DOCSLIB.ORG

A Comparative Study of Thai and Khmer Buddhism

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A Comparative Study of Thai and Khmer Buddhism A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THAI AND KHMER BUDDHISM SAMSOPHEAP PREAP A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of The Requirement for the Degree of Master of Arts (Buddhist Studies) International Master Degree Programme Graduate School Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University Bangkok, Thailand B.E. 2548 ISBN 974-364-335-4 A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THAI AND KHMER BUDDHISM SAMSOPHEAP PREAP A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of The Requirement for the Degree of Master of Arts (Buddhist Studies) International Master Degree of Arts Programme Graduate School Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalya University Bangkok, Thailand B.E. 2548 ISBN 974-364-335-4 (Copyright of Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University) The Graduate School, Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, has approved this thesis as a part of education according to its curriculum of the Master of Arts in Buddhist Studies. ………………………………… (Phramaha Somjin Sammāpañño) Dean of Graduate School Thesis Examination Committee: …...………..…………....Chairperson (Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phra Sudhivorayan) .................................... Member (Asst. Prof. Dr. Phra Suthithammanuwat) .................................... Member (Dr. Phra Srisitthimuni) .................................... Member (Asst. Prof. Dr. Banjob Bannaruji) .................................... Member (Asst. Prof. Dr. Samniang Leumsai) Thesis Supervisory Committee: Asst. Prof. Dr. Phra Suthithammanuwat Chairperson Dr. Phra Srisitthimuni Member Asst. Prof. Dr. Banjob Bannaruji Member iii Acknowledgment I would like to express my sincerest gratitude and respects to Dr. Phra Suthithammanuwat, my advisor and Pali lecturer of the Graduate School at Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, without whose constant assistance, guidance and encouragement this work would have been impossible; and to Dr. Banjob Bannaruji and Dr. Phra Srisitthimuni, my co-advisors, for their critical comments and useful suggestions, which have contributed greatly to this thesis. I wish to express my special thanks to both G. K. Susannah and Stephen Evans, who have diligently taken time to read, check, give advice and corrections through the completion of the thesis. My special thanks go to Dr. Adisai, the former officer of the International Program of the Graduate School and many others whose help I have received, especially Dr. Sakun Onma, Phramaha Apinyawat Ativīro (Phosan), Phra Rajratanamoli, the head of section 3 of Wat Mahathat, Dr. Phra Thepsophon(Dhammacitto), Rector of Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, Dr. Phramaha Somjin Sammāpañño, the Dean of the Graduate School of Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, L. Proffitt Linda, the computer trainer, W. L. Ulrich, Dr. Parichart Suwanbubbha and many other professors. I am very much grateful to all of them. I would also like to express my deepest thank and gratitude to Thai people and their government for offering me this valuable scholarship, which enables me to pursue my Master’s Degree in Buddhist Studies. My thanks are also due to my two beloved friends Prum Thary, Program Director of Krousar Thmey “Nouvelle Famille”, Duong Chhor Vivann, Office Administrator of BHP, and my most respected preceptor, Venerable Pichr San, for their enduring support and encouragement. Finally, I wish especially to express my gratitude and respects to my dearest parents and siblings, especially my beloved mother for her constant support and encouragement. I am very much thankful to them. SAMSOPHEAP PREAP i Thesis Title : A Comparative Study of Thai and Khmer Buddhism. Researcher : SAMSOPHEAP PREAP Degree : Master of Arts (Buddhist Studies) Thesis Supervisory Committee: Phra Suthithammanuwat (Pāli IX, M.A., Ph.D.) Phra Srisitthimuni (Pāli IX, M.A., Ph.D.) Assist. Prof. Dr.Banjob Bannaruji (Pāli IX, Ph.D.) Date of Graduation : 30 July 2005 ABSTRACT The purpose of this research is to study the interaction of Buddhism and politics in Thailand and Cambodia. The contents of this research work are based on the three important aspects, viz., Buddhism, society and politics. The overall study is divided into five chapters and each chapter is based mainly on documentary research. The results of the documentary and other research showed that Buddhism constitutes the core of traditional culture, serves as integrative forces of the societies, and provides the states with an ideological basis and political leaders with legitimacy. It has profoundly influenced the cultural, social and political development of the countries. The political leaders of Thailand and Cambodia have mobilized Buddhism and its associated values including the monkhood to assist in the achievement of their political goals. This study has therefore concentrated on the political mobilization of religion to support political ideologies and activities. The documentary research appearing in chapter 1 and 2 deals with Buddhist teachings concerning society and politics, this research is based on Theravada Buddhist sacred books, the Tripitaka, and secondary documents, which are related to books and magazines. Chapter 1 introduces the significance, purpose and scope of the study. It also outlines the importance of religions as social and psychological forces that should be considered in the making of political, and socio- economic policy and in the problem solving process. Key words and approaches used in this chapter are explained based on examples. Much of the discussion in chapter 2 involves the Dhamma, which serves ii functionally as a social integrative force, social order and social control mechanism. It also describes Buddhist concept of socio-political changes, the development of society, and system of government, including ideal rulers. The discussion appearing in chapters 3 and 4 deals with Buddhism and Political Legitimacy in Thailand and Cambodia. Chapter 3 focuses on a case study of the relationship between Buddhism and politics in Thailand. What develops from this complex interaction is a reciprocal relationship of political rulers, the Sangha, and the people. The central assumption is that Buddhism and the Sangha (the community of monks) are a facet of the society’s total culture, and as part of the socio-political structure they permeate other parts and institutions as much as they are affected by them. The study places the effects of the forces of socio-political change on Buddhism and the Sangha and their responses to changes at the center of the dynamic interactions of Buddhism and politics. The Sangha, by cooperating with political rulers and sometimes advising them, provides a symbol of morality and integrity of the state.The discussion in chapter 4 is based on Buddhism and Politics in Cambodia. To get the research work done, the researcher studied the subject carefully by using historical, anthropoligical and cutural approaches for data collection and analysis. The historical facts show that Buddhism has brought Cambodia a great civilization. Buddhism is the symbol of unity and prosperity. In the modern history of Cambodia, especially in the last half of the twentieth century Khmer Buddhism has repeatedly been mobilized to achieve the political goals of the ruling elites. The results of the research show that many Khmer leaders have attempted to use Buddhism for their own purposes and to legitimize their political control. In the conclusion (Chapter 5&6) the researcher recapitulates the ideas put forward in earlier chapters, and discuss them further to make clear what are the critical factors in the roles, activities, and involvement of the Sangha in politics. The researcher attempts to evaluate the effects on the Sangha as a whole of their increased political engagement, and consequently the fate of Buddhism in Thailand and Cambodia. On the other hand, researcher would like to suggest that a thorough Comparative Study of Thai and Khmer Buddhism has not yet been attempted. However, it is hoped that this study will be beneficial for future research work. Contents Page Abstract.…………………………………………………… … i Acknowledgement…….……………………………………... iii List of Abbreviations…...…………………………………. ... iv Chapter I: An Introduction………………………….…….. 1 1.1 Background and Significance of the Study……... ... 1 1.2 Objectives of the Study…………………...…… .. 4 1.3 The Problems to be Answered…………………….... 5 1.4 Definitions of Technical Terms……………………... 6 1.5 Documents and Research Works Concerned………... 7 1.6 Procedure of Doing the Research Works………….… 8 1.7 Advantages of the Study………………….……..…. 9 Chapter II: Buddhism and Social Institutions………….. 10 2.1 The Dhamma and the Social Life…………………. 10 2.2 The Dhamma and the Society…………………….. 11 2.3 The Dhamma and the Socio-political Changes………. 14 2.4 The Dhamma and the Social Order……….……..…. 16 2.5 The Buddhist Concept of Political Authority……..… 17 Chapter III: Buddhism and Legitimacy of Power: A Historical Perspective of Thailand………..……. 23 3.1 Buddhism and Kingship at Sukhothai…………..……. 24 3.2 Buddhism and Kingship at Ayudhya…………..…... 30 3.3 Buddhism and Kingship at Thonburi…………..……... 35 3.4 Buddhism and Kingship at Bangkok………..……... 37 3.5 Political Mobilization of Thai Buddhism for National Integration and Development………………. 47 3.5.1 Introduction………………..…………………… 47 3.5.2 Political Mobilization of Thai Buddhism for National Integration and Development……….. 49 Chapter IV: Buddhism and Legitimacy of Power: A Historical Perspective of Cambodia…..………… 57 4.1 Buddhism and Kingship at Funan…..……………. 62 4.2 Buddhism and Kingship at Chenla………..………….. 68 4.3 Buddhism and Kingship at Angkor………..…………. 77 4.4 Buddhism from
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Gerontocracy of the Buddhist Monastic Administration in Thailand
    Simulacra | ISSN: 2622-6952 (Print), 2656-8721 (Online) https://journal.trunojoyo.ac.id/simulacra Volume 4, Issue 1, June 2021 Page 43–56 Gerontocracy of the Buddhist monastic administration in Thailand Jesada Buaban1* 1 Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia * Corresponding author E-mail address: [email protected] DOI: https://doi.org/10.21107/sml.v4i1.9880 Article Info Abstract Keywords: This paper examines the monastic administration in Thai Buddhism, dhamma studies which is ruled by the senior monks and supported by the government. It aims to answer two questions; (1) why the Sangha’s administration has gerontocracy been designed to serve the bureaucratic system that monks abandon social Sangha Council and political justices, and (2) how the monastic education curriculum are secularism designed to support such a conservative system. Ethnographic methodology Thai Buddhism was conducted and collected data were analyzed through the concept of gerontocracy. It found that (1) Thai Buddhism gains supports from the government much more than other religions. Parallel with the state’s bureaucratic system, the hierarchical conservative council contains the elderly monks. Those committee members choose to respond to the government policy in order to maintain supports rather than to raise social issues; (2) gerontocracy is also facilitated by the idea of Theravada itself. In both theory and practice, the charismatic leader should be the old one, implying the condition of being less sexual feeling, hatred, and ignorance. Based on this criterion, the moral leader is more desirable than the intelligent. The concept of “merits from previous lives” is reinterpreted and reproduced to pave the way for the non-democratic system.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Post-Canonical Buddhist Political Thought
    Post-Canonical Buddhist Political Thought: Explaining the Republican Transformation (D02) (conference draft; please do not quote without permission) Matthew J. Moore Associate Professor Dept. of Political Science Cal Poly State University 1 Grand Avenue San Luis Obispo, CA 93407 805-756-2895 [email protected] 1 Introduction In other recent work I have looked at whether normative political theorizing can be found in the texts of Early or Canonical Buddhism, especially the Nikāya collections and the Vinaya texts governing monastic life, since those texts are viewed as authentic and authoritative by all modern sects of Buddhism.1 In this paper I turn to investigate Buddhist normative political theorizing after the early or Canonical period, which (following Collins2 and Bechert3) I treat as beginning during the life of the Buddha (c. sixth-fifth centuries BCE) and ending in the first century BCE, when the Canonical texts were first written down. At first glance this task is impossibly large, as even by the end of the early period Buddhism had already divided into several sects and had begun to develop substantial regional differences. Over the next 2,000 years Buddhism divided into three main sects: Theravada, Mahāyāna, and Vajrayāna. It also developed into numerous local variants as it mixed with various national cultures and evolved under different historical circumstances. To give just one example, the Sri Lankan national epic, the Mahāvaṃsa, is central to Sinhalese Buddhists’ understanding of what Buddhism says about politics and very influential on other Southeast Asian versions of Buddhism, but has no obvious relevance to Buddhists in Tibet or Japan, who in turn have their own texts and traditions.
    [Show full text]
  • Laws Governing Monastic Inheritance in Seventeenth-Century Burma
    Please do not remove this page Genres and Jurisdictions: Laws Governing Monastic Inheritance in Seventeenth-Century Burma Lammerts, D. Christian https://scholarship.libraries.rutgers.edu/discovery/delivery/01RUT_INST:ResearchRepository/12643453730004646?l#13643493720004646 Lammerts, D. C. (2014). Genres and Jurisdictions: Laws Governing Monastic Inheritance in Seventeenth-Century Burma. https://doi.org/10.7282/T35H7HWB This work is protected by copyright. You are free to use this resource, with proper attribution, for research and educational purposes. Other uses, such as reproduction or publication, may require the permission of the copyright holder. Downloaded On 2021/09/25 09:49:28 -0400 BUDDHISM AND LAW An Introduction EDITED BY REBECCA REDWOOD FRENCH MARK A. NATHAN CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS 32 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY IOOI3-2473, USA Cambridge University Press is parr of the University of Cambridge. It furthers the University's mission by disseminating knowledge in the pursuit of education, learning, and research at the highest international levels of excellence. www.cambridge.org Information on this tide: www.cambridge.org/9780521734196 © Cambridge University Press 2014 To Frank E. Reynolds This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutoty exception and to the provisions of relevant collecrive licensing agreements, for his lifelong work in the field no reproduction of any parr may take place without the written and his steadfast commitment to establishing permission of Cambridge University Press. Buddhism and Law as an accepted academic pursuit First published 2014 Printed in the United States ofAmerica A caralog record for this publication is available from the British Library. Library ofCongress Cataloging in Publication Data Buddhism and law : an introduction I Rebecca Redwood French, State University of New York Buffalo Law School; Mark A.
    [Show full text]
  • 41. Buddhism As the Buddha's Perfect and Wholly Complete Education
    Verse of Praising the Buddha The Buddha is the Supreme One Both in heavens and on earth. So is he without comparison In the ten directions of space. Among all things in the world That I can possibly see, No other beings can ever be Comparable with the Buddha. Verse of Praising the Buddha The Buddha is the Supreme One Both in heavens and on earth. So is he without comparison In the ten directions of space. Among all things in the world That I can possibly see, No other beings can ever be Comparable with the Buddha. An Illustration of Buddha’s speaking of the Ten Dharma Realms Pratyekabuddhas Buddhas Bodhisattvas Deities Sravakas MIND Humans Asuras Animals Hungry Ghosts Hell Explaining in words the Illustration of Buddha’s speaking of the Ten Dharma Realms Knowing that dharmadhātu is one mind, and having accomplished the three The Realm of kinds of enlightenment with tens of thousands of virtues is the mind of a next Buddhas— Buddha. The Realm of Keeping altruism in mind, broadly cultivating the six paramitas, and practicing Bodhisattvas— the Middle Path is the mind of a bodhisattva. Practicing in the way of the four noble truths, knowing what suffering is and The Realm of how to end its aggregation, being eager for nirvana and cultivating the Way Sravakas— to reach it is the mind of an arhat. Apprehending the twelve nidanas, keeping substance of things in mind, The Realm of being awakened to Void, and enjoying being alone and quiet is the mind of a Pratyekabuddhas— pratyekabuddha.
    [Show full text]
  • Style and Ascetics: Attractiveness, Power and the Thai Sangha
    Style and Ascetics: Attractiveness, Power and the Thai Sangha Natayada na Songkhla School of Oriental and African Studies Ph.D. Thesis ProQuest Number: 11015841 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is d ep en d en t upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely even t that the author did not send a com p lete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be rem oved, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 11015841 Published by ProQuest LLC(2018). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 4 8 1 0 6 - 1346 Abstract The majority of research for this thesis took place during the Thai general election of 1988 when the new religious movements Santi Asoke and Wat Dhammakaya were subject to investigation for political activity despite, respectively, defiance or denial. The relationship between the Thai Sangha and lay devotees is examined in order to discover how it is that Thai monks, whom many researchers find powerless, can be accused of political activity. In the past, monks have been used to legitimate lay political leaders and have taken active roles in local leadership. This thesis aims to determine whether monks in Thailand have power and, if they do, how such power becomes politically threatening to the status quo.
    [Show full text]
  • Thai Animations and Folklore the POPULAR CONTENT in THAI ANIMATION Thai Folklore
    Thai Animations and Folklore THE POPULAR CONTENT IN THAI ANIMATION Thai folklore Thai folklore is a diverse set of mythology and traditional beliefs held by the Thai people. Most Thai folklore has a regional background for it originated in rural Thailand. With the passing of time, and through the influence of the media, large parts of Thai folklore have become interwoven with the wider popular Thai culture. List of Thai Animation Movies 1979 The Adventure of Sudsakorn by Payut Ngaokrachang, Traditional animation. The only cel-animated feature film ever made in Thailand 2006 Khan Kluay directed by Kompin Kemgumnird, Kantana Animation CG animation. An Indian redubbed version Jumbo was released in 2008 List of Thai Animation Movies 2007 The Life of Buddha Kritsaman Wattananarong, Media Standard Co., Ltd. CG animation 2008 Nak Natthaphong Ratanachoksirikul, Sahamongkol Film International. CG animation 2009 Khan Kluay 2 Taweelap Srivuthivong Kantana Animation CG animation An Indian redubbed version Jumbo 2: The Return of the Big Elephant was released in 2011. List of Thai Animation Movies 2012 Echo Planet Kompin KeamkumnedKantana Animation CG animation Yak: The Giant King Prapas Cholsaranont Workpoint Entertainment CG animation 2018 The Legend of Muay Thai: 9 Satra Popular Thai Myths and Legends Phra Aphai Mani An epic poem written by the Thai legendary poet, Sunthorn Phu, also known as "the Bard of Rattanakosin". It is considered to be one of Thailand's national epics. It is also one of well-known Thai folklores that has been heavily adapted into films and comics. The main protagonists are Prince Aphai Mani, the mermaid, and the Pisue Samutr; a female yak who can transmute herself into a beautiful girl Popular Thai Myths and Legends Sunthorn Phu 26 June 1786 – 1855), is Thailand's best-known royal poet.[1] He wrote during the Rattanakosin period.
    [Show full text]
  • Bahiya Sutta About Bahiya
    Table of Contents Baalapandita Sutta-----------------------------------------------------------2 Bahiya Sutta----------------------------------------------------------------- 16 Bahiya Sutta----------------------------------------------------------------- 20 Bahudhaatukasuttam ----------------------------------------------------- 24 Bahuna Sutta ---------------------------------------------------------------- 30 Bahuvedaniiya Sutta ------------------------------------------------------ 31 Bakkula Sutta --------------------------------------------------------------- 37 Bakkulasuttam-------------------------------------------------------------- 41 Bala Pandita Sutta --------------------------------------------------------- 46 Bhaddekaratta Sutta ------------------------------------------------------ 48 Bhaddekarattasuttam ----------------------------------------------------- 54 Bhaya Bherava Sutta ------------------------------------------------------ 58 Bhayabherava Sutta ------------------------------------------------------- 66 Bhikkhu Aparihaniya Sutta --------------------------------------------- 75 Bhikkhuni Sutta ------------------------------------------------------------ 77 Bhojana Sutta --------------------------------------------------------------- 81 Bhumija Sutta --------------------------------------------------------------- 82 Bhutamidam Sutta--------------------------------------------------------- 91 Bhuumija Sutta ------------------------------------------------------------- 95 Brahmajala Sutta ----------------------------------------------------------103
    [Show full text]
  • Unit 1 Is the Introduction. No Lecture Note Unit 2 Thai Architecture
    1 Unit 1 is the introduction. No lecture note Unit 2 Thai Architecture Composition General concept of architecture- the art of shaping of space (physical, perceptual / conceptual and behavioral space) Outstanding characteristics of Thai arts/ architecture Influential factors and design concept of Thai architecture General Concept of Architecture Outstanding Characteristics of Thai Arts/ Architecture Thai art is very much influenced by nature and environment of Thai society. It’s outstanding characteristics include: - Its delicate beauty; this character reflects the character and mind of Thai people which can be perceived in created arts. - Most traditional arts in Thailand are created to promote Buddhism or are created from Buddhist faiths and beliefs. Thai architecture Thai architecture is defined as art of building or construction. In Thai context, buildings include houses and residences, buildings in monastery or temples such as Ubosot, Vihara, Stupa and Chedi, palatial buildings or palaces, halls, pavilions, and others. Architectural designs and functions vary by geographies and can be categorized by functions: (1) residences (e.g. houses, mansions, royal residences, palaces, grand palaces); and (2) monasteries or architecture that relates to religion (e.g. Ubosot, Vihara, monk’s residences, scripture halls, bell towers, drum towers, Stupa, Chedi). Background of architectural development of uumanity Architecture is not just a science of construction but it is a kind of ―Visual Art‖ Visual art is defined as plastic or tangible art which means that it has the following compositions: - stable form and size - ordered and well- planned structure - mass as well as massive 2 - space - proportion - unity - purpose - creativity - artistic value - serving human desires, physically and mentally (mind & imagination) Development of humanity architecture Human had been living in caves, cliffs, mountains, or other kinds of natural protecting areas.
    [Show full text]
  • Vision of the Dhamma Bhikkhu P. A. Payutto
    Vision of the Dhamma A Collection of Buddhist Writings in English Bhikkhu P. A. Payutto Sabbadàna§ dhammadàna§ jinàti The gift of the Dhamma excels all other gifts. Vision of the Dhamma A Collection of Buddhist Writings in English © Bhikkhu P. A. Payutto ISBN: 978-974-09-3420-2 Cover design by Ven. Chaiyos Buddhivaro First published — October 2007 6,000 copies This publication, supported by a number of donors, is reverentially offered as a tribute to the Venerable Bhikkhu P. A. Payutto on the occasion of his appointment as Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of Thailand on December 20, 2006. Wat Nyanavesakavan Tambon Bang Krathuek Amphoe Sam Phran Nakhon Pathom 73210 Thailand Tel. 662-482-1552–3, 662-889-4396 Preface The present volume is a collection of my Buddhist writings in English on different occasions over a span of some twenty-five years. Upon learning that although some of the writings were already published, their circulation was confined to a relatively narrow circle of readers, while others were still unpublished, Dr. Somseen Chanawangsa, Fellow of the Royal Institute of Thailand, came up with the idea of gathering them into a single volume for ease of reference. Here is a brief account of their sources: The first paper, “Peace Through Freedom and Happiness,” was the acceptance speech delivered in Paris on the occasion of receiving the UNESCO’s Prize for Peace Education on December 20, 1994. The second paper, “Foundations of Buddhist Social Ethics” was originally entitled “Foundations of Buddhist Social Ethics in Contemporary Thailand” and subsequently published in Thailand under the title “Social Dimension of Buddhism in Contemporary Thailand.” It was a commissioned paper presented on June 19, 1981, at the “Moral Values in Comparative Perspective” conference, which was sponsored by the Berkeley/Harvard Cooperative Program in Comparative Religion, and held at the Graduate Theological Union, UC Berkeley, June 17–20, 1981.
    [Show full text]
  • Sports in Pre-Modern and Early Modern Siam: Aggressive and Civilised Masculinities
    Sports in Pre-Modern and Early Modern Siam: Aggressive and Civilised Masculinities Charn Panarut A thesis submitted in fulfilment of The requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Sociology and Social Policy Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences The University of Sydney 2018 Statement of Authorship This dissertation is the copyrighted work of the author, Charn Panarut, and the University of Sydney. This thesis has not been previously submitted for any degree or other objectives. I certify that this thesis contains no documents previously written or published by anyone except where due reference is referenced in the dissertation itself. i Abstract This thesis is a contribution to two bodies of scholarship: first, the historical understanding of the modernisation process in Siam, and in particular the role of sport in the gradual pacification of violent forms of behaviour; second, one of the central bodies of scholarship used to analyse sport sociologically, the work of Norbert Elias and Eric Dunning on sport and the civilising process. Previous studies of the emergence of a more civilised form of behaviour in modern Siam highlight the imitation of Western civilised conducts in political and sporting contexts, largely overlooking the continued role of violence in this change in Siamese behaviour from the pre- modern to modern periods. This thesis examines the historical evidence which shows that, from around the 1900s, Siamese elites engaged in deliberate projects to civilise prevalent non-elites’ aggressive conducts. This in turn has implications for the Eliasian understanding of sports and civilising process, which emphasises their unplanned development alongside political and economic changes in Europe, at the expense of grasping the deliberate interventions of the Siamese elites.
    [Show full text]
  • Beyond Syncretism: Hybridization of Popular Religion in Contemporary Thailand
    461 Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 36 (3), pp 461–487 October 2005. Printed in the United Kingdom. © 2005 The National University of Singapore doi:10.1017/S0022463405000251 Beyond Syncretism: Hybridization of Popular Religion in Contemporary Thailand Pattana Kitiarsa This article challenges the dominant paradigm of ‘inclusive syncretism’ in the study of Thai religion. By taking the worship of multi-original deities in the popular spirit- medium cults in contemporary Thailand as a case study, it argues that practitioners and specialists working on Thai religious studies need to refresh and update their analytical paradigm to incorporate the concept of ‘hybridization’. Syncretism is a proven analytical model, particularly in studies of Thai Buddhism, but it is neither a perennial nor a flawless one. It cannot be denied that Thai religion by and large has maintained its complex syncretic outlook. However, it is argued here that the focal point for students and specialists should be not the harmonious continu- ities and transformations of a syncretistic religious system, but rather the ruptures and breaks from its seemingly homogenous tradition. Based on a close consideration of the ‘parade of supernaturals’ flooding spirit-shrine altars in popular spirit-medium cults since the 1980s, I propose that Thailand’s popular beliefs and religiosity in the past few decades have been undergoing a significant degree of ‘subtle hybridization’, where religious commodification and capitalist consumerism have been increasingly prominent.1 Pattana Kitiarsa is a Post-doctoral Fellow at the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore. His e-mail contact is [email protected] The original version of this article was presented at the International Conference on Transnational Reli- gions: Intersections of the ‘Local’ and ‘Global’, organized by the Asia Research Institute, National Univer- sity of Singapore, 19–20 July 2004.
    [Show full text]
  • Discovering Buddhism, Basic Program and Masters Program – Each Designed in Accordance with the Guidance, Wishes and Advice of Lama Zopa Rinpoche
    fpmt Mandala BLISSFUL RAYS OF THE MANDALA IN THE SERVICE OF OTHERS APRIL - JUNE 2013 Skies of Benefit: The Path of Pilgrimage THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE FOUNDATION FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE MAHAYANA TRADITION Wisdom Publications The Leader in Classic and Contemporary Buddhist Works THE MEANING OF LIFE Buddhist Perspectives on Cause and Effect His Holiness the Dalai Lama Translated by Jeffrey Hopkins Foreword by Richard Gere 164 pages | $15.95 “The Dalai Lama has very skillfully examined the existential questions of meaning, purpose, and responsibility in life, basing his explanations on the Buddha’s teaching of dependent arising.”—Eastern Horizon “Studded with jewels.”—Shambhala Sun TIBETAN CLASSICS ESSENTIAL MIND rom Geshe Thupten Jinpa, principal English translator to His Holiness the Dalai TRAINING Lama, comes the Tibetan Classics series. Each book contains abridged selections 296 pages | $16.95 Ffrom one volume in Wisdom’s Library of Tibetan Classics, allowing readers to carry these timeless teachings wherever they go. “Thupten Jinpa shines as an interpreter of classical Buddhism for our times. In Wisdom of the Kadam Masters he shows how these pithy sayings from long ago offer anyone sound principles for living a meaningful, fulfilling, and happy life.” —Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence WISDOM OF THE KADAM MASTERS “Essential Mind Training can break new ground in bridging 232 pages | $16.95 the ancient wisdom of Buddhism with the cutting-edge positive psychology of happiness.” —B. Alan Wallace, author of The Attention Revolution SONG OF THE ROAD FENG SHUI: The Poetic Travel Journal of Tsarchen SEEING IS BELIEVING Losal Gyatso Essential Geomancy for Translated by Cyrus Stearns Beginners and Skeptics Printed in collaboration with Jampa Ludrup the Tsadra Foundation Foreword by Lama Zopa Rinpoche Includes 22 illustrations 168 pages | $19.95 Hardcover | 192 pages | $24.95 ith nothing more than this “A rare gem shining light on the life of book and a good com- the remarkable Tibetan master Tsarchen Wpass, you can rearrange Losal Gyatso.
    [Show full text]