Model Essay: Examine key features of the Buddhist sangha in Thailand and how these have changed in the 21st Century.

 

“Examine key features of the Buddhist Sangha in Thailand and how these have changed in the 21^st Century.” (10 marks - AQA)

Traditionally, the sangha in countries where there are many Buddhists is responsible for social order for local communities. This traces back to the original sangha as set up by Siddhartha Gautama. After gaining enlightenment, Gautama ordained the first monks, and this the lineage of Buddhist monks traces back to the Buddha himself. The Buddha created the sangha to be responsible for ‘spreading the dharma’ (Cush). Within Thailand, monks and nuns who join the sangha are therefore responsible for preserving and transmitting the message of Buddhism.

Within the traditional Thai sangha, much as the Buddha intended, life revolved around the Theravada goal – gaining nirvana. This may be pursued through Samatha and Vipassana meditation, and through the study of Buddhist texts such as the Milindapanda of the Pali Canon. The sangha relied on the laity for survival – as monks and nuns may not handle money and property becomes communal after renunciation, the monks and nuns daily beg for alms in the local community. In return, they offer the laity opportunities to learn the dharma and will offer services such as birth and death rites.

The rural sangha in Thailand plays a similar role in the C21st to the traditional sangha envisions by the Buddha. For example, monks will educate local children – providing a service similar to primary school. However, in the cities, the sangha has changed somewhat as general Thai culture and attitudes have developed. It has been suggested that the West has influenced Thai society, making it increasingly capitalistic. Despite having a Buddhist monarchy, Thailand is not a formally Buddhist country. Therefore society is becoming increasingly influenced by capitalism – concerned with wealth and status. This has an effect on the Thai sangha, as people are less invested in Buddhist ideals, which reject reliance on worldly possessions. This decreasing focus on religion and increasing focus on personal gain can lead to monks in C21st Thailand straying from the path of Buddhism – there are suggestions that some monks in urban areas join the sangha in order to be highly respected in society. This may change the integrity of the sangha itself. A lack of religious focus also may lead to less support for the sangha, with less Thailanders attending the temple or supporting the laity with alms, particularly in urban areas.

Politically, there are difference in Thailand today – the country has been a democracy for the past 20 years. The generally positive view of the sangha, particularly in rural areas, has led to political campaigners using the sangha to gain more votes, by associating themselves with local communities and publicly showing themselves to observe Buddhist traditions. This illustrates that the Thai sangha still plays an essential role in Thailand, as it is viewed as an important political vehicle. Democracy has also affected the sangha’s structure – it is now a top-down hierarchy with elected officials in charge of the chief council.

Sangha: Buddhist communities - The founding of the Sangha and the Sangha in Thailand

 

The Sangha

•        The Sangha is the community of monks and nuns who give up everything to dedicate their lives to following Buddhism. The Sangha began with the 5 ascetics who became arhats after the Buddha preached his first sermon, Buddhists believe that the Sangha can be traced right back to the Buddha, who ordained the first monks. The main purpose of the Sangha, according to Denise Cush, is: “to spread the message of the Buddha and thus enable people to gain enlightenment.” One role that the Sangha plays is educating others about Buddhism.

•        Those who wish to become a Buddhist monastic must take ‘refuge’ in the three ‘Jewels’ of the Buddha. They recite 3 times: “I take refuge in the Buddha. I take refuge in the Dharma. I take refuge in the sangha.” In the entry ceremony, a monk will shave their head, choose a new name, and put on a Buddhist robe, showing that have renounced their previous life.

•        Life in the sangha is governed by following strict moral rules (227 in the Theravada tradition), as well as non-attachment to possessions so being reliant on alms. Monks will dedicate their lives to meditation and study, they will also spend time each year on a forest retreat during the rainy season, this is a tradition which was started by the Buddha.

The Sangha in Thailand

•        The Sangha used to be a huge part of the makeup of Thai life. The King of Thailand is still required by law to be a Buddhist, although Thailand is not officially a Buddhist country. The main form of Buddhism practised in Thailand is Theravada. In the past, the Sangha was central to the way that all of Thai society functioned: they performed family rites (birth and death rituals), they were responsible for the education of children, there was a Sangha for every local community which helped the members of that community. The Sangha had close ties to the government and was seen as a useful way of keeping society structured and organised, the way the Sangha was organised mirrored local governments (as well as there being councils the Sangha would influence people to make decisions). Buddhists were very well respected in Thai society, particularly monks.

•        In modern times, the role of the Sangha has changed: Thai society has changed and become more “Westernised”: people’s goals are becoming centred around financial and material gain, particularly in cities. People have also criticised the Sangha for becoming too focused on status: people aim to be a high-ranking monk, instead of aiming to be a good Buddhist. Less Thai people are attending temple and becoming monks, which could suggest that Buddhism is becoming less important to Thai people, and so that Sangha has a less important role. Today political campaigners are likely to use the Sangha as a way of getting votes, particularly in rural areas where the role of the Sangha is very similar to what it was 100 years ago.

•        People have different approaches to the Sangha depending on where they live – in some places, joining the sangha is a lifelong commitment and it would be extremely shameful for one to leave the sangha after renouncing one’s life. However, in other places people may join the Sangha for a short period of time – for example, it is common in Thailand for “novice” monks to join the Sangha up to the age of seven – this is seen as a way for their families to gain good punya (which can be sent to dead relatives to help with their rebirth through punya rituals in the temple) and also is an excellent way for young children to get an education and have a safe upbringing.

•        Within today’s society, some Buddhist monks may choose to complete renounce the temptations of society and become a forest/cave dwellers. This can allow them to spend time in meditation and study, without the distractions of daily life. It is perhaps more common in Eastern countries, but is a response to the changing moral landscape of the 21^st century, and suggests that people want to get back to the original roots of Buddhism. As academic interest in Buddhism has increased in the C21st, some monks and nuns will dedicate their career to academic study of Buddhism and its texts: for example, monks may spend time translating ancient texts from classical language into modern vernacular to help people understand more about Buddhism. This still helps them to fulfil the primary purpose of the Sangha: to tell others about Buddhism, Buddhism can also be related to medical/mental health practises, for example monks have been seen as excellent examples of mindfulness behaviour. They may run courses for people to reduce stress and help them cope with the pressures of daily life.

•        The monks and nuns in the Sangha are dependent on the lay community for alms, and they will go on an alms round every day to collect food. This in turn allows the laity to gain good punya which is translated into good karma for their future rebirth. The relationship between the laity and the Sangha is therefore mutually beneficial for all parties. In return for alms and support with tasks such as repairing the temples and receiving medicine, monks will teach the laity about the dharma, educate their children, and perform temple rites such as funerals and weddings, which the community rely on.

•        The Wat Phra Dhammakaya movement is a modern Thai Buddhist movement - The Movement uses modern technology: Television broadcasting, setting up a university and distance learning degree about Buddhism, created a searchable CD of the Pali Canon. It helps people make and share merit by: encouraging blood donation, running weekly meditation and retreats for the public to join with, ceremony of “honouring the Buddha’s by food” to help people make merit by worshipping the Buddha in pari-nirvana, raises money for charity, encourages people to go on pilgrimage, social network: peace revolution.