Description
Wat Na Santitham (วัดนาสันติธรรม) is a small village temple in Sakon Nakhon, but it has some striking statues which make it worth visiting. The temple's large gold statue of the Buddha is obviously impressive, and extremely well done, but what is equally worth appreciating is there statue of Phra Upakut riding a turtle.
Phra Upakut (พระอุปคุต), whose name means Protector, was one of the most important monks during the reign of King Ashoka (304–233 B.C.)., eliminating obstacles that allowed the king to build 48,000 Buddhist temples and pagodas across India. Ashoka is credited with remaking the South Asian Mauyran Dynasty from a war machine into a society of tolerance and nonviolence, based on Buddhism.
Phra Upakut is ordinarily depicted in statues with his hand in a rice bowl and his head lifted up at an angle toward the sky. He is believed to be one of the most powerful monks in the pantheon of Buddhist monks, and his likeness also appears on amulets. He is seen riding a turtle at Wat Na Santitham, because it is believed that he now lives under the sea.
Phra Upakut, who also is referred to as Upagupta, is often confused with Phra Bua Khem (พระบัวเข็ม), a mythical monk popular in Northern Thailand (Lanna) and Burma. However, Phra Bua Khem is different from Phra Upakut both in sculpture and historically.
Just down the road from Wat Na Santitham, you'll find the small Naga King Shrine: Phaya Surayn Nakarat. Both are located about 20 minutes northwest of the Sakon Nakhon airport.
