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The Supreme Patriarch of Thailand or
Sangharaja
Sangharaja (Pāli: ''sangha'' religious community + ''raja'' ruler, king, or prince) is the title given in many Theravada Buddhist countries to a senior monk who is the titular head either of a monastic fraternity ( nikaya), or of the ''Sangha'' t ...
( th, สังฆราช; ) is the head of the order of
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
monks
A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...
in Thailand. His full title is ''Somdet Phra Saṅgharāja Sakalamahāsaṅghapariṇāyaka'' ( th, สมเด็จพระสังฆราช สกลมหาสังฆปริณายก; ; 'the Supreme Patriarch, the Head of all Members of the Sangha').
Ancient history
As early as the
Sukhothai period (thirteenth to sixteenth centuries CE), there were city-dwelling and forest-dwelling orders, and there was more than one Supreme Patriarch appointed. In modern times, however, only one position is responsible for all fraternities and orders. From 1992 to 2016, the Supreme Patriarch was chosen from the most senior member of the Supreme Sangha Council and officially endorsed by the King.
the Supreme Patriarch was formally appointed by the
King of Thailand
The monarchy of Thailand (whose monarch is referred to as the king of Thailand; th, พระมหากษัตริย์ไทย, or historically, king of Siam; th, พระมหากษัตริย์สยาม) refers to the c ...
and co-signed by the
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
, with consultation of the
Sangha Supreme Council
The Sangha Supreme Council of Thailand ( th, มหาเถรสมาคม; pi, Mahāthera Samāgama; abbreviated SSC) is the governing body of the Buddhist order (Sangha) of Thailand, and is the ultimate authority for all ecclesiastical mat ...
, an administrative body of the Thai
Sangha
Sangha is a Sanskrit word used in many Indian languages, including Pali meaning "association", "assembly", "company" or "community"; Sangha is often used as a surname across these languages. It was historically used in a political context t ...
.
The Supreme Patriarch has legal authority to oversee both of Thailand's
Theravada
''Theravāda'' () ( si, ථේරවාදය, my, ထေရဝါဒ, th, เถรวาท, km, ថេរវាទ, lo, ເຖຣະວາດ, pi, , ) is the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school' ...
fraternities, the
Maha Nikaya
The Mahā Nikāya (literal translation: "great order") is one of the two principal monastic orders, or fraternities, of modern Thai and Cambodian Buddhism. The term is used to refer to any Theravada monks not within the Dhammayuttika Nikaya, the o ...
and the
Dhammayuttika Nikaya
Dhammayuttika Nikāya (Pali; th, ธรรมยุติกนิกาย; ; km, ធម្មយុត្តិកនិកាយ, ), or Dhammayut Order ( th, คณะธรรมยุต) is an order of Theravada Buddhist ''bhikkhus'' (monk ...
, as well as the small minority of
Mahayana
''Mahāyāna'' (; "Great Vehicle") is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, texts, philosophies, and practices. Mahāyāna Buddhism developed in India (c. 1st century BCE onwards) and is considered one of the three main existing bra ...
Buddhists in the country. He is also the President of the Sangha Supreme Council.
Developments since the 2000s
There has been recent discussion about reforming the Thai Sangha's leadership structure, including a 2002 proposal which would have moved many of the Sangha Council's and the Supreme Patriarch's powers to a new executive council. However, in 2015, it seemed the
junta
Junta may refer to:
Government and military
* Junta (governing body) (from Spanish), the name of various historical and current governments and governing institutions, including civil ones
** Military junta, one form of junta, government led by ...
was not pushing for new Sangha legislation after all, after the proposals led to many organized protests and heated debate.
The Supreme Patriarch was Somdet Phra
Nyanasamvara Suvaddhana, who had served in this position since 1989. After suffering from increasingly serious health problems, died on 24 October 2013, aged a hundred years. In 2003, because of questions about the Supreme Patriarch's ability to fulfill his duties, the government of Thailand had appointed a special committee to act in his stead. In early 2004,
Somdet Kiaw
Buḍḍhacarya ( th, สมเด็จพระพุฒาจารย์ ; ), dhamma name Upaseṇo ( th, อุปเสโณ; ), born as Kiaw Chokchai ( th, เกี่ยว โชคชัย; ), and commonly known as Somdet Kiaw ( ...
Upaseṇo was appointed acting Supreme Patriarch, an office that he held until his death in 2013.
After the death of Somdet Kiaw,
Somdet Chuang Varapuñño of Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen became the next acting Supreme Patriarch. Despite a nomination from the Supreme Sangha Council, his official appointment as Supreme Patriarch was stalled due a refusal of the Thai
secular government to forward his nomination to the King. In December 2016, the junta passed an amendment to the Sangha Act changing the rules for appointment of the Supreme Patriarch to bypass the Supreme Sangha Council and allow the King of Thailand to appoint the Supreme Patriarch directly, with the Thai Prime Minister countersigning.
While proponents considered the amendment a good way for politicians to solve the problems the Sangha had not been able to solve, opponents described the amendment as "sneaky" ( th, ลักไก่). Chao Khun Prasarn Candasaro, vice-rector of the
Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University
Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University (MCU) ( th, มหาวิทยาลัยมหาจุฬาลงกรณราชวิทยาลัย, ) is one of two public Buddhist universities in Thailand, as well as being the oldest Budd ...
and assistant-abbot of
Wat Mahathat Yuwaratrangsarit
Wat Mahathat Yuwaratrangsarit ( th, วัดมหาธาตุยุวราชรังสฤษฎิ์) is a Buddhist temple in Bangkok, Thailand.Liedtke 2011, p. 58 It is one of the ten royal temples of the highest class ( th, พร ...
, stated the amendment showed a grave lack of respect for the Sangha Council's authority, because the council had not been involved in the amendment at all. He argued that the Monastic Act had always given the final decision to the King anyway, and pointed out that all conflicts about the appointment were caused by the junta's National Reform Council, not by the Sangha itself.
Finally, on 7 February 2017,
Somdet Amborn Ambaro was appointed by
King Rama X
Vajiralongkorn ( th, วชิราลงกรณ; , ; born 28 July 1952) is the King of Thailand. He is the only son of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit. In 1972, at the age of 20, he was made crown prince by his father. After his ...
to serve as the next Supreme Patriarch out of five names given to him by Prime Minister
Prayut Chan-o-Cha
Prayut Chan-o-cha (sometimes spelled Prayuth Chan-ocha; th, ประยุทธ์ จันทร์โอชา, ; born 21 March 1954) is a Thai politician and retired army officer who has served as the Prime Minister of Thailand since he ...
. The appointment ceremony was held on 12 February at
Wat Phra Kaew
Wat Phra Kaew ( th, วัดพระแก้ว, , ), commonly known in English as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and officially as Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram, is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand. The complex c ...
,
Grand Palace.
List of Supreme Patriarchs
See also
*
Buddhism in Thailand
*
Mahanayaka Mahanayaka (also spelled as Maha Nayaka, Maha Nayake) theros are high-ranking Buddhist monks who oversee and regulate the Buddhist clergy in Theravada Buddhist countries. The title ''Maha Nayaka'' translates to English as 'Great Leader' and it is c ...
*
Sangharaja
Sangharaja (Pāli: ''sangha'' religious community + ''raja'' ruler, king, or prince) is the title given in many Theravada Buddhist countries to a senior monk who is the titular head either of a monastic fraternity ( nikaya), or of the ''Sangha'' t ...
*
Sangha Supreme Council
The Sangha Supreme Council of Thailand ( th, มหาเถรสมาคม; pi, Mahāthera Samāgama; abbreviated SSC) is the governing body of the Buddhist order (Sangha) of Thailand, and is the ultimate authority for all ecclesiastical mat ...
*
State Saṅgha Mahā Nāyaka Committee
*
Supreme Patriarch of Cambodia
The Supreme Patriarch of Cambodia ( km, សម្ដេចព្រះសង្ឃរាជ; pi, Sangharāja) is the ''de facto'' leader of Buddhism in Cambodia.
Titles
The titles for the Cambodian Supreme Patriarchs are derived from Pali. The ...
*
Thathanabaing of Burma
The Thathanabaing of Burma ( my, သာသနာပိုင်, also spelt Thathanapaing) served as the head of the Buddhist Sangha (order of monks) in pre-colonial Burma, until the position was abolished in 1938 by the British rule in Burma, Brit ...
References
External links
English websiteof the Supreme Patriarch
with information about each Supreme Patriarch
Entry on the current Supreme Patriarchat
Everything2
Everything2 (styled Everything2 or E2 for short) is a collaborative Web-based community consisting of a database of interlinked user-submitted written material. E2 is moderated for quality, but has no formal policy on subject matter. Writing on ...
Buddhism in contemporary Thailand information from Mahachulalongkornrajvidyalaya University
Buddhism in Thailand information from Dhammathai.org
by Dr. Tavivat Puntarigvivat
{{Religion in Thailand
*
Buddhism in Thailand