THE BELIEF OF HOLY MAN AND ITS INFLUENCE IN THAT SOCIETY: PAST AND THE PRESENT

Abstract

Thai society has a long tradition of “holy man”. This belief is influenced by Buddhist conception of the great virtue. Buddhists have been taught that people’s virtue depended on the accumulation of merit in their past lives. A ruler’s virtue is higher than others. In traditional Thai society, the Buddhist belief of the great virtue was blended with supernatural belief. Thus, the grate virtue can be held by charismatic people such as respected monks, political figures, and folk scholars. “Holy men” thus claimed to possess virtue and magical power that brought their fame and popularity. They sometimes claimed themselves as holy men who have special or magical powers such as healing sick people, knowing what the gods want, and talking to the gods. Also, holy men referred to Buddhist belief of the Golden Age of Maitreya, or the future Buddha. According to this belief, after the Buddha's death the Kali age, or the dark age, begins. Buddhists are thus expecting Maitreya to come to help people towards the Golden age, while wicked people were eradicated. In Thai society, the beliefs of holy men and the Golden Age of Maitreya thus caused many resistances to government. Leaders of holy men movements in the past mostly claimed that they had greater merit than the ruler currently occupying the throne or claimed to possess magical power, which gained respect from villagers. Some holy men movements resisted the rulers, while other movements only earned money and precious objects from villagers. These movements affected social order and political security of the rulers. In the present day, this belief still alive in Thai society. Many disciples pray their high respect to some sects led by charismatic monks as well as provided money and properties to the monks who became the influential people in the society. These influential and rich monks are respected as holy men. There were then many cases of corruption and crime occurred. The state thus needs to control and suppress