Abstract

This Dissertation is composed of 3 objectives namely:- 1. to analyze the concepts of self-transcendence, the process of the social emergence and the Awakening Society according to the Buddha-Dhammas and to the modern sciences;    2. to analyze the process of the emergence of the Awakening Society from             self-transcendence according to Prayong Ronnarong and Mai Riang Community;         3. to create the model of the process of the emergence of the Awakening Society from self-transcendence for  using in the present Thai societies.

This Dissertation is in the interpretive research paradigm and the qualitative research, expected to be the descriptive research and used as the applied one. The data collection methods are the deep interviewing, the participatory and non-participatory observation and the documentary research. The deep interviewing begins with Prayong Ronnarong as the key informant. The other informants are selected by the snowball sampling technique as well as the theoretical sampling technique. For the approach to analysis, the grounded theory approach is applied. The trustworthy processes are examined by certifying the interviewing guidelines, Prayong Ronnarong’s involvement for content validity, the public hearing and the focus group discussion for the findings’ verification according to the Dhammas and for the certification.

          This research exhibits the concept of self-transcendence with the stages of the development of consciousness. In Buddhism, there are several stages starting from Bāla to Ultimate Paṇḍita (wise man) which in this research is defined as the person who is profoundly wise in the Dhammas. These stages are different from the stages in Psychology. In the process of the social emergence, there is a Buddhist teaching that is Paṭicca-Samuppāda which explains the conditions arising and depending extinction of the individual sufferings as well as the arising of problems between the people. In the meanwhile, the modern sciences explain this process from the interactions of the people in the societies which interact repeatedly, densely and continuously. The concept of the Awakening Society is the social system in which the Dhammas drive the functions and sub-systems such as Alobha in the economic system, Adosa in the political system, Amoha in the societal community and Appamāda in the cultural system.

          From this research, it is found that the self-transcendence of Prayong Ronnarong started from an Andha-puthujjana in childhood to be a Primary Kalyānฺa-puthujjana when he was ordained and planned his life. He became a Primary Paṇḍita, which is defined as the person who lives on kusala-kamma (wholesome actions) and knowledge, when he omitted Apāyamukha (causes of ruin) and cultivated Sappurisa-dhamma (qualities of a good man), and transcended to an Advanced Paṇḍita, defined in this research as the person who helps himself, others and the world, when he became a community leader after his retirement from agricultural occupation. Beside this, it is also found that the process of social emergence in Mai Riang Community came from the interactions of the people in the community until it is supervened to 12 practices which are contradicted to the mainstream paradigm in the societies. From these practices, there are new emerged properties such as the emergence of rubber factory which was the first factory of the agriculturalists in the country, the Yommana Network, the community enterprise, the community leaders’ council, the learning process to lay out the community master plan which was the first process in the country, etc. These new properties are related to the Dhammas that regulate the sub-systems and drive the social system in the Awakening Society.

          This research is found and expressed as “The Awakening Society Model” in which the self-transcendence is possible to emerge to the Awakening Society by the conference of the Paṇḍita and the Kalyāṇamittatā in wholesome thinking and action in their own fields which express the effort in solving the problems, the clear comprehension and the mindfulness in situation or the researcher brings close together for comparison to the Buddha’s words as Ātāpī Sampajāno Satimā. Whereas the emergence of the Awakening Society uprises the knowing of oneself by the people in the community into the culture of mindfulness (Appamāda), the society of wisdom (Amoha), the economics of sharing (Alobha) and the politics of caring (Adosa).

          To sum up, the self-transcendence leads to the emergence of the Awakening Society by cultivating the effort, the clear comprehension and the mindfulness at the level of one’s own group.