The Study of Spatial Identity of Forests Temples and Temple Development Standards of Buddhist Monastery Department, National Office of Buddhism

Abstract

The article entitled “the study of spatial identity of forest temples and temple development standards of Department of Buddhist Monastery Affairs, National Office of Buddhism, is part of the thesis on “The scenario of built environment inside the forest temple by interdisciplinary Buddhist.” This article aimed to study spatial identity of forest temples and temple development standards of Buddhist Monastery Department, National Office of Buddhism. Nowadays, forests surrounding a number of temples in Thailand have been cut down for exploitation or land use. As a result, several forest temples turn housing temples. Although monks in these temples still follow the traditions as forest monks, forest temples already lost their spatial identity. Only the name as “forest temple” remains. Nonetheless, forest temples are still part of the society. When time changes, the society changes, and when economic factors change, forest temples change as well. In this article, the samples as forest temples were analyzed. They were selected from the announcement of National Office of Buddhism on the selection results of temple educational parks, role-model developed temples, and role-model developed temples with outstanding achievements in 2020. There were 13 selected forest temples. The findings revealed that those selected as role-model developed temples with outstanding achievements, role-model developed temples, and of temple educational parks contradicted the received awards and the identity of forest temples. Despite the requirements for the development in term of restoration; landscape improvement that suited the areas for perfect utilization; and temple development for cleanliness, peace, and brightness in order to create mental happiness for people, none of those requirements indicated that forest temples could actually maintain the identity of forest temples.