Thailand; Buddhist amulets; amulet cult; crime and violence; Buddhist saints
摘要
The increase in crime and violence and the rising popularity of socalled Buddhist amulets in Thai society after World War II were directly related. While the cult of amulets had been long and widely practised among the Thai, it was only during the war years and thereafter, when crime and violence surged throughout the country, that the cult of Buddhist amulets grew dramatically in popularity. In the course of this increase in the popularity of amulets, those with the image of the Buddha or that of a Buddhist saint clearly established their supremacy over other non-or quasi-Buddhist amulets. Many highly respected "local" monks, living or dead, whose sanctity and amulets had previously been known largely to a closed circle of local followers now became more widely known. The prestige of the local saints grew and expanded beyond their local communities, encompassing a wider geographical region. The period saw what one may term the regionalization of local Buddhist saints in Thailand.
目次
Amulets: The Industry 179 Amulets: The History 185 Crime and Violence in Thailand after World War II 193 The Supremacy of the Buddhist Amulet 199 The Flow: The Regionalization of Local Buddhist Saints 204 Conclusion 207 Acknowledgements208 Notes 209 References 210
