Khok Nong Na Santi Suksa Water Management Model Through Buddhist Peaceful Means by Ban Nong Tae, Suphanburi Province

Abstract

This research aimed 1) to analyze the context, problems, and requirements related to Khok Nong Na Santi Suksa water management model by Ban Nong Tae, Suphan Buri Province; 2) to examine the Buddhist peaceful means that contribute to Khok Nong Na Santi Suksa water management model; and 3) to develop and present Khok Nong Na Santi Suksa water management model through Buddhist peaceful means. The study was based on Ariyasacca (the Four Noble Truths) model in accordance with participatory action research under the 9-step research framework. The key informants included eleven scholars and twenty community leaders, religious leaders, and farmers. The data was collected through a purposive in-depth interview and analyzed using the descriptive method.

From the study, the following findings are found: 1) The community area is outside the irrigation region. it is impossible to develop a canal to connect.  Water shortages in agriculture are a recurring problem caused by droughts, thus once a year farming needs to be done with water during the rainy season. If the rain is insufficient, rice cannot be grown. Due to a shortage of water, farmers have been forced to buy significant quantities of water and chemical fertilizers, but the yield could not justify the cost, leaving them in major debt. Moreover, there is a lack of understanding about water management in the area. The implementation of the Khok Nong Na Santi Suksa water management model is an approach that can address the mentioned problems by allowing for year-round access to enough water in one's own areas. 2) An application of Iddhipāda (the Four Bases of Accomplishment) comprising Chanda (will), Viriya (perseverance), Citta (thoughtfulness), Vīmaṃsā (investigation) as a Buddhist peaceful means integrated with modern science are used to develop the water management. As a result, the community will be able to face problems and solve them, resulting in the achievement of set goals and desired success. 3) The waste management model leads to ‘good water, sufficient water, water of kindness.’ The ‘SUPHANBARAY’ model consists of the following components: ‘S’ stands for Survey; ‘U’ stands for Uniqueness; ‘P’ stands for Peace; ‘H’ stands for Handle; ‘A’ stands for Action; ‘N’ stands for Network; ‘B’ stands for Baray; ‘A’ stands for Active; ‘R’ stands for Reflection; ‘A’ stands for Accomplishment; and ‘Y’ stands for Yield. The model helps in improving community cooperation, encourages helping and solidarity among people, supports benefit sharing and sustainable peace in the community.