Thailand's Theory of Monarchy

Patrick Jory

Description

2016 CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title

Since the 2006 coup d'état, Thailand has been riven by two opposing political visions: one which aspires to a modern democracy and the rule of law, and another which holds to the traditional conception of a kingdom ruled by an exemplary Buddhist monarch. Thailand has one of the world's largest populations of observant Buddhists and one of its last politically active monarchies. This book examines the Theravada Buddhist foundations of Thailand's longstanding institution of monarchy. Patrick Jory states that the storehouse of monarchical ideology is to be found in the popular literary genre known as the Jātakas, tales of the Buddha's past lives. The best-known of these, the Vessantara Jātaka, disseminated an ideal of an infinitely generous prince as a bodhisatta or future Buddha—an ideal which remains influential in Thailand today. Using primary and secondary source materials largely unknown in Western scholarship, Jory traces the history of the Vessantara Jātaka and its political-cultural importance from the ancient to the modern period. Although pressures from European colonial powers and Buddhist reformers led eventually to a revised political conception of the monarchy, the older Buddhist ideal of kingship has yet endured.
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Note on Transcription

Introduction
The Vessantara Jātaka’s Place in Thailand’s Religious Culture
The Vessantara Jātaka as a Political Text
Barami: Foundation of a Theravada Buddhist Theory of Monarchy

1. The Vessantara Jātaka as a Performative Text
The Sacred Text
Texts Recited in Conjunction with the Maha Chat
The Aesthetics of the Recitation: thamnorng and lae
Ritual
Conclusion

2. The Vessantara Jātaka and Early State Formation Dvaravati and Sukhothai
Scripture and Orality in Sukhothai
The Doctrine of the Perfections (barami)
Than: The Power of Giving
The Vessantara Jātaka, the Family, and Thai Social Relations
The Kingdom of Ayutthaya
Kingdoms of Lanna and Lan Chang
Conclusion

3. A Theravada Buddhist Theory of Monarchy: The Ruler as Bodhisatta
The Vessantara Jātaka and the Chakri Monarchy in Rattanakosin Period
The Vessantara Jātaka beyond the Thai Court
Thai Monarchs and the Ten Perfections (barami)
The Genealogy of the Buddha and the Lineage of Kings
Conclusion

4. The Colonial Challenge to Buddhist Monarchy
The Court’s Rejection of the Jātakas
Displacement of the Jātakas from the Story of the Buddha
The Decline of “Great Lineage” History
The End of the Bodhisatta-King
Court Politics, Reformist Buddhism, and the Question of Canonicity
Conclusion

5. Thai and Western Buddhist Scholarship in the Era of Imperialism
King Chulalongkorn’s Essay on the Jātakas
Western Buddhist Scholarship and the Jātakas
Relations between the Thai Court and Western Pali Scholars
The Persistence of the Jātakas beyond the Thai Court
Conclusion

6. From Jātakas to Thai Folktales
The Marginalization of Nithan
Official Translations of the Nipāta Jātaka and Paññnasa Jātaka
The Jātakas as “Thai Literature”
Folktale Editions of the Jātakas
Conclusion

Conclusion: The Modern Vessantara
King Bhumibol as the Modern Vessantara
Epilogue

Appendix: Outline of the Thirteen Chapters of the Vessantara Jātaka

Glossary of Thai and Pali Terminology Used
Notes
Bibliography
Index

Sujets

• Buddhism
• Southeast Asia
• History of Asia
• History of religions

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 09 mai 2016
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781438460901
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

Thailand’s Theory of Monarchy
Thailand’s Theory of Monarchy
The Vessantara Jātaka and the Idea of the Perfect Man
Patrick Jory
Published by State University of New York Press, Albany
© 2016 State University of New York
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.
For information, contact State University of New York Press, Albany, NY www.sunypress.edu
Production, Jenn Bennett
Marketing, Michael Campochiaro
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Jory, Patrick, author.
Thailand’s theory of monarchy : the Vessantara Jātaka and the idea of the perfect man / Patrick Jory.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4384-6089-5 (hardcover : alk. paper)
ISBN 978-1-4384-6090-1 (e-book)
1. Monarchy—Thailand—History. 2. Buddhism and state—Thailand—History. 3. Tipitaka. Suttapitaka. Khuddakanikaya. Jātaka. Vessantara Jātaka. 4. Thailand—Kings and rulers. I. Title. JQ1746.J67 2016 320.959301—dc23 2015026350
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For Craig
Contents
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Note on Transcription
Introduction
The Vessantara Jātaka’s Place in Thailand’s Religious Culture
The Vessantara Jātaka as a Political Text
Barami: Foundation of a Theravada Buddhist Theory of Monarchy
Chapter 1. The Vessantara Jātaka as a Performative Text
The Sacred Text
Texts Recited in Conjunction with the Maha Chat
The Aesthetics of the Recitation: thamnorng and lae
Ritual
Conclusion
Chapter 2. The Vessantara Jātaka and Early State Formation
Dvaravati and Sukhothai
Scripture and Orality in Sukhothai
The Doctrine of the Perfections ( barami )
Than : The Power of Giving
The Vessantara Jātaka , the Family, and Thai Social Relations
The Kingdom of Ayutthaya
Kingdoms of Lanna and Lan Chang
Conclusion
Chapter 3. A Theravada Buddhist Theory of Monarchy: The Ruler as Bodhisatta
The Vessantara Jātaka and the Chakri Monarchy in the Rattanakosin Period
The Vessantara Jātaka beyond the Thai Court
Thai Monarchs and the Ten Perfections ( barami )
The Genealogy of the Buddha and the Lineage of Kings
Conclusion
Chapter 4. The Colonial Challenge to Buddhist Monarchy
The Court’s Rejection of the Jātakas
Displacement of the Jātakas from the Story of the Buddha
The Decline of “Great Lineage” History
The End of the Bodhisatta -King
Court Politics, Reformist Buddhism, and the Question of Canonicity
Conclusion
Chapter 5. Thai and Western Buddhist Scholarship in the Era of Imperialism
King Chulalongkorn’s Essay on the Jātakas
Western Buddhist Scholarship and the Jātakas
Relations between the Thai Court and Western Pali Scholars
The Persistence of the Jātakas beyond the Thai Court
Conclusion
Chapter 6. From Jātakas to Thai Folktales
The Marginalization of Nithan
Official Translations of the Nipāta Jātaka and Paññāsa Jātaka
The Jātakas as “Thai Literature”
Folktale Editions of the Jātakas
Conclusion
Conclusion: The Modern Vessantara
King Bhumibol as the Modern Vessantara
Epilogue
Appendix: Outline of the Thirteen Chapters of the Vessantara Jātaka
Glossary of Thai and Pali Terminology Used
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Illustrations
Figures frontispiece Vessantara about to give the white elephant to the Brahmins, from Kan Himaphan ; popular image produced by the Sor Thammaphakdi publishing house, 1950s.

Figure 1.1 Bai lan manuscripts of the Vessantara Jātaka ; picture courtesy of the National Library of Thailand.

Figure 1.2 A monk recites from the Vessantara Jātaka at a Thet Maha Chat ceremony at Wat Parinayok Worawihan, Bangkok, 2015. The temple is decorated to resemble the forest of Mount Wongkot where Vessantara and his family were exiled. Photo by Pravej Tuntrapirom.

Figure 1.3 In the foreground a phum kathin (“Kathina money tree”) made of banknotes stuck onto small sticks represents offerings of than by the faithful. Photo by Pravej Tuntrapirom.

Figure 2.1 Illustrated manuscript depicting scenes from the Vessantara Jataka . In Kan Maharat (top) gods disguised as Vessantara and Matsi comfort Kanha and Chali while the Brahmin Chuchok sleeps in a tree. In Kan Kuman (bottom left) the Brahmin Chuchok beats Kanha and Chali with a stick. In Kan Matsi (bottom right) Matsi returns from collecting fruit in the forest. From Phumphan Phaibunwongcharoen, ed., Lamnam Maha chat (Bangkok: National Library, Department of Fine Arts, 2007).

Figure 2.2 Vessantara, Matsi, Chali, and Kanha on their way into exile; from Wannaprawet ; popular image produced by the Sor Thammaphakdi publishing house, 1950s.

Figure 2.3 Temple mural from Wat Suwannaram, Bangkok, depicting scenes from Kan Chokkasat , showing Vessantara’s family fainting from the emotion of their reunion; picture courtesy of Wat Suwannaram.

Figure 3.1 Samut thai manuscript recitation versions of the Vessantara Jātaka ; picture courtesy of the National Library of Thailand.

Figure 3.2 Illustrated manuscript depicting scenes from Thankan ; from Phimphan Phaibunwangcharoen, ed., Lamnam maha chat (Bangkok: National Library, Department of Fine Arts, 2007).

Figure C.1 Vessantara returning to the city of Sivi, from Nakhonkan ; popular image produced by the Sor Thammaphakdi publishing house, 1950s.


Tables Table 5.1 Textual structure of a Jātaka .

Table 6.1 Table illustrating the original structure of the Jātaka , and the new structure in modern Thai folktale editions.
Acknowledgments
This book has had a long gestation, and so the list of people to thank is also long.
My first and greatest debt of gratitude is to my former supervisor, Craig Reynolds of the Australian National University. Craig gave me a wholly new way of looking at the relationship between history, politics, culture, religion, and language. His reading and criticism of my work has always been caring, patient, and dedicated, and it has continued long since I finished my doctoral studies.
This book was only possible because of the cooperation of a large number of libraries and scholarly institutions. Vacharin McFadden, the former head librarian of the National Library of Australia’s superb Thai language collection, and Sophie Viravong, currently Senior Librarian, were invaluable in finding everything I could possibly need for the writing up of this research in Australia.
In Thailand, the staff at the National Research Council of Thailand were friendly, efficient, and very helpful in looking after all the administrative details of the fieldwork stage of this research. The staff at the many other institutions around the country all went out of their way to find materials or direct me to the right places. I wish to thank: the National Library (I am particularly grateful to Phinyo Sichamlong for letting me talk to him about my work on several occasions), the National Archives, the Siam Society, the libraries of Thammasat University, Silapakorn University, Chulalongkorn University, Ramkhamhaeng University, and Srinakharinwirot University (Prasarnmit campus) in Bangkok; the libraries of Mahasarakham Rajabhat University, the Mahasarakham campus of Srinakharinwirot University, and the Mahasarakham Cultural Centre; the libraries of Chiang Mai University and its Social Research Institute, and Chiang Mai Rajabhat University; and in the south the libraries of Nakhon Si Thammarat Teachers College, the Nakhon Si Thammarat branch of the National Library, Songkhla Rajabhat University, and the Institute of Southern Studies on Koh Yor.
I owe a debt of gratitude to the following people who generously gave up time from their busy schedules to allow me to talk to them about my work: at Chulalongkorn University, Chalong Soontravanich, Dhida Saraya, and Suwanna Kriengkraiphet; at Thammasat University, Warunee Osatharom and Sangworn Phromsen; and at Ramkhamhaeng University, Thawat Punnothok.
In Mahasarakham I am extremely grateful to Somchai and Supatra Nilathi and their family for hosting me and my wife during our stay in Mahasarakham. I am also especially thankful to Somchai Nilathi for sharing with me his deep knowledge of northeastern culture and history. Charuwan Thammawat, Thaweesin Subwatthana, and At Nanthachak were very helpful in guiding me in my research. My thanks also goes to the late Phra “Pong” of Wat Nakwichai, Central District, Mahasarakham, for our many conversations and for introducing me to his herbal saunas; to Phra Khru Sirithamwichit of Wat Nong Born, Kosumphisai district, Mahasarakham, for his firsthand knowledge as a nak thet of the thet maha chat ; and to Phra Khru Srinarintharanuwat, Wat Nong Khon, Borabu district, Mahasarakham. I have an enormous debt of gratitude to Mahasarakham poet and scholar, the late Phor Yai Khen Lawong, Phor Yai Khen composed a beauti