Buddhism in Thailand
Buddhism in Thailand is largely influenced by the Theravada school, making Thailand one of the few countries where Buddhism is flourishing. Approximately 94% of the Thai population are Theravada Buddhists, said Buddhism has taken elements of folk religion such as ancestor worship and Chinese religion of the large Thai- Chinese population proportion. The Buddhist temple ( wat ) in Thailand are as features on high, sometimes golden chedi, the Buddhist architecture of Thailand is similar to that in other Southeast Asian countries, particularly Cambodia and Laos, which share a common cultural and historical heritage of Thailand.
Traditions of Thai Buddhism
Three main sources have influenced the development of Buddhism in Thailand. The most important source is the North Indian (or Sri Lanka) derived Theravada Buddhism, with sometimes considerable local or regional variations. Pāli is the traditional sacred language in Thailand. The scriptures are written in Pāli, either in the modern Thai script, the older Khom and Tham script. Pāli is also the " liturgical language " in the ceremonies, although most Thai understand this ancient Indian language medium only rudimentary. The Pali Canon or the " Tipitaka " ( Thai: พระ ไตรปิฎก, pronounced: [ p ʰ rá t ʰ rai -PI - Doc ] ) is the main religious text of Thailand, but also numerous summary text collections regionally specific teachings in the Tipitaka were created. The Thai interpretation of theravadischen monks and nuns rule ( Vinaya or Patimokkha, Thai: ปาติโมกข์ ) complicates current efforts, the bhikkhuni nuns or tradition ( Thai: ภิกษุณี ) to revive in Thailand.
Another source of Thai Buddhism is the also from India (or Cambodia) native Brahmanism, which had particularly widespread during the Sukhothai era. The Vedic Brahmanism played an important role in the early Thai kingdom as well as in Cambodia, contributed to the foundation of law and order in the Thai society and influenced the development of Buddhism in Thailand. Certain rituals that make monks in Thailand, are likely to be derived from the Brahman or Brahmin practice originally. Although Brahmanism largely disappeared during the Chakri Dynasty in the 18th century from the Thai public, lived Brahmanical elements - in Buddhist institutions and ceremonies continued - (eg Erawan Shrine ) particularly in the form of Brahma shrines.
The folk religion that the wrath of many local spirits Phi ( Thai: ผี ) seeks to appease and to acquire their favor, is the third source of Thai spirituality. While Western observers as well as urban and Western-educated Thai often draw a dividing line between Thai Buddhism and the practice of folk religion, such a distinction is problematic for rural regions. The observance of Buddhist precepts and rituals attributed spiritual power people are going to appease a local nature spirits. Many restrictions, which subdue Buddhist monks in the country, not taken from the orthodox Vinaya ( ie the rules of the order ), but the taboos practiced folk magic. Astrology, numerology, as well as talismans and lucky charms play a significant role in customs. An example are the small spirit house ( Thai: ศาล พระภูมิ ), which are placed next to a newly constructed building and its residents is paid by food sacrifice respect.
The formerly strong influence of Mahayana Buddhism Buddhism in Thailand has declined sharply. Nevertheless, show illustrations of the Bodhisattva Lokesvara in religious art and faith, the Thai king himself was a Bodhisattva, the continuing influence of Mahayana ideas on Thai society. The only other Bodhisattvagestalt, which is to be more important in Thailand, the " Buddha of the Future" Maitreya. Occasionally the Thai pray to their rebirth during the time of Maitreya, or dedicate their religious practices that purpose. A more recent influence of Mahayana on the Thai company expects overseas Chinese immigrants. While some Chinese to Theravada Buddhism " converted ", others retained their temple in the style of the East Asian Mahayana Buddhism. The growing popularity of the Bodhisattva ( " goddess " ) Kuan Yin in Thailand ( a manifestation of Avalokitesvara ) can be the influence of Chinese Mahayana followers in Thailand attribute.
Monasticism in Thailand
As in most Theravada countries, Buddhism in Thailand is mainly in the presence of Buddhist monks who participate in ceremonies and are responsible for preserving and teaching the Buddha's teaching.
( " Temple child " เด็ก วัด, literally Thai ) Until the end of the 20th century, most Thai monks began their careers with the service as Dek wat. A Dek wat is traditionally no younger than eight years old and performed lower house work on the temple. The main motivation for the Dek wat practice is to get a basic education, especially in reading and writing as well as the memorization of sacred texts that are chanted on ritual occasions. Prior to the establishment of state secondary schools of the village temple was the training site of most Thai boys. The temple service as Dek wat was considered a prerequisite for a higher education and education as the only way for most Thai farmers. With the creation of a system of public education in Thailand, the number of living than wat Dek children has decreased significantly. However, many state run schools continued their work on the premises of the local village temple.
After (at least four years ) service as Dek wat a budding monk is usually for novices ( Samanera in Pāli or NEN - เณร in Thai) ordained. The novices live like monks to the rules in Patimokkha (Buddhist monastic rules ) are fixed, but are not formally obliged to follow the entire monastic rule. Other significant differences between novices and monks are that novices usually a more intense contact with the parents take care of than the monks. The novices do not participate in the reading of the Rule part (not even on the confession ) that the Uposatha days ( Thai: วัน พระ ) takes place. They also do not participate officially in the meals of the monks in the temple. This is practically carried out only by a certain distance of the seats; more importance, however, the separation between monks and laity is attached.
The duration of a novitiate usually amounts to one or two years. With 20 years of novices who qualified for the higher ordination Upasampadā, which makes it a full Bhikkhu. A novice is officially promoted in his ordination by the parents, but on the land involved the entire village by providing the robes, alms bowl and other utensils of monastic life.
The ordination on time is the rule among Thai Buddhists. Most young men are traditionally a rainy season ( in Pāli Vassa, in Thai Phansa - พรรษา, see: Khao Phansa - เข้าพรรษา ) ordained. Who is a monk about his first Vassa addition, it usually remains for a period of one to three years. During this time, the monk takes part in the religious ceremonies in the villages around and can further skills in reading and writing ( possibly including Kham or Tham script, the traditional language of religious texts ) purchase. After this period, return most young monks in their former lives back, get married and start a family. For a time as a monk is considered a prerequisite for numerous leadership positions within the village hierarchy. Most village elders or leaders were once monks as well as most traditional healers, shamans, astrologers and diviners.
Monks who do not return to everyday life, to specialize either the scholarship or meditation. The specialize in learning, usually visit the regional training centers to study the Pāli language and the Scriptures and may this continue later into the monastic universities in Bangkok. The way of learning is taken by the monks who are seeking a career in the spiritual hierarchy, as promotions depend within the state-controlled system of the qualification in Pāli and Buddhist philosophy.
Monks who specialize in meditation, seek to join a well-known master of meditation tradition in which they study several years. "Meditation monks " are highly valued in Thai society as owned high virtues and as a source of certain supernatural powers. Ironically, just need to monks of the forest tradition, given the intrusiveness of enthusiastic admirers who are looking at them blessing and affection, often to fight for time and retreat for your own meditation.
Women in Thai Buddhism
Unlike in Myanmar and Sri Lanka, the theravadische bhikkhuni tradition has never established in Thailand. As a result, reject the idea of the Thai women religious from; Instead, it is expected that they live as lay disciples and earn merit in the hope of a re-incarnation as a male Buddhist in a future life. As a result, female lay confined to participation in the general religious life, either religiously meritorious collective rituals or by perform chores at the temple. A smaller number of women deciding to career as Mae Chi, non- ordained religious specialists according to strict observance of the eight or ten precepts ( sila - ศีล แปด ). Mae Chi find generally not the same support as the ordained monks. Your position in Thai society is controversial.
Recent efforts, stronger introduce the bhikkhuni tradition along the lines of Sri Lanka in the Thai Buddhism and improve the position of women, learned - unlike comparable changes in the neighboring country - violent resistance. Women who sought ordination, complained to the attempt made to illegally imitate the monastic life ( in Thailand a crime ); their activity has been condemned by numerous members of the spiritual hierarchy. The main objection to the re-introduction of a women's order is that the monastic rule requires the presence of five ordained monks and nuns for any bhikkhuni ordination. Without such a quorum, it is impossible to ordain new Bhikkhuni.
Therefore, a group of women to the nun Bhikkhuni Dhammananda strives for ordination as a Bhikkhuni in Sri Lanka, which could create the necessary quorum of Thai women for ordination in Thailand in a few years. The prohibition of bhikkhuni ordination extends also, paradoxically, to women that have occurred in Western countries in the Order of the forest tradition. The ordination of four women to Bhikkhunis resulted in the fall of 2009 to exclude originating from England monk Ajahn Brahmavamso from the Waldtraditon for his person and his Australian monastery.
Spread of Buddhism in Thailand
History of Buddhism in contemporary Thailand, is held among many other sources in various chronicles, known as Wat Chronicles ( Wat chronicles, even Buddha sasana chronicles, so Buddhist chronicles ). The earliest date from the 15th and 16th centuries: the Mulasasana, the Camadevivamsa and the Jinakalamali Chronicle.
Historians and archaeologists give different dates for the introduction of Buddhism in the area of present-day Thailand. Some of them lead back to the ancient Indian ruler Ashoka, who lived in the 3rd century BC and Buddhist missionaries sent out. In the provinces of Nakhon Pathom and Kanchanaburi many early images of the Buddha have been found.
Probably came traders from India by sea to Southern Thailand and settled there or moved on to Cambodia and Annam, in what is now Vietnam. Based on archaeological finds and historical inscriptions four stages of the introduction of Buddhism in Thailand can be identified:
The Lankavong - Theravada Buddhism is the basis for today's state religion in Thailand. The monks, who belonged to the Lankavong branch, first settled mostly in forest monasteries and used the Pali language of religious ceremonies, which she took off by the monks of Sukhothai, used the Sanskrit. It was later ( in the 13th and 14th centuries ) reaches a certain unity of the two schools of thought and asked the Sangha under royal protection under King Ramkhamhaeng. Nevertheless, there remained two directions among the monks:
- Araññavasi, aligned in the tradition of forest monks for meditation
- Gamavasi who lived mainly in the settlements and the writings studied.
( Sangharaja, Thai: พระ สังฆราช ) Under King Ramkhamhaeng the function of the Patriarch was introduced, which acts as a spiritual leader of the Theravada Buddhists. The grandson Ramkhamhaeng, King Li Thai, established the tradition to retire for some time in a Buddhist monastery in the 14th century. This example was followed by the kings of Ayutthaya and Bangkok; so for example the king was Boromatrailokanat (reigned 1448-1488 ) ordained eight months as a monk in the monastery Chulamani in Phitsanulok. After Siamese chronicles simultaneously further 2,388 men were ordained.
Buddhism retained since its importance for the Thai society. Thus, the Ceylonese king sent Kirtisiri ( 1747-1781 ) a delegation to Siam to re-record the ordination of Buddhist monks in Ceylon. Boromakot King agreed and sent a group of monks at Phra Upali Mahathera and Phra Ariyamuni Thera together with a royal envoy to Ceylon.
Even the kings of the Chakri dynasty sought from the 18th century to the Theravada Buddhism as the state religion and promoted the teaching and worship by the publication of writings and the Foundation of Wats under royal patronage. King Mongkut Rama IV (r. 1851-1868 ) was himself a monk for 27 years before he ascended the throne of Siam. Under King Rama V Chulalongkorn (r. 1868-1910 ), special emphasis was placed on training of the monks. During this time, the establishment of the two Buddhist universities in the country, the Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University and the University Mahamakut was.
The current King Rama IX. Bhumibol Adulyadej ( reg. since 1946) retired in the 2500th year of death of the Buddha (1957 ) in a monastery.