The Hyperreality of Thai Buddhists to Funeral Rite Management in Digital Society

Abstract

             This academic article aims to find the answer to the question of how the hyperreality of Thai Buddhists to funeral rite management in digital society can be analyzed and what the appropriate solution should be. The results of the study found that in addition to the many expenses in various matters, funerals nowadays also contain unnecessary expenses and the problem of funerals that result in waste in various aspects. The digital society is a society of consumerism driven by information technology in advertising. Therefore, society is under the power of hyperreality and plays with the image, emphasizing hyperreality, sculpture, luxury and exchange value more than use value. Consumer culture privileges the image over the content or the product itself. The solution to the problem of hyperreality in the management of funerals of Thai Buddhists in the digital society is to live with wisdom in this meditation on death awareness. By considering the disadvantages of death, Buddhism teaches people to know how to think or consider the way of thinking in terms of advantages, disadvantages and solutions, and also to apply the philosophy of the sufficiency economy as a means of knowing oneself, moderation of oneself, living life by creating happiness based on the reality of each person by not harming both oneself and others, and aiming to create value and benefits for oneself and society based on understanding the truth of life, accessing all things with wisdom and developing quality of life on a moral basis for peaceful coexistence.