| Buddhism gained wide acceptance because its | | | | countries. It also allowed the Thais to embrace diverse |
| emphasis on tolerance and individual initiative | | | | cultural influences regardless of origin. |
| complemented the Thais' cherished inner freedom. | | | | Responding to this openness to new ideas, European |
| Fundamentally, Buddhism is an empirical way of life. | | | | missionaries could propagate their faiths in Thailand. |
| Free of dogma, it is a flexible moral, ethical and | | | | Because Buddhism answered so many of the people's |
| philosophical framework within which people find room | | | | needs, they found few converts. |
| to fashion their own salvations. | | | | Although Buddhism became the primary religion, Thais |
| Sukhothai's King Ramkamhaeng (1275-1317) established | | | | have always subscribed to the ideal of religious |
| Theravada Buddhism as Thailand's dominant religion. | | | | freedom. While Thai constitutions have stipulated that |
| The elder of two major Buddhist schools and closest | | | | Thai kings must be Buddhist, monarchs are invariably |
| to the Buddha's original teachings, it was practised then | | | | titled 'Protectors of All Religions'. Consequently, the |
| much as it is today. Ramkamhaeng's grandson, King Lu | | | | government, through the Religious Affairs Department, |
| Thai (1347-1368) wrote the Tribhumikotha, a treatise on | | | | annually allocates funds to finance religious education |
| Buddhist cosmology, a spectacular eschatology of | | | | and construct, maintain and restore temples, mosques |
| heavens, hells and hungry ghosts. Not only was it the | | | | and churches. |
| first Thai-authored Buddhist treatise, it was also the | | | | The temple and the village |
| first known Thai literary work. | | | | The majority of Thailand's 27,000 Buddhist temples are |
| Through the centuries Buddhism has been the main | | | | in the countryside. |
| driving force in Thai cultural development. Much of | | | | Usually located on the village outskirts, a temple is |
| classical Thai art, particularly architecture, sculpture, | | | | comprised of a tree-shaded, walled compound |
| painting and early literature, is really Buddhist art. | | | | enclosing a cluster of simple, steeply sloping, |
| Then as now, Buddhism coloured everyday Thai life. | | | | multi-roofed buildings. Although the temple's prime |
| As Buddhism's benign influence spread countrywide, | | | | functionis to aid aspirants in their search for Nirvana, it |
| Thais of all classes submitted to its moral authority. | | | | has traditionally served as the village hotel, a village |
| Thai monarchs subscribed to the Buddhist ideals of | | | | news, employment and information agency, a school, |
| kingship found in the original Theravada scriptures, | | | | hospital, dispensary or community centre, and a |
| while farmers serenely accepted their station and | | | | recreation centre, place of safe deposit and refuge for |
| fortune, or misfortune, as logical karmic consequences | | | | the mentally disturbed and the aged. |
| of previous lives. | | | | In large towns, the temple offers hostel |
| With its emphasis on accepting human foibles and | | | | accommodation for students from the out-lying villages. |
| shortcomings as inevitable, Buddhism helped forge and | | | | In others, orphans and children from poor families are |
| crystalize the Thais' remarkable tolerance and lack of | | | | admitted for free board, lodging and basic education |
| prejudice, a major factor which was to allow smooth, | | | | and,occasionally, juvenile delinquents are sent to live in |
| peaceful assimilation of captives during medieval | | | | monasteries to be reformed under the benevolent |
| Thailand's almost perpetual conflicts with neighbouring | | | | influence of elderly monks. |