A Guideline for Promoting the Mon’s Traditional Culture by Buddhist Peaceful Means

Abstract

This qualitative study examines challenges affecting the preservation of Mon traditional culture and proposes culturally grounded guidelines based on Buddhist peaceful means. The study pursued three objectives: (1) to examine the context, problems, causes, and preservation needs of Mon traditional culture; (2) to analyze relevant cultural-preservation theories and Buddhist principles; and (3) to formulate practical guidelines for promoting Mon traditional culture through peaceful and participatory approaches. Data were drawn from documentary sources on Mon culture, cultural heritage, peacebuilding, and Buddhism, along with field observations and interviews with Mon Buddhist monks and cultural stakeholders. The findings indicate that Mon cultural continuity is challenged by modernization, cultural assimilation, declining intergenerational transmission, and weakening participation in selected traditional practices. At the same time, monasteries, religious ceremonies, Mon-language education, community festivals, and local cultural leaders remain important resources for cultural resilience. The study identifies four mutually reinforcing areas for cultural promotion: non-violent cultural preservation, community engagement and education, adaptive cultural transmission, and intercultural dialogue. Buddhist principles of non-harming, loving-kindness, compassion, mindfulness, and communal harmony provide an ethical orientation for these strategies, while contemporary heritage and peacebuilding perspectives emphasize participation, education, cultural rights, and locally grounded institutions. The resulting framework positions cultural preservation not as the static protection of inherited customs, but as a peaceful process of transmission, participation, adaptation, and dialogue. The study contributes a context-sensitive model for strengthening Mon cultural identity while supporting social cohesion and peaceful coexistence.