Thailand is a unique country in Southeast Asia, where almost all people believe in Buddhism.
Surveys have shown that Thai people have a long tradition of belief in Buddhism, which has lasted for more than 2,000 years. Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia that has religious beliefs written into its constitution, stipulating that the king must be a Buddhist, while emphasizing that Thai citizens must support the primacy of religion. Buddhism is closely linked to the political system in Thailand, and there have been four key political system changes in history, while the sangha system has evolved along with political changes.
This system of religion and politics working together contributes to a deeper understanding of Thailand's political and religious history.
During the Sukhothai period, the dynasty was founded in 1238, before which the Thais were predominantly Brahmanical and Mahayana Buddhism.
With the support of the king, a policy of Theravada Buddhism was implemented during this period, leading the populace to turn to Theravada Buddhism. During this period, Buddhism took on a distinctly political overtone, with Theravada Buddhism emphasizing the divine authority of kings. Kings are seen as divine beings, and they are believed to be reborn into the human world from heaven with a noble and divine identity from birth. The king was given the task of relieving the suffering people, and his policies were aimed at ensuring that the people lived and worked in peace.
During the Sukhothai period, the king had two different administrative policies for the common people and the sangha. The people were to obey the king's commands, swear unconditional allegiance, and maintain the king's rule. Jifu was the center of cultural politics at that time, and this system was supported by a well-established political system. The Left Sangha and the Right Sangha administer the Sangha of Theravada Buddhism and other religions, respectively, and there are differences between them.
During the reign of King Dailai Logana, Thailand entered the period of feudal dynasties. In order to consolidate the feudal system, the dynasty carried out a series of reforms to further improve the sangha system. The dynasty inherited the Sukhothai dynasty's monastic system and improved it into three ranks, namely the monk king, the monk chief, and the elder. The king awarded the sangha with a long-handled monk fan to the monks who had a monk, which symbolized their status.
During this period, Buddhism flourished in Thailand, and Theravada Buddhism was divided into three sects: the Kamavasi Left, the Kamavasi Right, and the Aranwasi School. King Delleh Logana devoted himself to the promotion of Buddhism and built ornate and extravagant Buddhist temples, including the Great Buddha Hall decorated with pure copper and **. He also created 500 Arhats for Buddhism and organized religious exchanges for monks in Ceylon.
In addition, King Dai Lai Logana personally shaved his ordination and practiced in the temple for more than eight months, setting an example for later kings and grandsons and ministers to shave and become monks.
During the Chulalongkorn period, Thailand carried out the Chulalongkorn reforms, learning from the movements of Western countries. He implemented a series of religious policies conducive to the development of Buddhism, stipulating that the king, the patriarch, and the deputy patriarch were responsible for the management of the ** Sangha.
The local sangha is divided according to the administrative region and is responsible to the ** sangha, and the monks are appointed by the local administrator and promoted according to their ranks. Chulalongkorn also laid down in detail the system of selecting and appointing monks, and the selection through examinations improved the fairness of the selection. He also worked to improve the relationship between Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhism, giving more attention and rights to Mahayana Buddhist monks.
After the revolution of 1932, Thailand ended the feudal monarchy** system, and the sangha system also changed.
* A fairer system of examination and selection was introduced, with degrees for monks and certain political rights granted to monks. In 1962, the new "Monks Regulations" was promulgated, emphasizing the mastery of the administrative, legislative, and judicial rights of the monks by the Sangha, making the monks more subject to management.
Such a system helps to better supervise the Sangha at all levels and ensure the coordination of religious and administrative policies.
Thailand is a traditionally Buddhist country, and Buddhism has a long history in the country. Statistics show that 95% of Thailand's population is Buddhist. In a country where almost all people believe, the sangha system is inextricably linked to the stability of the country. Every social change or change in the political system brings about the evolution of the sangha system.
How to balance the relationship between Buddhism and secular society is a question that needs to be seriously considered by every Thai **. Thailand adopts different religious policies at different stages of society in order to effectively manage monks and control Buddhists, which is related to the stability of society and the tranquility of the people.