The “khakkhara” is an important ritual instrument in Buddhism. It helps monks to drive away snakes and animals while traveling, and the sound made by vibrating the rings and wheels also reminds residents of the arrival of the monks and make it easier for the monks to beg for alms from the communities. In addition to its practical use, it also has the mystical religious power, i.e., to tame tigers or to stop wars. This article attempts to discuss the imagery of the khakkhara and to analyze the metaphors of the khakkhara in the poems of monks, mainly those of the Yuan and Ming dynasties.