The Role of “Pu Chan” to Support Buddhism in the Community, Dong Mada Sub-district, Mae Lao District, Chiang Rai Province

Abstract

The objective of this research was to study the characteristic and role of “Pu Chan” to support Buddhism in the community, Dong Mada sub-district, Mae Lao district, Chiang Rai province. It was a qualitative research and the researcher had in-depth interview with 15 Pu Chan/temple warden, in order to classify their important characters in Lanna society contexts and had focus group to study social activities that were the important roles of Pu Chan to support Buddhism in communities to analyze the content and to summarize studied issues.
The research found that: Most of Pu Chan in Northern Lanna community, Dong Mada sub-district, Mae Lao district, Chiang Rai province were elderly men with Buddhism knowledge and being the leaders in transferred religious ceremonies for Lanna style. Their important role was creating religious heirs for temple donor club and their role for spreading Buddhism was giving four necessities of life, persuading people to listen to Buddha’s teaching and discussing the doctrines. Their role for social work was helping the poor. Furthermore; their roles for Buddhism religious ceremonies and ceremonies for supernatural believes were to chant prayers as well as follow the Buddha’s teaching, to avert a catastrophe by magic power to heal people’s minds.