Phra Chinnarat and Naga

LP Phat - Wat Huay Duan, Nakhon Sawan
 
Luang Phor Phat was the abbot of Wat Huay Duan in Nakhon Sawan province, Thailand. While he spent most of his life in solitude, he became well known around the world for creating some of the most powerful and revered amulets in the tradition.
 
Despite reaching the age of 101, he remained healthy and strong throughout his later years, having been ordained for 75 years. Throughout his life he continued to guide and inspire many disciples.
 
Luang Phor Phat was a direct disciple of LP Derm, under whom he trained in his youth, learning sacred mantras and studying ancient forms of magic.
 
His amulets are widely believed to be extremely powerful and highly protective. One well-known story tells of a fierce fire that broke out one night in the chapel of Wat Huay Duan, destroying everything except for the wax statue and robe of LP Phat, which remained untouched. After this event, LP Phat’s amulets became even more popular and sought after by collectors and devotees around the world.
 
Phra Chinnarat (พระพุทธชินราช), also known as Phra Buddha Chinnaraj, is a celebrated and venerated bronze Buddha statue enshrined in the vihāra of Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat in Phitsanulok. Cast circa 1357 during the late Sukhothai period, it is renowned for its exquisite Sukhothai-style proportions—remarkably uniform finger lengths and an ornate flaming halo flanked by nagas—which have earned it acclaim as “one of the most beautiful Buddha images in Thailand”.

The Nāga is a powerful mythical serpent often associated with water, protection, and the underworld. Deeply rooted in Hindu and Buddhist cosmology, Nāgas are believed to be guardian spirits of temples and sacred sites. They are frequently depicted flanking stairways of temples or forming a halo behind revered Buddha images—symbolizing their role as protectors of the Dharma. One of the most iconic representations is Phra Nak Prok, where the Buddha is shown meditating while being sheltered by the multi-headed Nāga king, Mucalinda, during a storm. In Thai culture, Nāgas are not only spiritual beings but are also seen as symbols of fertility, strength, and cosmic balance, deeply woven into both mythology and ritual practice.