ABSTRACT

                This thesis had three main purposes: (1) to study the creatures having spontaneous births in Theravada Buddhism, (2) to study beliefs and ceremonies about the creatures having spontaneous births held by the Phuthai Tribe Renu Nakhon district, and (3) to study the relation of the Phuthai tribe’s beliefs in ghost and Buddhist beliefs in ghosts. This was a qualitative research that collected all data from texts, books, etc. and interview given by the Phuthai tribe. The result of this study was found in the following aspects.

                The creatures having spontaneous births in Theravada Buddhism was meant creatures that were born in the unhappy existence or the hell: the departed being, demons and in the happy existence including the Brahma existence. In Tipitaka, there were many places to mention their characteristics and types. The Buddha mentioned the hell and the heaven at the end of every sermon. This was the punishment to remind a person of his immoral action and it was the presentation of moral action and the clear description of the hell and the heaven.

Beliefs and ceremonies about the creatures having spontaneous births held by the Phuthai tribe, Renu Nakhon district were found that the Phuthai tribe, Renu Nakhon district, Nakhon Phanom province who lived and believed in the creatures having spontaneous births systematically. They believed that the creatures having spontaneous births lived like the human beings but they were actually dead. However, in the communication with the creatures having spontaneous births or the ghost, the communicable person or Moryao and Chaocham basically understood language to communicate to the ghost with some purpose and introduced people how to do. The belief in Moryao’s dance was ritual to derive the social ideas, and beliefs in the convention, ceremonies, and prohibitions (Hit, Khlong, Khalam) properly and stably among the social context and the moving western culture by taking the beliefs in the ghost, the spirit, and holy things to encourage people to preserve their culture and make the community peace and stable. 

                        The relation of Phuthai tribe’s belief in ghost and the Buddhist belief in ghost was found that the Phuthai tribe, Renu Nakhon district was the ethnicity that has special tradition, culture ad ceremonies, i.e. beliefs in the creatures having spontaneous births from the past or the ghost for many centuries. The belief in the creatures having spontaneous births was the hit 7: making the fulfillment of merit by cleaning or making the fulfillment of merit in the seventh month, making the fulfillment of merit in the ninth month or Bunkhaopradabdin, making the fulfillment of merit in the tenth month or Bunkhaosak, and making the fulfillment of merit by giving rice as seen in the other places. Moreover, there is the belief in the law of Kamma. The Phuthai tribe’s faith was consisted of Kammasaddhā (belief in Kamma and a result of Kamma), Vipākasaddhā (belief in a result of Kamma), Kammassakatāsaddhā (belief in beings that had their own action and its result), and Tathāgatabodhisaddhā (belief in the Buddha’s enlightenment). Generally, the Phuthai tribe was grateful for the ancestors as seen in making the fulfillment of merit and devoting merit to the creatures having spontaneous births in many chances such as Bunchaekkhao.