Theravada-Thailand

= Theravada Buddhism in Thailand by Ethan Moses =

Introduction: Three things everyone should know about Theravada Buddhism:
1. Theravada Buddhism is Thailand's state religion: Buddhism spoke so much to the Thai people that they quickly adapted it to their society. Through this, they managed to make an entire system of government with its' guide. For any Thai citizen to obtain a passport, they must first pass approval by a national counsel of Theravada Arhats.

2. Theravada Buddhism was the original Buddhism: Despite being more lenient and accepting of difference than Theravada Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism was created as a part of the Great Schism. Therefore, all the oldest records of the Buddhist belief system are of Theravada sources.

3. Theravada Buddhism is the "Conservative" form of Buddhism: Like many of the older sects of modern religions, Theravada Buddhism has a much more traditional take on society, with special emphasis on the caste system.

Critical Vocabulary/ Major concepts:

 * State Religion**: a religious body or creed officially endorsed by the state


 * Sangha**: The Theravada Sangha are a protected class, especially in Thailand. They are considered absolutely separate from the rest of the population and are quartered in community or government funded Monasteries


 * Theravada**: Means "Doctrine of the Elders."(3) It is the oldest of all Buddhist sects.




 * Stupa**: (//Shown Above)// A large mound or dome like structure which contains Buddhist relics of significance. There are eight major Stupas throughout the world, collectively known as the "Eight Great Stupas."


 * Dana**: Literally means generosity or giving. In Buddhism, it is often translated to represent the actual act or desire to give freely. Sangharakshika said: "In a sense Dana or giving is the Basic Buddhist Virtue without which you can hardly call yourself a Buddhist. Dana consists not so much in the act of giving as in the feeling of wanting to give, of wanting to share what you have with other . This feeling of wanting to give or share is often the first manifestation of the spiritual life." (4)


 * Jhana**: The different states of consciousness attained through meditation.



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 * Mudra**: The most common mudra in Theravada practice is the Dhyana Mudra To perform it, the two hands are placed on the lap, right hand on left with fingers fully stretched and the palms facing upwards, forming a triangle. Each point in the triangle is to represent one of the three Jewels: Buddha, Dharma and Sangha


 * Bhikkhunis**: Female ordained Monks.




 * Characters of Importance**


 * King Asoka Maurya** (268 B.C): By far the most important figure in the development Buddhism was King Asoka, a devout Buddhist who sent men across the continent to spread the word of the Buddha. With his powerful army, Asoka soon controlled the better part of Asia with special emphasis on the southeastern areas. Under his control, Buddhism became very commonly practiced.


 * King Anawrahta** (1044-1077 A.D): At the time Anawrahta rose to power in India, Buddhism, although widely practiced, had changed significantly from what the Buddha preached in the beginning. Mongol invasions during the early centuries A.D and the Great Schism had put Buddhism into a grand diaspora, unfocused and disjointed. Anawrahta took control of Southeast Asia and unified it under his Theravada tradition. Here Buddhism flourished until the Mongols sacked Pagan, Anawrahta's capital in 1287.


 * Sangharakshita** (Video Shown Below) (1925-Present): English-born Buddhist philosopher. One of the most prominent western Buddhists of all time.

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Geography


//**Right: The Spread of Buddhism**// //**Left: Thailand and its cities**//



Pilgrimage/ Sites of Significance
The Eight Great Stupas:

__**// Lotus Blossom Stupa  //**__

// This Stupa refers to the birth of the Buddha. It is decorated with lotus-petal designs. Occasionally, seven heaped lotus steps are constructed. These refer to the seven first steps of the Buddha, which he supposedly took in each direction. //

//__** Enlightenment Stupa  **__//

// This Stupa symbolizes Siddhartha’s enlightenment under the Bodhi tree in It is said that he conquered worldly temptations and attacks manifesting themselves in the form of Mara. //

__**// Stupa of Many Entrances  //**__

// After reaching enlightenment, the Buddha taught his first students in the Deer-Park. Here he gave his first basic teachings, with series of doors on each sides of the steps. The teachings are called the "Four Noble Truths, the six perfections, the Noble Eight folded Path and the twelve links in the chain of dependent origination. //

__**// Stupa of the Gods  //**__

// In order to repay the kindness of his mother, Buddha taught Dharma to her reincarnation. This Stupa was built to commemorate that and is characterized by having a central projection at each side containing a triple ladder. //

__**// Stupa of Miracles  //**__

// This Stupa refers to various miracles performed by the Buddha when he was 50 years old. Raised in honor of the legend that Buddha, at 50, defeated a second set of attacks from Mara. //

__**// Stupa of Unity  //**__

// Erected after Buddha managed to reunite the Sangha, It has four octagonal steps with equal sides. //

__**// Stupa of Accomplishment  //**__

// This Stupa commemorates Buddha's successful prolonging of his life by three months. It has only three steps, which are circular and unadorned. //

//__** Stupa   of Nirvana  **__//

//This Stupa refers to the death of the Buddha at 80 and his absorbtion into Parinirvana. It is bell-shaped and usually not ornamented.//

Monastic Practice

 * Meditation**:

For a Theravada Buddhist, meditation is all about the connection between body and mind. The traditional posture is to sit cross-legged, with the back straight and the head slightly inclined, with the hands resting on the lap

As with any sect of Buddhism, there are many states that can be reached through meditation. Shown Below:
 * Level of Meditation || Effect Achieved ||
 * Attainment Of Nirvana || Cessation of all human suffering. ||
 * 8th Jhana || Neither Perception nor Non-Perception ||
 * 7th Jhana || Absolute Nothingness ||
 * 6th Jhana || Awareness of presence in Infinite Space ||
 * 5th Jhana || Infinite Space ||
 * 4th Jhana || Concentration, Equanimity, Unable to feel pleasure or pain. ||
 * 3rd Jhana || Concentration, Equanimity ||
 * 2nd Jhana || Concentration, Rapture, Joy ||
 * 1st Jhana || Discursive thought, Detachment, Rapture, Joy. ||

Despite there being tens of thousands of Theravada Monasteries in Thailand alone, each has a similar daily routine.
 * Daily Life in a Monastery:**

4.00 am - The monks wake up and meditate for one hour, followed by one hour of chanting.

6.00 am - The monks barefoot around the neighborhood while the local people make merit by offering them food.

8.00 am - Returning to the temple, the monks sit together to eat breakfast, then make a blessing for world peace.

Before 12.00 noon - Some monks choose to eat a light lunch at this time. This is the last solid food they are allowed to consume until sunrise the following morning.

1.00 pm - Classes in Buddhist teaching begin. Some monks may attend school outside the temple.

6.00 pm - A two-hour session of meditation and prayer begins.

8.00 pm - The monks retire to do homework.

Buddhist Calender:

These holidays are generally celebrated by Laymen and Sangha alike. The Sangha carry food prepared at home, usually in highly decorative gold or silver bowls, and offer it to the monks, and in return the monks offer them a chance to make merit. Candlelit processions are very common, with each one being a way to pay respect to the Buddha. Each holiday begins with a devotional chant:

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 * Visakha Puja**: Falls on the full moon of the sixth month of the lunar year (around the middle of May on the international calendar). It is one of the most important days for Buddhists because on this day Siddhartha was given life, attained enlightenment, and died. In Theravada tradition, all three of these significant events fell on the same day. Visakha Puja is usually celebrated with a public sermon during the day and a candle lit procession to pay respect to Buddha during the night.


 * Asalha Puja**: Falls on the full moon of the eighth lunar month. This Holiday represents the day that Buddha gave his first speech, the Deer Park Sermon, to his wayward followers. The day is usually celebrated by merit making, listening to a monk’s sermon, and joining a candle lit procession during the night.


 * Khao Phansa**: Falls on the first day after the full moon of the eighth lunar month. This day marks a three month long fasting period during which all members of the Sangha (including the novices) must remain in their temples. It is meant as a time of meditation for monks and laymen. Additionally, Laymen have much more opportunity to make merit on these days, as the temples tend to require their services more than ever.


 * Ok Phansa**: Falls on the full moon of the eleventh lunar month. It signifies the end of the fasting period. For many families, it is also the day they welcome a son back into the home and celebrate his successful completion of a term in the temple.




 * Tod Kratin**: A thirty day holiday which begins on Ok Phansa and continues until the full moon of the twelfth lunar month. Robes and other necessities of temple life are offered ceremoniously to the monks on an appointed day. Each temple may hold a Tod Kratin ceremony once each year. Though originally meant to be a period of reflection meant to humble all monks, modern Tod Kratin is a festival of merit making celebrated once a year by hundreds of thousands of Buddhists.

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 * Who Enters a Monastery:**

Children: Though a Monk must be at least twenty years of age to enter a monastery, children may be "novices" or monks in training. It is custoary in Thailand for most young men (as well as many young women) to join a monastery at some point in their "coming of age."

Role of Women in Monastic Practice: Until the late 19th Century, Bhikkhunis (Female Monks) were not allowed to be ordained. Though modern Theravada Buddhism sees Enlightenment as attainable by anyone, the woman's only way to Nirvana was through Bhakti (Devotion) to their husbands and to their children. It was even considered wrong for women to not have children, as any parents without children will fall into Putta.

Lay Practice:
Theravada Thai practice for the layman is just like it would be for any Buddhist sect, that is, to earn merit. Buddhism is the state religion of Thailand, merit-making is something that is taken very seriously for nearly every citizen. Like the Muslim Zakat (giving up 2.5% of one's income to local mosques or charities), a Thai citizen is expected to support any monk whom they see on the street.

Another common Lay Practice lies in sending one's children to a temple during their youth. Though the Sangha is considered to be isolated from the community in the Theravada practice, boys and girls alike will commonly novice in a temple (or possibly join if they are old enough) for at least a couple of years.

Laymen are also expected to follow at least 1-6 of the Ten precepts, as well as accept the Five Trainings, which are:


 * 1. || I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking life ||
 * 2. || I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking what is not given. ||  ||
 * 3. || I undertake the training rule to abstain from sexual misconduct. ||  ||
 * 4. || I undertake the training rule to abstain from false speech. ||  ||
 * 5. || I undertake the training rule to abstain from fermented drink that causes heedlessness ||

Personal Reactions:
The fruits of my research brought little completely new material but one thing and that was the prominence of Western Buddhists in the Theravada world. Upon beginning this project, I was under the impression that Theravada's had absolutely no respect for the western world (as many conservative religions often are of foreign members). Then I came upon Sangharakshita. Not only is he highly respected by the Theravada community, but he is considered the paragon of modern Buddhist philosophy by Mahayanas and Theravadas alike.


 * Bibliography**

1. Buddha Dharma Association. "Buddhist Monastic Community:Thai Buddhist Calendar." //BuddhaNet - Worldwide Buddhist Information and Education Network//. Buddha Dharma Association. Web. 21 Oct. 2010. . Bullitt, John T. "What Is Theravada Buddhism?" //Access to Insight//. Access to Insight, 5 June 2009. Web. 21 Oct. 2010. . 2. Cruz, Gemma T. "Global Perspective: Bhikkhunis: Ordaining Buddhist Women." //Global Perspective//. National Catholic Reporter. Web. 21 Oct. 2010. . 3. Esposito, John L., Darrell J. Fasching, and Todd Thornton Lewis. "Buddhism: Ways to Nirvana." //World Religions Today//. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford UP, 2002. Print. Keown, Damien. //Buddhism: a Very Short Introduction//. Vol. 3. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2001. Print. A Very Short Introduction Ser. 4. London Buddhist Center, Ratnaghosha. "Buddhism :: Bodhisattva :: Generosity:: Dana." //Buddhism :: Bodhisattva :: Dharma Talks//. London Buddhist Center. Web. 20 Oct. 2010. . 5. Sayadaw, Webu. "The Words of Ven. Webu Sayadaw." //Welcome to Pariyatti//. LotusJump, 2008. Web. 21 Oct. 2010. . 6. antipinichwong, Tita. "AsiaMedia :: The Press in Thailand's Coup." //AsiaMedia Archives//. Asia Media Institute at UCLA, 2006. Web. 21 Oct. 2010. .