Archive Note
A yant is a diagram that combines a sacred geometric layer, an inscriptional layer in Old Khmer or the related Khom script recording Pali phrases and mantras, and a figurative layer drawn from a Hindu and Buddhist vocabulary that includes Hanuman, Garuda, the naga, tigers, and the ruesi hermit-ascetics to whom the lineage is dedicated. The design is inscribed by hand with a long needle and is held to be activated by the master's chanted blessing and breath, and the recipient takes on precepts such as not killing, lying, or stealing, which practitioners and clients believe must be kept for the protection to hold. The tradition runs on a shared Khmer cultural substrate across Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Mon and Shan areas, so claims of a single national origin are disputed; the Old Khmer script of Cambodia is the historical parent of the Khom script used in central Thailand. In Thailand the most famous institutional anchor is the temple Wat Bang Phra in Nakhon Pathom, known for its annual Wai Khru festival.
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