The Roles of Buddhist Monks in Building up the Peace by Buddhist Peaceful Means: A Case of Banhuaynamkhao Community, Bankao, Maung District, Kanchanaburi Province

Abstract

This research aimed to 1) study the conceptual ideas and theories related to the roles of Buddhist monks to build peace in a community by Buddhist peaceful means; and (3) to analyze the roles of Buddhist monks to build peace by Buddhist peaceful means in Banhuaynamkhao community, Bankao, Muang district, Kanchanaburi province.

From the studies of the conceptual ideas and the theories related to Buddhist monks to build peace in a community by Buddhist peaceful means, it is found that the theory of a role means behaviors or actions of a person who is in any status that the society designates him or her to perform duties; while the idea of conflict management by Buddhist means defines the meaning of ‘Buddhist Peaceful Means’ as the means the Buddha and his disciples used for conflict settlement among the monks without any violence which is the means to create happiness for the monks themselves and for the people in the society, in living together.  

From studying the situations of conflict problem in Banhuaynamkhao Community, Bankao, Muang District, Kanchanaburi Province, it is found that the people in the community themselves realize their lack of unity, and there is also the context of the past conflict caused by administrative divisions of the government; plus, another case of the difference among groups of ethnic.  To build peaceful community by Buddhist peaceful means in the present, such tools, i.e.,   negotiation between parties, mediation by government agencies, and the principle of participation are used.       

From the analysis of the roles of Buddhist monks to build peace in Banhuaynamkhao Community, Bankao, Muang District, Kanchanaburi Province by Buddhist Peaceful Means, it is found that the main problem of the community is the conflict from different thoughts that causes the lack of unity; and the most obvious cause is the varieties of cultures and groups of ethnic with communication problem through the different uses of languages.  The basic idea to build peace by the proper Buddhist peaceful means in Banhuaynamkhao Community, Bankao, Muang District, Kanchanaburi Province is Sraniyadhamma, the main principle in adjusting attitudes of the folks for leading to unity; and in analyzing the roles of Buddhist monks to build peace in  Banhuaynamkhao Community, it is found that the monks’ roles are to study and obtain knowledge, support students by giving scholarships, and to develop permanent structures in the temples continually.  The last role of Buddhist monks is to participate with the government’s work sectors in arranging joint activities for implementing mutual relationship in the community.