Centre for Buddhist Studies, Chulalongkorn University
出版地
Thailand [泰國]
資料類型
期刊論文=Journal Article
使用語言
泰文=Thai
關鍵詞
Temples; communities’ needs; Thai society
摘要
The objective of this article is to examine the concept of temples and their satisfaction of the community’s needs in Thai society through documentary research. The study finds that temples in Buddhism are shelters for Buddhist monks, places to perform religious rituals and activities, as well as to develop one’s spirituality. Temples are born out of the faith of the laity, who accommodate the Buddhist monks’ necessary requirements for calmness and serenity. At the same time, such arrangement allows the laity to conveniently sustain the monks. Presently, temples have beendeveloped into the communities’ centers of education, of religious activities, as well as of support for social governance.
Temples that seek to satisfy individuals’ needs for materialand comfort tend to emphasize material prosperity, whereastemples that seek to cultivate people’s spiritual needs tend tofocus on areas for relaxation for the sake of developing calmnessand simplicity. For the latter, material constructions are neither opulent nor overshadowing nature. Temples that seek to satisfy the community’s needs must be the center for help and for providing both material and learning opportunities. In addition, such temples must be developed along with the community: if social problems arise, the temples must act as the center for their solution in order to yield peace and contentment to the society.
