ENHANCING BUDDHIST EDUCATION THROUGH THE SAN-DONTA TRADITION OF THAI-KHMER COMMUNITIES IN THAILAND

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Amid rapid social change and cultural transformation in contemporary Thai society, increasing concerns have emerged regarding the weakening transmission of moral values and cultural identity among younger generations. Although Buddhist education remains part of the national curriculum, limited research has examined how local cultural heritage can function as an applied framework for enhancing the learning of Buddhist principles in schools. The San-Donta Tradition represents a significant cultural institution that integrates animistic ancestral belief with Theravāda Buddhist ethical teachings. This study aims to examine the cultural heritage of the San-Donta Tradition among the Thai-Khmer community in Thailand and analyze its embedded Buddhist principles to explore pathways for their integration into school-based moral and ethical education.

Methodology: This study adopted a qualitative documentary research design grounded in rigorous cultural and textual analysis, deliberately delimited to secondary data synthesis. Using a keyword-based purposive strategy focusing on "San-Donta Tradition" "Thai-Khmer Community," "Buddhist Principles" "Moral Education" and "School Instruction" a credible analytical corpus was gathered from academic literature and ethnographic records. Following Klaus Krippendorff's framework, data analysis was executed through a systematic three-stage qualitative content and thematic analysis procedure such as open coding, categorization, and thematic synthesis. This analytical process identified and categorized embedded Buddhist principles into individual-level virtues and social-level ethical reinforcement, ultimately transforming descriptive cultural knowledge into a validated pedagogical framework for formal school-based Buddhist education.

Main Results: The findings revealed that the San-Donta Tradition functioned as an active, culturally embedded moral system operating symbiotically across two operational levels. At the individual level, the ritual naturally cultivated personal virtues of gratitude (Katanyu-katavedi), filial piety, compassion, and karmic moral accountability through practical ancestral remembrance and merit-making (Puñña). These ritualistic elements served as experiential learning mechanisms that effectively transformed abstract Theravāda Buddhist ethical doctrines into lived personal experiences. At the social level, collective participation across kinship networks reinforced communal harmony and social sympathy (Saṅgaha-vatthu), visibly manifesting as enhanced solidarity, mutual reciprocity, and intergenerational respect. By successfully synthesizing animistic ancestral reverence with Buddhist moral philosophy, the tradition established a holistic ethical framework that bridged spiritual continuity with reciprocal social responsibility. Ultimately, the results demonstrated that the San-Donta Tradition operated not merely as a passive ceremonial heritage, but as a functional informal moral curriculum capable of structurally enhancing Buddhist principle instruction within formal educational settings.

Involvement to Buddhadhamma: This study demonstrates that the San-Donta Tradition reflects a form of applied Buddhism grounded in cultural practice and aligns with Applied Buddhism in the development of wisdom and morality. Core Buddhist values such as gratitude, compassion (Karuṇā), loving-kindness (Mettā), and ethical conduct (Sīla) are embedded within ritual actions and social norms. The practice of merit transfer reinforces understanding of karma and moral causation, while communal harmony reflects principles aligned with the Noble Eightfold Path, particularly right conduct and right intention. By integrating these culturally embodied teachings into educational contexts, schools can connect doctrinal Buddhist content with students lived cultural experiences. Such integration promotes moral reflection, ethical reasoning, and social responsibility grounded in local identity and spiritual heritage.

Conclusions: The study underscores the significant role of the San-Donta Tradition as a sustainable cultural framework for enhancing the learning of Buddhist principles in Thai-Khmer communities. Functioning as both an individual system of moral cultivation and a communal ethical structure, the tradition supports character development, intergenerational continuity, and social harmony. Integrating cultural heritage into school instruction offers a culturally responsive approach to Buddhist education that strengthens ethical awareness, communal solidarity, and long-term moral development.