A Four-Faced Legend|四面传奇

A Four-Faced Legend

by Olivia Wycech

A statue like no other sits in the heart of Bangkok for everyone to see.

　　Thailand is home to more than a few religious statues, but one golden, four-faced figure stands out from the rest. Phra Phrom is the Thai representation of the Hindu god, Brahma. It has four faces and eight hands, all representing different blessings. In Thai culture, it is said that the statue is the deity of good fortune and protection. First enshrined in 1956 in Bangkok's Erawan Shrine to counteract negative karma, the beloved idol was destroyed in 2006 by a mentally ill man. He was then killed by angry bystanders. The precious statue was rebuilt just two months later using pieces of the original statue. There are now many Phra Phrom replicas located across the country, but none matches the popularity of the repaired statue, which still sits in its original place in the Erawan Shrine.

　　Although Thailand's population is predominantly Buddhist, there are millions of Hindu worshippers offering incense, candles, jasmine flowers, and young coconuts. These are the usual offerings to Brahma. Offerings typically go hand in hand with promises to the deity in return for answered prayers and requests. However, unkept promises run the risk of causing Brahma's displeasure in the form of bad luck. Devotees also offer money, which is used to maintain the shrine and feed poor families. Offerings are usually placed before all four heads of Phra Phrom, and the area is often drowning in a sea of flowers that have been placed by worshippers. As one of Thailand's most sacred sights, the area sees so much foot traffic that it needs to be cleaned every 15 minutes. If you're going to Bangkok, you’ll probably not want to miss visiting Phra Phrom, one of the city's unique attractions.

 

四面传奇

一座与众不同的雕像座落在曼谷市中心供大众瞻仰。

　　泰国是许多宗教雕像的发源地，但其中一尊有着四张面孔的金色神像比其他神像都要来得突出。Phra Phrom（编按：佛教称之为大梵天王，原是印度教及婆罗门教三主神之一的梵天，由于外形近似佛教的神像，因此中文多称为四面佛，亦称作四面神。）是印度神明 Brahma 的泰国代表称号。祂拥有四张脸孔及八只手，全都代表不同的祝福。在泰国文化中，据说这座神像是带来好运及庇护的神明。这尊受人爱戴的神像最初是在 1956 年于曼谷的爱乐威四面佛坛（编按：该佛坛是一处提供信众朝拜的露天开放空间，现已成为泰国香火最鼎盛的膜拜据点之一。）受人供奉，用以消除业障，而在 2006 年它被一名患有精神疾病的男子给摧毁。这名男子后来被愤怒的旁观者给殴打致死。这座尊贵的神像就在两个月后以原始神像的碎片进行重建。现今有许多复制版本的四面佛像座落在泰国各地，但这尊仍然位于爱乐威四面佛坛原址的重建神像，受欢迎的程度没有一尊神像能与其匹敌。

　　虽然泰国的人口绝大多数都是佛教徒，但也有数百万名印度教徒会供奉薰香、蜡烛、茉莉花以及青椰子。这些都是供奉 Brahma 的常见供品。祭祀供品通常和人们对神明许下的承诺息息相关，而这些供品是用来酬谢神明回应了他们的祈祷和请求。然而，未履行承诺得承担使 Brahma 不悦的风险，而遭受恶运。另外，信徒也会捐款，用来维修神坛并扶养贫困家庭。供品通常会摆放在四面佛的四张脸孔前方，而放置供品的地方常常被虔诚的信徒所摆放的花海淹没。身为泰国最神圣的景点之一，该区域来来去去的人潮众多，所以每隔十五分钟就必须清理一次。如果你正要前往曼谷，你大概不会想错过参访这座城市独特的名胜之一 ―― 四面佛。