This thesis entitled “A Study of Retreat (Kankhaokam) in Lanna” aims at a study of meaning, category, pattern, methods and the significance of practicing meditation in Lanna tradition and also analyzes the value and its traditional wisdom which is found in the practicing meditation in Lanna tradition. All collected data were analyzed by descriptive ways.

The retreat was the way to purify ones’ mind and the way of metal practice of the strict practitioners. The practicing of meditation was the way to reduce all defilements. It was divided into three categories as follows: the Parivaskamma, Nirodhakamma and Dhutanga or the austere practice. There were several important ance of the meditation retreat such as the morale, legitimacy, co-religion as the part of the ritual, as the insertion of ideas and philosophy of life, as the value of life and as the social control tools. The meditation retreat in Lanna has affected the value of mind, social, public development and culture. There were five forms of the Lanna meditation retreat; 1) Parivasakamma  2) Nirodhakamma 3) Sosanakamma 4) Rukkhamulakamma 5) Yathã-santhatik’anga The intelligence of locality which appeared in the practicing of meditation retreat in Lanna was the traditional ritual, social, economic, education and culture and also appeared in the Lanna text as the didactic literature.

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