สำนักราชบัณฑิตยสภา

«“√ “√ √“™∫— ≥±‘ µ¬ ∂“π ªï ∑’Ë Û ©∫— ∫∑’Ë Û °.§.-°.¬. ÚıÙ¯ 737 Lertsiri Bovornkitti Mahayana or Greater Vehicle basi- cally represent different responses to the historical Buddha. Largely monks who sought to follow the Buddha to enlightenment elaborated the Theravada (Hinayana) definition of Buddhism. The Mahayana definition was informed from the side of both popular devotion and meditative in- sight and emphasised the compassion of the Buddha for the salvation of all beings. Thus in the Mahayana, en- lightenment is only instrumental to a larger end. The Theravada Buddhism practised today in Thailand is also practised in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and other parts of South-East Asia. The heart of the Buddha’s teach- ing lies in the Four Noble Truths (cattari ariyasaccani) 9 : 1. Dukkha or “The Noble Truth of Suffering”. Life according to Buddhism is nothing but suffering and pain. Dukkha includes deeper ideas such as “imperfection”, “imper- manence”, and “emptiness”, and “insubstantiality”. 2. Samudaya , the arising or origin of dukkha . It is the “thirst” (tan ⁄ ha), desire, greed, craving, mani- festing themselves in various ways that give rise to all forms of suffer- ing and the continuity of beings. 3. Nirodha , the cessation of dukkha, where there is no desire, and there is no suffering. This is the truth of “nibbana” , or in Sanskrit, nirvan ⁄ a. 4. Magga (The Path), the way leading to the cessation of dukkha, known as the “Middle Path” which leads to calm, insight, enlightenment, nirvan ⁄ a, and is referred to as the No- ble Eightfold Path that is composed of eight categories, namely: 1. Right Understanding 2. Right Thought 3. Right Speech 4. Right Action 5. Right Livelihood 6. Right Effort 7. Right Mindfulness 8. Right Concentration (Ishii, 1986) The teaching of Buddhism regarding the Four Noble Truths shows the way to enlightenment and to freedom from human suffering through following the Buddhist way of life. Basic human suffering comes from being born, aging, falling ill and dying. The Lord Buddha himself made an inquiry into these aspects before he left his normal life to search for the truth of life. The Buddha’s teachings reveal the true nature of life and they pro- vide Buddhist people with a way of life to be followed, to be developed and practised by each individual. It is the path leading to the realisation of ultimate reality, complete freedom, happiness and peace through moral, spiritual and intellectual perfection. However, not everyone can follow the path completely. Each individual may have specific difficulties to deal with. This is the true nature of hu- man beings; otherwise, everyone would be entitled to enlightenment*. Thai perceptions of life have been a basic response to the teach- ings of Buddha, and as such, under- lie the society’s structural thinking. As Buddhist teachings have a direct impact on Thai society, many other elements of Buddhism have influ- enced the culture conventionally. Buddhism in Thailand has many customs and ceremonies for religious occasions and celebrations. In addi- tion, Buddhism has value in satisfy- ing certain religious emotions and personal needs as devotees gradually practise the path. Such religious cer- emonies have been absorbed into Thai tradition and custom. For exam- ple, the temple is both a sacred place and a community meeting place. Thai people go to temples to obtain peace of mind, to listen to monks preach- ing, and to make merit. Merit-making in Buddhism Corrupt monks and their asso- ciates who had recently exploited the religion for monetary gain have se- verely damaged the concept of merit- making. Recently, there have been a * There is a Buddhist tale used in teaching that there are three types of lotus on earth. First is the lotus that stays in the mud, which refers to a person who does not try to understand anything: who therefore is ignorant. Second is the lotus that stays underneath the water, so would not see the light of dhamma. Third is the lotus that rises above the water, which refers to people who learn and understand the teachings (dhamma) well.