Chapter 03: The Blessing Elephant

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Phra Dhepsinghapuracariya

After King Naret had manifested the miracle in America, I returned to my temple in Thailand. One day I dreamt that a two-headed dragon ran into the temple. But before that something else happened.

A monk named Chatchawan, who has since disrobed, was residing at Nujpramul Library in the temple. One day after returning from his walking meditation, a king cobra began chasing after him. He shut the glass door to his room as soon as he had entered. The snake attacked the glass pane. Several monks saw the event. That monk had his karma. He had once killed a whole litter of snakes. Some had died. Some had not. Aside from considering any of that, would there even be a king cobra at Wat Ambavana?

Those who saw the cobra chasing incident told me about it. I must have been thinking of the snake when I dreamt that a two-headed dragon come to my residence.

Seven days after the dream, Public Prosecutor Chaiwat and Doctor Jiraporn Ketpreechasawat received a two-headed dragon sculpture from a person who had dug it up from somewhere around the Kampuchean border. The person who got it from the digging was very anxious. He did not know to whom he should give it. So, he gave it to the Public Prosecutor. It was nine going on ten o’clock in the evening then. The Public Prosecutor thought of me. So, he brought it right away. It looked like this, very heavy. The sculpture material contained 25 per cent gold.

Not long after getting the two-headed dragon, I had a nimitta (vision) that King Naret’s elephant came into the Temple.

I said, “How can the elephant come in here?”

The elephant said, “I will come to live with you.”

I said, “How can you come to live in this temple? You may devour all the bamboo and trees.”

Seven days later, while I was having a meal in the hall, there was a young man, whom I knew later to be the Banquet Manager of the Dusit Thani Hotel. He was granted permission from the Hotel to make a flower elephant to greet foreign participants of the World Bank Conference at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, between 7th – 18th October 1991. When the World Bank Conference was over, he did not know where to put the elephant. One factory owner wanted it. But he did not want to give it to him. He had read a book about elephants and found my biography, saying that Luang Poh of Wat Ambavana, Singhburi had gone to learn spells to control elephants and elephants in rut with Luang Poh Derm, Wat Nongpo. He felt this monk should be good monk. So, he drove up. It was his first time here.

When he arrived, he made his way through the crowd to pay obeisance and to present three elephants. They were token gifts made of bronze. He told me the story and asked, “Would you receive the flower elephant if I present it to you?”

I was choked with happiness, sat still and could not utter a word. He then added, “Luang Poh, I’ll bring the polystyrene foam elephant here. Many people wanted it. But I don’t want to give it to them. I’ve never met you before. But I had a premonition. So, I read a book about elephants. In that book I found your biography, that you have gone to learn spells to control elephants in rut and could round up wild elephants. There’s only you. So, I have come here. I would like to present you with the elephant.”

I said, “All right. Go ahead.” There was no need to discuss it a lot because I had dreamt that it is King Naret’s elephant.

I can interpret this in two ways. If we talk about the nationally – respected symbol, the elephant, the white elephant belonged to King Naret. If we talk about the elephant in the religion, we think of “Paccayanagindra”, which belonged to Vessantara Bodhisatva.

When I told him to bring it, he said he would bring it on Sunday. I agreed. Then I chanted a prayer and meditated. The elephant’s deity said, “Thursday is the day concerning Prince Chumporn.”

I told my students to order a “by-sri” (special flower arrangement) for the auspicious event. The blessing elephant would arrive on Thursday. The students informed me that they could come on Sunday but not Thursday. But I confirmed that they would prepare everything for Thursday. They were ready then.

That day I went to Bangkok for a function. When we arrived at Bang Pa Han on our return, we saw the elephant. My chauffeur followed it. I asked one of my students to bring the flower arrangement at four o’clock and put the photo taken from the World Bank Conference on the table together with the flower arrangement. They lit the candles and incense to pay homage. The elephant arrived at four o’clock exactly.

The Manager was taken by surprise. Nineteen staff came to help unload the elephant. He said, “I informed you that I would come Sunday. But I’ve come on Thursday.”

This is one of many strange stories. But it is not very strange. ‘Thinking’ can foretell. It is quite useful. You can ask the students.

People who came that day also offered Sanghadana to transfer merit to the deity of the elephant.

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