DEVELOPMENT OF DOCTRINAL EXPOSITION OF BUDDHISM THROUGH PHAYA VERSE OF ESARN

Abstract

     The objectives of this research article were: 1) to study the Phaya verses in the context of the society of Northeast Thailand (Esarn), and 2) to study the development of exposition of Buddhist doctrines through the Phaya verses of esarn. This is a documentary research based on analysis of documents and researches related to Buddhism and presenting the findings in a descriptive analysis.

     The result of the study found that: Phaya Esarn in the context of Northeast society scomprised of ancient Northeast verses, ancient proverbial verses, verses wooing teenage girls, blessing verses, aphoristic puzzle verses, epigrammatic verses and didactic verses referred as northeast philosophy.

     Regarding the development of doctrinal exposition of Buddhism through Phaya Esarn it was found that the Phaya verses were focused on various aspects such as teaching about awareness development of one’s benefactors and teachers, teaching about conjugal love, mutual responsibility and sharing between the spouses, about individual responsibility, diligence, harmonious co-existence, associating with good people and avoiding ruffians and wicked people, about self-knowledge, self-realization, self-development, self-progressive attitude and education, about merit-making, keeping the precepts, mindfulness development, giving instruction not to forget oneself, and inter-dependence, about the instruction on knowing oneself, warning oneself, rectifying oneself, about the instruction, knowing education, about the instruction on knowing about making merit and donating and observing the precepts and practicing the dhamma, about the instruction on courting of the teenagers and about the instruction on knowing about the benefits of abstaining from condemning others, involving in gossiping and knowing oneself to be a good person, religious and tradition-bound respecting the arts and tradition and being a socially well accepted person.