สำนักราชบัณฑิตยสภา

90 The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand Volume III - 2011 90 The Buddha Images: Faith of Lanna, Intellectual Power of the Beliefs and Relationship with the Northern Communities Dhamma instructions, it is believed that the people will practice the good deed to be supportive to the prosperity of the Buddhism in the area. The sleeping posture is a signal to remind that once the Buddha came and slept at the area. The sleeping behavior implies to the primitive concept of the primitive people in sleeping on the ridge in the rice field for protecting their food land. The posture is a symbol to signify the Buddhaûs supernatural power that can give people the fruitfulness, and be a safeguard over the rice fields, the source of their food. The image also represents the life and the spirit of Lanna people. The last posture is flying, floating in the air The Buddhaûs flying found in the Buddha myths reflects the supernatural state of the Buddha ( μ”π“πæ√–‡®â “‡≈’ ¬∫‚≈° ). It also tells about the supernatural power that can give peace and happiness to the people (Siraporn Nathalang, 1996: 75-76). The flying (from the heaven) is called çearth visité ( °“√‡ ¥Á ®‡≈’ ¬∫‚≈° ). Its purpose was to give Dhamma instructions to the creatures in the land of Lanna. This is another symbolic meaning showing that Buddhism is a supreme religion brought to earth from the heaven as the person who brought the Dhamma instructions was from the heaven. The visit from heaven is a miracle and a supernatural power to exorcise all the evils and give peace and happiness to human beings. The meaning of the Buddha-image symbol signified by its characteristics The characteristics signify the meaning of the image in the same way as the postures do. The characteristics of the Buddha images described in the Buddha-image myths give some clues about Lanna thinking system. The halo of the Buddha image does not only suggest the relation between a phenomenon and the fascinating supernatural power originated from the accumulated merit of the Lord Buddha (Carol Straton, 2004: 47); but also indicate the supernatural power of merit of the northern royal spirits (º’ ‡®â “π“¬ΩÉ “¬‡Àπ◊ Õ ) and other royal spirits guarding the residence and the towns ( μ”π“πæ√–πÕπ≈”ª“ß - myth of reclining Buddha, Lampang province). The characteristics of the heads of Lanna Buddha images signal that the heads with local characteristics have the significance different from Buddhism principal concept. They indicate that the Buddha has a great power to give water, peace, and happiness without any dangers. According to the local thought, the Buddhaûs head characteristics also have some relation to the water fertility. The local thought behind the description of the Buddha imagesû faces in many myths in different versions imply that the faces are very difficult for human to form. As a result, those faces were mostly made by the supernatural power; 86-97_mac9 4/26/12, 9:08 PM 90