Southeast Asia in the seventies can scarcely avoid its measure of difficulties and troubles as the result of the mass of unsolved problems which confront even the most successful of the governments in the region. It seems proper to suggest that all the evidence which is currently available points towards an absence of cataclysms, but it leaves the strong possibility of recurring revolt. The long history of revolt in the region is insufficint basis for an expectation that instances of revolt will mark the future as they have marked the past. The continued existence of the factors which have led to past revolt is, however, a strong reason for believing that many years have still to pass before true stability can replace the transient calm which seems the best hope for the region in the near future.
- Extracted from Milton Osborne (1970), Region of Revolt: Focus on Southeast Asia, Ringwood: Penguin Books, p. 194. At the time, Milton Osborne was an Associate Professor of History at Monash University. A helpful list of some of his other publications is available here.
23 responses so far ↓
1 suthi mayteekoon // Oct 6, 2008 at 4:28 pm
It seems to boil down to whether people are mature. As a Thai, I consider most of my fellow-countrymen as being a long way from being mature. By being mature I refer to such qualities as justice, honesty, integrity, and compassion. In spite of Buddhism being predominant in Thailand, Thais merely pay lip service to the Buddhist Dhamma and act counter to Buddhist principles. Unless the national policy is to train people toward the goal of maturity, the present trend will continue on and on.
2 Joy // Mar 17, 2009 at 3:33 pm
There is yet a hope for Thailand if more and more people follow the late Buddhadasa’s teachings. A few years ago there was a dedicated monk–a Reformist Buddhist who was concerned about the issue of environment. He was ,however, brutally murdered in a manastery’s compund and so far (to my knowledge) those who are behind this horrible murder are not yet brought to justice. For more information abt this horrific crime against this exemplar Buddhist monk, see http://www.prachatai.com/english/news.php?id=289#3370
3 Dhammanusari // Mar 18, 2009 at 3:10 am
I agree with Joy. A good analysis of the moral state of Thai society and suggestions for reform are presented in this article:
Buddhism for the Next Century
Toward Renewing a Moral Thai Society
by Phra Phaisan Visalo
http://www.bpf.org/tsangha/phaisan.htm
4 Joy // Mar 19, 2009 at 9:32 am
Thank you Dhammanusari for the link to a very insightful article. It depresses me that despite the attempts by monks like the author and a number of laymen, reformist Buddhism does not exert influence on Thai society that much. I used to believe that the middle-class Thais welcome teachings by Buddhadasa and those who build on his teachings and philosophy, but the reality is that a large number of them value consumerism and superstituion more. I once visited a general discussion section of a Thai site and found that most of the participants there (I guess they are mostly middle-class) are very resistant to rational interpretations of Buddhism. They stick to the old notions that to be Buddhist means going to a temple to make merits or making merits by giving money to less unfortunate people. This does not sound so bad but more depressing is that they hardly see Buddhist teachings can be applied to the promotion of human rights and the compassions for those who might be racially or ethically different. Most people who claim they are ‘good Buddhists’ even support the ‘war on drug’ that involved numerous extra-judicial killing.(This reminds me of Kittiwutho in the 197os although in his case it’s those who ‘communists’ who should be ‘eliminated’). .. so from the 1970s through to 2009.. little progress seemed to be made on the mentality of some Thais, and they still uphold rather conservative and anti-intellectual (distorted)versions of Buddhism. If one limits Buddhist pratice to making merits in the hope of a better next life or to redeem one;s sin, I don’t think this will have any significant positive impact on society as a whole.
5 nganadeeleg // Mar 19, 2009 at 2:02 pm
I too found the article very interesting, especially the discussion on superstition and Buddhadasa’s conclusion that “Buddhism still needs superstition”.
On a side note: Would any readers (serious practitioners) who have experienced ‘nibbana’ in their lifetimes be prepared to offer some descriptions of what the ‘voidness/nothingness’ is like – from the limited reading I have done of Buddhadasa’s work it seems somewhat sterile to me, and it makes me wonder if it is really worth the effort.
6 nganadeeleg // Mar 19, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Clarification: It’s the ‘‘voidness/nothingness’ that sounds somewhat sterile to me, not Buddhadasa’s works.
7 Joy // Mar 19, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Hobby, I have to reread Phra Paisan’s article once more but does it really say that Buddhadasa believed that Buddhism still needs superstitution???
From my limited knowledge abt Buddhadasa, he was vehemently against superstitution(including reincarnation, heaven, hell,fatalistic conception of karma etc.). BTW His teaching abt ‘nothingness’ is actually very interesting– well, it’s not ‘nothingness’ in a sterile sense at all–it’s more to do with no-self, non-attachment and impermanence. It does not ‘deny life’ but it helps people to cope with unpleasant emotions such as anger, bitterness, pain etc in a sensible way. In my interpretation, it also encourages people to focus on small things/seemingly mundane activities in our daily life as a way to practise meditation, and focus on the present, well.. all this is too complicated for me who only has partial knowledge of Buddhadasa’s philosophy to explain, so I hope others can clarify on this.There are also a number of very good poems by the Australian poet, Noel Rowe, on this subject of ‘emptiness’, (ani-chung). Here are the links to Rowe’s poems which incoporate these concepts with the appreciation of life, humanity, and beauty:
http://australia.poetryinternationalweb.org/piw_cms/cms/cms_module/index.php?obj_id=812&x=1
http://australia.poetryinternationalweb.org/piw_cms/cms/cms_module/index.php?obj_id=812&x=1
There is one more poem , ” A Vagrant’s Letter “, but I can’t find the link to this poem.
8 Joy // Mar 19, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Correction: the name of the poem is “A Vagrant Letter” and I think it is just great.
…maybe I can quote some parts of “A Vagrant Letter” here(from “A Cool and Shaded Heart”, Vagabond Press, 2008).
v.
The air around Wat Po
has lost its will to move.
You’re telling me the Buddha taught
the empty heart is neither hot nor cold
I’m afraid my mind’s on other things–
air-conditioning, cotton clothes, and lemonade–
even though, inside, I’ve seen
his image lying down and, for a moment,
wished I could step into his eyes.
In the temple yard, a grey kitten
is stretched exhausted on the stones.
A little girl is standing next to him,
laughing, but he doesn’t move,
not even when she takes her handkerchief
and spreads its flowers over him,
the needlework of skilful shade.
vi.
No photographs allowed. No shoes.
You kneel and keep your feet
facing from the elevated shrine. You watch
the angel-figures, how their gold
becomes a dream, a flaming balm,
how their open hands,
facing up against the air, having nothing left
to lose, are poor and therefore unafraid,
so climb the hands
stairs within a barely-breathing waterfall
to see the Buddha’s emerald face.
It is the way: each pair of hands
allows another step, another emptiness,
with neither shoes nor camera,
beckons you
more closely
the cool and greening mind.
9 nganadeeleg // Mar 19, 2009 at 4:03 pm
Joy, There’s a lot of discussion on superstition in the article but the following is from the section under the heading ‘Beyond Science’”
At the same time, other forms of the sacred should be allowed a role in Buddhism. Deities, miracles, amulets, and others from the realm of superstition, if used skillfully, can be instrumental in leading people to higher levels of Dhamma. The point is that they should be guided by Buddhism, and not the other way around.
Nothing can provide a more solid basis for one’s morality than the ultimate truth. Once the mind is liberated from defilement and delusion, real happiness and peace is realized, with no ill-will or desire to harm anyone remaining. Though ordinary people may not attain the ultimate fully, a momentary experience of it is possible and will have a tremendous impact on their lives and their relationships.
For those that cannot experience the ultimate, lower levels of the sacred, when approached with a proper attitude, can restrain one from doing evil or harming others. Ordinary people that lack sufficient training always need such sacred beliefs to a certain extent. According to Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, unless one is Arahat, the Buddhism that one practices is never a pure one. A certain degree of superstition will continue to creep into one’s practice. Hence, he concluded “Buddhism still needs superstition.”
The quote is apparently from: Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, Putthasat kap Sayasat [Buddhism and Superstition] publisher and date not given.
btw, those links to Noel Rowe poems go to the same poem
- never mind because, as you know, I prefer Leonard Cohen’s poetry anyway
I would still be interested to hear more about ‘nibbana’ from those who have experience of it.
10 Joy // Mar 19, 2009 at 4:54 pm
Umm.. I don’t know Hobby, but I read Buddhadasa’s teachings in Thai (from another site some month ago..maybe Buddhadasa.com something) and , while he seemsed to feel that for many Thais, superstitution or rituals or simply machanical repetition of mantra seems to be their path a ‘higher’ goal. However, he appears not to give much regard to these sort of people and places much more emphasis on the use of reason and critical thinking. I will try to find the link (oh here it is: http://www.buddhadasa.com/FAQ/FAQ_2.html
, but unfortunately, it’s in Thai): I will try to quote some parts here for those who can read Thai:
…นี่ด้วยอำนาจของความเชื่อ ทำให้การตายไม่เป็นที่หวาดเสียวแก่คนเชื่อ แต่เราไม่ถือลัทธิอย่างนี้ เรามีปัญญาที่จะถือว่า ความตายเป็นเรื่องของธรรมชาติ ไม่แปลกประหลาดอะไร นี่มันมีความหมายคนละอย่าง เราอย่าไปดูถูกเขาเลย แม้จะเป็นอย่างเซ็นหรือจะเป็นอย่างมหายาน เขาก็เป็นพุทธศาสนาที่มุ่งหมายจะดับทุกข์ทั้งนั้น มันต้องเลือกให้เหมาะสม อย่างคนไม่มีปัญญาจะมาศึกษาอย่างเซ็น นี่ก็ทำไม่ได้ เอาอย่างมหายานดีกว่า เพียงแต่สวดมนต์ครบเท่านั้นครั้งเท่านี้ครั้ง เท่านั้นก็จะไม่มีความทุกข์อีกต่อไป
ถ้าความเจ็บไข้มาถึง จะตายอยู่ก็ยิ่งดีใจว่าจะได้ไปเร็วไม่ต้องรอนาน ฉะนั้น พวกอาซิ้มนี้เขาก็ไม่ต้องกลัวความตาย เพราะว่าเขาได้สวดมนต์ไว้พอแล้ว เช่นสมมติว่า แปดหมื่นครั้ง พอเขาจะเจ็บจะตายรถมารออยู่บนหลังคาแล้ว ฉะนั้น คนอย่างนี้ไม่เป็นทุกข์ เพราะพอดับจิตเขาไปขึ้นรถไปสุขาวดี มันเป็นอุบายเป็นวิธีที่เขาวางไว้ให้ครบถ้วน ให้คนทุกประเภททำได้ คนโง่ที่สุดก็ทำได้ คนละแบบคนละวิธี มุ่งผลอย่างเดียวกัน คือไม่ต้องเป็นทุกข์ ฉะนั้น อย่าไปดูหมิ่นกันอย่างนี้.
แล้วที่ว่าผมทำความเสียหายให้แก่พระพุทธศาสนาโดยเอาลัทธิเซ็นมาเผยแผ่ในประเทศไทยนั้น ผมก็ไม่ได้ทำความเสียหายกลับเป็นผลดีเสียอีก คือให้คนไทยได้หายโง่ว่า เซ็นนั้น เขาปฏิบัติกันอย่างไร คนไทยจะได้หายโง่ไปเป็นกอง ถ้าคนไทยบางคนยังมีปัญญาเฉียบแหลม จะใช้วิธีอย่างเซ็นบ้าง มันก็อาจจะใช้ได้ ซึ่งก็เป็นพุทธศาสนารูปหนึ่ง ไม่เป็นการเสียหายแก่พุทธศาสนาตรงไหน เพราะมันเป็นพุทธศาสนาเดียวกัน ซึ่งมันมีวิธีต่างๆ กัน อย่างจะไปกรุงเทพฯ นี้ คนหนึ่งจะไปเรือบินก็ได้ ได้ยินว่าเสีย ๑๐๐ เท่านั้น ที่สถานีอากาศยานบินในกรุงเทพฯ คนหนึ่งเสียพันบาท แต่คนหนึ่งจะคลานไปก็ได้ จะว่าอะไรมันเล่า แล้วใครผิดใครถูกเล่า มันก็ถูกเฉพาะของตนๆ อย่าไปดูถูก ไปดูถูกเข้ามันจะโง่ คนหนึ่งมันจะขี่เกวียนไปก็ได้ คนหนึ่งมันจะขี่รถยนต์ไปก็ได้ แต่คนหนึ่งมันจะคืบคลานไปอย่างกับปลิงหรือหอยทากก็ได้ อย่าไปว่าเขาซี มันก็เป็นวิธีที่ไปถึงได้…
(By the way, actually I have already posted those links in yr blog some months ago Hobby, another poem that touches on Buddhism is “Bangkok Never Really Sleeps”.)
11 Joy // Mar 19, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Yes, Hobby, you are right! I reread yr quotes and go back to Phra Paisan’s article again and found that the author in fact has quite positive attitude towards supersitution and rituals. My knowledge of Buddhadasa’s philosophy and teachings largely come from Thai lang sources and also from Peter A. Jackson’s “Buddhism, legitimation and conflicts” (1989). I think i disagree with Phra Paisan regarding Buddhadasa’s perception of superstitution and agree with Peter A. Jackson who (if I don’t get it wrongly) seems to feel that Reformist monks like Buddhadasa highlight the rational aspects of Buddhism and devalue superstitution. Earlier king (rama IV?)may have attempted to rationalise Buddhism but the superstitious rituals which are crucial to lend political legitimacy to the monrach and the establishment were still maintained, but Buddhadasa went a step further by trying to reform Buddhism in a way that makes it enhance a more egalitarian social vision.
12 Dhammanusari // Mar 19, 2009 at 6:21 pm
If you want to read about “emptiness” or “voidness” in the original context, look at this Pali text:
[Mogharaja:]
Twice now, O Sakyan,
I’ve asked you,
but you, One with vision,
haven’t answered me.
When asked the third time
the celestial seer answers:
so I have heard.
This world, the next world,
the Brahma world with its devas:
I don’t know how they’re viewed
by the glorious Gotama.
So to the one who has seen
to the far extreme,
I’ve come with a question:
How does one view the world
so as not to be seen
by Death’s king?
[The Buddha:]
View the world, Mogharaja,
as empty —
always mindful
to have removed any view
about self.
This way one is above & beyond death.
This is how one views the world
so as not to be seen
by Death’s king.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/snp/snp.5.15.than.html
Some contemporary meditation teachers have also described their experience of liberation in terms of “emptiness”, which is experienced as emotional detachment from the things that previously used to stir up strong emotions, but that did not make them passive and withdrawn — quite the opposite, many of them have been active leaders of communities until their final day.
13 nganadeeleg // Mar 19, 2009 at 7:11 pm
Dhammanusari: Thanks for that.
I was sort of hoping that all that enlightenment would have made them more articulate, but obviously I have a long way to go on the path, so probably would not understand anyway.
14 Sidh S. // Mar 19, 2009 at 10:46 pm
Interesting discussion on Buddhism and Thai Buddhism – particularly the ‘fringe teachings’ of Buddhadasa, often quoted but not practiced (as observed by KhunSuthi #1). I suspect that if you need a Buddhist framework to read contemporary Thai politics, the rise of Dhammakaya, their practice and message may provide something more relevant and useful. In terms of material culture, Dhammakaya’s mega-stupa and surrounding galleries is symbolic of a section of Thai elites’ aspirations, momentarily but memorably imposed on the country (a nightmare for some, a dream for others)…
15 Joy // Mar 20, 2009 at 6:28 pm
Quote:”the ‘fringe teachings’ of Buddhadasa, often quoted but not practiced ..”
“Fringe teachings’ do matter esp when ‘mainstream teachings’ help people to learn nothing new in order to improve state of things. I tend to believe that simply focusing on ‘the mainstream’ will bring out no insights. I think “Tammakai” used to be mainstream and the fact that the cult used to appeal to so many Thais means that it largely relies on existing or accepted ideologies.
16 Sidh S. // Mar 23, 2009 at 2:53 pm
I agree Joy – however, the challenge will always remain on how to get from the ‘problematic’ mainstream (e.g. current crop of elected politicians) to those ‘ideal’ fringe practices (e.g. the ideals of democracy). Then there’s the question of who’s ideals are we discussing here? A small section of Thai society? Western academics? Yours? Mine?
17 Joy // Mar 24, 2009 at 6:01 pm
Sidh, you raised an interesting point regarding the question of whose ideals (religious, political (if i understand u correctly)) . I don’t think ‘ideals ’should be imposed on people. I guess what is much more important is to create a society in which different group of people have equal freedom and right to propose and adhere to their ‘ideals’ without the fear of being intimidated, threatened or branded as traitors. Thi s is not the case in Thai society because difference is hardly accepted here, let alone appreciated. And as u said, a number of mainstream norms and beliefs are problematic, so to allow them to remain unchallenged will make a society more conservative and oppressive. I notice that many times in yr posts u emphasize that LM law is not a major concern of the majority of Thai people at all.Well, but u can’t deny that some Thais are worried abt it and even if they are not that many in number, u can’t dismiss their worry as insignificant. Doing so means that u implicitly impose the mainstream view on the minority(but are there really very few Thais who are concerned abt LM law as u put it?) and in a way this can be applied to religious stuff as well.Simply because many Thais believe in ‘mainstream’ Buddhist teachings do not mean that Buddhadasa’s teachings are not worth discussing (well, I know u didn’t say this though), and I don’t think those who encourage others to follow his teachings can do so without ‘imposing’ their ideals on others..there should be other better ways.. if a society is truly pluralistic, open and willing to accept difference .
18 Sidh S. // Mar 24, 2009 at 9:52 pm
Joy, if viewed outside the narrow confines of LM and the closely associated elites’ power play, Thailand is quite a pluralistic, open society willing to accept difference – a society that is still opening up with a clear long term liberal trend. The rights of women, children, minorities, the poor has long been enshrined in various constitutions and, through the decades, has been implemented and enforced through both government , NGO, civic mechanisms. Some in NM may belittle the court victories of the ‘little people’ in MaeMoh and MapTaPhut – I see them as highly significant watershed cases, a result of the long societal efforts/struggle and that is consistent with the long term liberal trend. On women’s and children’s rights, gone are the days when the police can close cases in favor of powerful abusers and it is now a common practice where interrogations must be with the presence of sympathetic/empathic third parties (can’t remember the exact terms). It was very different just a decade or so ago. Our tolerance/acceptance of gays are as good as any Western society – maybe even better, at least as reflected in popular culture. There are certainly problems in the deep South, as they are discriminations against the poor/minorities far from the urban centers – but I will argue anytime that a Central Thai Muslim has as good a chance and opportunity in life as his/her Buddhist/Christian counterparts (at least from comparable socio-economic backgrounds).
For me, as I’ve stated before (so yes, it is my ideal and bias), the measure of any good democratic government (whether in Thailand or the more mature Western democracy) is how serious it takes educational reform, that delivers high quality education for all children, regardless of socio-economic background, and lays the foundations for sustainable material development and also a vibrant civil society, local and global. (I’ve included the ‘West’ here as, again for me, the Iraq War has seriously soiled America’s, the UK’s and Australia’s democratic credentials. How can the ‘bomb a country into a democracy’ experiment be considered ’successful’ in any measure with hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths, millions more maimed and displaced and their plights still ignored? How many Iraqi refugees, clearly direct victims of the war, has these three countries accepted? Will America drop bombs on American babies and call them “collateral damage”? There’s clearly a big limitation to the “acceptance of difference” here…).
My view, ofcourse, is also a ‘fringe view’ – maybe not as fringe as LM laws is for the Thais – as it can assumed that any Thai parent would want good education for their child. However, politician’s priorities are often elsewhere and short-term – coinciding with election cycles while education is a cross-generation issue.
19 Joy // Mar 27, 2009 at 6:46 pm
Sidh, You raised lots of interesting points and I do agree with u abt educational reform, but don’t u think the reform of LM law is also crucial to(or at least enhances educational reform(esp in terms of the general populace’s critical thinking)?
I want to write more in reponse to yr interesting post but at the moment I’m deadly tired coz I have just submitted my thesis. BTW, regarding western powers, i agree that there is a certainly a room for improvement in their international policies and their approach to political situations in non-western societies. However, this does not mean that because western societies are not perfect, thailand has no need to strive to be a better nation. You mentioned something abt Thailand today as being quite open and pluralistic (esp when compared to Thailand in the past).. I’m not so sure if I agree with u, but I’ve notspent much time in Thailand for many years so I reckon I would have to actually start living there again to see if there is any difference betw the Thailand of the 1990s and 2000s..
20 Joy // Mar 27, 2009 at 6:48 pm
BTW, I agree with u that the victories of ’small people’ are highly significant and I do want to see more and more victories of its kind.
21 Dhammanusari // Mar 28, 2009 at 4:50 am
If you want to find out more about the social and intellectual background of Buddhadasa’s teachings, listen to this excellent talk clarifying many aspects of it:
The Life and Teachings of Buddhadasa Bhikkhu (Part 1) (by Santikaro)
http://www.podnova.com/channel/17787/episode/219/
22 Sidh S. // Mar 30, 2009 at 4:52 pm
Joy, congratulations on your thesis submission. Is it Dr.Joy now?
LM law will make very minor difference in terms of the Thai populace capacity for ‘critical thinking’. For the sake of illustration, many Western societies that have laws banning Holocaust deniers does not have any effect on those society’s intellectual capacity. That is ‘top-down’ thinking. Education reform, if done sincerely and ‘bottom-up’, will lead to much more effective and sustainable change. On the other hand, I feel it is a myth that Thai’s (or Asians in general) are not ‘critical thinkers’ and I suspect that their ability are comparable to any societies, considering similar socio-economic background and education.
I totally agree with your comment “However, this does not mean that because western societies are not perfect, thailand has no need to strive to be a better nation”. We all have to strive to be better in our respective societies. However, I am merely making the point that it is often quite problematic when we judge other societies/cultures from afar and we give well-meaning but possibly ill-informed advise, or worse, our governments, that we vote for, take drastic interventions without indepth, effective local knowledge (military attack of Iraq) with our medias serving as cheerleaders.
I hope you will have to opportunity to spend more time in Thailand. Please don’t take my word for it, which is based on personal observations and experience than a rigorous academic analysis. I will just add, as an example, that Thai youths of today can get away with a lot more than my generation ever did! In fact they have invented a new language that describes these new, much more liberal social interactions. As another possible illustration, look what the ultra-conservative Mullahs in Iran are publicly saying and look at the urban-based youth culture in Iran. They are of two different worlds…
23 John Francis Lee // Mar 31, 2009 at 2:31 am
I am glad that you have mentioned Phra Supoj Suvacano. I read of his murder just after it occurred and have thought over what seemed to be the utter apathy of the authorities, of everyone, in response to it ever since.
I have written many times to the Bangkok Post and The Nation, trying to help get some visibility at least for Phra Supoj’s murder, as his superior has asked. To keep some pressure on to solve his murder. Nothing. The letters were never printed.
In the intervening four years I have come to the conclusion that the people who so brutally murdered Phra Supoj Suvacano are doubly pleased with their result.
First they have achieved their immediate aims in Fang, I’m sure.
But more importantly from their point of view they have demonstrated their utter ruthlessness and power. They have brutally murdered a Buddhist monk in a nominally Buddhist country and got away absolutely scot free.
In retrospect it occurs to me that the murder of HM King Ananda may well have been undertaken for the same reason.
Ordinary Thai people know now that they have no hope at all in their own country. And that’s what they need to know if the “elite” is to remain in absolute control.
In Thailand the authorities are complicit in the murder of Buddhist monks.
And that’s exactly the message that the “influential people” mean to convey.
By mocking the forces of spirituality, by dragging the aspirations of humankind in the mud, by doing so in broad daylight and walking away absolutely scot free they ensure their hold over the country.
For who dares oppose such men as these?
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