The Telakhon religion (Pwo Karen: Tala Khoung, meaning "highest karma"; also spelled Telaku) is a millenarian, BuddhistâÂÂinfluenced prophetic movement among the Karen people of Myanmar and Thailand, emerging in the midâÂÂ19th century.
Founded by Con Yu in KyaâÂÂin (south of HpaâÂÂan), the Telakhon sect developed around a prophetic expectation that the restoration of a lost Golden Book by the KarenâÂÂs âÂÂwhite younger brothersâ would herald a new millennium and liberation from oppression.
The movementâÂÂs mythology centers on Ywa, a withdrawn high god, who originally offered this Book to their ancestorsâÂÂan offer that was ignoredâÂÂand who will return to deliver the Karen people during the millennium.
Telakhon followers adopted a strict ethical code, banning animal sacrifice and traditional taboos such as meat consumption, alcohol, dancing, gambling, and fornication.
Their leadersâÂÂknown as Phu Gyaik (âÂÂGrandfather BuddhaâÂÂ)âÂÂwere often ascetic hermits wearing white robes, surrounded by male disciples in white; the current Phu Gyaik is considered the tenth in unbroken succession from Con Yu.
By the early 1960s, the Telakhon sect had expanded into both Pwo and Sgaw communities across eastern Myanmar and western Thailand. Believers anticipated the coming of Metteyya (the future Buddha) during the tenure of the seventh Phu Gyaik.
The movement also features millenarian expectations and the construction of ephemeral shrines or bamboo pagodas during rituals, reflecting a syncretism between Karen traditional cosmology and Buddhist renewal.
During the 1960s, when the seventh Phu Gyaik received missionary-translated Bibles from American evangelists, disillusionment aroseâÂÂhe believed the Bible lacked the esoteric wisdom found in the Golden Book. This led to religious and political tensions, and the Phu Gyaik was executed around 1967 following clashes with the Karen National Union (KNU).
As of the early 2000s, approximately 2,000âÂÂ3,000 Telakhon adherents remained in ThailandâÂÂs border regions and within the KNUâÂÂs 6th Brigade area.
Telakhon is typically studied alongside other prophetic Karen movements such as Lehkai Ariya and Duwae. These groups have been analyzed for their role as cultural resistance through millenarian frameworks and identity formation.