Buddhism Education And Politics In Burma And Thailand

Drawing on primary sources in Pali, Burmese and Thai, practising monk Venerable Khammai Dhammasami guides the reader through the complex history of monastic education in two neighbouring countries with very different Buddhist societies: Burma and Thailand. This book provides a clear account of the ways in which royal leaders and monastic institutions worked to develop monastic education in the face of changing political and economic conditions, including colonialism and the political instability of the 19th and 20th centuries. It studies influences from both British colonists and Siamese/Thai reformers, and engages with primary material, including documents from Burmese monasteries, royal orders, royal chronicles, and official government records. As the first book to examine monastic education in Burma and Thailand, this is a welcome contribution to the social, monastic and religious history of Southeast Asia, and the growing field of Burmese Buddhist Studies.

Drawing on primary sources in Pali, Burmese and Thai, practising monk Venerable Khammai Dhammasami guides the reader through the complex history of monastic education in two neighbouring countries with very different Buddhist societies: Burma and Thailand. This book provides a clear account of the ways in which royal leaders and monastic institutions worked to develop monastic education in the face of changing political and economic conditions, including colonialism and the political instability of the 19th and 20th centuries. It studies influences from both British colonists and Siamese/Thai reformers, and engages with primary material, including documents from Burmese monasteries, royal orders, royal chronicles, and official government records. As the first book to examine monastic education in Burma and Thailand, this is a welcome contribution to the social, monastic and religious history of Southeast Asia, and the growing field of Burmese Buddhist Studies.

Buddhism, Imperialism and War (1979) is a lively, provocative and informative study of two of the most important Buddhist countries of South East Asia – Burma and Thailand. Buddhism gives, in theory, a high place to the maintenance of peace, both between individuals and between social groups. In practice however, Buddhist nations are no strangers to the battlefield. This book explores the complexity surrounding the issue, and reveals much for the first time that has been obscure and misunderstood.

This volume brings together the brightest minds in the study of Buddhism in Southeast Asia to create a more coherent account of the relations between Buddhism and political order in the late pre-modern and modern period.

In this study, a team of international scholars assess the manner in which Buddhist organizations and individuals have resisted, come to terms with, or in some cases allied themselves with the forces of war, modernity, westernization, nationalization, capitalism, communism, and ethnic conflict. By examining issues such as left-right divisions in the monastic order, the rise of organized lay movements, Buddhist social activism, as well as explicitly Buddhist inspired political activity, this book seeks to demonstrate that the emphasis on meditation and mental training is only one strand in this richly complex world historical tradition.

This study examines the impact of Buddhism on the political process of Asian countries in recent times. The intersection between Buddhism and politics; religious authority and political power is explored through the engagement of Buddhist monks and lay activists in the process of nation-building, development, and implementation of democracy.

This book studies the interaction of the Sangha (the community of monks) with politics and socio-political change in Thailand. Although the interaction of Buddhism and politics is recognized, it is seldom acknowledged and frequently denied. This paradox derives from two deeply rooted notions: first, that politics is "the dirtiest business" second, that only "pure" Buddhism and a "sound" Sangha can ensure the moral welfare of the nation, and their preservation in unadulterated form is critical for the survival of national unity.

Chiefly refers to Thailand and Buddhism in Laos and Cambodian politics.

Walton explains political dynamics in Myanmar through Buddhist thought, providing a conceptual framework for understanding Myanmar's ongoing political transition.