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Thailand Religion and Buddhism Explained!






To understand Thailand religion is to understand the people of the region, because religion plays a very important day to day role for many of the people living in Thailand. Buddhism is the primary religion in Thailand, though some inhabitants of the area have other faiths and spiritual beliefs.


The Buddhist Religion

Young Buddhist Monks in ThailandWhile While Western belief systems are starting to take a Buddhist slant, they are not the same as the Buddhist faith. Buddhism is a religion for as many as 300 million people all around the world. The name originates from "budhi", which means to awaken. Buddhism's origins date back to approximately 2,500 years ago, which is when Buddha, Siddhartha Gotama was awakened or enlightened. He was 35 when this happened.


Buddhism is deeply rooted in philosophy, which relates to love of wisdom. The Buddhist path requires that followers lead the most moral life possible, that they are aware and mindful of actions and thoughts and that they strive to develop both understanding and wisdom.




History of the Buddhism Religion

Buddha, Siddhartha Gotama, was born to royalty in Lumbini, which is now known as Nepal, back in 563 BC. When he was 29, he realized that luxury and wealth were not capable of guaranteeing happiness. He decided to explore a variety of different philosophies and religions of that time, trying to find the key to happiness. After spending six years studying and meditating on the subject, he finally was enlightened upon finding what is known as the "middle path."


 Buddhist Statue in ThailandAfter his enlightenment, the Buddha devoted the rest of his years to teaching the principles of the Buddhist religion in Thailand. The principles of Buddhism are known as Dhamma, which means truth. Buddha continued to practice and preach these teachings until his death at the age of 80.

There is religious freedom throughout Thailand, but Theravada and Hinayana Buddhism are considered to be the national religion there. All major religions are practiced throughout Thailand, but the principle Thailand religion is Buddhism.



Buddhist Teachings

There are a variety of specific teachings that come with the Buddhist Thai religion. To learn about the Buddhism religion is to understand these teachings and to implement them in your daily life. For example, Buddhism centers on a system of noble truths.

The first noble truth is based on the concept that life is suffering. Pain is a part of life, and concepts like death, disease and aging simply happen. Rather than dwell on these inevitabilities as negative things, Buddhism teaches that we should avoid suffering and find happiness.


Monks in Thailand PrayingThe second noble truth is based on the fact that suffering in our lives is caused by a combination of craving and aversion. If we expect others to conform to our expectations, or if we do not get what we want in our lives, then we will experience suffering. Buddhism teaches that we should not constantly struggle in search of what we want, but rather we should modify what we want to find happiness.


The third noble truth of the Buddhism religion in Thailand is that we can attain happiness and overcome suffering if we give up on useless craving and simply learn how to live every day one at a time rather than dwelling on days past or obsessing over the future.

The fourth and final noble truth is that the 8 fold path is the true path, capable of leading to the end of the suffering. This path centers on being moral, focusing on being aware of our actions and our thoughts, and the development of wisdom through an understanding of those aforementioned four noble truths. Developing compassion is another vital element of Thailand religion.





There are other Buddhist teachings as well that are involved Thailand religion, including the teachings of the 5 precepts and of karma. Karma is a basic law that there is an effect for every action. In other words, our actions cause results whether we intend for them to do so or not. This law explains many things, such as why there are inequalities in the world, why some people have handicaps while others have gifts, while some people only live a short time and others live past their prime. The way to look at karmic action and the results of these actions is to look at the actual intention behind that action, the effects of the action on the self, and the effects of those actions on others.


Finally, the 5 precepts are a moral code within the Thai Buddhist religion. They insist that you never take the life of anything that is living, that you never take anything that is not freely given, that you abstain from any sexual misconduct or overindulgence of the senses, also that you refrain from any speech that is untrue and that you avoid any intoxication, which leads to losing your mindfulness.









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