Leiden University Student Repository

Bradner, Annalies (2023)

Protection for the Forest and Farm: A Comparative Study of Buddhist Environmentalism for Sustainable Development in Thailand

Master thesis | Asian Studies (60 EC) (MA)

For millions of people in Southeast Asia, Buddhism is more than a religion in the Western sense; it is a lifestyle. Theravada Buddhism in Thailand is intimately connected to Thai governance, society, and culture. Since the 1980s Thai Buddhism has created links with environmentalist movements. The Buddhist Environmental movement in Thailand has two terms related to monks: firstly, Development Monks or phra nak phatthana, and secondly, Forest Monks or phra nak anuraksaa. By 1991, there were some 250-300 Development Monks, comprising an important network in village grassroots communities, especially rural communities, and premised the desire to introduce a ‘Buddhist way of sustainable development'.

Thailand, Buddhism, Environmentalism, Forest Protection, Sustainable Agriculture

Author

Bradner, Annalies

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

History, Arts and Culture

Supervisors

Lin, F.

ECTS Credits

15

Language

en