Ratanakosin Period
King Rama I
The reign of King Rama 1 of Chakri dynasty began in the year 2325
BE, with the town of Bangkok as capital. Although there were some
wars with outward enemy, he often managed to find time to encourage
the study and practice of Buddhism. Numerous temples, both inside
and outside the capital, were repaired. Of these temples, the
Jetuvana Vihara (or Wat Pho, in the vernacular), which ranks among
one of the most important, had undergone seven years of repair and
the well-known Wat-Phra-Keo (Temple of the Emmeral Buddha), which
is regarded as the most important one in Thailand, was also built
during his reign. From the Northern provinces such as from
Sukhothai, a number of Buddha images (about two thousand in all)
were brought in order to be enshrined in the Uposatha of various
temples in Bangkok.
In 2331 BE a Council of Bhikkhus was convened for the sake of, as
before, settling the contents of the Tipitaka and having those
settled passages written down with a stylus on books made of
corypha palm leaves. Such books were numbered 345 in all, i.e. 80
for the Abhidhamma and 53 for the Saddavisesa texts. The Council,
held at the present Wat Mahadhat, lasted five months and under the
chairmanship of a Supreme Patriarch (whose name was Sri). The
participants were 218 bhikkhus together with 32 lay scholars. This
was the second council held in Thailand.
Religious literature during his reign were compiled both in Pali
and in Thai, of these, one was a Pali treatise celled
Sangitiyavangsa written by Somdet Phra Vanarat of Jetuvana
Temple.
King Rama II
King Rama II, formerly called Phra Buddha Lert Lah, came to the
throne in B.E. 2352. Buddhist activities during his time were noted
in sending a religious good-will mission group to Ceylon and
organizing the research and study of Buddhism. Thus it was during
this time that the course for studying Buddhism in Pali language
was divided into mine grades as such had once been done in
Ayutthaya period. Other activities included the repairing of the
existing temples and the building of new ones. The latter included
the Prang of Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn), symbolic of Thailand for
all foreigners.
King Rama
III
Phra Nang-Klao, the third of the Chakri dynasty, succeeded his
father in B.E. 2367. Having a natural bent for architecture besides
being a pious king himself, he had more temples built both inside
and outside Bangkok. The temple of Jetuvana in the reign of King
Rama I became a treasure of religious knowledge for Buddhist
scholars and the symbolic Prang of Bangkok was perfectly
completed in his reign. Also two groups of good-will missionary
bhikkhus, one after the other, were sent to Ceylon. His piety in
Buddhism may be seen in his pioneer undertaking to translate the
Pali Tipitaka and some other Pali texts into Thai. Nevertheless,
his reign came to an end before they were all completed.
In B.E. 2372 there was a religious movement which marked a
cornerstone for the study and practice of Buddhism in Thailand,
---- the birth of the Dhammayutta group of bhikkhus. This was due
to Prince Mongkut, the Kings younger brother who had been ordained
as a bhikkhu for 27 years. Through this long period of secluded
life he was endowed with a thorough knowledge of the Buddhist
Scriptures, including the Tipitaka, its Commentaries,
Sub-commentaries and other Pali texts as well. With such a wealth
of knowledge gained and digested as a result of long and profound
thinking, he was able to distinguish more clearly between what is
right and what is wrong in the Masters doctrine. He then set out
putting to practice what is mentioned and regarded as righteous in
the Tipitaka. By doing so, he unwittingly made a great impression
on those who, inspired by his conduct, took it upon themselves to
follow his way of life. This group of people, in course of time,
grew bigger and more popular and became a separate gathering of
bhikkhus called the Dhammayutta group as distinct from the former
group of bhikkhus in Thailand. Besides being proficient in
religious knowledge, Prince Mongkut also had a good command of
Sanskrit and English , and in his establishing the Dhammayutta
group of bhikkhus, his movement might be compared with that of the
Venerable Rahula Thera who through his examplary mode of practice
had founded the Lankavangsa group of bhikkhus at the town of
Nakhorn Si Thammarat (some 800 km. south of Bangkok).
Of the religious literature in Thai, one was
Pathom-Som-Bodhi-Katha (life of Buddha) compiled by the Supreme
Patriarch Prince Paramanujit Jinorasa of Jetuvana Temple. Of the
works in Pali, one called Sima Vicarana (Treatise on Sima or
boundary of a main shrine) compiled by Prince Mongkut himself wins
high respect in Ceylon.
King Rama IV
King Rama IV, or Prince Mongkut who had to disrobe himself after
his brothers death, came to the throne in B.E. 2394. He was
formally known as Phra Chom Klao. During his reign bhikkhus were
greatly encouraged in their study and practice of Buddhism, so that
they were well-behaved as well as well-educated in the Buddhas
doctrine. Some rules and regulations for the betterment of the
administration of the community of bhikkhus as a whole were laid
down; a group of religious good-will mission was sent forth to
Ceylon; and the community of Dhammayutta bhikkhus was also
established in Cambodia.
Never was the construction work neglected. The Raj-Pra-Dit Temple,
one of the most important temples of Bangkok was an evidence of the
fact. The greatest and highest Chedi or pagoda of Nakhon Pathom,
called the Pathom Chedi second to none in its design and
decorations, also bears witness of his constructive genius and
serves to remind the Thai people of its historical
importance.
As a result of earnest study in Buddhism there were more books
expounding the tenets of the Buddhas doctrine in Thai language.
This movement opened up a new trend of modern thought in
disseminating the Dhamma to the people on a broader scale, instead
of the former which seemed like monopolizing it for the realization
of the few intelligentsia. Of the Pali literature, a volume by the
Supreme Patriarch Prince Pavares Variyalongkorn, named
Sugatavidatthividhana is the most important of the time.
King Rama V
The reign of King Rama V, formerly called Phra Chula Chom Klao,
began in the year B.E. 2411 and lasted 42 years. He was also one of
the few monarchs who temporarily renounced his throne after his
coronation in order to be ordained as a bhikkhu. This was because
most of the Thai kings since Ayudhya period were usually ordained
before the coronation day.
Being no less devout to Buddhism than his predecessors, he managed
to found two Buddhist Universities for the sake of increasing the
progress and stability of the education of Buddhism.
These two were Mahamakuta Raja Vidyalaya and Mahachulalongkorn Raja
Vidyalaya, both of which have played a very in the field of
Buddhist study. He also enacted a law concerning the administrative
system of the community of bhikkhus, declaring that the Buddhist
Church should be self-governing holy community, while the state
would be the patron under the direction and for the welfare of the
Church. Of other major construction work one is Wat Benjamabophit,
which is well known among foreigners for its impressive Buddha
image in the Uposatha.
In B.E. 2431 a Council of Bhikkhus under the chairmanship of the
Supreme Patriarch Prince Pavares Variyalongkorn was held for the
purpose of transliterating the existing Tipitaka from the palm-leaf
books in Cambodian characters to printed books using Thai
characters. This required 39 printed volumes for each set of the
entire Tipitaka. Besides the Message itself, some Commentaries from
Cambodian to Thai characters and then printed in the form of paper
books.
One of the kings elements of religious success, however,
undoubtedly comes from the zealous efforts of one of his great
helpers. This was no other than his own half-brother, the Supreme
Patriarch Prince Vajirananavarorasa, who had a profound knowledge
in English as well as Pali and Sanskrit. Thus, by virtue of his
ability plus his high position (as the kings brother and as chief
of the whole community of bhikkhus), the theoretical and practical
sides of Buddhism under the far-sighted and able Patriarch were
greatly encouraged. Most of his noble works are still now studies
by the public as well as by the students, and it is never an
over-estimate to say that he has blazed a trial for modern thought
in the study and practice of Buddhism.
In B.E. 2437 the Mahamakuta Raja Vidyalaya, one of the two Buddhist
Universities published a religious periodical, called Dhama
Cakshu, which now reaches its sixty-third anniversary and is
therefore the oldest and most long-lived religious periodical in
Thailand.
King Rama VI
King Rama VI, the poet and philosopher, formally known as Phra
Mongkut Klao, ascended the throne in B. E. 2453. In order to imbue
the spirit of Buddhism into the minds of his citizens, without
distinction of position, profession or sex, he organized a new
branch of studying Buddhism in Thai language. This was successfully
done because there has been several texts on Buddhism compiled in
the reign of his royal father together with many writers during his
reign [mostly by the Supreme Patriarch Prince Vajirananavarorasa].
He himself never neglected to do so, and thus there were written
many religious books which were both instructive and understandable
by all. His wealth of religious literature consisted of such books
as Addresses to Scouts and What did the Buddha realize? So it
can be said that the study of Buddhism was now accessible to all,
whether they know Pali or not, whether they want to study it for a
long time of within a limited period of time and whether they be a
male or a female. In case they have a limited time for studying, it
is then advisable that they should Buddhism from the texts written
in Thai, and if they are ordained as a Bhikkhu or Samanera
[Novice], they are called Nak Dhamma [Dhammiko-the Dhamma
student]. The [almost] same course for laymen or woman called
Dhamma Suksa. [Dhamma-Sikkha-Dhamma student].
As regards the transliteration work done in the reign of King Rama
V, more Commentaries, Sub-commentaries, Tika, and other Paki works
were transliterated during his reign.
King Rama
VII
Phra Pok Klao, of King Rama VII, came to the throne in B.E. 2468.
Besides preserving all the movements for the promotion of Buddhism
as King Rama VI had done, he also had a Council of Bhikkhus
convened under the chairmanship of the Supreme Patriarch Prince
Jinavara Sirivatthana for the sake of revising and checking the
contents for the 39 Tipitaka volumes printed in the reign of King
Rama V with the Tipitakas from Ceylon, Burma, Europe and Cambodia.
Then a re-print was done. This time the contents were divided into
45 volumes, of which 8 were the Vinaya, 25 Suttanta and 12
Abhidhamma. All these were printed in B.E. 2470. This new set of
Tipitaka was called the Siam-Rath edition.
King Rama
VIII
King Rama RII or King Ananda Mahidol, succeeded King Rama VII in
the year B.E. 2477. The administrative system for the community of
Bhikkhus was during this time altered in compliance with that for
the State, so that there were Ecclesiastical ministers and prime
minister. More of this alteration will be dealt with under the
heading Administrative system for the community of Thai Bhikkhus
in the following pages.
Or the events worth mentioning, one was the construction of Wat
Phar Sri Mahadhat by the Government and another was the study of
Buddhism which became more popular in neighbouring lands such as in
the Federated Malay States and Singapore.
King Rama IX
The reign of King Rama IX, formally called King Phumiphon, began in
B.E. 2489.
A special hospital for Bhikkhus was built and two Buddhist
Universities, in the real sense of a university, were established.
These two are Mahamakuta University, situated at the temple of
Bovaranives, opined in B.E. 2489. and Mahachulalongkorn University,
situated at the temple of Mahadhat, opened in B.E. 2490. There two
Buddhist Universities were really managed by Bhikkhus, with a
subsidy from the Government and contributions from the public. Also
studying in these two universities are Bhikkhus from neighbouring
countries such as Laos and Cambodia. Up till now there have been
several groups of graduated students. This is in a way a good omen
foe Buddhism in this age of trouble and turmoil.
In B.E. 2499. King Bhumiphol temporarily renounced the throne for
the purpose of ordination. During the period as a Bhikkhu he gad
attentively studied Buddhism both in its theoretical and practical
side. This moved the people to a general appreciation and rejoicing
and in this occasion there was also rejoicing and in this occasion
there was also an amnesty of many prisoners. The Supreme Patriarch
was the Preceptor [Upajja] in this royal ceremony of
ordination.
MAHAYANA BUDDHISM IN
RATANAKOSIN PERIOD
Mahayana Buddhism might have theoretically or nominally been lost
from Thailand in the eighteenth Buddhist century, but all through
this time some of its ideals have been practically and with some
degree of sincerity adhered to by the general public. The general
belief that everybody is or can be a Buddha and that the king is a
Boddhisatva [or future Budbha] including the efficacy of charms and
amulets that make a believer invulnerable to weapons and dangers
and misfortunes are evidences that the spirit of Mahayana is still
clinging stubbornly to the hearts of the people.
The first time Mahayana Buddhism came into Thailand was the
Mantrayana Sect. Then for the second time Mahayana was introduced
in the reign of King Thonburi and Rattanakosin Period by the
refugees from Viet-Nam or Annam at that time. Owing to a state of
revolution in their country, there were many noblemen and people
who were immigrants from Annam. They later on built up a temple of
their own. With a second wave of immigrants two more Annam Temples
were built in Bangkok. In the reign of King Rama III, there more
temples of the Annam Buddhism, one in Bangkok and two in the
country, were built by the third group of immigrants.
In the reign of King Rama V there came from China a Chinese
Bhikkhu, who later became very popular among the Chinese in
Thailand, He afterwards built two Chinese temples-one in the
country and the other in Bangkok called in Chinese Leng Noi Yee
or Wat Mang Kon Kamalavas which is the biggest Mahayana temple in
Thailand. When an ecclesiastic title was given to the Chinese and
the Annam Bhikkhus, he was one of those who were offered the
honorable title. It should be noted, however, that Mahayana
Buddhism in Thailand introduced by the Chinese and the Annam
Bhikkhus belonged to the Sukgavati sect.
Another progressive step of the Chinese Buddhists during this reign
was the building of another temple of their own-the first temple in
Thailand that, due to the presence of Sima (formal boundary mark as
prescribed in the Vinaya or Book of Discipline), can be used as a
place wherein to perform the religious rite of ordination. This
eliminated one of the the previous troubles that required a Chinese
Bhinkkhu to be ordained from China. In addition to this, there were
also many Buddhist Associations founded by the Chinese Buddhists
for the purpose of propagating their Mahayana doctrine.
Nevertheless, their propagation was practically restricted
restricted among their propagation was practically restricted among
their fellow-men. This is possibly because the Mahayana Bhikkhus
are generally more relaxed in their behaviour and less educated in
their study.
SOME PROPAGATION
ACTIVITIES
It has been traditional for every Wat or temple in Thailand to
arrange for every Wat or temple in Thailand to arrange for a
delivering of the sermon four times a month. This is done on the
Buddhist Sabbath day, called in Thai Wan Phra, which, calculated
from the lunar calendar, falls on the full-moon day, the half-moon
days (of the waxing moon and the waning moon) and the day before
the new moon day. In addition to this, there was later arranged a
sermon on Sunday which, like those on the four Sabbath days, has
been broadcast from various radio radio stations. The days of the
Buddhist events such as Visakha Day, Magha or All Saints day and
the day of Lent are proclaimed official official holidays. On the
Buddhist Sabbath days there is to be no killing whatever in all
slaughter-houses. There is also a department of religious affairs
which is responsible for the welfare of Bhikkhus and the upholding
of Buddhism (and other religions), for which purpose an annual
subsidy from the Government is given. Bhikkhus who are well be
offered a noble title by the king according to their ability and
will also be given some financial help by the government.
Every turn of life practically cannot do without Buddhist ceremony
or observance in some way or other. The birth, marriage, death and
many other occasions of an individual as well as state ceremonies
often require some Bhikkhus to take part in them by chanting or by
delivering a sermon or by some other methods. Before beginning the
morning lessons in every school, the pupils are to say their prayer
to the Triple Gem (i. e. the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha ),
and the life of Buddha and his doctrine are among compulsory
subjects in the school curriculum. Also there has for a long time a
tradition that every Thai youth must be once ordained as a Bhikkhu
for a Vassa (a rainy season i. e. three months). It is all the
better for him if he can stay as a Bhikkhu longer than that or for
the rest of rest of his life.
At present there are several Buddhist as associations under the
management of devoted lay adherents. Some of these are the Buddhist
Association and the Yong Buddhist Association of Thailand, both
with affiliated societies in almost every town in the country. By
the efforts of these associations programmes for a lecture or talk
or discussion on the Dhamma are at regular intervals arranged for
the public, in addition to a periodical each of their own.
Thus it is an undeniable fact to say that the every day life of a
Thai from the cradle to the grave, so to speak, together with his
arts and craft and literature and culture and arts and other
elements of his life, are all based upon and moulded by the one
common factor-the spirit of Buddhism.
ADMINISTRATION OF THE
BUDDHIST CHURCH
In Thailand the head of the Buddhist Church is the Supreme
Patriarch. The executive power is vested in the Council of
Ecclesiastical Ministers, which to a great extent corresponds to
the Cabinet Council of the State. For this Council there are
Ecclesiastical Ministers, including the Sangha Nayaka
(Ecclesiastical Premier), Ecclesiastical Ministers for
Administration, for Propagation, for Education and for Public
Welfare, and Eccl. deputy ministers. The rest are Eccl. ministers
without portfolio.
The State, so far as the administration of the Church is concerned,
is divided into main sections, each with its own Eccl. High
Commissioner and his assistant, something like the State High
Commissioner or Governor-general. Each section is further
sub-divided into town, each with its own leading Bhikkhu or Eccl.
Commissioner or Governor with his assistant. Then (for each town)
there is a board of town committee, along with the board of town
judges. Each town is divided into several Amphur (or districts),
which in turn is sub-divided into several Tam-boon
(Sub-districts). For each Amphur and Tamboon there is again a
chief together with his assistant and board of Amphur or
Tam-boon committee, These administrative agents are all
Bhikkhus.
The Twenty-Fifth Buddhist
Century
In the auspicious occasion of the twenty-fifth Buddhist century,
Thailand has organized a nation-wide celebration from 12 th-18 th
May in commemoration of one of greatest events for all Buddhists.
Thus for the glory of the longevity of Buddhism in spite of
undermining influences, and for the sake of showing the world how
Thailand had firmly upheld Buddhism and how the Thai people are
impressed by the Masters teaching, there is allocated as a
sanctuary a piece of land to be called Buddha-Monthon (Buddhas
domain), wherein is erected a standing Buddha image 2500 in. in
height. In addition to this, the whole Tipitaka or the Three
Baskets of the Buddhist Canon has been translated into Thai;
temples and places of worship all over the land are being repaired;
2500 persons are to be ordained as Bhikkhus, and an Amnesty Act is
passed; Buddhist activities, both on the part of Bhikkhus and
laities such as of the various Buddhist societies, are also
exhibited to the public; Buddhist literature and pieces of art will
be displayed, and, within the temporary pavilion in the midst of
the Phra Meru Ground, sermons are to be delivered, Parittas
(instructive passages from the Sacred Books) chanted and food
presented to 2500 Bhikkhus each day throughout the seven day
celebration. These are to be presided over by their Majesties the
King and the Queen.