A Brief Introduction to Thai Buddhism
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Theravada Buddhism has been the predominant religion in Thailand since early recorded history. The inscription of King Ramkhamhaeng the Great (1292) mentions that a monk from the southern province of Nakorn Sri Dhammaraja — who had studied the Pali Buddhist Canon (or Tipitaka) from beginning to end — lived at the Forest Temple in the kingdom of Sukhothai and was the Supreme Patriarch (Pali sangharaja) of the monkhood. This statement is one of the earliest statements used by a king to “legitimize” his right to rule in accordance with Buddhist righteousness.
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Thai Buddhism, however, is not a mere reflection of the message found in the Pali canon. While some monks may be well versed in certain parts of the canon, most monks are engaged in a variety of creative practices that have become part of the unique nature of Thai Buddhism. Buddhism in Thailand reflects complex traditions of beliefs that have woven themselves into something scholars now generally refer to as a syncretic pattern. Over the years, with varying success, scholars have struggled to make sense of the so-called canonical tradition and the religious practices found at the village level. They have tried to rationalize the presence, persistence, and coexistence of “magical” practices, animistic belief, and Hindu influences found in the Thai landscape. One part of this website will attempt to map out an evolution of scholarship on Thai religion — the development of traditions within circles of Western scholars trying to come to grips with this larger complex of Thai religious practices that can now be called Thai Buddhism. Naturally, some of these scholarly approaches now appear a bit amusing.
Occasionally, Buddhism has required a kind of renewal or refresh. With the decline of Buddhism in India, Sri Lanka became an important Buddhist center under the patronage of King Parakramabahu. Monks were sent from many countries to study the revised Canon there and to receive reordination. Some of these monks — both Sri Lankan and reordained Thai monks — first came to settle in Southern Thailand in Nakorn Sri Dhammaraja and their fame soon spread to Sukhothai. There is speculation as to whether or not the Supreme Patriarch chosen by King Ramkhamhaeng might have been one of these monks. Currently, versions of the Theravada Pali canon are still occasionally compared and studied for accuracy.
upload picture
Buddhism in Thailand has flourished under patronage of the crown, with many members of the royalty entering the Order for a time. In the Sukhothai period, the Supreme Patriarch was appointed by the king and oversaw the monkhood or Sangha. The Sangha itself was hierarchically organized in rough correspondence to civil administration. In the early Thai Sangha, there appear to have been two main groups involved in different activities inherited from earlier Buddhist and Singhalese traditions, the gamavasi, or “city-dwelling” monks, and the araññavasi, or “forest-dwelling” monks. The two groups have become known for being involved in two different tendencies in Buddhist practice, namely gantha dhura, the study of books, and vipassana dhura, the practice of meditation.
n early Thai history, although there existed regional religious movements that usually formed around a charismatic teacher, there was only one order within the Sangha. In the 1830s, however, Prince Mongkut, while a distinguished monk, became dissatisfied with the condition of Buddhism in Thailand and sought to reform it according to his reading of the Canon. He initiated reforms that eventually led to the establishment of a new order (nikai), called the Thammayut. Mongkut questioned the establishment of sacred space at temple grounds and the ordination procedures that had gone on before, as well as the method of chanting and wearing of robes, and began ordaining or reordaining monks. The Thammayut order, due to its claims of purity and orthodoxy, has caused an enduring tension within the Thai Sangha. One Thai scholar has called the establishment of this new order an “awkward” moment in Thai history. The influence of this nikai eventually spread to neighboring Theravada countries in Southeast Asia and as far away as Sri Lanka. Those monks who had not been reordained became known as the Mahanikai. The differences and undercurrents separating the Thammayut and Mahanikai orders, though hardly distinguishable to the untrained eye, still persist today.
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Subsequent “acts” affecting the administration of the Sangha have been imposed at various points in history by a king or secular authority. The nature of these acts has generally reflected the political tenor of the times. The acts have been the topic of much study and contention by both monks and laity. How these acts can be updated and made more just is a perennial discussion.
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Continued to next post.
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Theravada Buddhism has been the predominant religion in Thailand since early recorded history. The inscription of King Ramkhamhaeng the Great (1292) mentions that a monk from the southern province of Nakorn Sri Dhammaraja — who had studied the Pali Buddhist Canon (or Tipitaka) from beginning to end — lived at the Forest Temple in the kingdom of Sukhothai and was the Supreme Patriarch (Pali sangharaja) of the monkhood. This statement is one of the earliest statements used by a king to “legitimize” his right to rule in accordance with Buddhist righteousness.
free image hosting
Thai Buddhism, however, is not a mere reflection of the message found in the Pali canon. While some monks may be well versed in certain parts of the canon, most monks are engaged in a variety of creative practices that have become part of the unique nature of Thai Buddhism. Buddhism in Thailand reflects complex traditions of beliefs that have woven themselves into something scholars now generally refer to as a syncretic pattern. Over the years, with varying success, scholars have struggled to make sense of the so-called canonical tradition and the religious practices found at the village level. They have tried to rationalize the presence, persistence, and coexistence of “magical” practices, animistic belief, and Hindu influences found in the Thai landscape. One part of this website will attempt to map out an evolution of scholarship on Thai religion — the development of traditions within circles of Western scholars trying to come to grips with this larger complex of Thai religious practices that can now be called Thai Buddhism. Naturally, some of these scholarly approaches now appear a bit amusing.
Occasionally, Buddhism has required a kind of renewal or refresh. With the decline of Buddhism in India, Sri Lanka became an important Buddhist center under the patronage of King Parakramabahu. Monks were sent from many countries to study the revised Canon there and to receive reordination. Some of these monks — both Sri Lankan and reordained Thai monks — first came to settle in Southern Thailand in Nakorn Sri Dhammaraja and their fame soon spread to Sukhothai. There is speculation as to whether or not the Supreme Patriarch chosen by King Ramkhamhaeng might have been one of these monks. Currently, versions of the Theravada Pali canon are still occasionally compared and studied for accuracy.
upload picture
Buddhism in Thailand has flourished under patronage of the crown, with many members of the royalty entering the Order for a time. In the Sukhothai period, the Supreme Patriarch was appointed by the king and oversaw the monkhood or Sangha. The Sangha itself was hierarchically organized in rough correspondence to civil administration. In the early Thai Sangha, there appear to have been two main groups involved in different activities inherited from earlier Buddhist and Singhalese traditions, the gamavasi, or “city-dwelling” monks, and the araññavasi, or “forest-dwelling” monks. The two groups have become known for being involved in two different tendencies in Buddhist practice, namely gantha dhura, the study of books, and vipassana dhura, the practice of meditation.
n early Thai history, although there existed regional religious movements that usually formed around a charismatic teacher, there was only one order within the Sangha. In the 1830s, however, Prince Mongkut, while a distinguished monk, became dissatisfied with the condition of Buddhism in Thailand and sought to reform it according to his reading of the Canon. He initiated reforms that eventually led to the establishment of a new order (nikai), called the Thammayut. Mongkut questioned the establishment of sacred space at temple grounds and the ordination procedures that had gone on before, as well as the method of chanting and wearing of robes, and began ordaining or reordaining monks. The Thammayut order, due to its claims of purity and orthodoxy, has caused an enduring tension within the Thai Sangha. One Thai scholar has called the establishment of this new order an “awkward” moment in Thai history. The influence of this nikai eventually spread to neighboring Theravada countries in Southeast Asia and as far away as Sri Lanka. Those monks who had not been reordained became known as the Mahanikai. The differences and undercurrents separating the Thammayut and Mahanikai orders, though hardly distinguishable to the untrained eye, still persist today.
free image hosting
Subsequent “acts” affecting the administration of the Sangha have been imposed at various points in history by a king or secular authority. The nature of these acts has generally reflected the political tenor of the times. The acts have been the topic of much study and contention by both monks and laity. How these acts can be updated and made more just is a perennial discussion.
----------------------------------------------------
Continued to next post.