This amulet is released from Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen temple in Thonburi District, Bangkok. Luang Phor Sodh (LP Sodh) was born on 10 October 1884 to a relatively well-off family of rice merchants in Amphoe Song Phi Nong, Suphan Buri Province in Bangkok. When he was nine years old, he received his first schooling in the temple in his village from his uncle, a Buddhist monk. He, therefore, became familiar with Buddhism from an early age. He also showed qualities of being an intelligent autodidact. Another habit of his was that he was compassionate toward animals. For example, he would not allow the animals to be in the sun or work too long.
When LP Sodh's uncle moved to Wat Hua Bho, he took LP Sodh to teach him further. After a while, his uncle left the monkhood, and LP Sodh's father managed to send him to study with Luang Por Sap, the abbot of Wat Bangpla. It is where LP Sodh learned the Khmer language. When he was 13 years old, he finished his Khmer studies there and returned home to help his father. LP Sodh's father ran a rice-trading business. At 14, LP Sodh's father passed away, and he had to take responsibility for the family business as the first son. This affected him; thieves and other threats brought home to him the futility of household life, and at the age of 19, he desired to be ordained as a monk.
One day, he was particularly aware of the risk of thieves that might steal his rice and the crew being killed in the process, and he imagined what would happen if he died that day. Then, he vowed to attempt to become ordained as long as he survived his job. He had to take care of his family first, though, and saved up enough money for them that he would be able to leave them. Then he had to calculate the inflation rate for this and work harder than before, but he finally gathered enough funds when he was 22. He left the family company in the hands of employees he trusted.
LP Sodh was ordained at Wat Songpinong in his hometown and was given the Pāli language monastic name Candasaro Phra Sodh started to study meditation and scripture, as he came across a word in Pāli language which drew his attention: aviccāpaccaya. He wanted to know the word's meaning, but his local fellow monks could not answer his question. They recommended he further his studies in Bangkok to find an answer, which he did. In Bangkok, LP Sodh studied under masters of the oral meditation tradition and experts in scriptural analysis.
He learned about a broad range of things. He also learned many traditional arts and lore taught in Buddhist temples in those days, including astrology and magical practices, but later devoted himself to meditation only. LP Sodh practiced meditation every day from the first day following his ordination. After his third year after the monk's ordination, LP Sodh traveled to many places in Bangkok to study scriptures and meditation practice with teachers from established traditions.
He studied scriptures at Wat Pho, Wat Arun, and Wat Mahadhatu, among others, and learned about meditation for approximately ten years at eight temples, including Wat Ratchasittharam, Wat Pho, and many more. At Wat Ratchasittharam, he studied a visualization meditation method with Luang Por Aium; However, LP Sodh had studied with many masters and mastered many important Pāli texts, Luang Pu Sodh Candasaro (10 October 1884 – 3 February 1959), also known as Phramongkolthepmuni, was the abbot of Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen from 1916 until he died in 1959.
More about this amulet on Amulet # 4
