King Rama III and the Rejuvenation of the Buddhist Sangha

Abstract

This article aims to study the rejuvenation of the Thai Buddhist Sangha during the reign of King Rama III by exploring the historical environment and context at that time, as well as looking at the approach used to restore the religious institutions. In analyzing the relationship between the Thai institution of Kingship and the Buddhist institution at the beginning of the Rattanakosin period, in particular during the reign of King Rama III, it was found that King Rama III paid considerable attention to the Sangha Institution because he realized the dominant role of Buddhist monks in propagation of the Buddha’s Teachings and that they had high respect representing the knowledge of moralistic Buddhism. The virtues of the Sangha represent the harmony between the community and the state, and the traditional path of teaching dharma to disseminate Buddhism to the people. The rejuvenation of the Sangha Institution was for the unity of the country during the reign of King Rama III. The efforts included the compilation of a new version of the Buddhist Canon Pali Tripitaka; the promotion of ‘pariyattitham’ or the text to be used to study the words of the Buddha; the construction of Buddhist monasteries; support of ordinations to institute Buddhist discipline and teachings; and the amelioration of the Sangha Institution. The commitment to rejuvenating the Sangha Institution in this reign has underpinned the viability of the Thai Buddhist tradition in sustaining the administrative stability and consolidation of the institutional development of the Sangha in the contemporary period.