Thai Buddhas of the Days of the Week

Thai people will usually know which day of the week they are born, as they have assigned traditional styles and attitudes of Buddha to days of the week. Actually, as you may notice below, there are 8 (and no only 7) Buddha images as Wednesday has 2 images: one for the day and one for the evening. A devotee might keep in his/her house or work place the image assigned to his/her birth day of the week. The image's attitude or posture portrays different events in Buddha's life. Although Buddha did not encourage believers to create statues in his image during his lifetime, he did allow the wheel of Dharma law (Dharmacakra) to be created to remind his followers of spreading the virtues of Dharma. Buddha images representing the days of the week were created much later. At temples, statues representing  buddhas of the day of the week are arranged on a long counter at which believers pay respect by dropping coins in collection dishes. The sight of a Buddha image brings a sense of peace; It gives the hope that one may attain the same pure joy that emanates from buddha representations.

Wheel of Dharma Law

If you do not know which day of the week you are born and want to know it and read the information corresponding to your day of birth, enter your date of birth below and click on "What day of the week am I born?"

Numeric Month (1-12): Day of Month (1-31): Year (eg. 1960):

พระปางถวายเนตร prá bpaang tà-wăai nêt	Sunday - วันอาทิตย์ - wan aa-tít top "In Pensive Thought" (พระปางถวายเนตร - prá bpaang tà-wăai nêt) stands with hands held down in front of the body. The left hand is covered by the right. This attitude represents the period after the Buddha had realized enlightenment. He achieved the enlightened state as he sat under a pipal or poh tree (ต้นโพ - dtôn poh) for seven days in deep meditation. It is said he then stood for a longer period in deep meditation.
พระปางห้ามญาติ prá bpaang hâam yâat	Monday - วันจันทร์ - wan jan top  Monday buddha (พระปางห้ามญาติ - prá bpaang hâam yâat) can be represented with three different images. "Perserving Relatives" stands with right hand raised; this was the posture of Buddha when he persuaded disputing family members to peacefully compromise. "Forbidding the Sandalwood" refers to the time when Buddha halted a sandalwood image in his likeness from rising off an altar; it is a standing image with the left hand raised. "Mastery over Passions" is a standing image with both hands raised; this is from the parable of Buddha performing a miracle by calming the ocean.
พระปางไสยาสน์ prá bpaang săi-yâat	Tuesday - วันอังคาร - wan ang-kaan top "Reaching Nirvana" (พระปางไสยาสน์ - prá bpaang săi-yâat) reclining on the right side, toes even, indicates his death. Religious texts state that the Buddha entered parinibbana on this day of the week. His final words to his disciples were, "As a flame blown out by the wind goes to rest and cannot be defined so the wise man freed from individuality goes to rest and cannot be defined. Gone beyond all images gone beyond the power of words", Sutta Nipata.
พระปางอุ้มบาตร prá bpaang ôom bàat	Wednesday day time - วันพุธ กลางวัน - wan póot glaang wan top Click here if you are born evening time. (พระปางอุ้มบาตร - prá bpaang ôom bàat) is a standing Buddha image holding an alms bowl. After four years in his ministry, Buddha journeyed to visit his father, younger brother and son. His father was appalled when Buddha begged for food holding an alms bowl. Buddha calmed his father informing him that the descendants of Buddhas had to perform pindabat (บิณฑบาต), that is, to be available to followers who devotedly brought food. Until today, the virtue of giving is strong among Buddhist followers.
พระปางป่าเลไลย์ prá bpaang bpàa lay-lai	Wednesday evening - วันพุธ กลางคืน - wan póot glaang keun top (พระปางป่าเลไลย์ - prá bpaang bpàa lay-lai) is wednesday image for the evening. When Buddha sought solitude to meditate undisturbed, the animals of the forest brought him nourishment. Thus it is usual to see in temple gardens, a seated Buddha image with an elephant offering a bowl of fruit and an approaching monkey offering a honeycomb.
พระปางตรัสรู้หรือปางสมาธ prá bpaang dtràt róo rĕu bpaang sà-màat	Thursday - วันพฤหัสบดี - wan prí-hàt-bà-dee top "The Meditating Buddha" (พระปางตรัสรู้หรือปางสมาธ - prá bpaang dtràt róo rĕu bpaang sà-màat) in a sitting pose is a reminder of the classic posture for meditation. The full lotus with both soles upward and visible, the hands resting in the lap, right above left with all fingers extended, palms upward. In this position, some meditators feel the body is receptive to energy entering through the top of the head and through the open palms.
พระปางรำพึง prá bpaang ram peung	Friday - วันศุกร์ -  wan sòok top The "Contemplating Buddha" (พระปางรำพึง - prá bpaang ram peung) stands with hands resting across the chest, the right hand covering the left. The pose implies a complete spiritual transformation. A benevolent tranquility expresses the equanimity obtained through Vipassana meditation. The meditative practice develops clear seeing by training the faculties through direct experience.
พระปางนาคปรก prá bpaang nâak bpròk	Saturday - วันเสาร์ - wan săo top "Protected by the Naga King", (พระปางนาคปรก - prá bpaang nâak bpròk) the Buddha image sits on a large coiled serpent which rises to protect him from a raging storm. The Buddha sits in profound meditation, unaware of the tumult, as he is lifted over the rising waves by the King of Nagas.

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