สำนักราชบัณฑิตยสภา

94 The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand Volume III - 2011 94 The Buddha Images: Faith of Lanna, Intellectual Power of the Beliefs and Relationship with the Northern Communities Lanna, multi-Buddha way, and Buddhist way of kingdom and political administrations (Rattanaporn Settakun, 1999: 1). The value to the explanation of custom and tradition, it was found that the traditional worship to the Buddha images which consists of the instructions for worship and celebration of Buddha images, the ordination, the placement of Buddha imageûs heart, and the opening of the Buddha imageûs eyes. The merit making by taking care of the Buddha images has the related traditions as follows: offering three robes and Lanna flags to the image, offering servants to the image, offering rice and wood fuel to the image, and offering small lamps to the image. The traditions related to the wish of fruitfulness are the godûs life lengthening, and the water pouring on the image as the godûs representative. The value to the explanation of the relation in religious belief, Lanna Buddha images show that there are different types of relations in religious belief which reflects types of the beliefs: the conflict between the belief in animism and Buddhism, the compromise able relation between animism and Buddhism (Amara Pongsapit, 1996: 263), and the relation between Buddha image myths and the ritual traditions. In addition, there is also a presentation of the value to the explanation of the relation in gender of male and female. The relation reflects the difficulties and the gender bias on the value of being female including the effort in negotiating and assigning the new meaning to the value of woman. The significant point is that the myth and the ritual related to the Buddha image is cultural information reflecting the Lanna wisdom of belief indicating the local identity, and the wide-spread of the faith in Buddha image in Lanna culture. As a result, the sacred myths and narratives have been constructed and exist in the cultural information source of Lanna people. The creation of tradition, ritual, and different kinds of beliefs were also made. The study of Lanna Buddha image myths as the reflection of its value and importance in signifying the power of narratives towards a community helps fulfilling and supporting us to have a clearer vision on the unique characteristics suggesting Lanna identity. Finally, the study of the value and the power of the Buddha-image myths towards Lanna community is considered another çbody of knowledgeé suggesting the ancient wisdom and knowledge arisen from the accumulated experience which has been passed on from generation to generation. Lanna people since the ancient time have a clever wisdom which have been reproduced through the different versions of local myths to help solving problems and adjusting themselves to 86-97_mac9 4/26/12, 9:08 PM 94