Religion

Thai culture cannot be fully appreciated without some understanding of Buddhism, which is practiced by 90% of the population. The Buddha was a great Indian sage who lived in the 6th century B.C. He was born Siddhartha Gautama, a prince who was carefully sheltered from the outside world. When he left the palace walls he encountered an old man, a sick man, a corpse, and a wandering monk. He concluded that all is suffering and resolved to search for relief from that suffering. Sensing that the pleasures of the physical world were impermanent and shallow, he shed his noble life and went into the forest to live as a solitary ascetic. But, nearing starvation, he was soon to realize this was not the path to happiness, so he turned instead to his "Middle Way", a more moderate practice of meditation, compassion and understanding. One night, while meditating under a Bodhi (fig) tree and after trials and torment by Mara, the god of death, who sent demons to frighten him and voluptuous dancers to seduce, Siddhartha Gautama became enlightened: with his mind free of delusion, he gained an intuitive insight into reality of the nature of the universe and saw things as they are, without defilement, craving or attachment but unified and complete. His truth is the Dhamma -- his doctrine, which he explained to his first five disciples at Deer Park in India -- a sermon now known as "The Discourse on Setting into Motion the Wheel of the Law."

After the death of Buddha two schools arose. The oldest and probably closest to the original is Theravada (Doctrine of the Elders), sometimes referred to less correctly as Hinayana (the Small Vehicle), which prevails in Sri Lanka, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, and Cambodia, and focuses on the enlightenment of individuals, one at a time, with an emphasis on the monastic community and monks who achieve Nibbana (or Nirvana) in this lifetime. The other school, Mahayana (the Large Vehicle), is practiced in China, Korea, and Japan and posits a model of all of mankind attaining enlightenment at once, not on a case-by-case basis.

The basic document of Thai, or Theravada, Buddhism is the Pali canon, which was recorded in writing in the 1st century A.D. The doctrine is essentially an ethical and psychological system in which no deity plays a role. It is a religion without a god, mystical in the sense that it strives for the intuitive realization of the oneness of the universe. Theravada traditions follow no earthly authority, though there is a certain hierarchy based on age among monks and practitioners, and the practice requires that individuals find the truth for themselves, an inward looking proposition done through meditation and self-examination. Buddha's final words were a plea to "work out your own salvation with diligence."

So, if there is no deity and nothing to worship, then what, you may ask, are the people doing who enter the temple and prostrate themselves before the Buddha, place their hands together in a gesture of worship, light incense, and make offerings of fruit and flowers? Flowers, fruit, and incense are a show of respect, and worshippers bow three times before the image -- once for the Buddha himself, once for the sangha (the order of monks), and once for the dhamma (truth). The very orthodox Theravada traditions tend to mingle with local animism and superstition, meaning that practitioners often appeal to the Buddha and to Buddhist images in an effort to improve their lot, which are a bit off the mark really. That said, Buddhist images and prostrations at the temple are a way to honor the teachers and those who pass on the tradition, show respect for the Buddha's meditative repose and equanimity and offer reverence for relics of the historical Buddha (many sites, particularly stupas, house important relics).

Buddhism has one aim only: to abolish suffering. Buddhist practice offers a path to rid oneself of the causes of suffering, which are desire, malice, and delusion. Practitioners eliminate craving and ill will by exercising self-restraint and showing kindness to all creatures or "sentient beings". Monks and members of the Buddhist Sangha, or community, are revered as those most diligently working toward enlightenment and the attainment of wisdom.

Theravada Buddhism does not seek converts, nor does it ask practitioners to believe in any truths but those they learn themselves through experience and meditation. Opportunities to study Buddhism or practice meditation in Thailand abound. There are a number of programs designed particularly for foreigners, and this is in fact the best way to better understand the heart of Buddhism, through practice.

Other aspects of the philosophy include the law of karma whereby every action has effects and the energy of past action, good or evil, continues forever and is "reborn." (Some argue, though, that the Buddha took transmigration quite literally.) As a consequence tam bun (merit making) is taken very seriously. Merit can be gained by entering the monkhood (and most Thai males do so for a few days or months), helping in the construction of a monastery or a stupa, contributing to education, giving alms, or performing any act of kindness no matter how small.

When the monks go daily with their bowls from house to house, they are not begging, but are giving the people an opportunity to make merit; similarly the people selling caged birds, which people purchase and free, are allowing people to gain merit by freeing the birds. When making merit, it is the motive that is all important and the intention of the mind at the time of the action, which determines the karmic outcome not the action itself. Buddhism calls for self-reliance; the individual embarks alone on the Noble Eightfold Path to Nirvana following the teachings that include the exhortations "to cease to do evil, learn to do good, cleanse your own heart."

Most Chinese and Vietnamese living in Thailand follow Mahayana Buddhism, and there are numerous temples and monasteries in the country supporting this other tradition.

Other religions and philosophies are also followed in Thailand including Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, and Sikhism. Sunni Islam is followed by more than two million Thais, mostly in the south. Most are of Malay origin and are descendants of the Muslim traders and missionaries who spread their teachings in the southern peninsula in the early 13th century. There are approximately 2,000 mosques in Thailand.

Christianity has spread in Thailand but little since it was first introduced in the 16th century by generations of Jesuit, Dominican, and Franciscan missionaries from Europe and later Protestant missionaries from America. Even after centuries of evangelism, there are only a quarter of a million Christians living in the country. Yet Thais have accepted much that has come from the Christian missionaries, particularly ideas on education, health, and science.