A STUDY OF GIVING CULTURE IN THAI SOCIETY

Abstract

     The objectives of this research article were to: 1) study giving in Buddhism and 2) study the giving culture in Thai society. This research was conducted based on Documentary Research Methodology, acquiring data from the Pali Canon, academic paper, related documents and concluded with descriptive analysis.

     The result of research found that: Thai people had a model of giving and generosity with kind mind. The giving in Buddhism was divided into three types: (1) Amissadana referring to giving things and property, (2) Dhammadana referring to giving mental objects such as Dhamma giving: to giving truth, goodness and benefits, and (3) Abhayadana referring to refraining from harm, and living without revenge, injury, kindness towards human beings and animals, and forgiveness. This was a model of giving in the recent Thai societies.

     The giving culture in the recent Thai societies was that people did not understand giving in Buddhism. Generally, those people knew that giving was to give Sangha things and they liked to give a special monk things. This was different from the Buddhist doctrines. The best giving was to give Sangha things. Dhamma giving was the first step for practice as Bodhisattas who wanted to attain the enlightenment had to practice the perfection of giving. Buddhists in Thai societies who studied giving in Tipitaka could understand a right way of giving in Buddhism. The Buddhist teachings came to those Thai Buddhists' minds. Such Thai people's habit was that they actually made giving and removed defilement: parsimony and greed in mind. The giving alms shows compassion.