Research & Article

It is often falsely assumed that the Thai people have created a gross misinterpretation of Buddhism, ignorantly combining the religion with Hinduism and native Animism. However, in reality the Thai religion accommodates all the teachings of the Buddha, Hindu stagecraft and the fertility concerns of farmers without doing violence to any of them. This article aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of this Thai amalgamation of religions, a system that is threatened by a new generation of thinkers and reformers who have forgotten how symbolism works. In addition to a general overview of difficulties that complicate the system, specific aspects of each religion that contribute to their mutual existence are examined: the Naga in Buddhism, the contributions of Vishnu and Shiva in Hinduism and the similarities between Thai Animism and the religion of the Indian Shakta.