Wat Tampa In English

What's Happening at Wat Tampa

Search

Wat Tampa Visitors

2809952
Today
Yesterday
This Week
Last Year
This Month
Last Month
All Years
1254
1743
8295
2544046
29196
24887
2809952

Your IP: 185.93.229.8
2024-03-28 15:01

Article Index

In former days, the education of Thai people was in the hands of the Buddhist monks. "Wat" (the temples) were the center of Thai education. There were no lay schools at all. When Thai men were young, they served as temple boys in the temples and were given instruction in reading, writing, and simple arithmetic as well as in Buddhism and morals. Every Thai man who is 20 years of age, is expected to be ordained as a monk for at least three months in the rainy season. Many of them were ordained as novices to study Dharama and the Pali language before becoming a monk. During their novicehood or monkhood, they must study Buddhism, both Vinaya and Dharma, to become good Buddhists. In studying Dharma in general as well as as Dharma of the leity for preparing themselves to be good lay Buddhist after leaving novicehood or monkhood. If they stay in novicehood or monkhood, they study higher Dharma and Pali language. Some of remain in monkhood for life. The Thai society respects one who was ordained as a monk even for a while. After leaving monkhood, they are call "thit" which words from the Pali word "Pandita" or learned man. In former days, the parents of women usually did not give their daughter to marry a man who was never ordained as a monk. An unordained man is usually called "Khon Dip" or an unripe man, and the ordained one is "Khon Suk" or the ripe one. In addition, it is believed than an ordained son may give much merit from his ordination to his parents bothstill alive and deceased. This is a good way of influencing Thai people with the Buddha-Dharma. Even Thai kings have been ex-novices or ex-monks. All kings of {tooltip}Cakri{end-link}Most texts spell the dynasty name as Chakri{end-tooltip} Dynasty were ordained as monks for a while. King Phrachomklao or King Rama IV was a monk for 27 years.

 Throughout traditional ordination which is still observer today, the Thai people are bound to the Order by ties of experience or close relationship with the monks who are their former sons, relatives, or friends. They live in the Buddhist environment in which they are linked with the religion by custom, by attending religious rites, ceremonies and temple festivals, or by benefiting, either directly or indirectly, from some activities and spiritual influence of the religious institution. Buddhism is their national heritage, the glory of their country which, they feel bound to preserve. Their cycle of life turns around activities directly or indirectly connected to Buddhism.{tooltip}5{end-link}Phra Rajavararamuni. Op. Cit., p. 13{end-tooltip}

To be continued ...

­ Feedback