Description

Phu Lersi Pong | BE 255X (10 to 20 years old) | Size: 5 x 3.6 x 2.5 cm spprox

Most people look for Phra Upakut for one reason first — fortune.

This old BE 255X piece makes that meaning especially obvious. Upakut sits deeply hunched forward with a money bag in one hand. His traditional reputation combines Maha Lap and Chok Lap — strong fortune, abundance and lucky gains — with Prap Marn, the suppression of Mara, obstacles and interference.

That combination separates Upakut from something kept only for wealth attraction. People look to him not only to bring opportunities in, but also to clear interference, delays and blockages around important matters.

For business, money matters or important plans, this combination is easy to understand. It also explains why people turn to Upakut when everything seems to keep getting stuck.

This particular piece carries another strong angle. It is an old Phu Lersi Pong release from BE 255X, already over 10 years old. Depending on the exact year, it may now be close to 20. The original braided cord and aged Samrit surface remain intact. More recently, Phu Lersi Pong personally engraved the yants seen across the piece.

Why Phra Upakut Is Known For More Than Luck

Phra Upakut, or Upagupta, is a powerful arahant from later Buddhist tradition. His legends became especially famous through stories connected with Emperor Ashoka.

In one of the best-known stories, Mara tried to disturb a major Buddhist celebration. Upakut confronted and subdued him. From this came Prap Marn — suppressing Mara, obstacles, interference and disruptive forces.

Over time, Thai traditions carried that reputation forward. Some communities invite Phra Upakut to guard important Buddhist ceremonies and merit-making events. They believe his presence helps keep disturbances away so the ceremony can continue smoothly.

But Prap Marn is only one side of Upakut.

Thai folklore also gives him a strong Bandaal Chok — bestowing fortune side. Research into Upakut traditions records stories of both subduing Mara and bringing fortune. Eventually, these two sides became closely joined in Thai belief.

That is probably the easiest way to understand why people keep him today: strong fortune with fewer obstacles standing in the way.

Why “The Water Fortune Buddha”?

The water part is not there simply to make the title sound good.

Northern Thai belief places Phra Upakut beneath the great waters. This connection became one of the strongest parts of his identity.

It also appears in the famous Tak Bat Peng Pud tradition. On the special Wednesday full-moon occasion, devotees make offerings to Phra Upakut. Traditional belief links these offerings with merit, prosperity, luck and fortunate gains.

This helps explain his strong reputation for Maha Lap and Chok Lap — great fortune, abundance, lucky gains and opportunities arriving at the right time.

So when we call him The Water Fortune Buddha, the meaning is simple. Water refers to where tradition says Upakut resides, while fortune refers to his old reputation for Bandaal Chok and lucky gains.

Behind both remains Prap Marn.

That is what makes Upakut different from something kept only to draw money.

Money In One Hand, Umbrella In The Other

This old Phu Lersi Pong version looks very different from the Upakut forms commonly seen today.

He sits heavily hunched forward with a money bag in one hand and a folded monk’s umbrella on the other side.

The money bag makes the fortune meaning very direct. It fits naturally with Upakut’s reputation for Maha Lap, Chok Lap and abundance.

The umbrella is the stranger part.

Thai sacred images more commonly show Phra Sivali with a monk’s umbrella and travelling belongings. Sivali himself also carries a strong association with abundance and never going without.

However, we have not found the money-bag-and-umbrella combination as a standard defining form of Phra Upakut. Because of that, this appears to be Phu Lersi Pong’s own interpretation of Upakut.

That works in the piece’s favour. Instead of another familiar modern mould, this is a strange old version with the fortune symbolism sitting directly in his hand.

Old Samrit, Original Cord, New Yants By The Maker

According to Phu Lersi Pong, this piece dates to BE 255X and uses Samrit.

That makes it over 10 years old today. Depending on the exact year within BE 255X, it may already be close to 20.

The years show across the whole piece. The Samrit has darkened unevenly, while green oxidation and deep patina cover parts of the surface. Warmer areas of the original metal still show through underneath.

The original braided cord casing also remains intact. It still wraps around the figure and forms the suspension behind.

More recently, Phu Lersi Pong personally engraved yants directly into the old Samrit. The newer cuts expose the warmer metal beneath the darker aged surface. This explains the strong colour contrast seen across some of the engravings today.

Nobody polished the old piece back just to make it look newer. The aged Samrit and original cord remain, while the maker himself later added fresh yants onto the old surface.

For a piece already more than a decade old, that combination is part of its character.

Effects – –

Based on ancient & traditional beliefs, this is said to:

• Attract strong fortune and abundance
• Bring lucky gains and unexpected opportunities
• Suppress obstacles and interference
• Help blocked or delayed matters move forward
• Protect important matters from disruption
• Support smoother progress in important plans
• Strengthen business and financial fortune
• Improve overall luck and opportunities

For collectors, there is already plenty here: an old BE 255X Phu Lersi Pong release in Samrit, with its original braided cord still intact. Phu Lersi Pong also recently engraved the old surface by hand. On top of that, its strange money-bag-and-umbrella form looks completely different from the Upakut pieces commonly seen today.

For most people, though, the reason for keeping Phra Upakut is simpler — strong fortune, lucky gains and fewer obstacles standing in the way.

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