Abstract

The study on the role of women in Thailand on meditation teaching had three objectives: 1) to study the meditation and the role of women in Buddha’s lifetime on meditation teaching, 2) to study the role of women in the present on meditation teaching, and 3) to compare the role of women in Buddha’s lifetime and the present on meditation teaching. This research applied the documentary research with collecting data from Tipitaka, academic textbooks, related documents and researches. Analysis of the data used the analysis of the content and the summary of the research used presenting the descriptive results of the research. 

The results of the research were found that:

1.         The women in Buddha’s lifetime having the role on meditation teaching appeared in Buddhist scriptures and admired as Etadagga (foremost) had four people: (1) Phrakhema theree teaching the meditation by considering the Panca-khandha: Rupa (corporeality), Vedana (feeling), Sanna (perception), Sankhara (mental formations), and Vinnana (consciousness) appeared in answering the Dhamma questions to King Pasenadi of Kosala and giving a sermon to Mara (the Evil One), (2) Phrapatajara theree teaching the meditation in three times: firstly, teaching the mediation to 30 Bhikkhunis: secondly,  teaching the mediation to a beggar named Candha by the practice of the meditation till reaching the Arahattaphala (final freedom), and : finally, teaching the mediation to 500 women who were sad to the death of their children, (3) Phradhammathinna theree teaching the Dhamma by the five Upadanakkhandha (aggregate of clinging), Atthangika-magga (the Noble Eightfold Path) and the three Khandha, Samadhi (concentration) and Sankhara (conditioned things), Sannavedayitanirodha (extinction of perception and feeling) and the three Vedana (feeling) to Visakha Upasaka, and (4) Khuchchuttara Upasika teaching the Dhamma listening from the Buddha to The Queen Samavadee and 500 followers to reach the Sotapattiphala (the Fruition of Stream-Entry).

2.         The women in the present having the role on meditation teaching had five people: (1) Mae Chee Sansanee Sthirasuta teaching the meditation according to Anapanasati (mindfulness on breathing), (2) Runchuan Intarakamhaeng teaching the meditation according to Anapanasati, (3) Dr. Siri Karinchai teaching the meditation  according to the four Satipatthana (setting up of mindfulness), (4) Dr. Tritha Niamkham teaching the meditation according to the Vijja Dhammakaya of Phra Mongkoltepmunee at Wat Paknam, Phasicharoen by concentrating on the object of visualization at the seventh position all the time, and (5) Sujin Boriharnwanaket teaching the meditation by the explanation of Abhidhamma according to the Dhamma principles in the Tipitaka and the commentary to increase the interest to the listeners.

3.         The role of the nine women in Buddha’s lifetime and the present on meditation teaching was similar that every woman was Buddhasavika who had the capacity, the bravery and the ergodic art in teaching the meditation by applying Maha Satipatthana. However, the role of the nine women in Buddha’s lifetime and the present on meditation teaching was different that Phrapatajaratheree and Mae Chee Sansanee Sthirasuta used the media and equipment for the propagation, Runchuan Intarakamhaeng and Dr. Siri Karinchai taught the meditation according to Anapanasati, Phrakhematheree, Phradhammathinnatheree, Khuchchuttara Upasika and Sujin Boriharnwanaket used the Dhamma conversation for teaching the meditation, and Dr. Tritha Niamkham  taught the meditation according to Buddhanussati (recollection of the Buddha) and Alokakasina (the Light Kasina).

From the research, it was showed that the potentiality of the women in studying the Dhamma and the meditation had in every era, were suitable to be supported and give the importance to the women in the participation of teaching the meditation as the reflector of the security, well-being in the society and religious wide opening.