Beginners guide to Thai Buddhism
Monks must study to pass exams in Buddhism
Around 95 per cent of the people who live in Thailand are Buddhist, and Buddhism plays an intrinsic role in the lives of most people here. There are special Buddhist customs and rituals that can be seen in all aspects of Thai life, and visitors who truly want to gain an understanding of Thai people and culture should start by studying Buddhism. Here is a brief beginners’ guide to Buddhism in Thailand.
Origins of Buddhism in Thailand
The type of Buddhism that is practiced in Thailand comes from the Theravada school, which is derived from the Buddhist movement that was established by Siddhartha, who later was known as Lord Buddha, in the sixth century.
He formed the concept of the Middle Way, which relinquishes the extremes of self-mortification and sensuality in order to achieve a sense of oneness. The ultimate goal of Buddhism is obtaining enlightenment and nirvana and ending individual pain and suffering by eradicating desire and craving.
Therefore, Buddhists are encouraged to live modestly and moderately, focusing on the inner world and obtaining a sense of balanced with it. While meditation features highly in Theravada Buddhism, the temple also plays a central role.
Visiting the temple
Samui's Big Buddha is an important Buddhist temple
Buddhist temples are known as wats in Thailand and can easily be recognised by the distinctive sloped roofs that are usually decorated with glittering red and golden tiles and large serpents at each corner. When visiting the temple, it is best to dress modestly and remember to take your shoes off before venturing inside.
Most people purchase either incense or a lotus flowers from one of the special stalls that can be found in the temple grounds. Enter the temple in silence and avoid touching any of the statues or special Buddhist symbols. Visitors then kneel before the central Buddhist icon and place either their flower or incense at the base of the icon as an offering while silently reciting a Pali chant.
Making merit
Known as tam boon, making merit is an important part of Buddhism in Thailand. This is the concept of collecting good deeds as well as acts and thoughts that can be taken on into the afterlife or the next reincarnation to ensure that the Buddhist advances up the spiritual and evolutionary ladder.
Making merit is essential for Buddhists, as it is believed that those who have not accumulated enough merit in their lives and have done bad deeds instead will be punished by being reincarnated as a human with physical flaws or a lower form of life altogether. There are a number of different ways to make merit, such as presenting alms to monks, visiting the temple and releasing caged birds. More on Thai Buddhism.
Role of Thai monks
Like in other Buddhist nations, the monks of Thailand are responsible for conveying and preserving the teachings of Lord Buddha. Monks must memorise special scriptures, which are chanted on ceremonial occasions such as the opening of a new business, a marriage ceremony or any other type of blessing.
Most special occasions are marks in Thailand with a Buddhist ceremony. Groups of monks are invited to watch over these occasions and lead participants in chants.
Becoming a monk
Most Thai men become a monk at some point in their lives, and this is usually done before the age of 20, although some people do this much later in life. The most common time to become a monk is during the three-month rainy season, which is known as Khao Phansa. In order to become a monk, participants much go through a special ordination ceremony, which is witnessed by friends and family in the temple of their choice.
In the first stage of the ceremony the participant must have all of the hair removed from their heads, including their eyebrows. Family and friends take it in turn to snip away a lock of hair, after which time one of the temple’s senior monks will shave away the remaining hair. More on Thai culture.
After the participant has donned special robes, they lead a procession around the temple grounds. Everyone chants a special song, then pauses to catch the small packets of money that are thrown by the novice monk as a tribute. The novice then enters the temple in order to complete the final stage, which involves reciting a special prayer and answering questions in Pali.
One of the most interesting things about Thai Buddhism is that unlike many other religions it is open to people from all walks of life, no matter what their age, sex or former faith. A large number of Westerners have even decided to become monks during their stay in Thailand for either a short or long period, and this is a particularly common practice among Westerners who plan to marry a Thai woman. Those who wish to take on a position of authority are also often expected to serve a period as a monk beforehand.
There are also Buddhist nuns who, like the monks, also have shaved heads but can easily be distinguished by their white robes. There are far less nuns in Thailand than monks, and their status in Thailand is much lower than that of the monks.
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