Buddhism in Thailand and What the Tourist Should Know

Buddhism in Thailand

Visitors to Thailand are often intrigued by the religious beliefs of the local population. They want to understand why they seem to view the world so differently than many in the west, and why they seem less hung-up about things. This is my attempt at a brief introduction to Buddhism in Thailand. I am no Buddhist scholar, but it is a subject I have been interested in for quite a few years.

Thailand is a predominantly Buddhist country with 95% of the population at least nominally belonging to this religion. The people of Thailand mostly follow Theravada (Hinayana) Buddhism which is believed to be the oldest form of Buddhist beliefs. The other main branch of Buddhism is Mahayana, and this is the form practiced in places like Japan and China; Tibetan Buddhism is sometimes considered part of Mahayana or sometimes considered separate. The differences between the branches of Buddhism are not as important as what is found in Christianity and other religions; they tend to be more about differences in emphasis rather than differences in belief and it never leads to conflict.

What do Thai Buddhists believe?

Buddhism originated in India over two and a half thousand years ago. As it moved to different countries it took on slightly different forms. Buddhism in Thailand is greatly influenced by the animistic beliefs that people followed before there was any mention of the Buddha in Thailand. This is why when you hear Thai people talking about ghosts and lucky amulets it will often have a lot more to do with these former beliefs. You will often find that different Buddhists have different beliefs, and there is no real pressure for them to change.

The Buddha is not worshipped as a god. In fact Buddhism does not involve belief in a supreme being, and this is why many classify it as an atheist belief system. The purpose of kneeling in front of the Buddha in Thailand temples is to remind people of the Buddha's teachings and to show respect for their teacher.

Buddhism in Thailand and elsewhere is based on three foundations;

Dukkha; the belief that there is suffering in the world

Anicca; everything is impermanent and always changing

Anatta; the feeling of being a person is an illusion and there is no real self

The Buddha reduced all his teachings down to the Four Noble Truths.

1. There is suffering

2. Suffering is caused by attachment and desire

3. It is possible to escape suffering

4. The way to escape suffering is the eight-fold path

The eight-fold path

- Right understanding

- Right action

- Right thinking

- Right livelihood

- Right concentration

- Right mindfulness

- Right speech

- Right effort

A famous Thai monk called Buddhadassa explained the whole teachings to the following; do what is right, avoid what is wrong, and purify your mind. Buddhadassa claimed that anyone who did this was doing well and there was no reason to become a Buddhist or even learn any more about Buddhism.

What do Thai Buddhists do?

Unlike other religions Buddhists do not have commandments as such. The aim of Buddhism is to escape all Karma completely and is not really concerned with good and evil. The Buddha provided tips for his followers about what things would lead to suffering and what would lead to reduced suffering. These tips are known as precepts and most people try to keep 5 of them at least some of the time; monks have over 200 hundred precepts they are expected to follow. Here are the basic 5 precepts that followers of Buddhism in Thailand will aim to keep;

1. Not to kill and sentient being

2. Not to become involved in sexual misconduct

3. Not to take intoxicants

4. Not to use harmful speech

5. Not to take what things that belong to other people

When Buddhists go to temples they will often chant and the most popular chant is;

Namo Tasso Bhagavato, Arahato, Samma, Sambhudassa (repeated 3 times)

This in Pali (an ancient Indian language) and means roughly;

Honor to him, the blessed one, the worthy one, and the fully enlightened one.

Why learn about Buddhism in Thailand?

There is no pressure to learn anything about Buddhism in Thailand and most visitors don't feel the need. Buddhism is not an evangelistic religion so there is no pressure to convert people; it is more a belief system based around improving yourself rather than trying to change other people. If you do want to find out about it the monks in Thailand, who can speak English, will often be delighted to explain things to you. Buddhism has a lot of wisdom to offer the world and you don't have to be Buddhist to benefit from this. Meditation in Thailand is good for people of all belief systems.