Buddhist Scholar Justin McDaniel Discusses the History & Meaning of Thai Amulets [S6.E13]

Greg interviews Buddhist scholar Justin McDaniel on the
topic of Buddhism amulets. Justin is a true scholar of religion,
especially Asian religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism, but he
developed a strong interest in Buddhist amulets after he visited
Thailand for the first time when he was a young man. 


Greg asks Justin what actually makes an amulet special, and
Justin goes into a lengthy explanation of the 'recipes' and
'ingredients' that go into an amulet's construction, from very
specific types of soil to various prayers and incantations that
are made when it is created. Some amulets even contain flakes of
gold from statues of famous monks or in some cases, even the
blood of the monk himself. 


Greg and Justin continue and discuss such interesting
topics as how the value of amulets is determined, the
relationship between amulets and relics, the role that myth and
mystery play in the popularity of amulets, and the sometimes
crass commercialization in the amulet industry. 


Listen in for a fascinating discussion with a true expert
in a rarely studied field. 


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