108,000 pieces of gold coloured copper plates as a symbol of every one’s wish for Enlightenment. The number 108 is derived from the multiplication of 9 by 12. The number 9 signifies our taking Refuge in the Triple Gem (the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha) three times. When we say something three times, we truly mean what we say. The number 12 represents the 3 permutations of the 4 Noble Truths (appropriate understanding of each Truth, practice of each Truth, and realization of each Truth). Our Diamond Shield plate also contains an important summary of the heart of the Buddha’s teachings by the Venerable Assaji, one of the first five Bhikkhus taught by the Buddha.

The summary was given by Venerable Assaji in response to Venerable Sariputta’s question of what is taught by the Buddha. Upon hearing this summary, Venerable Sariputta attained the first stage of Enlightenment (Sotapanna). Venerable Assaji said: “Ye Dhamma hetupabbhava, tesam hetum Tathagato aha, tesam ca yo nirodho, evam vadi Maha Samano”, meaning: “Of conditions that arise from a cause, the cause and cessation has been declared by the Great Contemplative” It is also an ancient tradition for Buddhists in China and Burma to write the above verse and place it inside cetiyas when they build them. Hence our inclusion of the above verse is in keeping with a very ancient tradition for building cetiyas. Of the 108,000 pieces, 84,000 pieces (representing the 84,000 sections of Dhamma) will be installed in the ‘bell’ of our cetiya, 12,000 pieces in the Buddha image in our meditation hall, and another 12, 000 pieces in the Buddha image in our dining hall.

Members and devotees can write their names, date, and place of birth on the plate, make their aspirations and place the plate into any one of the three containers for each of the three locations for installation of the plates. You can also do this in memory of relatives or friends who have passed away (as your aspiration for them). Our Maha Sangha will consecrate these plates during their daily morning and evening chanting services from now until the opening of our cetiya. There is no limit to the number plates you install – the more you place, the higher the significance of the aspiration is to you! May You and Your Families Be Well, Happy, Healthy, and Strong, May All Your Skilfull Wishes Come To Fruition. The Maha Sangha and Members of the Executive Committee Palelai Buddhist Temple 1 st August 2547 (2004)