ABSTRACT
The purposes of this thesis were 1) to study the concept, beliefs and rituals of sacrificing the dieties in Buddhism 2) to study the beliefs in sacrificing the dieties of Khokhauphu community, Laotangkam Sub-district, Ponpisai District, Nongkhai Province and 3) to study the value of sacrificing the dieties towards people in Khokhuaphu community, Laotangham Sub-district, Ponpisai District, Nongkhai Province.
The results of study were found that Northeastern people depend on the forests and nature in order to earn living by performing the agriculture as the main occupation such as agriculture, farming, husbandry etc. some years, the climate does not afford the cultivating the agricultural products, natural disaster and drought resulted in the fear of the super natural power. All these originated the beliefs in ghosts and guardian angels. The scarification and worship were established to protect in order to get safety. So Esan people perform the rituals to worship the ancestors’ spirits that Esan people regard as the importance related to their lives. The belief means the acceptance in those things as they are, although those things can not be seen but believing that they exist really and having the power to protect and give the blessings to the folks to live well. The beliefs result from people’s confidence, agree with and are ready to practice anything in which they believe both in the touchable or untouchable objects that make human receive both bad or good results. When human beings believe in the sacred power and do something in order to free from being punished and to pamper those powers, so various rituals are established to sacrifice the souls or deities.
The rituals for sacrificing deities as appeared in Khokhuaphu community are worth towards individuals who believe in those things. It can be seen that the beliefs are regarded as the main principle of Buddhism in which people in Khokhuaphu community believe, that is, to believe in the law of Kama and the results of Kamma that reflect from behavior or action of rituals or the way of life. various beliefs such as the belief of deities, sacred, auspiciousness and unlucky, ghosts, auspicious moment and belief in the Triple Gems. The belief of the Law of Kamma results in happiness and realizes of the value of person, animals and all things that are gratitude for them. It originates the gratefulness, polite, respective, charitableness. All these result in unity connective to the folks’ way of life, because these things are the rituals that indicate the meaning of faith in person whom they pay respect to and to conserve good tradition.
The worthiness of sacrificing deities of Khokhauphu community connective to the social background and culture of community originate understanding and confidence, proud and dignity produce the attitude towards oneself in the positive aspect and when the community is familiar to the social formats of community. It will result in the confidence, acceptance, adaptation towards behavior in community, satisfaction and feel self-belonging. It originates the relationship with the community connecting the relationship with the local rituals to develop the community. To worship the deities is the tool for the folks to create the right relationship to each other between the man and the supernatural power, man with environment, and man with man and man build up his own attitude with relationship with community in developing the balance by using wisdom connective to the present and to apply the Buddhist teaching for ritual performance.
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