การศึกษาเปรียบเทียบความเชื่อและการปฏิบัติพิธีกรรมทางพุทธศาสนา ของชาวไทยล้านนาและชาวไทยภาคอีสาน เรื่อง มหาชาติเวสสันดรชาดก : กรณีศึกษาจังหวัดเชียงใหม่ และจังหวัดสกลนคร

Abstract

The purposes of this research were to study and compare the Buddhism ritual beliefs and practices between Thai Lanna and Isan people on Mahajati Vessantara Jataka: A case study of Chiang Mai and Sakon Nakhon provinces. The study population included Thai Lanna and Thai Isan people. The samples were 400 participants from each province - Chiang Mai and Sakon Nakhon provinces. The simple random sampling was used by drawing lots to select the sub-district, district and village. The purposive sampling was also employed to select 100 people from each village. The data collection instruments consisted of a set of questionnaires on the beliefs and ritual practices. The data was analyzed through percentage, mean, standard deviation and inferential statistics, comprising Independent Samples t-test and One-Way ANOVA.

            Results found that in terms of beliefs, the Thai Lanna sample group from Chiang Mai concerning the Mahajati Vessantara Jataka, strongly believed that Metteyya is distinctive. As for the Isan people from Sakon Nakhon province, they believed that Phra Upakhut has the protective power and promises the success of the rituals. For ritual practices, Chiang Mai sample group mostly hosted chapters of Buddhist sermons, while the Sakon Nakhon sample group’s most frequent practice was to decorate the ritual areas, often appearing as a maze, and participated in Mahajati Vessantara Jataka sermons annually. The Buddhism ritual beliefs and practices of the two sample groups were at a high level. The result comparison of beliefs and practices of the two sample groups revealed that there were no differences between the two groups in terms of gender.  In terms of age, marital status, the highest level of education, experience in listening to Mahajati Vessantara Jataka sermons, and occupation, from all aspects there was different in beliefs statistically at least 1 pair with a statistical significance of .05 level. There was also different in a ritual setting, for instance, the northern region performed ritual practices in Buddhist temples by listening to the sermons, while the Isan region held the rituals outside Buddhist temples by parading Phra Upakhut and Phra Vessantara into the town.