A study and analysis of offerings in traditional festivals in Thai society

Abstract

The Research Article had 3 objectives: 1) to study the principle of the offering in Buddhism, 2) to study the offering at the traditional festivals in Thai society, and 3) to analyze the offering at the traditional festivals in Thai society. This research applied the Qualitative Research with the Documentary Research. The research results were as follow: 1. The principle of the offering in Buddhism was that firstly, having the faith in the offering and considering the something for the result of merit. When having the faith, the offered something were pure, and the monks must be pure. After the offering, the mind of people was joyful. 2. The offering at the traditional festivals in Thai society was specified in the community to make the merit for the basic belief in the faith in Buddhism and the belief in the ghost with the factors in living, environment and weather in the area. These made the factors in making the merit inn each month and the Heetsipsong-traditions. Because the local people specified the custom or things to do, these traditions were inherited from the generation to generation to maintain the rules of the community and protect the punishment from breaking the law of the people in the community The punishment for the people breaking the law was no acceptance and helping from the people in the community. And 3. The analysis of offering at the traditional festivals in Thai society in kinds of Punna (merit) was that (1) the merit about the monks had 6 merits or 6 months: Parivasa-kamma, Buddhist lent and Kathin ceremony. The believe in offering to the monks leaving the Parivasa-kamma was the Kusala (merit) or the Anisamsa (good result) (2) The merit about the occupation that related to worship the sacred items such as rain and food was the Boon Khoon Lan (the merit factor Milan month-merit factor Milan) and Boon Bang Fai (Bang Fai Rocket Festival) (3) The merit about the morale in living was the merit in Songkran Festival and the Boon Sum Ha (the merit for purifying the mind), and (4) the merit about the gratitude was the Boon Khao Pradap Din (the merit for donating on behalf of their died relatives and the Boon Khao Sak (the celebration of the dead).