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A Brief History of Thai Buddhist Meditation Practice
Meditation plays an important role in Buddhism (Buddhasasana) by the name of right mediation (sammasamadhi) being the second category of the Eight-Fold Path (Atthanghigamagga) consisted of three categories i.e., Personal Discipline (Silasikkha), Mental Perfection (Cittasikkha), and Wisdom (Panyasikkha), to obtain the ultimate goal Nibbhana of Buddhism. In Buddhist tradition, there are 2 forms of mediation i.e., tranquility meditation (samathakammathanna) and insight meditation (vipassanakammathanna). Tranquility meditation will yield the calmness and concentration of mind, while insight meditation will yield cessation of human suffering. Tranquility meditation is a very
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Hence Buddhist meditation also was introduced to this kingdom, because there was many evidences to prove its existence, namely, Buddhist monks who practiced meditation in the temple in the forest called “Aranyavasisangha” as founded in the form of archeological evidence of temples in Sukhothai, Chiengmai and Lampoon Province. Again, Srilanka Theravada Buddhism was introduced to the area called Thailand in the present, in Ayudhya kingdom about 23rd B.E. There was evidence to prove the existence of Buddhist meditation i.e., His holiness Somdejphrayanasangvora (Suka) and Phravisuddhacharayathera. The tradition of Buddhist meditation practice played a dominant role in Thai Buddhism until Ratanakosintara Kingdom 24th B.E. as evidenced by the name of the most well known monk SomdejPhraBhudhajaraya (To Bhramarangsi), Phraajarn Mun Puritatto, Buddhadasabhikkhu, SomdejPrabhuthajaraya (Aaj Aasaapa Mahathera), PhramahaChodok Yanasitthi etc. However, among the name of these meditation teacher monks, Phra Aajrn Mun Puritatto (2413-2492) was the most