The Belief in Constructing Phra Buddha Pusayakhirī Sri Suvarnabhumi U-thong District, Suphanburi Province

Abstract

          The three objectives of this research were 1) to investigate the belief of constructing religious images for worship in Buddhism, 2) to investigate the belief in constructing Phra Buddha Pusayakrīrī Sri Suvarnabhumi U-thong District, Suphanburi Province and 3) to study the values of belief in constructing Phra Buddha Pusayakhīrī Sri Suvarnabhumi U-thong District, Suphanburi Province. This qualitative research explored related documents and research works, and field works with in-depth interviews conducted with 10 key informants engaging in constructing Phra Buddha Pusayakhīrī Sri Suvarnabhumi U-thong District, Suphanburi Province.
          The results shown that
          1) The belief about constructing religious images for worship in Buddhism was found that constructing religious images especially the Buddha images was a meritorious actions deserving mega-merits and counted as the Buddha worship. That was to worship an individual deserved for absolute worship. It was propitiousness for life. It was the noble asset, which was sublime property in the mind and reliance in this life and in the afterlife while being the high value of the Buddhist arts. It symbolized the Buddha alike a reminder to instill the virtuous morality to recall the Dhamma and the Buddha’s teaching so as to apply those doctrines for happiness, life growth and finally to become the noble man saved from the cycle of rebirth in various worlds
          2) The belief about constructing Phra Buddha Pusayakhīrī Sri Suvarnabhumi  U-thong District, Suphanburi Province was found that the image was built to maximize the wild and barren lands to be the site of worship for the Buddhists. This was to replace the most gigantic and the highest Buddha image in Afghanistan destroyed by the Taliban. Phra Buddha Pusayakhīrī Sri Suvarnabhumi would revive the faith of the faithful around the world and to be the place of administering the rites on the occasion of the holy Buddhist days. It would become the eternal heritage in the land of the Suvarnabhumi Empire called the ancient U-Thong city while being the learning resources for youth, for communities and those who are interested in Buddhism. Also, it would be the Buddhist Compound in Suphanburi Province, the place to forever sustainably centralize the Buddhist mind within the country and foreign countries.
          3) The values of belief in constructing Phra Buddha Pusayakhīrī Sri Suvarnbhumi U-thong District, Suphanburi Province were found that it was constructed in the dignified and invaluable site in the past. It was the land given rise to Buddhism which was expanded into the Suvarnabhumi Land. With the evidence from the excavated stone inscription at the Pagoda No.12 on the top of the artificial mountain and the Dhamma Jakara and the Asoka’s Stone Pillar at the Pagoda No.11 at the foot of the Tam Tiem mountain. They inspired to construct Phra Buddha Pusayakhīrī Sri Suvarnabhumi U-thong District, Suphanburi Province at this site. It was to proclaim for all to recognize that Buddhism we venerate today has its focal point here and the construction of the new religious site in Suphanburi Province would be the Buddhist invaluable heritage, forever.