A Study of Living in line with Pañca-sīla of Wat Ban-noi Community, Sankampaeng District, Chiang Mai Province

Abstract

The thesis entitled “A Study of Living in line with Pañca-sīla of Wat Ban-noi Community, Sankampaeng District, Chiang Mai Province” consists of 3 objectives as 1) to study the concepts and lifestyles of human beings in line with Pañca-sīla, 2) to explore the context of lifestyles of Wat Ban-noi Community, Sankampaeng District, Chiang Mai Province and 3) to study the way for promoting the lifestyles of human beings in line with Pañca-sīla at that place. From the study, it can be found that:

Pañca-sīla or five precepts are the humanitarian principles or the practices to be a complete human: to abstain from killing, to abstain from stealing, to abstain from sexual misconduct, to abstain from false speech and to abstain from intoxicants causing heedlessness. The nature of meritorious thought lies on this. It is also the physical and verbal normal. In each of the five precepts, the composition of each is the physical, verbal and mental intention for getting away from all evil and for acquiring peace in the present and the future. In contrast, the disadvantage for violating any of five precepts is the cause of being carelessness, taking revenge and getting suffering now and in the afterlife.

Wat Ban-noi Community, Sankampaeng District, Chiang Mai Province is a community that has followed the Pañca-sīla Villages Project. The people are happy in lifestyle. The general condition of Wat Ban-noi community is in a good environment; free from pollution, having the shady trees, Mae On River running through and being filled with a lush green rice fields. In addition, the community is also supported by a government agency of Sankampaeng Municipal District and Sub-district Administration Organization for a beautiful landscape and for disposal of garbage and sewage. The various magnificent traditions covering the community are the Bodhi-crutches parade, Water Pouring on the Buddha’s relics, Home-merit Making, Kathin Offering, Pha Pa Offering, Luang Drumming, New Rice Offering, 12 Peng Tradition, Dedication to the dead and Yee Peng tradition.

Results from the analysis of problems, solutions and the way for promoting the lifestyles of the community people in line with Pañca-sīla at present, can be found that: The problem of the first precept used in their daily lives is; the community people has no more choice for living, so they have to kill some of animals for their subsistence. The solution is to convince people to kill animals down or to purchase them from the market instead. The problem of the second precept for daily lives is; most of the people who stole come from a family lacking warmth or broken family. They take without any prior indication for gambling debts and for buying drugs, etc. The solution is to care for family, to take Dhamma for refining the mind and to campaign for stopping gambling. The problem of the third precept on a daily basis is; they lack of awareness, and insufficiency in sexual intercourse. The solution is to raise awareness and to know just enough in sexual intercourse. Families should provide the necessary guidance to their children. The problem of the fourth precept of each day in the life is; they lie to survive and speak gossip. The solution is to think before speaking and to speak in a constructive way. Last, the problem of the fifth precept used in their daily lives is; intoxicants are readily available in various places, making unreasonableness and resulting in accidents. The solution is to campaign for reducing or prohibiting alcohol drinking in various applications, and to educate about the terrible dangers of alcohol in general.