The Religious Treasure Administration of Buddhist Temples in Muang District, Ratchaburi Province

Abstract

The objectives of research paper were: (1) to study the religious treasure administration of Buddhist temples in Muang district, Ratchaburi province, (2) to compare the opinions of monks toward the religious treasure administration of Buddhist temples in Muang district, Ratchaburi province, classified by personal data, and (3) to study problems, obstacles and suggestions for the religious treasure administration of Buddhist temples in Muang district, Ratchaburi province. It was the mixed research method that the quantitative research used the questionnaire as the tool to collect the data in the field study from 282 monks in Muang district, Ratchaburi province. The statistics were used for the data analysis through frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation (S.D.), t-test, F-test, One-way Analysis of Variance and Least Significant Difference: LSD. And the qualitative research had the documentary analysis and interview as the tool to collect the data in the field study from 7 key informants and analyzed the data through the content analysis technique.

 The findings of research were as follow:

1. The religious treasure administration of Buddhist temples in Muang district, Ratchaburi province. Overall was found in high level with average at mean of 3.80, when considering the aspect found that in high level all aspect, the aspect that has the most value include the man aspect at mean of 3.87, the aspect with the lowest mean include the management aspect at mean of 3.75.
2. Comparison of monk’s opinions toward the religious treasure administration of Buddhist temples in Muang district, Ratchaburi province, classified by personal data (status, age, years of being monk, general education) found that status, age, and years of being monk had the opinions to toward the religious treasure administration of Buddhist temples in Muang district, Ratchaburi province on overall were different, the significantly at 0.01.
3. The problems, obstacles and suggestions for the religious treasure administration of Buddhist temples in Muang district, Ratchaburi province were as following: problems and obstacles: lack of proper knowledge and understanding about the care of religious treasure, lack of morale in work, not enough budget for actual usage, lack of long-term budget plans, the use of equipment materials is not worth the purchase price, lack of preparation of accounting, control of materials and equipment within the temples, lack of campaigning for all parties to see the value of religious treasure seriously, lack of coordination with relevant agencies. And, suggestions: should train skills and knowledge about the care of religious treasure for monks and novices, Should praise monks who take care of the religious treasure of the temples as appropriate, should allocate the budget as needed in managing religious treasure, should create a long-term budget management plan that emphasizes the involvement of stakeholders, should use materials with regard to the highest worthiness, should prepare accounting materials of temple by classification and code into concrete, should create a media to publicize the campaign for monks-novices-people to see the value of the religious treasure, and should coordinate their work with the relevant government authorities.