Forest Monks in Isan : Space Contestation in State Apparatus

Abstract

The forest monks in Isan used to take a significant role from the reign of King Rama III to V. The forest monks derived from the Buddhism
reformation arisen by PhraVajirayana Bhikkhu who founded the Dhammayuttika Nikaya. After being divested of the robes of the Buddhist priesthood,he reigned as the King Rama IV. The King sent the Dhammayuttika Nikaya monks who would impart the state ideology to the main cities of Isan to reform its society. Until the reign of the King Rama V, the context of the main cities in Isan had become overwhelmed by the westernized power. Consequently, the state needed to make a policy to realign either the people or the areas around Isan from Lao cultures to the Thais. Then, the reformation of the Isan main cities was proceded by centralization policy. The clergy enacted the passage of Sangha Act to rule all monks as well as assign authority to the Supreme Patriarch Krom Phraya Vajirayanavarorot to dominate the clergy. As a result, the Dhammayuttika Nikaya monks were sent to the main cities of Isan to reform its people from the belief of Lan Chang to the centralized standard of the state. So there was a confrontation between the two groups of monks : the state ideology and the local belief, including, those of religious ideology and the local ascendancy. All of these groups aimed to intensively find a space contestation in Isan areas. Finally, they had adapted and installed a new identity for the Isan forest monks under the context of modern Thai state.