Administrative Structure of Thai Sangha Organization under the Monarchy and Politics

บทคัดย่อ

Thai Sangha influenced the conceptions of kingship in various ways such as paradigmatic
dhammaraja, the righteous monarch, who governs justly and righteously as the embodiment of the ten royal
virtues.1 It is the symbol of monarchy in Southeast Asia. With royal virtues, king is needed for protection and for
the sake of honor and security. Thus Buddhist kingship is essentially based on the concept of righteousness. It
is understood that under the reign of Buddhist king in Sri Lanka, Myanmar and also Thailand, Sangha and
people live life peacefully. Kings of Buddhist kingdoms in Southeast Asia absorbed the concept of ideal ruler,
Dhammaraja2 as part of their own traditions. They realized that the maintenance of their power rested on
adherence to the Dhamma. It is necessary for the kings to keep Dhamma alive by supporting the Sangha which
perpetuated and disseminated Dhamma. By patronizing and supervising the Sangha, the kings preserved the
Dhamma, and in doing so, duty as righteous king could be fulfilled. It is the close relationship between the
development of Buddhism in the kingdom and the patronage of the faith by Buddhist kings.