Commissioned Yantra: The Material Culture of Symbiotic Provisions Between Thai Monks and Laity

The Buddhist clergy depends on the lay community for material provisions and monetary donations. In return, the laity are said to gain merit (puññā), or other spiritual benefits, such as a Dhamma talk, meditation guidance, chant or a ritual. However, what if clerical spiritual support is not the only concern of the laity? The author observes that the Thai laity also seek from the clergy material memorabilia, such as yantra, for this-worldly benefits. Through a case study of two talismanic yantra created by a Thai monk at the request of lay business owners, this article argues that the symbiotic relationship between clergy and laity often manifests in material ways. Moreover, it suggests that monks may also gain merit, or rather, prestige, when the material culture that they bestow upon the laity are proven efficacious. In other words, symbiotic provisions illustrate the salience of Buddhist material culture in defining Thai monastic-communal relations, and it highlights monks’ mutual dependence on lay commissions for enhancement of their spiritual power and social prestige.