Abstract

                        The objectives of this thesis were to study the origin, development and importance of Thai traditional massage, to study the principles of Thai traditional massagers in the disease treatment, and to study Buddha-dhamma applied to the process of healthy promotion with the disease treatment made by Thai traditional massagers. This was a qualitative research to collect all data from the observing and interviewing Thai traditional massagers, patients, the Khonkaen traditional Thai medicine club, and public health of Muengpol hospital, Muengpol district, Khonkaen Province.

                        The results showed that there was the treatment method by massage with the hand and the foot stepping on patient’s body at the ill points: the rheumatism, osteonosus, tendinitis, and palsy, etc. When the hospital could not treat those diseases completely, the patient was given a chance to meet continuously “Thai traditional massagers” as the folk doctor to treat the disease. Of the Thai traditional massages, they were divided into two styles: the royal Thai massage and the general massage that was learned and inherited from the educational institutions and families. The first educational institution of massage was the Phrachetupolwimonmangkhalaram temple (the Phoe temple) in the present and there was increasing many places such as the Samphraya temple and the Parinayok temple, etc.  

                        Four noble sentiments was the Buddhist principle applied to the development of the mind for calmness without any trouble and for the refuge of oneself and another people. Moreover, it could develop the wisdom by means of taking care of health in order to understand all things as they really were. Thus, when the people were sick, they also sought for the different treatment such as the herb treatment, the natural treatment, the natural therapy, the universal therapy, the concentration therapy, and the Thai traditional massage that was the reconstitution of local intelligence. This way was successful in the past and then, it was mixed with the conventional medicine applied to the treatment of massage and Buddha-dhamma for the health care and disease treatment, basically made by Thai traditional massagers, Khonkaen province.

                        The precept was the basic practice in the Buddhism as the controller of people’s physical and verbal action for goodness and happiness without destroying the others in societies. The expert massager had observed five precepts throughout his life. Besides that, the massager also gave the opinion that the five precepts were important in the way of life, and basic of life development that all men had to observe them because of bringing about good health. If one observed five precepts continuously, one could bring good health to families and societies. The interviewed people showed the other view that morality was the major tool to develop oneself and live with another people happily. Happiness from observing five precepts in Buddhism came really to good health such as abstaining from drinking as one of five precepts. This was so because alcohol had great affect on physical health including many accidents.