| ould be noted that there is a great difference as | | | | Some monks have been concerned about the |
| regards the social background of the monks in the | | | | problems of the relevancy of Buddhism to the |
| traditional Thai society in the past and that of the | | | | contemporary changing society. To these monks, and |
| monks in the modern times. In the past the monkhood | | | | to a number of lay Buddhists, the monks’ loss |
| was recruited from men of all classes of the society | | | | of leadership in the modern Westernized sector of |
| and from all parts of the country regardless of their | | | | Thai society, usually represented by the urbanized |
| status. As members of the monkhood, the monks | | | | communities, has affected the stability of the religion |
| formed an independent society exercising spiritual and | | | | and partly accounted for the misdirected development |
| intellectual influences on the secular society. Roughly | | | | of the society. In the modern Westernized society |
| speaking, they played the roles of the intellectuals. But | | | | monks play no role of real importance or |
| in the modern times, since the monks were retired | | | | unquestionable value, and the society has reached the |
| from educational responsibility on the adoption of the | | | | current stage of development without their claim to |
| modern system of public education and since the | | | | help or guidance. Modern Thailand is, however, often |
| traditional system of education was retained only in the | | | | branded with modernization without development or |
| monasteries, the monkhood has been recruited from | | | | with misguided development. The lack of the |
| the underprivileged, nearly entirely from the | | | | monks’ share in the process of development |
| peasants’ children. To distinguish them from | | | | must have been a factor in this undesirable result. It |
| those trained in the newly adopted modern system of | | | | may be too late for the monks to take up their |
| education, the monks of modern times may be called | | | | responsibility in such an extremely secularized society |
| the traditional intellectuals. But, with an undeveloped | | | | and it will be difficult even to regain their status, though |
| educational system, they have, lost the position of the | | | | many monks are now much concerned about this |
| intellectuals and fallen to the class of the common | | | | task. In rural areas, on the con-trary, monastic |
| uninformed people or even the uneducated. In contrast | | | | leadership is still strong and the rural people still |
| to these outdated intellectuals recruited from the | | | | recognize their responsibility to the Buddhist institutions. |
| villagers are modern intellectuals who get educated | | | | Modernization has, however, started to run its course |
| through the modern educational system. These | | | | there and the monks, with their traditional roles of |
| modern intellectuals are now represented by university | | | | leadership, are far from prepared to apply the |
| students who are mostly (about 75-80 percent) | | | | effectiveness of their leadership to the problems of |
| recruited from the privileged classes in towns and | | | | modernization, that is, to help the rural people towards |
| cities, the children of government officials and | | | | proper adjustment in the process of development. The |
| merchants. It is thus only natural that much of the part | | | | rural monks are recruited from among the rural people, |
| that was played by the monks in the past has been | | | | more specifically the villagers, with a very |
| taken up by these modern intellectuals who have | | | | disadvantaged educational background and with |
| come to play it for the Thai society of today. | | | | experiences limited to village situations. Lacking |
| However, as these modern intellectuals have been, to | | | | knowledge of the modern society, its problems and the |
| a large extent, alienated from the Thai culture through | | | | gap to fill, they themselves are subject to a |
| the modern Western system of education, they | | | | misdirected development. They are just as the monks |
| cannot well accommodate themselves to the | | | | in the modernized sector once were and still mostly |
| traditional rural communities which form the major part | | | | are. There is a fear that the story will repeat itself. |
| of about 75-80 percent of the Thai society. They, | | | | Such being the case, the monks and lay Buddhists |
| therefore, usually confine their services to the minor | | | | who have been awakened to the problems direct their |
| modernized urban sector of the society, leaving the | | | | attention to the rural society. With the purpose of |
| major rural sector under the awkward uninformed | | | | awakening rural monastic leaders to the same |
| leadership of the monks. | | | | problems and helping them to adapt their leadership to |
| As noted earlier, most of the students in the modern | | | | the modern process of development, monastic social |
| secular system of education are recruited from the | | | | programmes for social welfare and rural uplift have |
| privileged classes. Sons of the poor peasants in | | | | been established by the Buddhist Universities and other |
| remote areas find their resort in the monasteries | | | | monastic institutions. Courses in the practical aspects |
| where they study as monks and novices. Thus, in spite | | | | of community development have been included along |
| of the loss of intellectual leadership, the monkhood still | | | | with training for the propagation of Buddhism. Some of |
| plays an important educational role for the modern | | | | these programmes have been criticized for |
| society. Amidst the unequal opportunities in education, | | | | secularization and some even for politicization. Apart |
| the monkhood provides a channel through which the | | | | from programmes for rural monks, the two Buddhist |
| less-privileged people who get no access to the | | | | Universities annually send a number of their graduates |
| modern educational system of the state may continue | | | | to take teaching positions and participate in local |
| their intellectual pursuits. | | | | development programmes and other social, educational |
| SOME EFFORTS TO FILL THE GAP AND TO | | | | and Buddhist activities. It is hoped that through these |
| RESTORE THE MONKS’ WORTHY ROLES | | | | programmes monks will be made effective in realizing |
| In the meantime, however, strict traditionalism on the | | | | the Buddhist ideal of ‘going for the welfare and |
| part of the Sangha and the Thai society as a whole | | | | happiness of the many’ by helping and guiding |
| has both directly and indirectly caused reactions, | | | | the people through a process of right and real |
| conflicts and new developments in private sectors. A | | | | development, and their place of leadership will also be |
| number of Elders, in an effort to respond to the | | | | maintained. |
| long-felt but ignored need to produce Buddhist monks | | | | In fact, these Buddhists are concerned not only about |
| equipped with modern knowledge relevant to the | | | | the maintenance of the monks' status in the changing |
| contemporary world, revived the plan for Buddhist | | | | traditional society, but also about the restoration of the |
| higher education. Then Mahamakut and Mahachula | | | | monks to their proper place as leaders in modern |
| came back to life as the two Buddhist universities of | | | | society. The Buddhist Sunday school movement begun |
| Thailand in 2489/1946 and 2490/1947 respectively. | | | | by Mahachula Buddhist University in 2501/1958 |
| Some lay intellectuals found interest in Buddhist thought | | | | represents an attempt to revive Buddhist education for |
| through their independent study or casual reading of | | | | the younger generation and to achieve welfare and |
| writings on Buddhism by Western scholars. Some of | | | | happiness both for the modernized society and for the |
| them have helped in the attempt to connect Buddhist | | | | society under the process of modernization. |
| thought and culture with modern scientific, intellectual | | | | In the last decade, there has been, in many parts of |
| and social developments. A number of monks, | | | | the country, especially in the central region, where the |
| undoubtedly few, through their independent study, | | | | secular government education has been made |
| gained insight into a new meaning of the | | | | accessible to the villagers, a sharp decrease in the |
| Buddha-Dharma through their own interpretation. They | | | | number of boys entering the monasteries to study in |
| give Buddhism a new appeal, a vitality that has made it | | | | the monastic traditional system of education. There are |
| accessible to the intellectuals and university students. | | | | now, therefore, very few novices or none at all in |
| They have helped to reduce the widening gap | | | | most of the monasteries in the more developed areas |
| between the monkhood and the modern intellectuals, | | | | of the country. Simultaneously, on the other hand, |
| and have paved the way for the regaining of the | | | | students and pupils in the secular government and |
| monks’ spiritual leadership. Among these monks | | | | private schools have been criticized of being alienated |
| the best known is Bhikkhu Buddhadasa of Chaiya in | | | | from their religious and cultural tradition and lacking |
| South Thailand, who is claimed to be the most | | | | adequate moral training. As a response to this situation, |
| outstanding Buddhist thinker in the country and also a | | | | many monasteries and organizations throughout the |
| figure in international Buddhism. | | | | country have resorted to the new practice of |
| In his own country Buddhadasa has even been | | | | temporary summer group-ordination or temporary |
| pictured as a revolutionary or a non-conformist | | | | hot-season group-admission to novicehood (or |
| because of his attacks on popular superstitious beliefs | | | | monkhood), now in vogue, providing the youths with |
| and practices and the performance of particular | | | | religious, cultural and moral training for a short period of |
| ceremonies. His primary concern, in the words of a | | | | time, mostly for one month, during their annual long |
| Western scholar, “is not to expound traditional | | | | vacation. Although this practice cannot be an answer |
| teachings but to revitalize the tradition in such a | | | | to the problem of the shortage of monastic man |
| manner that it becomes a vehicle rather than a block | | | | power in the long run, it is hoped that it will be a help in |
| to the realization of Truth, or Buddha-Dhamma.” | | | | the solution of the urgent problems of juvenile |
| He puts into the tradition a new life and a new light, | | | | delinquency and cultural alienation. |
| summoning those around him “to a | | | | In spite of all these efforts, however, the Buddhist |
| reexamination of their religion and themselves.”1 | | | | reformers must always bear in mind one thing: in order |
| However, it should be noted that Buddhadasa is well | | | | for Buddhism to be really relevant to the rapidly |
| known only to the intelligentsia, among whom his voice | | | | changing world in the long run they must discover |
| echoes strongly, while, at the popular level, he is little | | | | which demands of such a world should be the prime |
| understood or listened to, and it is Bhikkhu Pannananda, | | | | concern of Buddhism, the demands that no other |
| a little younger senior intimate of his, that comes to fill | | | | realm of human endeavour can treat, and be prepared |
| the gap. | | | | to apply the Buddhist answers towards the |
| Another important development in Thai Buddhism is | | | | satisfaction of these demands. |
| monks’ involvement in community development. | | | | |