Buddhist Inscriptions, Verses and Sutras: A Sacred Invention in Seub Chata Ritual of Lanna

Abstract

This article aims to study an importance of Buddhism inscriptions, verses and sutras in Seub Chata (สืบชะตา) or prolongation ritual of Lanna, as a main mechanism in creating sacredness, using "Sacred and Religion" as a framework of analysis. This study found that the prolongation ritual is very complicated in terms of procedures and components, in which conduce to the creation of Seub Chata manuscript as a manual of ritual arrangement. Regarding the process of Soot Seub Chata [สูตรสืบชะตา] or prolongation prayers, the results show that there are numerous inscriptions, verses and sutras in Seub Chata rituals which can be categorized as follows:

1) Khatha [คาถา] or Pa li verses are in the early part of prolongation prayers and generally similar to Pali verses in other Buddhist rituals. The local Lanna verses are in the final part of prolongation prayers.

2) Phra Soot [พระสูตร] or sutras are in the middle of prolongation prayers.

3) Tham [ธัมม์] or inscriptions, which are local Lanna inscriptions, are preached by monks in the last session after the Seub Chata prayer.