Vai trò của tăng sĩ đối với cuộc sống của người dân Thái Lan

Abstract

Buddhism is known as one of the major religions in the world. It has influenced people's life not only in the spiritual aspect but also strongly in the material one. Thailand, a country in mainland Southeast Asia, has adopted Buddhism (Theravada) and made it to be recognized as the state religion. Thai people especially respect the monk because they are Buddha's novices who are taking the mission of spreading the Dharma. In Thai culture, pagodas (or temples) and monks play an important role in society. Temples are normally the places where Thai people take their daily activities and monks are their spiritual leaders. Besides the rituals relating to human life cycle, temples are also the places where take place big and small festivals during the year. In addition, monks also play a significant role to support people in their life such as health care, education, social activities.