Faith in Thailand. Religion of Thailand: Buddhism, history, monks. Rules for visiting Buddhist temples

Thailand is a kingdom located in Southeast Asia. Thais live here, as well as a small percentage of representatives of other nationalities. The population is approximately 70 million people. There are a lot of people here who adhere to one faith or another. Let us consider below all the religions of Thailand with the history of their appearance.

Buddhism

This belief is held by approximately 94% of the total population. And it is Buddhism that is the state. religion of Thailand. Another interesting fact is that the ruler of the country must be a Buddhist.

Regilia appeared here a very long time ago - already in the 7th century BC. e. Ceylon monks were engaged in preaching. This is how Buddhism began to spread among the Thais. And in the 13th century it officially became the main religion of Thailand. The country has still retained its core faith, with only slight influences from other faiths.

Thai Buddhism: types, features, what is its essence?

In general, in Asia there are two types of Buddhism: Hinayan (“southern”) and Mahayana (“northern”). The second type is followed by countries such as China, China, Japan, and Tibet. But the Hinayana branch exists in Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Burma and, of course, Thailand. The “southern” branch of Buddhism appeared much earlier than the “northern” and comes practically unchanged from the Buddha himself, and its adherents adhere to traditional rituals and customs.

The main difference between the Mahayana and Hinayana branches is their attitude towards the Buddha. In “southern” Buddhism, including Thai, he is treated as an ordinary person who was able to achieve nirvana, and in the “northern” branch he is elevated to a deity. In other words, we can assume that Buddhist Thais see the world as a single whole, where there is no God as such, as Mahayans or Christians, Muslims and others usually imagine him.

Faith is based on virtue, and the main goal of any Buddhist is to achieve nirvana. They also believe in the rebirth of souls, and that past life and actions (good or bad) determine what this life will be like in a subsequent incarnation. There are many rituals in Buddhism that are traditionally performed in Buddhist temples. There are also Thai monks who live in these places either for a certain time or for their entire lives.

But, in addition to the above, religion presupposes that one must live, albeit virtuously, but without martyrdom, which is very characteristic of Christianity, for example. People who adhere to Buddhism have a simpler outlook on life. But at the same time, they believe that all bad deeds come from our base human desires, which must be overcome in ourselves if we want to achieve nirvana or live better in the next life than now. Therefore, many Buddhists have a craving for asceticism.

Islam

The second most popular religion in Thailand is Islam. There are approximately 4% of Muslims here, and their main concentration is in the southern part of the country. This is explained by Thailand's proximity to Malaysia in the south, where Islam reigns.

This religion began to spread in the second half of the 20th century, when the country began to develop economic and trade relations with Arab countries, including neighboring Malaysia. Mostly Muslims in Thailand are representatives of other nationalities and Malays.

Christianity

There are very few Christians in Thailand - from 1 to 2% maximum. But Christianity appeared much earlier than Islam. The religion was spread by European missionaries from the 16th-17th centuries. As in the case of Muslims, Christianity is supported mainly by other nationalities and Europeans living in the country.

Christians in Thailand are divided into several categories: Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox. Mostly there are more adherents of Catholicism.

The first mention of the appearance of a Catholic (namely, a representative dates back to 1550. He arrived from Goa to Siam. Then another missionary wanted to go to the city, but sudden death prevented his plans. Some time later, people who arrived from Portugal began to spread Catholicism. In 1567 year, two Dominicans managed to convert as many as 1,500 Thais. But local pagans opposed this and killed the Dominicans. For a long period, Catholics from other countries were prohibited from entering.

However, closer to the 17th century, this confrontation began to subside. The first church was built in 1674. In 1826, missionaries were allowed to enter the country, and since then, from the beginning of the first half of the 19th century, the construction of many Catholic churches, churches, and chapels began in Thailand.

But with Orthodoxy it’s a different story. It began to spread only in the 20th century, and at the moment it is professed by about a thousand people.

The Thais first met the Russians in Siam in 1863. At the end of the 19th century, representatives of two nationalities from Russia and Thailand were interested in each other as representatives of completely different cultures, including in a religious sense. However, even though Russian people began to come to Thailand, there were practically no priests among them. That is why Orthodoxy appeared so late, because in the 20th century the first Orthodox church was only built and representatives of the clergy arrived.

Animism

Some people in Thailand believe in spirits, and they also have a special relationship with them than in other countries. This is called animism. The essence of the faith is that these creatures live everywhere, and they must be revered and “fed.” They make so-called khanphrabhums (sanprapoums) - these are houses in which food, drinks and incense are placed every day. It is believed that perfumes are fueled by aromas, which is why people should not smell the incense found in these houses.

There are also a lot of rules associated with these small buildings that cannot be broken, so as not to anger these invisible creatures. It is impossible for a shadow to fall on the house, for example. And almost every Thai family usually asks an astrologer for advice about a good location before installation.

These spirits surround Thais everywhere, there are good and evil ones. The souls of dead people who were so “bad” that, instead of being reborn, became something ephemeral are considered evil.

Other beliefs

There are also adherents of other beliefs, which are mainly adhered to. Such people make up less than 1% of the population. These religions include:

Taoism;
Confucianism;
Judaism;
Hinduism;
Sikhism.

Attitude to religion

As already written above, a large percentage of people in Thailand adhere to one or another belief, about 0.4% are clergy. Only 0.3% of the general population consider themselves atheists.

Parents instill in their children a special attitude towards Buddhism from an early age. Almost all boys are sent to a monastery for at least two days to become monks.

Also, religion in this country greatly influences the state itself. For example, the Thais will never allow a sacred religious event (namely, to fall on the same date as the state date).

Thais also often visit Buddhist temples, and while there, many rules must be followed. But it’s not scary if a foreigner, due to his ignorance, violated something somewhere. Local residents are usually understanding. And any religion has such rules of behavior in a sacred place. In Buddhist temples, for example, you cannot talk loudly, touch altars and statues with your hands, and much more.

Famous temples

These buildings are some of the most interesting places in the country, and are the most striking expression of Buddhism, the main religion of Thailand. Photos cannot describe the beauty of these structures. Any tourist who has visited the country at least once should take a look at at least one. There are a lot of temples here, and they are all beautiful, but let’s look at the most grandiose of them.

Although the White Temple is a religious place, it was created by a surrealist sculptor, which can be seen from the appearance of this place. It looks unusual and stands out among its “brothers”.
The Tiger Cave Temple (Wat Tham Suea) in Krabi is very large and located on a hill. At the very top there is a statue of Buddha, to which about one and a half thousand steps lead.
The Temple of the Emerald Buddha is owned by the royal family and is considered one of the most popular tourist destinations in Bangkok.
But the Temple of Truth in Pattaya is entirely wooden. Wood craftsmen worked on its construction, which can be easily seen: the wood has very beautiful carvings and patterns. It reaches a height of over 100 meters and has three floors, each of which symbolizes heaven, hell and nirvana.

Instead of a conclusion

So, what is the religion in Thailand? The state and most popular faith is Buddhism, which is followed by almost the entire population. Most Thais are very religious, but above all they believe that it is important to remain a virtuous person. There are other faiths here, but they are much smaller. It is their attitude to religion that distinguishes the Thais from many other peoples.

Although no concrete evidence can be found regarding the timing of Buddhism's introduction into present-day Thailand, it is believed that Buddhism was first brought to the country during the 3rd century BC. when Theravada Buddhist missionaries under the leadership of Reverend Sona and Uttara were sent to the Indian Emperor Asoke and visited Suwannaphum ("Golden Land").

After the return of the pilgrims, Buddhism was accepted and established in most of Indochina. An important difference between the assertion of Buddhism on the territory of Southeast Asia is that this religion did not destroy local beliefs, as Christianity did in Rus', eradicating pagan beliefs with fire and sword. Therefore, Hindu deities are found everywhere in Thailand, and the phenomenon of Animism - belief in spirits - is also widespread.

It is impossible to understand the life of the Thais and Thai art without understanding the role of Buddhism, just as the art of Greece is incomprehensible without knowledge of mythology, and Western art is incomprehensible without knowledge of Christianity. It is believed that Buddha Sidharatha Shakyamuni, whose name is associated with the creation of Buddhist teachings, was a historical figure. He was born in 560 BC. e. in the family of the ruler of the principality of Kapilavastu in India. His father Shudhodana devoted himself entirely to raising his only son and forbade him to leave the palace. At the age of 16, the prince married a princess from a neighboring principality.

At the age of 28, the prince found himself outside the palace for the first time, and the four meetings that followed radically changed his ideas about life: having met a decrepit old man, the prince realized that youth was fleeting, seeing a leper, and then a dead man, he learned that there were illness and death. When he saw the beggar, he began to think about the causes of human misfortune and suffering. Returning home, he learned that he had a son, Rahula. He could not stay with his beloved wife and son and, leaving the world, became a wandering monk.

For six years he led an ascetic lifestyle: he exhausted his body with yoga, limited himself in food (often he ate only one grain of rice for the whole day). He soon lost faith in the possibility of comprehending the truth through mortification. Then, through meditative exercises, he achieved “enlightenment” under the Bodhi tree. So he became Buddha, the Enlightened One, who comprehended Wisdom, who found the path to salvation.

The Buddha taught that the ordinary person should avoid both extremes of asceticism and hedonism, everything should be natural and harmonious. The most acceptable path is the middle path. Life is an endless series of rebirths of plants, animals, and humans. Life is suffering: love, unsatisfied desires, illness - all suffering. The path for a simple layman in the chain of rebirths is good deeds that ensure a higher status for the next birth. Renunciation of life is the absence of suffering, this is nirvana. For those who strive to achieve nirvana, strict self-discipline is necessary. What is nirvana?

When the series of rebirths stops, suffering also stops. How can this be achieved? You need to suppress all desires and feelings, good and bad. You need to give up everything and become indifferent to the death of loved ones, to illness, money, to people, to all earthly joys and hardships. One who is able to endure this can achieve nirvana. Nirvana is a negative rather than a positive idea. Nirvana is the completion of the Chain of Rebirths. Buddha never gave an answer to the question: what is heaven or hell? The question is not to understand what nirvana is, but to not be born again. Therefore, the idea of nirvana is poorly understood by Westerners. This is a purely Buddhist concept - you can believe in it or you can not believe in it. The Thais believe.

For the rest of his life, Buddha wandered and expounded his teachings. He did not preach a sermon, he simply showed the way to others by his example. He only answered questions. Preaching and the desire to conquer the world is already a desire, an interest in worldly affairs. Buddha was an example of complete dispassion. Therefore, after him only a few records of his conversations remained, and then, as a rule, in the form of answers to questions. In 483 BC. Buddha died at the age of 80.

The teachings of Buddhism.

It is quite obvious that after the death of the Buddha, the disciples began to embellish his life and did not strictly follow his precepts. The life of Buddha in folk stories is overgrown with legends. Buddha was against idolatry - his disciples immediately began to create his statues and erect stupas in sacred places. Temples were built not just as abodes for monks, but as places of worship for Buddha. Giving to a monk means performing a pious act. The monk accepts any food without looking at what is being served.

Monks are required to strictly follow the following three rules:

Conceal their nakedness with the clothes given to them;

To have a roof over your head - a cell in a monastery;

Get food by collecting food from believers in your pot in the morning, and eat only once a day - before noon (in some sects of Thai Buddhism, monks are allowed to eat twice, the first time at six in the morning and the second time before 12 o'clock ).

Otherwise they must give up everything. Even in case of illness, if medicine is difficult to obtain, the monk must come to terms with the idea of inevitable death. Staying in a monastery and living a righteous life outside its walls gives hope for a better life in the next birth. Sinners (criminals, murderers, thieves) are born as low animals or unfortunate people (beggars, cripples) and pay for the sins committed in a previous birth.

Followers and interpreters of the Buddha's teachings turned nirvana into a heavenly abode with seven levels - each level corresponds to the amount of merit accumulated during life on earth. If you led a righteous lifestyle, you will end up on the seventh level; if you have some sins, you are on the way to the first level, which, however, is better than the underworld, where devils impale sinners or force them to jump on cacti. In the 1st century There was a split in the Buddhist religion. 500 years after the death of the Buddha, a certain part of the monks began to claim the role of the only interpreters of his teachings. A new concept of the bodhisattva, that is, the saint, was developed.

According to it, a bodhisattva is a saint who is ready to achieve nirvana, renounces it and remains on earth to help others achieve enlightenment. The monks called the new teaching Mahayana, which translates as “great vehicle” and means “broad path of salvation.” Mahayana began to spread in China and Vietnam in the 3rd century. Mahayana Buddhism absorbed ancestor worship and Confucian concepts. It is distinguished by the presence in its pantheon of saints equated to gods. Buddhism, practiced in Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), Laos and Cambodia, is called Hinayana, or “small vehicle,” “narrow path of salvation.”

In Buddhist teachings there are several rules in relation to which a dismissive tone is unacceptable:

* a woman should never show her legs (even very beautiful ones);
* A woman should not touch a monk. She should leave her offering on the table, and the monk himself will take it away after a while;
* The image of Buddha should be above the head. The image of Buddha is not an object of art for Thais, but only an object of worship. Therefore, it is necessary to show respect to him;
* before entering the temple you must take off your shoes;
* it is forbidden to point at the statue of Buddha with your foot and, while sitting in front of the statue, stretch your legs towards it;
* In general, a disrespectful tone should be avoided in relation to everything related to religion. Scholz Rainer. Thailand. Publisher: Ajax-Press. Series: Polyglot. Guide with mini phrasebook. Year: 2008.

In the 13th century. Hinayana Buddhism was officially recognized in Thailand. Since then, a saying has been born: “Buddhism is the religion of the Thais, and being Thai is the same as being a Buddhist.” Currently, there are more than 30 thousand monasteries and 300 thousand monks and novices in Thailand. Like all other religions, Buddhism is in dire need of renewal and adaptation to the needs of today. Modern life in the city, and even in the countryside, leaves little time for religion. This does not mean that Thais believe less - they are still Buddhists, but they go to temple less. Only 4.5% of city residents and 13% of village residents regularly visit the monastery.

As before, the importance of monks in the life of Thais is great: marriage is necessarily sanctified by religion, the dead are cremated in the monastery, and at each monastery there is a free school for the poor. Many foreigners consider themselves entitled to commit acts with impunity that, in the eyes of Thais, look like sacrilege. The results will not follow immediately (like everything in Asia), but they will definitely follow. Nothing passes without a trace. The foreigner has long forgotten about what happened, for him it is just an annoying misunderstanding, and does not understand why his passport was suddenly stolen or the immigration services are nagging.

Since the accession to the throne of the Chakri dynasty, the Thais have been convinced that they owe their independence to the patronage of a deity named Siam Thewathirat. During the days of the most terrible trials for the country, the king addressed prayers to him asking for help. Since the 13th century. As Buddhism spread, traditional animistic ideas did not lose their meaning for the Thais, as well as for most modern peoples - followers of world religions, for example the Slavs. They existed, as it were, in parallel, and often prevailed in the value system. Among the Thais, Phra Tiao (prince of heaven) is the creator of the world and man. Shanin V. A.; Southeast Asia: Thailand, Burma, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia; M.: Around the World, 2008

Having once caught a man careless, he doomed him to hard work in the rice fields (this already reminds us of something). In everyday life, a Thai is surrounded by a huge number of different evil creatures, who were once people so bad that, as punishment, they were doomed to eternal or temporary wandering in the other world. There is also a paradise, but a person can only stay in it for some time - until a new birth. Spirits exist everywhere in nature: in trees, in ponds, in people's homes. These beliefs are passed down from generation to generation in the form of oral stories, so it is inevitable that many interpretations will arise, varying depending on the place of origin and the character of the storyteller. To gain favor with the spirits, a small house is built for them in the garden.

Things to remember:

* it is forbidden to joke about the house of spirits, the consequences can be more dire than in the case of disrespect for the image of Buddha;
* it is necessary to regularly put food in the house, since spirits, although they are incorporeal beings, constantly need food. Strogow, Michel; Thailand: guidebook "Petit-Fute" / M. Strogow, P.-K. Brochet, D. Ozias; Moscow: Avangard, 2006 Tonkin D., Kongshiri V. Thailand: Customs and etiquette. Customs & Etiquette of ThailandSeries: Brief Guide. Publisher: AST, Astrel., 96 pages

If, despite all the offerings, the spirit begins to show hostility towards the person, there is only one remedy left - to call a monk for help. Then the monks will perform a ritual of expelling spirits in the house with the help of prayers and cleansing with water. In special cases, the person himself must undergo a rite of purification with water. If this does not help, then it means that terrible sins were committed in the previous birth. There is only one way out of such a situation - going to a monastery. If even after this misfortune does not leave a person, it means that he must remain in the monastery all his life.

Monks, like all Thais, must be respectful of spirits, although the Buddha himself said that there are no spirits. However, monks are invited to solve everyday problems, and they must be prepared for this. Monks often even act as astrologers: they help to guess the correct number in the lottery, advise on what day is better to get married, sign a contract, go on a trip, or carry out a coup.

Buddhism in Thailand cannot be called a religion in the sense that we are used to understanding it. In Theravada there is no concept of God, there is no concept of faith, as in Christianity, therefore it can only be considered a religion conditionally. Buddha Gautama was a Teacher, a man, not a god, who gave people knowledge of how to get rid of suffering, awaken, know the essence of things and find true bliss in nirvana.

The Buddhist rituals we see in Thailand have nothing to do with prayer. You cannot ask Buddha for a miracle, to make life better, to give you health. We see only a tribute to the greatest personality, and not a prayer. The Buddha gave his teachings so that everyone could improve their lives, and asking him for more is simply inappropriate and pointless.

The basis of the teaching is the concept of karma ( kaan kratham - bookish.), which consists of boone (kuson, bun kuson), merit, good deed, and baap, bad deed. The concept of sin in the Christian understanding is absent. According to the canon, everyone must choose what to do, how to mold their karma, do good or evil, and not ask someone to do good karma in absentia. If you do a good deed, you receive a plus to your karma; if you do a bad deed, you receive a minus. Those. A banana will not grow from a burdock seed.

Accumulating merit and filling one's karma is the meaning of a Buddhist's life. After death the spirit ( thewada) falls either into the savannah ( shroud), to the intermediate “heaven”, or to the sump ( narok), where he lives his life and after death “in the next world” is reborn on earth. That is, those who have positive karma are reborn as people with a status dependent on accumulated merit. Otherwise, you can be reborn as an animal or a tree, for example. So, when killing a mosquito, think about how you will live your next life. Grikurov, Sarkis Sarkisovich; Thailand: past and present / S. S. Grikurov; M.: Knowledge, 1982

Thais believe that positive karma not only works for future lives in the savannah or on earth, but also makes life better right now. And if life does not improve, then we need to do more good deeds. There is also the opposite situation. For example, someone does something bad and gets away with it. This is explained by already existing good karma with a bunch of previous merits. But here it is worth knowing that any negative will sooner or later make itself felt, and then you will have to work hard to correct your karma.

There is never enough good deeds in one’s life. If the cup of karma is filled to capacity, a person achieves awakening and goes to nirvana forever. But if the person is still here, this means that there are shortcomings. And there is no need to ask Buddha for anything, everyone should work on themselves only.

Along with canonical Buddhism, there are two Theravada denominations in Thailand: mahanikai And thammayuthikanikai, founded by Prince Mongkut before he became King Rama IV. Theravada principles are preserved here, the differences are minimal.

The old pre-Buddhist traditions of the Thais have survived to this day. They closely connected with Buddhism; no problems arose during the integration process, obviously due to the loyalty of the principles of the Buddha’s teachings: non-violence, restraint, balance, a different view of the problems in the world. Manifestations of these old traditions can be easily seen in everyday life. These are little houses for spirits khanphrabhum, food for spirits, various amulets. Today you can often see large round chest amulets made of gold on men ( tjatukham ramthep). As a rule, these are very expensive accessories, their price can reach up to a million baht. It is believed that the guardian angel ( sing saksit), living in this amulet, will protect its owner, attract good luck, protect health, etc., depending on the type of amulet. These amulets have absolutely nothing to do with Buddhism.

According to legend, those souls that cannot get into either the savannah or the Narok (some suicides, for example) can linger on earth for an indefinite time in the form of ghost spirits ( Phi Sang Thewada- masculine spirit, and phi sang mangfa- feminine spirit). They must be appeased in every possible way, because their lot is not the best, so that they do not do dirty tricks, and, if possible, protect them from evil spirits. They make small houses for them khanphrabhum, feed, lay flowers and burn sandalwood sticks.

Islam in Thailand is preached by about three percent of the country's residents. Islam came to the kingdom along with traders from Arab countries on the one hand and thanks to trade with Muslim Malaysia on the other hand. It is mainly widespread in the south of Thailand due to its close proximity to Malaysia. However, Muslim communities can be found even in the very north of the country, e.g. in the small town of Pai, Chiang Mai province. Jones R. Thailand. Publisher: AST. Series: Gen. Traditions. Culture. Year: 2008.

In the kingdom you can meet Christians and see Catholic churches. But the Thais still believe that Christianity is a foreign religion to them. Literally, Christianity is the religion of the farangs. In Bangkok there are representatives of various Christian denominations, whose volunteers distribute Christian literature to everyone on the streets. Thais readily accept this literature, thinking that this is just a promotion for some company. But when they are explained what it is, from which “company”, and even offered to change their religion, the farangs receive a polite refusal. And this is understandable. The vast majority of Thais grew up in a Buddhist environment; Buddhism for them is not just a religion, but a way of life, absorbed with mother’s milk, it is their culture and history. To give up Buddhism is to give up life now, lives to come, and nirvana at the end of the chain of rebirths, and this is much worse than death.

In Thailand, every man must be a monk, of course, not all his life, but only part of it. The terms vary - from one day to several decades. There are also those who remain within the monastery walls all their lives. Almost until the end of the 20th century, becoming a monk sooner or later affected everyone without exception - be it a peasant or a banker, a beggar or king. Moreover, a monk in Thailand is a sacred person. Even today you cannot touch them. True, three hundred years ago the Siamese to the king This still did not help Thaksin. He, already a monk, was killed. Perhaps this happened because Thaksin was ordained literally a couple of hours before his death. In ordinary life, without going through monasticism, a boy could never become a man. Of course, not physically.

All this concerns a purely mental area. But it is she who plays the most important role in Thailand. In addition to Buddhism, which the Thais believe has been preserved in its original nature, the fundamental concept for the Thais remains the phenomenon of sanuk. This word can be roughly translated as pleasure. Its meaning is that everything in life should bring joy - work, rest, entertainment, business conversations, food, monastic initiation, and so on.

It is impossible to force a Thai to do something he doesn’t like. There will be only one answer to this - Maysanuk, in modern Russian language -<не в кайф>. Moreover, it is impossible to turn maysanuk into sanuk either through persuasion or a lot of money. It is surprising that even Europeans easily become infected with this disease. The root cause of the seemingly strange behavior of the Thais must be sought in the peculiarities of their faith. Although the Thais, at the same time as Buddhism, remain animists, that is, they believe in the power of immaterial spirits living in the material world.

Each spirit must have its own home. That is why near any building in Thailand you can see small houses that resemble richly decorated birdhouses: this is a home for spirits. The owners of hotels, banks, various offices, not to mention ordinary people, all consider it their duty to acquire such a necessary item.

Each person also has his own spirit - khuan. His “house” is his head. Therefore, you should never touch someone else’s head, even if it is an acquaintance, friend or child. This shows disrespect for the spirit and inflicts a mortal insult on the person.

If in other Buddhist countries, where Buddhism acted as a religious and cultural complex of ideas and ritual practices, this movement was of a reformist nature, then in the Thai states this process became the basis for the formation of religious and ethical practice. Briefly, the essence of religious and ethical practice in Thai Buddhism is as follows. In the 2nd millennium AD. e. As a result of the adaptation of the Buddhist religion to the interests of the broad masses of the population and monasticism, the main idea of the teaching - the achievement of nirvana - is gradually obscured and turns into metaphysical speculation, and the doctrines of reincarnation and karma, directly related to the observance of moral and ethical standards, come to the fore.

In Thai Buddhism, various types of karma are mentioned, but the emphasis is on the karma that determines physical reincarnation. This type of karma is formed by consciousness, which in turn is divided into two types - immoral and moral. The immoral type of consciousness, or Akusala, includes desire, attachment to worldly things, ill will, hatred, ignorance, stupidity, and delusion. The moral type of consciousness, or Kusala, is generosity, lack of attachment to worldly things, benevolence, love, kindness, wisdom, knowledge. Combining in one proportion or another, Kusala and Akusala constitute karma; if Kusala prevails, then the karma will be good, if Akusala, the karma will be bad.

Reincarnation is a natural consequence of karma, that is, each life is considered to be the karmic effect of previous lives and the cause of the subsequent life. Karma itself, as a result of which a person is in the wheel of life, is a consequence of desires and attachments. A significant part of educated Buddhists belonging to various schools of Buddhism, familiar with the psychological and philosophical concepts of karma, do not question the fact of its impact on human life. Essentially this is the only doctrine on which all Buddhists agree. In this case, the fact of rebirth is implied, that is, taken on faith. Therefore, the sangha directs all its efforts to develop the idea of \u200b\u200b"accumulation of merit", which according to the teaching is the main spiritual value that allows one to achieve all other stages of perfection and material wealth. This is why the process of achieving enlightenment recommended by Thai Buddhist literature begins with morality, followed by meditation and finally wisdom.

The relationship between the Buddhist church and the state in Thailand is very, very close. At the legislative level, the church is not separated from the state. Moreover, this is done not because Thailand is not a sufficiently democratic state, but deliberately. Thai legislators believe that legislative division is nothing more than hypocrisy - in fact, no state can avoid interference in the affairs of the church, because society and church are interconnected and interpenetrate since ancient times. In 1962, during the period of military dictatorship, the highest governing body of the Buddhist Church in the country was a special government ministry. However, such open submission to the church was subsequently abandoned and the reform of the Thai Sangha established the highest body of church self-government - Advice Elders.

The highest cleric of Thailand is the Supreme Buddhist Patriarch. Until 1991, the right to appoint the patriarch was vested in king, but after the reform of the Sangha these functions passed to Council Elders of Buddhist communities in Thailand. The current Supreme Patriarch, His Holiness Somdeit Phra Nyanasamvara Suvatthana Mahathera (1916 - present), is the 19th and has held this post since 1989. His state of health no longer allows the patriarch to personally take part in ceremonies (he has been constantly in the hospital for several years). Therefore, Thai Buddhism is already on the eve of the struggle for the patriarchal post. The abbot of Wat Saket Somdeit Kiyaw Phuttacharn is - in accordance with the Thai Sangha reformed in 1991 - the automatic successor to the patriarchal post. However, most abbots of large monasteries, including members Council The elders consider it more worthy to take the place of the patriarch of the enlightened monk-arahat Phra Maha Bua. And this was not without a near-political church scandal. Among the abbots of the monasteries, some are confident that Somdeit Kiyau Phuttacharn received the post of abbot of the Wat Saket monastery (namely, the abbot of this monastery becomes the successor as patriarch) in a not entirely honest way.

For a long time, sharp contradictions existed between the Mahayana and Theravada traditions regarding the “purity” of the teachings. However, in the modern Buddhist world both traditions coexist quite peacefully. Moreover, Buddhism does not reject as “false” the teachings of other world religions, perceiving certain universal truths and preaching them.

For many centuries, Buddhism has been the main driving force in the development of Thai culture. Thais from all walks of life practiced Buddhism. Despite the fact that Buddhism is considered the state religion, citizens of the country have complete freedom to choose their religion. Although the Thai constitution states that Thai kings must be Buddhists, they must nevertheless be defenders of all faiths. In addition, there are not so many of these other religions: these are Muslims (about 4%, Malays and people from India) and Christianity of all directions (less than a percent, only farangs). The remaining ethnic minorities in Thailand also profess Buddhism.

There are approximately 30,000 Buddhist temples in the country, most of them located in rural areas. Buddhist monks in Thailand are distinguished by their chastity, restraint, tolerance and deep knowledge of religious rituals. To allow people to devote more time to religious rituals, all major Buddhist holy days have been declared national holidays.

In addition, since ancient times in Thailand there has been a custom according to which men over the age of twenty can temporarily take monastic vows (during the rainy season). Every man, even King Bhumipol or Crown Prince Makha Vajiralunkorn, is obliged to become a monk for a period from several days to three months.

The Kingdom of Thailand is located on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. The country's population is about 61 million people, the majority of whom are Thai. But other ethnic groups also live in Thailand: Malays, Chinese, mountain tribes, etc. This diversity of nationalities also influenced the religion of the country. Buddhism is enshrined in the Thai Constitution as a state faith, but this does not affect the freedom of the population to choose a religion. Other faiths are also widespread throughout the country.

Buddhism

Buddhism is the dominant faith in Thailand. More 94% of the population are Buddhists. The religion spread from the 7th century BC. e. thanks to the preaching of Ceylon monks, and in the 13th century it became the official faith.

According to the Constitution, one must necessarily profess Buddhism. All correspond to Buddhist holy days so that the population can devote enough time to perform religious rituals.

Islam

The second religion behind the number of believers is Islam. He confesses around 5% population of Thailand. Islam mainly predominates in the southern provinces, where the majority are Malays. Pakistanis, Punjabis and Tamils are also Muslims. Islam began to spread throughout the country in the second half of the 20th century thanks to trade relations with Arab countries and neighboring Malaysia.

Christianity

Christians make up 1-2% of the population Thailand. Missionaries from Europe began to spread religion in the country in the 16th and 17th centuries. The majority of believers are Catholics, fewer are Orthodox and Protestants. Their activities are concentrated in the cultural, educational and health spheres. Christianity is practiced by Europeans living in Thailand.

Other religions in Thailand

Some of the country's population is made up of assimilated Chinese. They brought to Thailand the beliefs inherent in their people. Believers in Taoism and Confucianism are primarily engaged in the fields of economics and trade.
Less than 0.1% of the population professes other faiths: Sikhism, Judaism, Animism, Hinduism.

Features of Thai Buddhism

Depending on the territorial distribution, Buddhism has 2 branches:

“Southern” or Hinayan, which is professed by the population of Thailand, Burma and Sri Lanka.
“Northern” or Mahayana, which includes China, Japan, Korea and Tibet.

The main difference is that the first branch of Buddhism arose much earlier among the beliefs. She is more strict about the methods of achieving nirvana and going through the full cycle of rebirths.

Buddhism in Thailand is not just a belief, but a way of life. A Buddhist should enjoy his life. Therefore, if Thais do not feel joy from work or leisure, they refuse to do it.

Among the various types of karma in Thai Buddhism, special attention is paid to reincarnation on the physical level. Two karmas coexist in every person:

Immoral type of consciousness (Akusale) - desires, hatred, lack of education, attachment to the material world, desire for harm to other people, etc.
The moral type of consciousness (Kusala) is kindness, love, wisdom, education, lack of attachment to the material world.

Depending on what prevails, such will be the karma. A person’s previous life determines the present and is a consequence of his desires and actions. All good and bad deeds are credited to the person.

The main goal is to accumulate puna(religious merits) that influence the next life.

Ways to get merit

Whether a person is born into a higher or lower social stratum of society depends on how he adheres to religious dogmas in his present life. The more people involved in receiving puna, the better, so family or collective actions are especially revered.

The most difficult way to obtain puna is to create a statue of Buddha. These sculptures are considered sacred and cannot be sold; they can only be rented from the manufacturer.

But merit is also credited for smaller deeds: laying lotuses and lighting candles at the foot of the statue or covering it with gold leaf.

Occupies a special place in Buddhism monasticism. In Thailand, all men who have reached the age of 20 are required to devote some part of their life to monasticism. This ritual symbolizes the transition from adolescence to adulthood. There are no restrictions on social status, even the king must be a monk. The time spent behind the monastery walls is determined by each person individually.

You can be a monk for 1 day, tens of years, or remain one for the rest of your life. Basically, taking the vow of monasticism in Thailand falls during the rainy season.

During this time, the man becomes sacred and untouchable. He is prohibited from engaging in physical labor and is supported by the population. Offering food to a monk is considered a religious merit. The monk is distinguished by chastity, tolerance and deep knowledge of rituals.

Meditation also helps to accumulate merit to achieve new levels of perfection. In Thailand, since the end of the 19th century, a special tradition arose among monks - they retired to the jungle to achieve enlightenment.

Buddhism and Animism in Thailand

In Thailand, Buddhism is closely intertwined with animism - the belief in spirits inhabiting the material world. A Thai must arrange a home for these spirits. Therefore, they build small decorated houses near their buildings. To appease magical creatures, they are presented with fresh food and flowers. It is forbidden to smell the gifts, since spirits feed on aromas, and thus a person can deprive the creature of food. If people have left the house, the neighbors continue to feed the spirit so as not to bring trouble to their home.

Every person has his own spirit (khuan), which lives in his head. The peace of this creature cannot be disturbed, because this would be disrespect for him. Even a loved one is forbidden to touch someone else’s head, so as not to cause him a mortal insult.

Hello, dear readers – seekers of knowledge and truth!

Anyone who has been to Thailand, even in its most touristic place, has probably noticed how religious the Thais are: statues and images of Buddha are literally everywhere. And the pointed spiers of Buddhist pagodas here and there rise above the city, giving a special flavor to the area. Without such cultural relics, the appearance of the country would be unimaginable.

Today we invite you to talk about Buddhism in Thailand. This article will briefly tell you what features it has, which monuments in the form of temples and statues should be given special attention, how Thai monks live and how religion is reflected in the everyday life of ordinary people.

We invite you on a virtual journey towards the sun, sea and inexhaustible philosophy!

Features of Thai Buddhism

Buddhist philosophy is accepted here at the level of the state religion. This is not surprising: ninety-five out of a hundred Thais consider themselves Buddhists. By law, even the king must certainly be one of them.

The history of Buddhism in this territory dates back to before the formation of the Thai state. The formation of a unified philosophy owes much to his missionary subjects.

If we talk about a certain branch of teaching, then “southern Buddhism” reigns here, as in the Sri Lankan, Laotian, Burmese, and Cambodian lands. This direction includes philosophy - the oldest of all other movements.

The peculiarity of the southern worldview is that believers treat Buddha not as God, but as an ordinary person, a Great Teacher. He managed to achieve enlightenment, thanks to him the laity can follow his path, therefore the prince from the Shakya family is worthy of respect and veneration.

They become an indirect tribute to the Teacher.

The basis of Thai Buddhism is the belief in cause and effect and laws. Everything we have now are the fruits of our past thoughts and actions, even from previous incarnations. And what we do at the moment will have consequences in the future.

The main goal of existence is liberation from suffering through enlightenment. It will help you break out of the series of rebirths by stopping the rotation. The main obstacle to liberation is our own attachments, desires, passions, so first of all we need to get rid of them.

Religion quite strongly influences the state and municipal government of the country. The sangha, the Buddhist community, decides a lot.

It, in turn, is divided into many administrative units: from large provinces to individual monasteries, of which there are over thirty thousand throughout the country. The management of the monastery has a special council, which, in addition to the abbots, includes the most influential people from the local population - the city elite, philanthropists, and representatives of culture.

The capital Bangkok is home to the distinctive Buddhist universities Maha Makut and Maha Chulalongkor. The headquarters of three important religious organizations are also located here:

World Fellowship of Buddhists;
Buddhist Association of Thailand;
Association of Young Buddhists.

The scope of their activities is incredibly wide: they propagate the fundamentals of the Teaching and instill love for it through television, online communities, newspapers, magazines, and hold holidays, festivals, and conferences.

To Buddhist places

There are countless places of worship in Thailand represented by temples, or, as they are called here, wats, pagodas, stupas, and giant statues. But we will name the main ones, which can be added to your own “to-see list”.

White Temple in Chiang Rai

Locals call it Rong Hong. It is rather an exception to the rule, a phenomenon of surrealism among the colorful Thai pagodas. The snow-white facade of Rong Hong is more reminiscent of the residence of the Snow Queen, a palace covered with snow and frost, than a haven of Buddhist statues.

White Temple in Chiang Rai

But one cannot even argue with the fact that the creator of the temple is an extraordinary person. He created a modern masterpiece that is a must-see.

Temple and statue of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok

It is located not far from the residence of the King and is considered his property. The emerald statue on a golden pedestal is not known for its size - it is a little more than half a meter.

Emerald Buddha statue in Bangkok

But every season the little Buddha changes his clothes made of gold - of course, the monks help him in this, and sometimes the monarch himself.

The most famous cultural attraction of the most famous resort town in Thailand. It is located on the top of Mount Pratanmak.

Big Buddha statue in Pattaya

In addition to the main golden statue, here you can see Buddhas in different roles: ascetic, fat man, couch potato, rich man. Nearby there is a small wat where three Buddhas will help overcome health problems.

Wat Chalong in Phuket

The largest island in the country is also famous for its beautiful collection of several buildings with a rich exterior, truly Asian architecture, an adjacent flowering garden and incredible aromas that take you away from the tourist world.

Wat Chalong Monastery in Phuket

Life of Thai monks

The unusual Thai tradition is similar to military duty, with the only difference that young people have no choice but to temporarily become a monk. Temporary monastic vows are mandatory for all boys in the kingdom, even members of the royal family.

In the monastery they rise with the first rays of the sun, do a little meditative practice and go out into the streets to collect alms - this tradition is called “Bintabat”. Monks with jugs in markets, near shops, shops, houses are a common occurrence.

Interestingly, in Thailand, monks cannot cook their own food - they have the right to live only on alms in the form of food and money.

At around nine o'clock in the morning, breakfast begins in the monastery - without tables, on rugs, on the floor. It is curious that at first only monks can eat, and only then parishioners. Lunch follows the same pattern. After lunch, the monks are not allowed to eat - only water, milk and herbal tea await them.

The rest of the time they delve into the teachings, study, and meditate. This is their main task, and society provides everything they need.

Everyday life through the prism of Buddhism

The Buddhist tradition permeates every day of the average Thai person. In schools and universities, even secular curriculum subjects touch on the basic concepts of Buddhism in one way or another. Every more or less important event: a birthday, a wedding, a funeral, buying a new house, selling a car, starting your own business is associated with certain traditions of Buddhism.

Thanks to their knowledge of the laws of karma, Thais approach life calmly and philosophically: all troubles are just working off karma, there is no escape from them. But to succeed in the future, you need to earn good karma.

To achieve this, Thais try to live a happy life according to Buddhist canons. They do good deeds, try to maintain purity in their thoughts and deeds, and refuse violence, lies, alcohol, and drugs.

And, of course, they try to appear in pagodas as often as possible, give offerings to the monks, read mantras. The number 3 has a special meaning here. Arriving at the temple, local residents approach the altar, bow three times and place three candles. The symbolism of the three is not accidental: it personifies the Teacher, his dharma and followers.

The Buddha tradition is the “heart” of the local way of life. Maybe this is why many Thais are so good-natured, smiling and friendly.

Conclusion

Thank you very much for your attention, dear readers! Subscribe to our blog to receive new interesting articles in your email!

We will be grateful if you support our blog by sharing the article with your friends on social networks)

Different countries treat religion differently. In some places, religion is the basis of people’s worldview, and in others, only a certain part of their time is devoted to it. Undoubtedly, before your trip you should pay attention to articles about the religion of the country where you are going. Not only to make it more interesting for you when visiting local relics, but also to respect local religious customs, and simply not to get into trouble due to ignorance.
In this article we will briefly tell you about the religion of Thailand.

Concept of Buddhism and Thai beliefs

Buddhism is practiced by approximately 95% of the country's population. There are 2 directions in Buddhism - northern and southern. In Thailand they practice the southern branch of Buddhism, it is called “Theravada” or “Hinyana” (also called the small vehicle). As in any other religion, the doctrine of Buddhism is quite broad for study; local temple ministers have been studying it for years and even decades. But in a few words the concept can be described as follows.
The basis is the concept of karma, each Buddhist has his own. In the process of life, a Buddhist must earn good merits in order to cover up the bad deeds that he commits consciously or not. If there are more good deeds, then the karma is purer and brighter, but if a person does not earn merit, then his karma is dark, not good. According to the canon, a person decides for himself what karma to have and makes his own choice. At the end of life, based on the state of karma, the human spirit is reborn into the next life. If the karma was light, then the rebirth will be more successful. If not kind, dark, then you can be reborn as a crocodile or a tree. The ultimate goal of Buddhism is the end of the chain of rebirths - nirvana. This is a state when the spirit is no longer reborn and is in a shroud. This state can only be achieved by having white karma, without committing any bad deeds, only good and kind deeds.
Based on the concept of religion, Buddhists regularly go to temples, thereby also purifying their karma. The vast majority wear Buddhist amulets and always make a deep “wai” - a sign of respect to Buddha, when passing by his image, of which there are many in Thailand.

Buddha image

The founder of Buddhism, Buddha Shakyamuni, an awakened sage and spiritual teacher, came to earth in human form. He was born in northeastern India (now Nepal) into a wealthy family. They named him Siddhartha Guatama. The parents were predicted that the child was destined to suffer all the suffering of the world and they decided not to let him out of the palace, married Princess Yashodhara early and hoped that the birth of a son would keep him in the palace. But still, unable to remain imprisoned, Siddhartha secretly went outside and saw life around him. The misery, poverty, death and suffering of people shocked him. He had never seen anything like this in the palace. And suddenly he met a wandering monk, and in his eyes he saw a light that should save people from suffering. At the age of 29, he left the palace and went to live in the forest. There he joined a small group of ascetics, and in the hope of limiting and mortifying his flesh, he would reduce his suffering. But nothing worked out; a few years later he stopped leading an ascetic lifestyle and switched to meditation. It was thanks to meditation under the Bodhi tree that Buddha achieved enlightenment, wisdom descended to him and he realized his great destiny - to convey truth and faith to people. Since then he has traveled around the country with his teachings. Buddha died in old age, after his death he taught his teachings to his followers, of whom there were already a great many.

Temples - guardians of religion

There are a great many temples in Thailand. Almost all of them were built with donations from the laity, so every village, even a very small one, has a temple. The temples are entire complexes: a pavilion with a statue of Buddha, where locals come to pay tribute to the teacher, as well as monastic cells where temple servants live, and there is also a crematorium, since cremation is common in Thailand. Thais visit temples regularly; pavilions with Buddha images are also open to visitors, but they must be visited with understanding and respect, preserving local traditions.

How to show respect for local religion?

In tourist areas there are also many temples; absolutely everyone can visit, but at the same time maintaining the traditions of visiting. First of all, remember that when visiting you must have certain clothes - your shoulders and knees must be covered. Before entering the Buddha pavilion, you must take off your shoes. You cannot talk loudly, laugh, or show increased activity in any other way on the temple grounds. If you enter a pavilion where Thais sit on their knees and pay tribute to Buddha, you should not stand and watch; it is better to sit next to you in the same position in which the Thais sit, with your feet back, thereby not disturbing or distracting visitors.

Entrance to the main temples of the country, mainly royal ones, is paid. The cost is indicated at the entrance. Entrance to other regular temples is free and visits take place during the day.

Apart from temples, statues and images of Buddha can be seen everywhere throughout Thailand. They should be treated equally with respect: you should neither point a finger nor touch them.

A visit to local temples will leave an amazing feeling in your memories, and the beauty and luxury will surprise you even after the trip in the remaining photographs.

Welcome to Thailand!

It might be useful to read: