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Lesson Three - Thai Religions

Thai Religions
 
Lesson Focus: 
This lesson will focus on the religious history and practices in Thailand.
 
Lesson Objectives:     
            1. The children will be able to name the leading religion in Thailand.
2. The children will compare Buddhism to Christianity on chart paper with the help of Thai puppets.
3. The children will write a Gospel witness note to be included in the “By Kids…For Kids” boxes for Thailand.
 
Materials Needed:  
            1. Thai boy and girl puppets from previous lessons
            2. large chart paper or posterboard and markers or a chalkboard and chalk
            3. a class supply of writing paper, pencils
 
Background for the teacher:
  
Buddhism came to Thailand by way of India, Ceylon, and Burma. It is the state religion.  Approximately 95 percent of the people are Buddhist, a religion that is part of everyday living.
 
Briefly, a young Indian prince, Gautama Suddhartha, around 500 B.C, founded Buddhism.   He who was born into wealth saw the poverty and suffering of his fellow countrymen and could not comprehend it. At age 29 he set out all alone to find the answer. While meditating underneath a bohdi tree, he was enlightened. From thence, he was called Buddha, which means enlightened one. For 45 years he traveled throughout India preaching and telling his people how they, too, could find complete happiness, peace, and enlightenment. Buddha taught that whether or not there are gods, a person must find salvation through self-improvement – not through a divine power. A person must do so by conquering all evil within him. He must observe eight rules that include right speech,
living, actions, and meditation. Also, he must never destroy life, human or animal. He must never lie, cheat, or gossip. He must never become drunk or violate his marriage promises. A monk has over two hundred commandments to keep.
                                              
Buddhism teaches that one never dies but is continually reincarnated. He may be human in the next life or reborn as an insect or animal. Each life gives yet another chance to do better. To achieve a state of perfect peace and happiness is to attain a state of nirvana.
 
Two main branches of Buddhism are Mahayana Buddhism, mainly found in China, Korea, and Japan, and Theravada Buddhism, more commonly found in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Laos, and Cambodia. The latter incorporates elements of Hinduism and local beliefs.
 
Buddhism is a tolerant faith in that it does not teach that other religions are wrong or bad.
 
In Thailand every man must be a monk for a short time, usually at age 18, before he is considered to be mature. His head is shaved and he wears a loose, yellow-colored robe.  He is to live in the temple (wat), forget about all worldly things, and go out each morning to receive a gift of food from each householder, thus allowing others to gain merit in gift-giving. He eats breakfast and lunch and spends the remainder of the day in meditation, reading Buddha’s teachings (dharma), or teaching in the temple school.
 
Each week a worship day is set aside at the temples. However, only the most religious people attend each week. Others go from time to time or take part in the many Buddhist festivals.
 
In the yard of every Buddhist home or on the grounds of modern office buildings and hotels can be found a spirit house. Looking like a brightly painted birdhouse, it is a place where spirits come for food and rest. Thais believe spirits exist everywhere–in hills, trees, water, the earth, etc. Some of them are beneficial and others are harmful. Offerings of flowers, food, or sticks of incense are placed in the spirit houses. Spirits are often consulted regarding illness and misfortune and are advised of the arrival of guests, prospective journeys, and family births and deaths.
 
Approximately 4 percent of the Thais hold to the Islam religion. Nearly two percent of the population represents Chinese folk religion. Some animism remains in northern Thailand. This encompasses the belief that spirits inhabit everything and that mean spirits make people behave in strange ways. Ancient beliefs in astrology, omens, charms, and religious tattoos are still present.
 
Christianity has reached less than one percent of the Thai population.
 
Lesson Content: 
 
Most people in Thailand follow a religion called Buddhism. Buddhism began approximately 2,500 years ago when a young prince from India couldn’t understand why he was so rich and others were so poor. While sitting underneath a Bohdi tree, he was enlightened, and from then on, he was known as Buddha, which means enlightened one.  Buddha taught his fellow countrymen in India how they could find peace and happiness.  He taught them that the way to salvation was through self-improvement. They had many rules to follow. They believed that good acts had good consequences and evil acts had evil consequences. Further, he taught that one never dies but is continually reincarnated as a human, an animal, or an insect. Hence, he is given continual chances to achieve the requirements necessary to reach nirvana defined as a state of perfect happiness.
 
 
 
 
Lesson Approach: 
 
Ask the children to stand and greet you with a Thai greeting (learned in previous lessons) and then be seated. Bring back the Thai boy and girl puppets Sumaree and Jaran. After greetings have been exchanged, tell the children that Sumaree and Jaran want to tell them about how different they are. Use the following script, feeling free to improvise.
 
Jaran:  Ladies first.
 
Sumaree: Thanks, Jaran. I am Buddhist.
 
Jaran:  I am a Christian.
 
Sumaree:  Most people in Thailand are Buddhists.
 
Jaran:  Very, very few people in Thailand are Christian.
 
Sumaree:  I follow the teachings of a man named Buddha.
 
Jaran:  I follow the teachings of Jesus.
 
Sumaree:  I am not supposed to lie, steal, or hurt anyone or anything or I won’t earn my way to nirvana, a place of perfect happiness.
 
Jaran:  I am not supposed to lie, steal, or hurt anyone because it makes Jesus sad. But He is my way to a place of perfect happiness. He died and rose again to take away the bad things that I do so that I can live in heaven with Him some day. I could never be good enough to get there on my own.
 
Sumaree:  Jaran, could you tell me more about your teacher Jesus?
 
Jaran:  Sure thing, Sumaree. But first, let’s help the children chart today’s lesson.
 
Tack the puppets on the top of the chart paper, one on each side, with a line drawn to divide the paper into two columns. Ask the children the following questions and write the answers on the chart paper.
 
Review:          
            1. What religion is Sumaree?   Buddhist
            2. What religion is Jaran?     Christian
            3. Who is Sumaree’s teacher?     Buddha
            4. Who is Jaran’s teacher?      Jesus
            5. Why does Sumaree do good things? To earn her way to nirvana (happiness)
            6. How will Jaran get to the place of happiness called heaven?   By what Jesus did
 
Tell the children that Jaran and Sumaree have much to talk about concerning Jesus. But before they go, Jaran wants to know if the children will write to the boys and girls in Thailand and tell them about Jesus. The children respond, the puppets leave with a Thai farewell, and the children can write their notes to be included in the “By Kids…For Kids”—Thailand  boxes. A simple “Jesus Loves You” with a cross or heart on the paper and the child’s name would be a great message from the preschool child. The teacher/helpers will probably need to assist with the writing. Or the message could be stenciled, run off, and colored in by the children.
 
 
Extending the lesson: 
 
1.Buddhism teaches generosity among other things.  People practice such by providing daily food for the monks. Christianity also teaches generosity. A collection of canned items could be taken during this week or even for a day to help people in your own area who are in need of food.
 
2.Thai holidays could be researched and discussed.  Thais celebrate two New Year’s –one on January 1st and the old Thai New Year called Songkran on April 13th.  They end their New Year’s Day with this blessing: “May you live to an old age; may your face look youthful; may you have much happiness and good health.” Two other holidays that might be researched are Loi Krathong –Festival of Light and Wisaka Bucha– a most sacred holiday honoring Buddha. 
 
 


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