95% of the Thai population practises Buddhism. It was in the 4th century A.D. that Buddhism spread throughout Southeast Asia in two forms, "Theravada" and "Mahayana". The Theravada form, known as the "Buddhism of the Lesser Vehicle", took root in Thailand through the kingdom of Dvaravati (6th-11th centuries) to become the state religion during the Sukhothai period (13th-15th centuries) and continues to this day. Theravada literally means "Teaching of the Ancients" and differs from "Mahayana" or the "Buddhism of the Greater Vehicle" of North Asia.

Theravada

Thai Buddhism is the heir to one of the oldest Indian schools of Buddhism, that of the Theravadins. Theravada is more a way of life and thought, an ethic, rather than a religion. It has but one purpose: to abolish suffering and it proposes to achieve this without divine intervention, but through human means alone. It is said that Theravada is the form that has best preserved the historical teachings of Gautama Buddha as the unique and most important source of knowledge.

Prince Siddhartha

The first complete biography of the Buddha did not appear until centuries after his death. However, there is general agreement that his birth occurred around the middle of the 6th century B.C.

Siddhartha Gautama is believed to have been born in Kapilavastu near what is now the border between Nepal and India. Son of a king, he was raised in luxurious seclusion, married at age 16 and had a son. It was at the age of 21 that, during a walk outside the palace, he encountered an old man, a sick man, a dead man and a monk. He then discovered how empty his existence was. Renouncing worldly attachments, he left his palace at 29 and became an ascetic with the aim of understanding the nature of existence and finding the "Truth".

For 7 years, he practised yoga and imposed rigorous ascetic practices upon himself. Dissatisfied with this approach, he followed another path midway between a life of acceptance and a life of total renunciation, called the "Middle Way". He devoted himself extensively to meditation beneath a wild fig tree and it was there, at age 36, that one night he discovered "the Four Noble Truths" and achieved enlightenment or "Awakening". He then became the Buddha or "the Awakened One". He preached from village to village and formed a community of mendicant monks known as the "Sangha". He is said to have died in Kusinagara, India, after dedicating the rest of his life to teaching.

Today, tourist circuits offer the opportunity to follow "the footsteps of the Buddha".

The Buddha's Teaching

The Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path

1. Life is but suffering, from birth to death ("the truth of dukkha").
2. The cause of suffering is desire and the attachment and greed that result from it.
3. Desire can be extinguished, then suffering will cease to reappear.
4. The path that leads to the cessation of suffering is the Noble Eightfold Path or right and complete virtues: right understanding, right thought or mental representation, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration. These eight virtues are generally divided into three categories: morality, generosity and mental training or meditation. Thus, man can, through his own means, break the cycle of rebirths embodied by "the Wheel of the Law" and attain "nirvana".

The Five Precepts

These are, in a sense, the basic code of conduct to follow at all times. It comprises the prohibition of killing, lying, stealing, becoming intoxicated and engaging in illegitimate sexual relations.

The Three Jewels

Thai Buddhists venerate the "Triratna" or "the Three Jewels": the Buddha, the Dharma (Buddhist teaching) and the Sangha (the monastic order). The Buddha is omnipresent in multiple forms, from the humble dwelling to the most luxurious places. The Dharma is taught in primary schools and chanted in "wats" (monasteries). The monks, whom one can see at any hour of the day, dressed in their orange robes, embody the Sangha. The Sangha is the religious organisation founded by the Buddha. It is headed by a patriarch appointed by the king, the "protector of religion". The patriarch appoints forty-five high-ranking monks for life, who form a council with the power to legislate. Nine additional monks are appointed for four years and exercise executive power. The ties between this religious hierarchy and the government are close.

Merit

Merit is an important element in daily life. It is obtained through acts of charity which are naturally credited for the next reincarnation. For example, making offerings of flowers or food to the Buddha and the monks during their morning alms round, providing for the needs of the monastery, taking part in temple construction, meditating, taking in a dog, freeing a bird or a turtle, listening to the good word, observing the eight principles and following the five precepts.

The Monks

The most gratifying act for a Thai is to don the orange robe at some point in his life. For most, this is a short period after the age of 20, usually during the 3 months of the "Buddhist Lent" between July and October. The monks retreat to their monasteries after a ceremony blending religious solemnity and popular rejoicing. The future monk, whose head and eyebrows have been shaved, is led in great procession to the temple, carrying a flower and a candle in hand. During this period, according to the ancient "Thot Kathin" tradition, the faithful offer the monks robes and objects necessary for their meditative life.

Meditation

Meditation is a form of "purification of the mind" that frees itself of all thought in order to achieve a state of complete detachment from the world. It comprises different forms, the most advanced being "the state of Awakening". Initiation courses in "Vipassana" meditation are offered by certain travel organisations. Vipassana means seeing things as they truly are, beyond their mere appearance. This meditation technique is one of the oldest from India.

Buddhist Art

Buddhism has always been the primary source of inspiration for Thai art. The artist's aim above all is to express veneration and obtain merit. Temples are adorned with magnificent paintings and bas-reliefs depicting episodes from the Buddha's life and statues of his image are as numerous as they are sumptuous.

The Image of the Buddha

The representation of the Buddha is omnipresent in Thailand. Not a single temple ordination hall without an image, often larger than human size, sometimes of colossal proportions occupying a place of honour; then an infinite number of smaller images – hundreds, sometimes thousands - in the other halls and galleries. It is common to see people prostrating themselves before these images, making offerings of flowers and incense and demonstrating signs of fervent devotion. In homes themselves, according to means, a room is sometimes reserved exclusively for Buddha images; otherwise, it is part of a room or a shelf; and they are honoured with as much reverence and respect as those in temples. Before touching an image to move or clean it, Buddhists pause for a moment, head bowed and palms joined as if asking permission to take such liberty.