This research has 3 objectives: (1) to study the present problems of the Adikaraṇa or Dispute Resolution of the Thai Sangha, (2) to study the principles and the methods of Adikaraṇa or Dispute Resolution in Theravada Buddhist Scripture and the Sangha Law, and (3) to present A Model of Dispute Resolution of Thai Sangha by Buddhist Peaceful Means; it is used the mixed research methodology of both qualitative and quantitative. For the qualitative part of research, the researcher studied documents, made in-depth interviews 4 key informant organizational groups totaling 19 monks/persons, and a focus group discussion among experts of 7 monks/persons to confirm the Model, and analyzed the data in term of narration; while the quantitative part of research, the researcher collected data from a sample of 500 sets from a population of 980 monks and used a questionnaire to conduct a public hearing of 221 sets with an inductive analysis by mean values of standard deviation.
The research found: 1) The sample group was satisfied with the administration of the Sangha in terms of the management of the problems and the conflicts of the Sangha in the lowest rank ( =3.27, S.D.=0.826); and the knowledge, understanding, methods and procedures for the legal principle of the Sangha, the resolution was in the lowest rank ( =3.56, S.D.=0.714) which corresponds to the information obtained from the in-depth interviews, 2) The principles and the methods of Adikaraṇa or Dispute Resolution in Theravada Buddhist Scripture and the Sangha Law had some concordance in that the procedure of consideration having some differences of power user and the tool to settle Adikaraṇa or Dispute Resolution, 3) For the model of Dispute Resolution of Thai Sangha by Buddhist Peaceful Means, the new knowledge was found called the Model of 5 Right (Right Dhamma, Right Vinaya, Right Stakeholders, Right Person and Right Process) for peaceful Sangha; it is the Model of settling Adikaraṇa or Dispute Resolution under 5 principles, i.e. (1) the Readiness of Dhamma, (2) the Readiness of Vinaya or disciplines, (3) Unanimity, (4) Sangha Unanimity, and (5) Readiness of Procedure. The Right Dhamma is the right Adikaraṇa or Dispute Resolution according to Dhamma; the Right Vinaya is the right Adikaraṇa or Dispute Resolution according to Vinaya or disciplines; The Right Stakeholders is the method of being face to face togetherness consisting of 1) in front of the Sangha, 2) in front of persons, 3) in front of materials, 4) in front of Dhamma Vinaya; the Right Person is the power authority in judging for Adikaraṇa or Dispute Resolution must be the one who knows one-self, knows duties and knows duty performing; the Right Process is the process of Adikaraṇa or Dispute Resolution that must be rightly enforced in the process completion as from bringing the problems into investigation, the investigation made by the authority monk, the prosecution made by monk ruler, investigator, the process of considering by the lower level and Ṭikā level of expert team of vinaya or disciplines, including the control by social and legal measures.
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