People’s Participation in the Approach Strategic Buddhism in Globalization Era at the Bordering Zones of Thailand and Loas PDR . By Phra Maha Sribandorn Thiradhammo

    

        The testing of hypothesis I  “The roles of the people in the communities located in the bordering zones between Thailand and Laos PDR toward the strategic approach Buddhism are not different” appeared as in the followings.

 

            The roles of the people in participating in the strategic approach Buddhism according to gender appeared different at the statistical significant level 0.05 as a whole. When considering among each aspect, male and female had different roles in the following aspects: teaching Buddhism, welfare education, and public welfare in which men tended to have more participation than women.

 

            The people with 20-29 years of age, and over 60 years old had different roles from those with 30-49 and 50-59 years of age with the statistical significant level 0.05.

 

            The people with state enterprise work and unemployment had different roles from those with general laboring, government service, merchant, and agriculturalist with the statistical significant level 0.05. Moreover, all the pairs were also different from each other without statistical significant level.

 

            The people with average income of 15,001 baht had different roles from those with the lower incomes of 5,000 – 10,000 baht, and 10,001 – 15,000 baht at a statistical significant level 0.05.

 

            The people with different marital statuses had no different roles toward the strategic approach Buddhism.

 

            The people with group leaders had different roles from those with group members and non-group members at a statistical significant level 0.05.

 

            The testing of hypothesis II “Personal factors and participatory activities are correlated with the strategic approach Buddhism” appeared as in the followings.

 

            The coefficient value of the predictive factors included: occupation (X3), auspicious ceremonies (X11), marital status (X8) and social status (X7)  and  the coefficient levels at .047, -1.194, 1.291 and -.231 respectively with the statistical significant level 0.01. For the age (X2) had the coefficient level at 0155 with the statistical significant level 0.05, the constant value of the prediction appeared in the raw score at 4.112 with the coefficient value at .695 and the predictive coefficient value was at .484 or 48.4 per cent. Moreover, the other factors: occupation (X3), auspicious ceremonies (X8), miscellaneous (X11), marital status (X6), social status (X7), and age (X2) could predict the strategic approach Buddhism at the statistical significant level 0.01 and the standard error of the prediction appeared at .775 or 77.5 per cent.

 

            The strategic recommendations and suggestions for the related organizations in teaching and dissemination of Buddhism to apply for teaching the approach strategic Buddhism among the communities located between Thailand and Laos PDR borders are presented as follows.

 

  1. The strategies for teaching the approach strategic Buddhism consist of:

 

          1.1.           The dissemination by public relations in various mass medias using new medias as tools;

          1.2.           The training syllabus for training the religious personnel;

          1.3.           The dissemination of Buddhism for people outside the temples.

 

  1. The strategies for providing welfare education include:

 

          2.1.           The organizations related to Buddhism need to support the local people to participate in religious activities;

          2.2.           The organizations related to Buddhism are suggested to support the establishment of Buddhism schools;

          2.3.           The organizations related to Buddhism are recommended to raise educational fund.

 

3.The strategies for public welfares are as follows:

 

          3.1.           The related organizations are suggested to support the people to participating in public relations on public welfares;

          3.2.           The related organizations are suggested to support the people to participate in effective management;

          3.3.           The related organizations are suggested to support the people to participate in the notification of problems and opportunities in solving those problems.

 

     4.The strategies for adaptation and change of new attitude aims to change the people’ attitude to understand in the content and strategies for practicing religious activities, for example, ritual ceremonial activities, giving ceremonial activities, merit making activities, and miscellaneous activities.

 

     5.The strategies for developing the organizations and networking

 

          5.1.           The organizations related to Buddhism are suggested to provide the policy on organizational management in religious teaching and dissemination. The process is needed to give the opportunity for the people to participate in the management systematically with efficient planning, morality and professionalism.

          5.2.           The organizations related to Buddhism are suggested to connect with the approach strategic Buddhism networks by linking with both internal and external organizations to work as team in order to empower them to drive in Buddhism teaching efficiently.

          5.3.           The organizations related to Buddhism are suggested to support the teaching agencies budget and finance by raising up the fund to disseminate Buddhism in both deep and wide dimensions which cover the areas of both countries.

 

     6. The strategies for developing research planning on Buddhism for social development. The organizations related to Buddhism are suggested to support the research works on every parameter of Buddhism in order to  develop society as the real sustainable Buddhism way.

 

 

Discussion

 

            The results of the study provide that the people’s participation in the approach strategic Buddhism in the communities located in the bordering areas between Thailand and Laos PDR appeared in many aspects. In Thailand, on the teaching and dissemination of Buddhism, it aimed at proactively sharing opinions and ideas with people, giving cooperation and empowering people authority in making decision in the activities were ranked respectively. On the public welfare, the focuses were on the reception of news and information, while the connection and the sharing of opinions and ideas and cooperation were ranked respectively. On the public welfare, the emphases are on the sharing of opinions and ideas, the connection, and the perception of news and information which were ranked respectively. In Laos PDR, it appeared that the teaching and dissemination of Buddhism appeared at the cooperation which was ranked on top while the sharing of opinions and ideas, and empowerment of people were ranked respectively. On the welfare education, it appeared that the focuses were on the perception of news and information which was ranked on top while the sharing of opinions and ideas, and cooperation were ranked respectively. On the public welfare, it illustrated that the sharing of opinions and ideas was ranked on top while the connection and the perception of news and information were ranked respectively. 

 

 

Recommendations and Suggestions

 

  1. It is suggested to examine the adjustment and identity preservation of Buddhism of Thailand and Laos PDR by comparing with other religions in order to identify their similarities and differences.
  2. It is advised to study the principles of Dhamma in Buddhism of other ethnic groups who live in the areas along Mekong River in order to deeply examine the problems existing in their ways of life.
  3. It is suggested to investigate the adaption of Buddhism organizations located in Mekong River sub-region examining how they can adapt and adjust themselves to the changing society.