Thai Buddhist Beliefs

[jonnyscot]

Hi, interested in thai buddhism beliefs, can anyone recommend and english text book available from bookshops on the subject,

thanks.

[Brucenkhamen]

To clarify are you wanting Thai beliefs or Buddhist beliefs? They are quite different and in Thai Buddhist practice there tends to be a mixture.

[fabianfred]

Kantipalo's book 'An introduction to Buddhism' is good

[jonnyscot]

To clarify are you wanting Thai beliefs or Buddhist beliefs? They are quite different and in Thai Buddhist practice there tends to be a mixture.

clarification,,,, yes as in post title, thai buddhist beliefs I am interested in,,, oops, sorry for confusion, just thought I would shorten the post content,

[Brucenkhamen]

To clarify are you wanting Thai beliefs or Buddhist beliefs? They are quite different and in Thai Buddhist practice there tends to be a mixture.

clarification,,,, yes as in post title, thai buddhist beliefs I am interested in,,, oops, sorry for confusion, just thought I would shorten the post content,

No I wasn't trying to correct your grammer, I was wanting to clarify whether you were interested in the Buddhas teachings or in modern day Thai religious practice which a mix of superstitions, animinsm, hinduism, and of course Buddhism.

I'm going to assume the former, I don't know a good printed introduction off the top of my head but these online articles look promising;

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors...ml#F_termsOfUse

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors...a/wheel085.html

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors...a/nutshell.html

[fiddlehead]

I learned more about Buddhism from my travels to Nepal and Tibet before coming to Thailand so, maybe this isn't what you are looking for.

But, the best book I have ever read on the subject is called "The Tibetan book of the living and dying" by Sogyal Rinpoche.

Not to be confused with the "Tibetan book of the dead"

It explains many things in simple terms.

I have given this book out as a gift many times to friends or folks who had someone near them die.

I think the basic philosophy is the same in Thailand but they are much more lenient here than in Tibet. I could be wrong as I have a friend who recently became a monk and was telling me how hard it is.

[sabaijai]

Khantipalo's is one of the best all-in-one-volume books about Thai Buddhism, but I believe it has always been called Buddhism Explained.

http://www.amazon.com/Buddhism-Explained-L...s/dp/9747100851

For others on Theravada:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Favorite-Bud...tas-t86130.html

[jonnyscot]

I learned more about Buddhism from my travels to Nepal and Tibet before coming to Thailand so, maybe this isn't what you are looking for.

But, the best book I have ever read on the subject is called "The Tibetan book of the living and dying" by Sogyal Rinpoche.

Not to be confused with the "Tibetan book of the dead"

It explains many things in simple terms.

I have given this book out as a gift many times to friends or folks who had someone near them die.

I think the basic philosophy is the same in Thailand but they are much more lenient here than in Tibet. I could be wrong as I have a friend who recently became a monk and was telling me how hard it is.

thanks for all the info guys, to clarify my interest,,,I have only returned to live in thailand this year from UK with thai wife I wanted some understanding of the subject as we both visit the temple along with the children and I would like to understand more about buddhism, simple terms would be fine for now,

thanks again

[Xangsamhua]

For a specifically Thai flavour I would look at the three books by Kamala Tiyavanich on the forest tradition, 19th and early 20th century Buddhism in Siam and Laos, and the Southern preaching masters. They don't set things out in the form of systematic teaching and doctrine, but they certainly tell you a lot about Thai Buddhism as it is in the hearts and minds of the people, not necessarily the scholars. They also give you an idea of the impact the Sangha reforms beginning in the late 19th century had on traditional Thai Buddhism, and the damage done to traditional Thai Buddhism by politics, environmental destruction and Westernization (not that everything about traditional Buddhism needed to be preserved). I read them on the recommendation of our esteemed Camerata.

You might also like to look at a small book, Buddhism in Thailand, by Karuna Kusalasaya, written initially in 1965, but recently republished in Thailand and available from bookshops here.

Luangpor Jaran's three books The Law of Karma (under Luangpor's formal name of Phra Rajsuddhinanamongkol) give a highly readable and fascinating insight into the life and work of this monk and the things that Thai Buddhists believe and value.

After you've read these and some biographies of the Buddha you can go on to the more systematic scholarly introductions to Buddhism. There's heaps of fascinating stuff around.

[eggomaniac]

I learned more about Buddhism from my travels to Nepal and Tibet before coming to Thailand so, maybe this isn't what you are looking for.

But, the best book I have ever read on the subject is called "The Tibetan book of the living and dying" by Sogyal Rinpoche.

Not to be confused with the "Tibetan book of the dead"

It explains many things in simple terms.

I have given this book out as a gift many times to friends or folks who had someone near them die.

I think the basic philosophy is the same in Thailand but they are much more lenient here than in Tibet. I could be wrong as I have a friend who recently became a monk and was telling me how hard it is.

thanks for all the info guys, to clarify my interest,,,I have only returned to live in thailand this year from UK with thai wife I wanted some understanding of the subject as we both visit the temple along with the children and I would like to understand more about buddhism, simple terms would be fine for now,

thanks again

http://mingkok.buddhistdoor.com/en/news/d/7180

This Site is in easy to follow English and, from the little I know, I don't think anyone would greatly dispute the Contents.

[appleman]

For a super clear description of Buddhist believes written by a Thai try the late Reverend Buddadhassa's (pronounced Poo-ta-taat, Servant of the Buddha) Handbook for Mankind. Written for the layman, and clear as a bell.