The Buddhist Cultures in Thai Society: Happy and Harmonious Society

Abstract

Thailand as the Land of Culture is converging–place of world cultures as a result of its easiness to accept other cultures, in which several kinds of unique customary cultures constantly are practiced through a very long history. Throughout the year, Thai people are very joyful with a number of festivals, functions and fairs presenting the Thai cultural genius. On the other hand, the traditional culture is an important communal and national one showing its unique characteristic and making sense of unity and integration among communities. Its values help to control behaviours of member automatically, that make all members of the group live together in the Thai society happily and peacefully.

Factually, the way of Thai life is inseparably connected with Buddhism from birth to death: for example, having a newborn child, the parents approach a monk for getting an auspicious name for him. Children are taught to pray and pay homage to the Triple Gems (Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha) before going to bed, and to pay respect to monks. Generally speaking, Buddhist families always offer food to the monks every morning; this is regarded as a way of accumulating merit and fulfills the duty of lay Buddhists to support the monks who preserve the Buddha’s teachings for the world. When a young man reaches twenty years of age, the parents arrange for his temporary ordination as a monk, and he remains in the monkshood for at least the three months of rainy season. Additionally, as explained above all the national festivities and custom are connected with Buddhism, the State Religion. It then can be said that historically the Thai people cannot live without Buddhism regarded as the religion of wisdom playing a great role in the Thai society. It is a great characteristic of the Thai Buddhists that they always know to adjust themselves in living together with nature surrounding them. As the spiritual center Buddhism also provides the harmony, stability and happiness for the whole Thai Nation in forms of traditional cultures and several festivities helping to bind people of different groups together harmoniously.