The Concept of Temples that Meet the Community’s Demand in Thai Society

Abstract

In this article, an attempt was purposely made to study the concept of temple and its satisfaction to the community’s need in Thai society. This research employed the documentary study and in-depth interview. From the research, it was clearly found that the temple in Buddhism basically means the shelter of Buddhist monks where they can perform the religious ritual and ceremonial activities. Such a temple is constructed by the laity’s faith whose understanding of the necessity of Buddhist monks’ living life is encouraged and thereby providing the proper place which calmly suits their ways of life. At the same time, the sustentation offered to them could be conveniently made by general people. In the present, the temple has been developed to become the place whereby the community’s education, Buddhist monks’ formal act, religious activities and support of a social government are also provided.

In general, the temple that provides the individual satisfaction who is expecting to gain the material prosperity in terms of the great deal of a comfortable life is always designed to meet the mentioned requirement whereas there is some temple which is developing in order to provide the mental satisfaction where the relaxation and mental cultivation leading the calm and simplicity could be obtained despite of having certain construction but being without the opulent manner by which it leads to the destruction of the nature. As regards the temple satisfying the community’s need, it must become the center of aid where the material gains and various kinds of knowledge could be given to those in need. In addition, such a temple should be actively developed side by side with the social progress; if a social problem is somehow caused, a temple must become the center whereby the complete solution to the problem can be given in order to set up the peaceful society respectively.