Phra Kruba Krissana Intawanno of Wat Pah Mahawan: Biography and Thai Amulets

Biography of the Venerable Phra Kruba Krissana Intawanno

Phra Kruba Krissana Intawanno, born on August 1, 1954, in Ban Tanod, Non Sung District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, is one of the most renowned contemporary Thai masters in the field of sacred amulets, particularly for his creations called Thep Chamlaeng Phamon, often nicknamed "King Butterfly Amulet".

Born into a family of ten children, he grew up in an environment shaped by traditional medicine, plants, folk remedies, and ancient ritual formulas passed down in his family. This atmosphere partly explains the particular orientation of his work: a blend of Buddhist practice, forest meditation, ancient knowledge, and highly recognizable sacred objects.

In his youth, he studied under spiritual masters and followed the path of thudong, the ascetic wandering of forest monks, notably towards Laos and Cambodia.
He received full bhikkhu ordination on October 27, 1979, at the age of 25, and was given the monastic name Intawanno.

After several years of practice, study of Buddhist texts, and forest meditation, Kruba Krissana settled in the Nakhon Ratchasima region. Locals invited him to participate in founding a forest hermitage which would later be associated with Wat Pah Mahawan. According to tradition, the earth excavated during the digging of a monastery pond was used to shape sacred objects in the form of two Salika birds, the symbolic origin of his famous butterfly amulets.

🦋 The master of butterfly amulets 🦋

Phra Kruba Krissana is especially famous for his Thep Chamlaeng Phamon amulets, whose shape evokes a butterfly but also represents two Salika birds facing each other. These amulets are sought after for metta maha niyom, meaning charisma, benevolent attraction, harmonious relationships, and prosperity.

His amulets are often composed of sacred powders, floral materials, minerals, takrut, handwritten yant, and sometimes blessed stones. Collectors particularly appreciate pieces hand-painted or signed by the master, considered more personal and authentic.

"A fine stone only truly becomes sacred when it is purified, blessed, and connected to a righteous intention."

This sentence well summarizes the spirit attributed to Kruba Krissana: the value of a ritual object does not depend solely on its beauty or material, but on the blessing, spiritual discipline, and intention that accompany it.

Anecdotes and esoteric traditions

One tradition recounts that the first Salika amulets were fashioned from the earth excavated for the monastery's pond. This earth, linked to the collective effort of the faithful, was said to be particularly auspicious for blessings of prosperity and harmony.

Another tradition reports that some of Kruba Krissana's butterfly amulets long emit a sweet and floral scent, due to the powders, flowers, and sacred materials used during their creation. For the faithful, this fragrance is sometimes interpreted as a sign of ritual purity and lasting blessing.

☸ Spiritual legacy ☸

Phra Kruba Krissana Intawanno holds a special place among modern Thai masters. His work is distinguished by original iconography, very different from classic Buddhist amulets, yet remaining linked to the major themes of Thai tradition: merit, protection, compassion, prosperity, and confidence in spiritual practice.

His amulets are now known far beyond Thailand, notably in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and among Western collectors of Thai amulets.