KING MONGKUT AND THE REALISTIC COSMOLOGICAL IDEA AT THE MAIN STUPA OF WAT BAVORNNIVET

Abstract

During the years under the reign of King Mongkut, sciences and technologies of the western world were highly improving thanks to the Industrial Revolution in 18th century. King Mongkut of Siam was a great king of visionary. His Highness was aware of the necessity of adaptation to the arriving global changes. He knew that the changes of his country, in aspects of both technologies and social administration, were inevitable. Even in the religious aspect, His Highness reformed the secular Buddhism of Siam into the new sect dedicated to the pure doctrine and abolished the profane practices.

The main stupa of Wat Bavornnivet was the suitable example of this reformation. It exemplified the integration of modern worldview and indigenous belief of Thai people. The animal sculptures around the four corners of the sacred pond, Anotatta, and also encircled the sacred Mount Meru, which was believed to be the centre of the universe, were replaced with new set of sculptures containing new symbolic meaning. Lion represented the British Royal House; Horse represented the French power; Eagle represented the democratic world of the United States; and finally Elephant represented the Lan Chang Kingdom (with the Bunch of Grain represented Lanna Kingdom) -- all of these connotations were the signs of paradigm shift from old belief of Triphum, which literally means three realms: earth, heaven, and hell, into the colonialistic mindset. At the same time, the Main Stupa signified the centricity of Buddhism and from the Stupa itself the other implication could be made, the Declaration of Siam over the infidels as well as its underlings.