Description
Wat Thep Ket Keson (วัดเทพเกศเกษร) is a Sakon Nakhon temple located on Route 213 about a kilometer past Bua Phu Phan campsite and 3 km before you arrive at Phu Phan National Park. This temple is unusual in that the first statue you encounter when walking through the entrance way is a large, colorful portrayal of Guanyin, the female version of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. She is viewed in Chinese Buddhism as representing the pinnacle of mercy, compassion, kindness, and love.
At Wat Thep Ket Keson, the statue of Guanyin is standing on a lotus flower, in similar fashion as to how one often see statues of the Buddha standing or sitting on a lotus flower. Guanyin statues are often all white, such as the one you see at Wat Pasutharam, or the robe she is wearing will be white (symbolizing her purity). However, here only her body is white, while the robe she is wearing is gold. The bottle that she has in her hand is said to contain her wisdom and compassion, and in typical fashion is pointed downwards, pouring out the contents as a blessing.
The Buddha statues at Wat Thep Ket Keson are a bit different than those found at some other temples in that the dot on Buddha's forehead (representing the wisdom of his 3rd eye) is larger and bejeweled. There is also an old white baby Buddha statue under a tree, which is a little unusual to see. The entrance gate is not colorfully ornate, as many Thai temple gates, but naturally colored cement, with the tree of life carved into it.
