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| Buddhism in Thailand |
By:
Daniel Jowssey |
Buddhism is the national religion of Thailand. About 95% of Thai citizens are Buddhists. For them it is a way of life.
Buddhism began with the teachings of a man called Siddhartha Gautama who lived in India about 2,500 years ago. (The Thai year is currently 2542 which dates from the time of the Buddha.) The Buddha knew from his own experience that happiness does not come from great luxury nor from great hardship. He taught people to follow a Middle Path between those two extremes. By following this path people could overcome greed and desire, and the unhappiness they caused, and lead wiser, more caring lives. Buddhists believe that it is up to each person to take responsibility for his or actions and to realise the truth for themselves. If they act wisely and well in accordance with the Buddha's teachings, they can live happier and more fulfilled lives. Buddhists do not believe in an all-powerful God who created the world.
People all over the world who are interested in Buddhism and keep in touch with its news and activities must have heard of the Buddha Jayanti celebrations held a few years ago in all Buddhist countries, including India and Japan. It was in 1957 or, according to the reckoning of some Buddhist countries, in 1956, that Buddhism, as founded by Gotama the Buddha, had completed its 2,500th year of existence. The Buddhist tradition, especially of the Theravada or Southern School such as now prevails in Burma, Ceylon, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, has it that on the completion of 2,500 years from its foundation, Buddhism would undergo a great revival, resulting in its all-round progress, in both the fields of study and practice. Buddhists throughout the world, therefore, commemorated the occasion in 1956-57 by various kinds of activities such as meetings, symposia, exhibitions and the publication of Buddhist texts and literature.
Buddhism, the great eastern religion founded by the Indian Prince Siddhartha Gautama 600 years before the birth of Christ, first appeared in Thailand during the 3rd century B.C. in the area of the present day provincial capital Nakhon Pathom. Once established, it proved such a durable and pervasive force that some ethnic groups who migrated into that area during the Dvaravati period readily adopted it as their state religion.
At its inception, Buddhism had been a reaction against Brahmanism, eschewing Brahmanism's emphasis on caste and dogma regarding sacrifice and ritual. At the same time, it modified Brahmanic concepts of karma and rebirth.
Briefly, Buddhism teaches that one's life does not begin with birth and end with death but is a link in a chain of lives, each conditioned by volitional acts [karma] committed in previous existences. The concept of karma, the law of cause and effect, suggests that selfishness and craving result in suffering. Conversely, compassion and love bring happiness and well-bring. Therefore, only by eliminating desire can one find peace of mind.The ideal Buddhist aspiration is to attain perfection through Nirvana [Nibbhana], an indescribable, immutable state unconditioned by desire, suffering, or further rebirth, in which a person simply is, yet is completely at one with his surroundings. After its introduction into Thailand,Buddhism gained wide acceptance because its emphasis on tolerance and individual initiative complemented the Thais' cherished sense of inner freedom. Fundamentally,Buddhism is an empirical way of life. Free of dogma, it is a flexible moral, ethical,and philosophical framework within which people find room to fashion their own salvation.
Sukhothai's King Ramkhamhaeng established Theravada Buddhism as Thailand's dominant religion. It reached its height under the reign of King Ramkhamhaeng's grandson, King Li Thai, when about 30 volumes of the Buddhist scriptures were studied and rewritten by the king into one volume, the Tribhumikatha, a treatise on Buddhist cosmology and the three planes of existence-Sensuous, Corporeal, and Incorporeal. Not only was this the first Buddhist treatise by a Thai, but it was also the first known Thai Buddhist and didactic literary work.The Tribhumikatha's impact on religious arts such as mural paintings can be seen today in many monasteries in various provinces. Through the centuries Buddhism has been the main driving force in Thai cultural development. Much of classical Thai art, particularly architecture, sculpture, painting, and early literature is really Buddhist art. Then, as now, Buddhism coloured everyday Thai life.
Although Buddhism became the primary and state religion, Thais always subscribed to the ideal of religious freedom. Thai constitutions have stipulated that Thai kings must be Buddhists, but monarchs are invariably entitled ""Upholder of All Religions"". Consequently,the government, through the Religious Affairs Department -t; annually allocates funds to finance religious education and to construct, maintain, and restore monasteries, mosques, and churches.
At present Thailand is the location of the headquaters of the World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB),an international Buddhist organization consisting of 98 regional centers in 37 countries which promotes coordination and cooperation to enhance Buddhism throughout the world. H.E.Professor Sanya Dhamasakti, former Prime Minister and present President of the Privy Council of H.M. the king has been unanimously elected President of the WFB twice consecutively. |
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