Criteria to Judge the Existence of Ghosts in Theravada Buddhism

Abstract

          This article attempts to study the criteria for judging the existence of ghosts in Theravada Buddhism. By studying mainly from documents. The findings were found that Belief in “ghosts” is a traditional human belief that has existed for a long time and appears in various societies in every era. In Thai Buddhist society, there is the same belief in this matter as in another ethnic group. The beliefs about “ghosts” whilst we studied and analyzed as a whole, can be divided into 3 types: 1. High-class ghosts or good ghosts, including the category of “Gods/Deva” which can be divided into high-class gods and general gods 2. Middle class ghosts or ghosts that are evenly matched between good and bad (half good half evil), which can be divided into several groups, including ghosts of human-made, ghosts of the country and places of residence, ghosts of ancestors, etc. 3. Low-level ghosts or evil ghosts, which can be divided into evil ghosts that generally exist in nature and evil ghosts in hell, due to the "ghosts" are "power symbols" which emphasize "meaning" rather than "truth." Therefore, the beliefs and rituals of Thai Buddhists thus, coming to play a large role in society. By being involved in human life from birth until death and involves setting rules that affect social organization. This is because belief in the power of “ghosts” influences the behavior of individuals in society. When we studied and analyzed as a whole, it is enough to classify the social role of beliefs and rituals regarding the worship of "ghosts" into several characteristics. The roles that appear quite clearly include those related to the preservation of natural resources, and Occupational roles, including the role in cultivating of morale and encouragement, it is also the role in building individual empowerment and the role of gambling and divination.