Abstract

This research has three objectives, namely, 1) to study the concept of morale and tradition of morale ceremony in Theravada Buddhist scriptures 2) to study the concept of morale and tradition of morale ceremony in Tha Tum district, Surin province 3) to analytically study the concept of morale and tradition of morale ceremony in Tha Tum district, Surin province.

The findings are as follows:

The concept of morale in Buddhism is the human beings’ will power, not the soul in Brahmanism. Morale means mind which has its process of recognition and exploitation according to defilements. The working of mind brings out mental formation and its result is the human beings’ happiness and suffering which are called good morale and bad morale. That the human beings will have good or bad morale, it depends on their own deeds, not God or any supernatural things. Human beings’ morale can be made by deeds and merits as follows; 1) giving Dana, preserving Sila, and making meditation 2) psychic power 3) Kamma power 4) chanting the holy stanzas 5) practice according to the Four Paths of Accomplishment 6) being in non-negligence 7) being in truthfulness 8) extend loving kindness to all. On the other hand, building morale in Buddhism is based on making good deeds i.e. to give life to the others, to preserve precepts, and to develop wisdom which are unlike the Brahmin concept.

The concept of morale and tradition of morale ceremony in Tha Tum district, Surin province was found that the races of Khmer, Kui, and Lao in Tha Tum district, Surin province have been performing morale ceremony. There is little difference in terms of ceremony according to their understandings.

The result of analytically study on the concept of morale and tradition of morale ceremony in Tha Tum district, Surin province was found that morale ceremony was firstly derived from the belief in spirits and supernatural things, the influence of Brahmin-Hinduism, and lastly the Buddhism. At the present time, the people like to do morale ceremony with lay morale teacher than monks. Many principles of Dhamma like Kamma, gratefulness, and non-negligence, etc., were found in the ceremony. There are various values in the ceremony such as the self- values i.e. happiness from giving Dana, preserving precepts, and developing wisdom, and the social values i.e. building harmony to the community, etc.