Author Affiliations: Lecturer, College of Religious Studies, Mahidol University of Thailand
關鍵詞
History; Jin Nikāya; Thailand; Socio-political Perspective; Patriarchs
摘要
Jin Nikāya (hereafter JN), literally “Chinese School,” refers to a Mahāyāna Buddhist school founded by a group of Chinese monks sojourning in Thailand (Siam at that time) during the 1870s. JN, as one of four Buddhist schools under the jurisdiction of the unified Thai Sangha, has been active within and beyond the Thai-Chinese community for almost one hundred and fifty years. Today this school hosts around one thousand monks and novices in its eighteen temples located in different districts of Thailand. Chinese literature exists on JN, but it is scanty and mainly consists of hagiographies of its leaders. Further, English scholarship on this school is lacking. Therefore, to rectify this dearth, besides chronicling the history of JN, this paper discusses how this school of Chinese and Mahāyāna origin survived and even became increasingly popular in Theravāda-dominated Thai society. In consideration of the important roles the internal leadership has usually played in forming and sustaining a religious institution, this paper also investigates how JN’s seven generations of patriarchs, coming from various Chinese sub-ethnicities, Dharma affiliations, and political identities, coped with a dynamic sociopolitical context to secure the survival of their school in Thailand. Through studying the history of JN, this paper also attempts to situate JN in the present and speculate on its future.
目次
Introduction 123 Methods 127 Historical review of Chinese emigration to Thailand 127 1. Formation, 1871–1920 132 2. Decline, 1920–1954 139 3. Revival, 1954–1986 146 4. Sustainable Development, 1986– 153 Outlook 160
