Thai Buddhism - Thailand Buddhism in Present Day Part 2

The influences of Buddhism can be seen in all aspects of the Thai life and culture. In the home, people keep for worship the Buddha images of various sizes on small altar-tables. While travelling, they wear small Buddha images around their necks as objects of veneration and recollection or as amulets for adornment and protection. When passing sacred places like the Royal Chapel of the Emerald Buddha, devout Buddhists never fail to pay respect to them. Many times during the year they hold and attend festivals at a monastery. Occasionally they go on a pilgrimage to some favourite shrines located in a remote place. Monastery buildings such as the Uposatha hall and the repository of Buddha images are usually the most beautiful and ornate buildings in the village. The Buddha's teachings and Buddhist literature such as the Jataka tales have inspired Thai literature and most of the Thai art forms, especially mural paintings which cover the interior walls of most temples. Pali and Sanskrit are recognized as classical languages. A large number of Thai words, especially those used in royal language and writ-ten language are derived from Pali and Sanskrit. Scholars writing textbooks usually turn to Pali and Sanskrit roots for modern technical vocabulary.

BUDDHISM AS LIVED AND CHERISHED
BY THE THAI PEOPLE
In former days, when Thai men were young, they served as temple boys in the monasteries and were given instruction in reading, writing and simple arithmetic as well as in religion and morals. Through traditional ordination which is still observed today, they are bound to the Order by ties of experience or close relationship with the monks who are their former sons, relatives or friends. At least they live in the Buddhist environment in which they are linked with the religion by ties of custom, by attending religious rites, ceremonies and temple festivals, or by benefiting, either directly or indirectly, from some activities and spiritual influence of religious institutions. Buddhism is their national heritage, the glory of their country which they feel bound to preserve. Even those who are Buddhists merely by name benefit from, and are influenced by, Buddhism in some or other ways. Their cycle of life turns around activities directly or indirectly connected with Buddhism.

Devout Buddhists may give food offerings regularly in the morning, send money contributions to their neighbourhood monasteries, or contribute to some meritorious causes such as building an Uposatha hall elsewhere. Thai calendars usually show a special day of every week which is known as Wan Phra, or the Buddhist holy day, when the pious are often especially active in their merit-making. They may take food offerings to the monasteries or go to hear special sermons and observe additional precepts there, There are also Buddhist discussions or sermons on the radio which they can listen to, and Buddhist programs on television to watch on such days.

Some larger monasteries hold special programs on Saturday and Sunday, the official holidays of the week, so that working people may be able to benefit from their service. Many boys and girls go to attend classes at Buddhist Sunday schools which are conducted in monasteries both in Bangkok and in the provinces. The first of the Buddhist Sunday schools was founded at Mahachula Buddhist University in B.E. 2501 (1958 C.E.). The number of Buddhist Sunday schools increased rapidly during the last two decades, and 297 have been founded up to the present time.