Description
Located a few kilometers before you reach Tham Thoeng Nak Nimit Priest's Camp is the Sakon Nakhon Buddhist Institute of Khru Balersi Sithichok (สำนักปู่ฤาษีสิทธิโชค). Khru Balersi is in the process of developing quite an attractive Buddhist grounds. Although not an official temple, he has a numbers of interesting sculptures, as a well as a large Buddhist pavilion for people to gather. There is a beautiful Buddha sculpture with colorful Naga serpents, and an equally colorful statue of Ganesh.
Perhaps most interesting is a small pavilion he has built which honors five revered monks: Luang Phor Upagat, Luang Pu Toh, Luang Pu Mun, Luang Pu Fan, Pu Lersi Narod, and Pu Lersi Narai (the latter two being hermit monks). There is also a beautiful gold sculpture in another area of Luang Phor Thep Udorn sitting on a rock. Legend has it that LP Thep Udorn was born in Nepal and is over 900 years old, still alive today and roaming the woods of Thailand.
Khru Balersi is also skilled tattoo artist, producing sacred Buddhist tattoos as can be seen in the video below. In Thailand, traditional Sak Yant (or Yantra) tattoos are hand-etched onto the skin using ancient geometric designs mixed with Buddhist prayers.
