New Buddhist Movements in Thailand: An ‘Individualistic Revolution’, Reform and Political Dissonance

Abstract

Throughout Thai history there have been religious ascetics credited with the ability of precognition (mii yaan) as a result of accumulated virtues and meditation abilities. One such religious figure, perhaps the most widely acknowledged “saint” in modern times, was Phra Ajaan Man Phuurithatto (1870–1949). Of particular interest to this paper is the recorded prediction made by this ascetic monk shortly before his death, documented by a former disciple Phra Aajaan Wiriyang, that there would be a proliferation of self-proclaimed meditation masters and pupils and fragmentation into urban-based “cults” or religious movements (yaek pen kok pen lao).

Divinity Revised: The De‐ and Re‐Contextualization of Adolescent Divinity Reasoning in Globalizing Thailand

“…And yet, rapid economic and sociocultural change is modifying Thai Buddhist practices, including decreasing centrality and restricted roles of monks (Fuller, ), increasing consumerism from within religious institutions (Kitiarsa, ; Taylor, ), and shifting psychological orientations toward religious practices (McKenzie, Tsutsui, & Prakash, ). The latter study showed that rural Gemeinschaft‐dwelling adolescents held an interdependent orientation toward religion, framing their religious practices as fundamentally relational.…”

Beyond the Urban-Rural Divide: Complexities of Class, Status and Hierarchy in Bankok

“…11 For more on skepticism concerning the place of traditional Buddhist beliefs in modern society, see Jackson, 1989;Suwanna, 1990;Schober, 1995;Taylor, 1989Taylor, , 1990 but that which is low for me is not the same as that which is low for you". The following perspective from another informant was also common:…”

Constrictive Constructs: Unravelling the influence of Weber's sociology on Theravada studies since the 1960s

“…2.4. Paradoxically, hard as the members of the Sangha may try to detach themselves from worldly life in pursuit of soteriological purposes, they still return, and are still very much attached, to this worldly socio-polity (Taylor, 1990(Taylor, , 1993a(Taylor, , 1993b. 65…”

“…Initiated by King Mongkut, Reform Buddhism redefines one's present/future place in the new capitalistic society according to one's own action in this life (Keyes, 1989). Reform Buddhism is characterised by: 'rational(-isation, or -ism)' (Keyes, 1989, 124-142), 'revitalisation' 61 (Zehner, 1990, 404 -406;Swearer, 1991 note 87), 'capitalism' (Jackson, 1989;Taylor 1990, 154;Keyes 1987 Chapter 7), 62 'secularisation' (Zehner, 1990), 63 'individualistic' movements (Taylor, 1990), 'internal conversion' 64 (Zehner, 1990), 'fundamentalistic' movements (Swearer, 1991), and 'resistance and protest' (Swearer, 1999). …”