STRONG COMMUNITY BASED ON BUDDHIST INTEGRATION: CASE STUDY OF SACCA SASOMSUB GROUPS IN EAST OF THAILAND

Abstract

This research had three objectives as follows: 1) to study the social context and the way of life of the communities in the eastern of Thailand before the setting the Sacca Sasomsup Groups 2) to study the concepts, the processes, the factors and the conditions to build up the strong communities of the Sacca Sasomsup groups and 3) to analyze the structure of the strong communities towards the Buddhist integration through the activities of Sacca Sasomsup groups. This study was a qualitative research. The results of the research found that (1) in the past the social context and the way of life in the eastern of Thailand were the agricultural communities. All the farmers lived together as a big family; moreover, they contributed their resources to the community activities. However, after setting the industrial plants in their area, they have started to live as a single family ; therefore, they missed the chance to gathering and contribute activities each others. Sacca Sasomsup groups were set up to reduce poverty of the farmers; consequently, the farmers engaged with the community. (2) The concepts and the processes to build the strong communities of Sacca Sasomsup groups at Trat Province, Chantaburi Province and Sakeaw Province are the best combination between the concrete of money spending and the abstract of Dhamma ; therefore, the communities established the self- sufficiency including the better revolving money. (3) The strong communities towards the Buddhist integration cause by the strengthen the Dhamma before money spending as the SMART model which integrated the 5 knowledge elements : (1) Self-reliance, the own power according to Dhamma to strengthen the strong communities, (2) Money, the key success factor to achieve self- sufficiency, (3) the Altruism, the attitude of mutual benefit, (4) Responsibility, the best practice for successful, (5) Truth & Tolerance Factors, cultivating good moral trait to every concerned person.