What should we do to make children enter the temple?

ผู้เยี่ยมชม

What should we do to make children enter the temple?
By Phramaha Surasak Suramedhi (Chamaram)

4th Year Student of Humanities’ Faculty, Majoring in English
Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University Nakhonratchasima campus

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…Introduction

The relationship between Thai people and Buddhism in Thailand was established at least 2,000 years ago. Wherever Thai people settled down, they usually established a temple as the center of their community, even in foreign lands. They deeply believe in Buddhism and practice it in their daily life. The monks play an important role in the rites and celebrations of the people such as birth, marriage and funeral ceremonies.
However in the present time that relationship has been far away, especially among Thai children. Although some still practice Buddhism and follow their elders enter the temple, some never enter the temple and also do not want to go there. There are more percentage of them never enter the temple. The causes of this problem can be divided into two types, namely; the causes inside the Thai society and the causes outside the Thai society;

…The causes inside the Thai society

- The family institution

- The family institution has a deep influence on them. Nowadays we have seen that the family lacks of warmness and happiness. Parents go out to work only without taking care of their children. They also never take their children enter the temple, so this make children far away from the temple and many problems occur in them.

- The educational system

- The educational system, at the present, has taught students to have a competition all the time, so students have to study hard and harder to be a number one in what they are studying. The competition leads them to be away from the temple, because they have no time to enter the temple.

- The economic system

- The economic system, nowadays, is progressing. People have to work to earn their lives. As they work hard, it makes them be away from the temple. They get up early in the morning and go out for working and then in the afternoon back home. They do this nearly everyday. And when will they have a chance to enter the temple? When they do not enter the temple, how can their children enter it?
Etc.
…The cause outside the Thai society

- The influence of Western culture

When turning back to our history, from Ayutthaya period up to the present. We have seen clearly that Thai people began trading with Westerners and from that time they began to accepted Western culture and their lives concerning with the growth of western modern sciences. However, the influence of Western culture was not evident in that time until the Rattanakosin period or Bangkok period, after signing many trade agreements with Western nations during the reign of King Rama IV, Thai people increasingly adopted Western culture to their culture because of the practical benefit of new technology such as printing, medical science and computer. During the reign of King RamaV, he employed many foreign advisors and applied many new Western ideas to the various affairs of the country, such as national administration, finance, justice system, Educational systems and laws.
At the present time the influence of Western culture is evident in the advancement of technology and changes in Thai tradition such as in clothing, culinary style, social manners, and Educational systems. One example is the changing of the New Year's Day from the Songkran Day on the 13th of April to the 1st of January. Another example is the change in clothing style, which is now almost completely westernized. All of this make Thai children has changed and forgotten their culture, especially their religion, Buddhism. Because of that, they do not enter the temple and they deny to practice it.

…The way to solve the problems

To find the way to solve the problems of why Thai children are away from the temple is not difficult and is not too easy. To make Thai children enter the temple, first we have to change their views as we called Social Value. This is very important, because it leads to the problems. If they have a good view, they probably do good and if they have a wrong view, they probably do bad. According to Buddhism, mind is the most important, If we can control our mind in a good way, we can do good all the time. In this place as well, If we can make Thai children are able to control their mind, I believe that they will have a good view. Whenever they think, they speak, and they act, they will do those with a good mind.
So we should begin from family at first, parents should teach and instruct their children all the time and be a good sample by usually entering the temple. I think this is the first step that leads to solve the problems. That leads them to be a good person in the society.
For the temple, monks should provide a very special activity for children. Whenever they enter the temple, they try to find out an activity to perform. So I think the activity that monks should provide for them could be based on entertainment and knowledge such as opening Buddhist course and secular course together. They will experience both Buddhism and their subjects at their school. It, however, is just my idea, monks can create many activities according to children’s wishes.
When the family institution and temple help each other like this, children probably enter the temple. I am very sure!

…In conclusion

Thai children in the present time are away from the temple, because of many causes such as their educational system that make them to have a competition all the time until they have no times to go to the temple, Family institution that parents do not take a good care of them and do not take them to go to the temple, so it is the cause that make them do not like the temple and also do not know the temple. Apart from that, there happened a lack of worm and happiness in the family, and the influence of Western culture that has a deep influence on them in many ways such as in clothing, culinary style, social manners, and Educational systems. All of these are just an example cause of why Thai children are away from the temple. And the way to solve the problems is to change their views into a good way. If we can change it, certainly Thai children will enter the temple. We should first begin from the family institution, parents should teach and instruct their children all the time about what they should do and what they should not do. I think this is the first step that leads to solve problem of why Thai children are away from the temple.

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ตอบเมื่อ: 04 ก.ย. 2006, 10:05 pm