Buddhism and politics in Thailand
Journal Data
| Type | SOURCE_BOOK |
|---|---|
| Publisher | IRASEC |
| ISBN-13 | 9786167571324 |
| Open Library | OL32588419W |
| Total publications | 3 |
| Coverage period | 2018 - 2018 |
| Language | EN |
Despite the often-repeated assertion that Buddhism and politics are, or at least must be, separate matters, Buddhism has been closely intertwined with politics one way or another since the Buddha’s time. In Thailand, Buddhism has been used since the end of the 19th century as a tool to legitimate state power. In the following decades, it has been progressively centralized under a national hierarchy, which is still existing today. This scheme was not altered after the change of the country’s political framework in 1932 and political tensions with the sangha came to the fore during the political troubles of the 1970s. The emergence of an increasing political divide in Thailand since the mid-2000s, around two broad groups which have been dubbed the Yellow Shirts and the Red Shirts, has engulfed the monastic community, leading to a growing activism by some Buddhist groups, some temples and some monks. Numerous monks mingled with Red Shirts demonstrators in April-May 2010, and some were on the front-line when the military gave the assault on the Red Shirts’ camp in downtown Bangkok. In the most recent years, these tensions have coalesced around the controversial Dhammakaya temple and have impacted the choice of the leader of the Thai monastic community. Although, tensions within the sangha are nothing new, they have weakened the ability of Buddhism – one of the national pillars of the Thai national ideology – to be a focal point as the country is going through a difficult transition with the end of seven-decades prestigious reign and political uncertainties clouding the horizon
Buddhism and nationalism
In parallel with the increased political polarization, the long-running campaign to make Buddhism the national religion of Thailand has intensified since 2005. Nourished by the conflict in southern Thailand between Muslim insurgents and the central state—and the subsequent growing unease between Thai Muslims and Buddhists—but also by the political divisions within the monkhood, this campaign advocates a reinforcement of the links between the mona…
Conclusion
This book has argued that the long-standing subservience of Buddhism to the central state in Thailand, and its use for nation-building purposes, has been the main factor behind the weakening of the religion. The disconnect between the leadership of the Thai sangha and the lives of common people, as well as the increasing political polarization within the sangha in the last two decades, has aggravated this state of deliquescence. The monastic comm…
Buddhism and Politics in Thailand
Despite the often-repeated assertion that Buddhism and politics are, or at least must be, separate matters, Buddhism has been closely intertwined with politics one way or another since the Buddha’s time. In Thailand, Buddhism has been used since the end of the 19th century as a tool to legitimate state power. In the following decades, it has been progressively centralized under a national hierarchy, which is still existing today. This scheme was …
No prominent publications on this page.
Buddhism and nationalism
In parallel with the increased political polarization, the long-running campaign to make Buddhism the national religion of Thailand has intensified since 2005. Nourished by the conflict in southern Thailand between Muslim insurgents and the central state—and the subsequent growing unease between Thai Muslims and Buddhists—but also by the political divisions within the monkhood, this campaign advocates a reinforcement of the links between the mona…
Conclusion
This book has argued that the long-standing subservience of Buddhism to the central state in Thailand, and its use for nation-building purposes, has been the main factor behind the weakening of the religion. The disconnect between the leadership of the Thai sangha and the lives of common people, as well as the increasing political polarization within the sangha in the last two decades, has aggravated this state of deliquescence. The monastic comm…
Buddhism and Politics in Thailand
Despite the often-repeated assertion that Buddhism and politics are, or at least must be, separate matters, Buddhism has been closely intertwined with politics one way or another since the Buddha’s time. In Thailand, Buddhism has been used since the end of the 19th century as a tool to legitimate state power. In the following decades, it has been progressively centralized under a national hierarchy, which is still existing today. This scheme was …