Ceremony Merit on Illuminated Boat Wisdom of Thai Laos Ethics Groups in Mekong Sub Region

Abstract

This study aimed to explain ceremony merit on illuminated boat wisdom of Thai Laos ethics groups in Thailand and Laos ethics group in Khammuan, Laos PDR, in Mekong sub region; to analyze factor of illuminated boat wisdom for Buddhism conservation of Srikhotaboon cultural area in Thailand and to make policy proposition for connection among education, religion and culture in the school. The present study was conducted by using mix method research methodologies consisting of a qualitative Ethnographic study, a document study, and a quantitative study. The results showed that the history of ceremony merit on illuminated boat wisdom of Thai Laos ethics groups in Mekong sub region has been begun for more 550 years. A belief of ceremony is mix among Brahmanism, Buddhism and soul religion. The festival of the Illuminated Boat Procession took place at the end of the Buddhist Rains Retreat or Ork Phansa In past, the ceremony was done in simple while in the present; this was done in a simplex. The type of illuminated boat was changed but it can be found in three types; ancient illuminated boat, land illuminated boat and modern illuminated boat. The modern science knowledge and classically local wisdom were used to make the modern illuminated boat which is a big size, beauty and expensive. The illuminated boat is symbols which conceal the dharmic principle for living people. According to a factor analysis about desirable values of ceremony merit on illuminated boat wisdom of Thai Laos Ethics groups in Srikhotaboon cultural area, it was found that there were 10 factors that affect a preservation of the cultural ecology of Mekong Basins: 1) ceremony merit on illuminated boat wisdom is secret code of moral actions and a center of the knowledge in three Worlds (heaven, earth, nether world); 2) hydrographic knowledge relate with geography for ceremony merit on illuminated boat of an ancestor by pathway to worship Lord Buddha footprint and gold and silver stairs at riverside; 3) the knowledge of illuminated boat can be inherited from one generation to the next by methods of fundamental education; 4) illuminated boat is knowledge of fire study in order to light and water which conceal dharmic principle of the world, the universe, god and river favour; 5) physical knowledge of soil, water, wind and fire is same as moral principle to delete suffering of haven, human world and hell for complete learning in illuminated boat procession festival; 6) illuminated boat engineering and technology are wisdom which relate to plant and aquatic animal ecology; 7) motherhood and living are built from physical science knowledge and wind in folklore during ceremony merit on illuminated boat; 8) illuminated boat procession is chemical and energy cycles in food chain of an organism; 9) illuminated boat procession is philosophy and procedure following belief in ‘Karma’ of  Brahmanism, Buddhism and soul religion for protection an Ethnography and ecosystem; 10) to make illuminated boat is procedure of observe the precepts, forgiveness, sacrifice and virtue, which relate to intellectual pathway. These 10 factors can be used to formulate a suggestion to promote the ceremony merit on illuminated boat wisdom in order to preserve the Buddhism of Srikhotaboon cultural area in Thailand.