สำนักราชบัณฑิตยสภา

The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand Volume II - 2010 Srisurang Poolthupya 31 Sunthon Phu uses the pipe music as the symbol of peace and non-violence. All beings, be they human-beings or wild animals become calm, lose their rage and no longer fight against one another. On the surface, Phra Aphai Mani may seem a weakling. He often weeps out of compassion. Yet he has the great quality of the strong: the ability to forgive. Mahatma Gandhi says, “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” (India Perspectives, Jan.-Mar. 2008, 23) Phra Aphai Mani and also one of his sons, Sudsakhon, are strikingly forgiving persons. Although Phra Aphai Mani and Utsaren are rivals in their love for Princess Suwannamali, Phra Aphai Mani tries to be helpful to Utsaren who once let Phra Aphai Mani and his companions travel on his ship. He loves Utsaren as his brother and feels indebted to him. When Utsaren insists on fighting to obtain Suwannamali from Sinsamut and is finally captured by the latter, Phra Aphai Mani rushes to ask his son to forgive Utsaren and set him free. Phra Aphai Mani feels that the fight is futile. (See Picture II) “We should not have fought each other, Wasting our men’s lives.” ( Phra Aphai Mani Part Ш, 2004, 165) Sudsakhon, Phra Aphai Mani’s son born from the mermaid, (See Picture III) is also full of forgiveness. The naked ascetic steals his dragon horse and magic cane, and pushes him down a chasm to die. The boy is rescued by the hermit of the Crystal Isle and regains his horse and cane. The King of Karawek who has heard of the crime wants to kill the naked ascetic but Sudsakhon says, “I do not seek revenge on him. For I believe it’s due to my past karma. If we kill him, the karma is repeated And I’ ll suffer from it for a long time.” ( Phra Aphai Mani Part IV, 2006, 153) Although Sunthon Phu does not mention that Sudsakhon is a Buddhist, it is quite clear that Sudsakhon believes in the doctrine of Karma and non-violence or Ahimsa. Sunthon Phu points out in a subtle way the bad effect of revenge and