5. Sangha’s Administration in Thailand

If we want to know how an administration was organised in the Sangha, we have to trace back to an establishment of a monastery in Buddhism, where the Buddha started His systematic administration and management in the Sangha. In Thailand, the monasteries were, in the past, the centre of education for Thai people.

1. Initial Stages of Administration in the Sangha

The first establishment of the monastery was when the Buddha visited Rajagaha at the invitation of king Bimbisara. On the second day of his visit, the Buddha excepted king’s invitation to a meal at the palace. At the end of the meal the king, looking about for a place for the Buddha to reside….not too far from the town, not too near, suitable for coming and going easily, accessible to all people. Clean and clean and well fitted to recusion….’ decided on Veluvana and bestowed it upon the Buddha and the Sangha. The Buddha accepted the Arama. Having consented to accepting this offering in honor of the event, the blessed One delivered a religious discourse thus addressing the Bhikkhus; I allow you O Bhikkhus, to receive the donation of Arama, (anujanami bhikkhave aramam), which was then the Veluvanarama, became the first Buddhist monastery in the world^[1].

The Buddha, with the passage of time, saw the number of monks increasing. He realized that there was a greater popular interest in the Dhamma, than had been anticipated. He was concerned about the practical basis upholding the Sangha quality and standards. This interest created a situation that led the Buddha to lay down new provisions for its guidance. Regarding the management system in the Sangha, it occurred to the Buddha to review the condition of his wandering ascetic followers. It becomes obvious that some unfruitful practices were beginning among them and that there were people seeking ordination for mundance purposes rather than gainng supreme spiritual bliss. Certain people, affected by socio-political and economic conflict and disaster, have found asylum in the Sangha.

By these social phenomena^[2], the Buddha look steps to arrest corrupt and irrelevant practices and made the first movement towards a monastic organization of the Sangha by setting up divisions of work to implement the development of the structure of its organism. The Buddha therefore, prescribed the appointment of officers for various duties. The appointments were to be made by the assembly of the Sangha. Choosing the right monk for the right duty is said to have been used since those days. The word “monastery” is called “Avasa” which means sojourn, a dwelling or residence in Sanskrit,^[3] the word “Arama” in Pali is also used, which means fondness or delight.

2. Administration of the Buddhist Order

For centuries, ever since Buddhism was introduced into the country, the Sangha or the Buddhist monastic order has been one of the nation’s greatest institutions. Under the patronage of all the kings and with the support of the government and the people, it has even possessed the right to govern itself.

A separate government was first officially provided for the Order in 1903 (B.E.2446) when King Rama V enacted the Sangha Administration Act of R.E.121. Since then the state has from time to time revised it, so that to date three such laws have been passed, namely:

1. The Sangha Administration Act of R.E. 121 (1903 or B.E. 2449).
2. The Sangha Act of B.E. 2484 (1941).
3. The Sangha Act of B.E. 2505 (1962).^[4]

By the Act of R.E. 121, there was established a Mahathera Samaghom or Council of Elders (or the Sangha Supreme Council) to act as advisor to the King all affairs concerning the religion and the administration and support of the Sangha. The Council consisted of eight members (the four Chao Gana Yai and their deputies) and was later presided over by the Supreme patriach. Under the Council, there were Chao Gana Mondol, Chao Gana Muang, Chao Gana Khwaeng and Chao Avas or the abbots, working at the different levels of the governmental system^[5].

In 1932 (B.E. 2475) the government was changed from an absolute to constitutional monarchy. The led to a change in the ecclesiastical government in 1941 (B.E. 2484). Under the Act of B.E. 2484, the organization of the Sangha was patterned after the parliamentary government adopted by the State. The Supreme Patriarch had very limited power. In accordance with the doctrine of the separation and the balance of power, he had to use his power through the three organs of the Sangha, namely, the Sangha Sabha as the Legislature, the Gana Sanghamontri as the Executive, and the Gana Vinayadhara as the Judiciary. The Gana Sanghamontri, or the Council of Ecclesiastical Minister, consisted of ten members headed by the Sangha Nayaka or Ecclesiastical Prime Minister. Under the Sangha Nayaka were the four ecclesiastical ministers (Sanghamontri) who directed all offairs of the Sangha through the four Boards or Ministries, namely, the Board of Administration, the Board of Education, the Board of Propagation and the Board of Public works.

Somdet Phrasangharaj (Supreme Patriarch)
Sangha Sabha (Legislature)	Gana Sanghamontri (Executive)	Gana Vinayadhara (Judiciary)
-Board of Administration	-Chao Gana Mondol
-Board of Education	-Chao Gana Muang
-Board of Propagation	-Chao Gana Khweang
-Board of Public work	-Chao Avas (Abbot)

[Figure 1: Sangha Origanization under the Sangha Administration Act of 1941 (B.E. 2484)]^[6]

The Act of B.E. 2484 remained in force for 21 years, or until 1962 (B.E. 2505). Then the government under the premiership of Field Marshall Sarit Dhanarajt found that the ecclesiastical administration should be based on the process of centralization, not decentralization. As a result, a change in the organization of the Sangha was made by the Sangha Act of B.E. 2505, the Mahathera Samagom, or the Sangha Supreme Council, was reestablished and the administration of the Sangha was to be carried out at two levels; the central administration and the local administration.

3. Sangha's Central Administration

At the central administration level, The Supreme Patriarch, who is appointed by the king, as head of the Buddhist Order, is responsible for all affairs of the Sangha. He has absolute power to govern the whole monk community and to direct all ecclesiastical affairs. Under him is the Mahathera Samagom, which serves him as the Consultative Council. The Council consists of the Supreme Patriarch as its President, all Somdet Phra Rajagana as standing ex-officio members, and another four to eight Phra Rajagana appointed by the Supreme Patriarch to hold office as nominated members for a term of two years.

4. Sangha's Local Administration

At the local administration level, the Sangha is divided into local units of multiregions, regions, provinces, district and communes or precints, similar to the division of the country by the State for administrative purposes. There are Chao Gana Changwat (Sangha Provincial Governor), Chao Gana Amphoe (Sangha District Officer) and Chao Gana Tambol (Sangha Commune Chief), who take full responsibility for their respective administrative divisions in the 77 provinces^[7]. In each commune there are at least five monasteries, each under the charge of an abbot or Chao Avas. The 77 provinces are grouped into 18 ecclesiastical regions, which are under the control of Chao Gana Bhang (Sangha Reginal Governor). The 18 regions are again groups into five mutiregions supervised by Chao Gana Yai (Sangha Multirgional Supervisor), namely, the Central, the North, the South, the East and the Dhammayuttika Ecclesiastries^[8], respectively.

5. Government's Support

The Government provides administrative facilities for the Sangha through the Minister of Education, who has charge and control of the execution of the Act. Under him is the Director General of the Deparment of Religious Affairs, who is ex-officio Secretary General of the Sangha Supreme Council and whose office serves as the secretariat of the Council^[9]. The Department of Religious Affairs acts as a licence office to achieve harmonious cooperation between the Sangha and the State. It is responsible for the care of monks and monasteries and the promotion of all religious projects, whether educational, propagative or social. It keeps record of the monastic property, oversees the ecclesiastical budget, provides financial support through the Government budget and assists the ecclesiastical officers with their administrative duties. It has a large printing plant for publishing Buddhist scriptures, textbooks and religious publications in general.

Seeking to achieve the welfare and prosperity of both the Sangha and the State, it has the duty to protect the religion and to foster Buddhist culture in Thailand by all suitable means.

King (Protector of Buddhism)
Supreme Patriarch (somdej Phra Sangharaja)
Sangha Supreme Council
Mahathera Samagom
Sangha multiregional Supervisor (Chao Gana Yai)
Sangha Regional Governor (Chao Gana Bhag)
Sangha Provicial Governor (Chao Gana Changwat)
Sangha District officer (Chao Gana Amploe)
Sangha Commune Chief (Chao Gana Tambol)
Abbot (Chao Avas)
Vice-Abbot (Rong Chao Avas)
Assistant Abbot (Phoo Chuey Chao Avas)
Administration education — Propagation Public work
Ordinary Monks — Novices Lay Residents

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

U Ko Lay, Essence of Tipitaka, p.47.

[2]:

Chandra-gnam, Seang, Buddhism and Thai People, p.70.

[3]:

T.W. Rhys Devids. W. stede. Pali-English Dictionary, p.85.

[4]:

Department of Religious Affair, History of Thai Sangha’s Education, p. 89.

[5]:

Ibid, pp. 101-102.

[6]:

Ian Harris, Buddhism and Politics Twentieth century Asia. London &New York Printer, 1999, p.211.

[7]:

Dhani Nivat,Krommuen Bidyalabh, A History of Buddhism in Siam, p.80.

[8]:

Ibid., p.92.

[9]:

Kaewchua, Sthiya & Chitrakorn,Tangkasemsuk, Looking at Thai Education: Past, Present, and Future, p.95.