AN ANALYSIS OF GRATITUDE’S VALUES OF PEOPLE FROM TAI SONG DAM, THAKHAM SUB-DISTRICT, PHUNPIN DISTRICT, SURATTHANI PROVINCE

Abstract

This thesis entitled ‘An analysis of gratitude’s values of people from Tai Song Dam, Thakham Sub-district, Phunpin District, Suratthani Province’ has three objectives: 1) to study the states of problem and people’s ways of life from Tai Song Dam, Thakham Sub-district, Phunpin District, Suratthani province, 2) to study gratitude as appeared in Theravada Buddhism, and 3) to analyze the gratitude’s values of people from Tai Song Dam, Thakham Sub-district, Phunpin District, Suratthani province. This is a qualitative research done by document research and in-depth interview.

          In the research, it was found that: 1) People from Tai Song Dam had migrated to Phetchaburi province (2484-2488 B.E.) descending down to South region and then set up their residence in Suratthani province where three Districts, Phunpin, Nasan, and Khiensa were chosen as their destination. At the present, people’s ways of life from Tai Song Dam in Phunpin District are in accordance with their ritual based on the belief, culture, language and tradition, their identity is in the uniqueness. 2) According to Buddhism, gratitude basically means important virtue of a society whereby one who comes to realize what other offers to him returns back to the giver. In this respect, it has two parts: Kataññū refers to when one acknowledges what other offers to him, and Katavedī; once acknowledged, one returns whatever possible to the giver. 3) The values of gratitude of the Tai Song Dam include the personal aspect of gratitude towards the person. Belief aspect that the community has for economic things, the use of the economy as a cost and the transformation of the identity of the group into income, the cultural aspect is a center for connecting with external society, the environmental aspect is a value that is expressed to nature and the environment.