AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF BUDDHISM FROM SRI-AYUTTHYÂ GENEOLOGY

Abstract

The objectives of the research are 1) to study the Buddhism from Sri-Ayuttaya Geneology, 2) to analyze the role and relation of Buddhism to society, and 3) to analyze the ideology of Buddhism on society and society to Buddhism under which qualitative methodology was used. The findings were as follows:- Sri-Ayutthaya was been the capital of Thai for 417 years, and ruled by the thirty-three kings. All of them were divided into five dynasties. The history of Buddhism was recorded on Ayuttaya Geneology in 22 regions, while the 11 regions have no anything about Buddhism been recorded. The Buddhism recorded on Ayutthaya Geneology had relation to the kings in according with the Geneology. According to the role and the relation between Buddhism and Ayutthaya society, the research found two characters. The first, Buddhism played the important role and relation to society in many dimension e.i. morality, citizen, ceremony and religious buildings that made Ayuttaya be the important land of Buddhism until now. The second, society played role and influence to Buddhism. As the social influence, it made the new value in Buddhism that corresponding and not corresponding to ordinary principle. By the ideology of Buddhism on society and vice versa, the research found that the ways of life in Ayutthaya society received from the ideology of Buddhism, i.e. ideology of practicing on Buddhist Holly day, building religious objects for memory, to ordain of royalty, auspicious elephant, and the ideology on patronizing Buddhism etc., while some Buddhist traditions also received from the ways of society i.e. to erect the Buddha statue for one’s birthday, to play entertainment in Buddhist celebration, to believe in omen, to give sacrifice for worshiping the Buddha etc.