The purposes of this research were: 1) to study the concepts and theory related to the belief, rituals and worship of the relics as appeared in the Buddhist scripture of Theravada Buddhism 2) to study the belief and rituals in the worship of Phon Thong Dhatu in the community of Nakam Sub-district, Muang District, Udonthani Province and 3) to study the influence of belief and rituals in worshiping Phon Thong Dhatu towards the community of Nakam Sub-district, Muang District, Udonthani Province. This research was the qualitative research. The steps of collection of data can be divided into three categories, that is, documentary data electronic data and field study data. The filed study was a study from the observation, interview including the data analysis by using the descriptive method.
The results of the research were found that the belief and the rituals of worshiping Phra Dhatu were appeared in the scripture of Theravada Buddhism by holding the Buddhist Dhamma continuously because of the Buddhist faith, that is, to believe in the Buddha’s words “The certain faith result in the advantage.” The Faith means the belief, the Buddhist must believe and respect for the Triple Gem, that is Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha confirmedly. In addition, they must believe in 4 matters, that is, 1) belief in Kamma, 2) belief in the result of Kamma 3) belief in “what one sows, so one receives” 4) belief in the Buddha’s Enlightenment. The Buddha’ relics were not burned, there were the features and the sizes as follows: 1) two types of the relics were that the dispersed feature and not dispersed feature from each other 2) the features of the relics consist of three types, namely, the feature of colors like the Matoom follower, feature of the pearl, and like the powder or golden powder. The relics were in three sizes, that is, the basic is like the lettuce and the milled rice and the broken beans. From that time, the Four Pagodas were built for worshiping.
The results of the research were still found that people in the community of Nongnakam Sub-district at the present have their faith and rituals in worshiping Phon Thong Dhatu of the community in Nongnakam Sub-district, Muang District, Udonthani province, people in Nongnakam at the present believe that whoever has the faith and worship with the materials, such as worshiping with the flowers and perfumes. The worships consist of two types, that is, 1) to worship with practice namely to set themselves in the advices and then practice themselves as the Dhamma practitioners by preserving five precepts, the Noble Eightfold Paths and Threefold Trainings. All these are called the worshiping practice, while Dhamma practitioners as suitable for Dhamma , the highest practice and practice in accordance with Dhamma are considered as to worship with the supreme rituals 2) to worship with materials, that is, to worship with materials or lamps, joss stis, candles and flagrance, garlands, perfumes, elephants, cows, buffalos, fire display, 7 color clothes for covering Phra Dhatu, dancing rituals, the fire lighting on the fire display for worshiping Phra Dhatu, arrangement of entertainment, various fruits, various water such as pure water, red water, green water an oranges. All these are called as material worship in accordance with their beliefs.
The results of the research were found again that people in community of Nongnakam of the present have the influential beliefs and rituals in Phon Thong Dhatu towards people in Nongnakam Sub-district and the influence of Phon Thong Dhatu is the morality and wonderful precepts . The beliefs from the period of grandfathers and grandmothers are the beliefs that have the influence towards people in the community of Nongnakam Sub-district in 6 aspects, that is, 1) the influence towards the individual’s belief 2) the influence towards the secrete power and the miracles 3) the influence the rocket festival 4) the influence towards Kamma, merit and sin 5) the influence towards the belief of the hell and heaven 6) the influence towards the social, economical, communion beliefs. All make people have more morality and scare the sin and secrete things such as to respect for the secrete things is one activity that makes people practice the morality and to have the harmony, to create the relationship in family, to implant the consciousness to the family and community of Nongnakam Sub-district, Muang District and Udonthani province. When they come to ask for blessings for their families to be happy ask for blessings to protect them and l3et them to have more mindfulness and concentration and to make the society to be peaceful and safety in the community in the long run.
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