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Compassion in Action: Buddha鈥檚 Lost Children

Introduction

This essay investigates the film Buddha鈥檚 Lost Children, which tracks 鈥渙ne of the last travelling monks,鈥�^[1]Phra Khru Bah and the nun Khun Mae Ead. Both have 鈥渄evoted [themselves] to the orphaned and abandoned children鈥�^[2]of the Golden Triangle: a region heavily influenced by the disastrous effects of a growing drug problem. The film provides an overview of the inner workings of the Buddhist sangha, or the 鈥渕onastic order,鈥�^[3]while maintaining a focus on the 鈥渟ymbiotic nature of the monastic-lay relationship鈥�^[4]that Phra Khru Bah and Khun Mae Ead emulate while caring for the novices. The duo鈥檚 immense display of selflessness, counters the common misbelief surrounding the 鈥渟elf-interested鈥�^[5]nature of Therav膩da Buddhism: Thailand's majority religion. Ultimately, the presiding theme of Buddha鈥檚 Lost Childrenis expressed in the film鈥檚 opening reference to Shin Yatomi: 鈥淟iving is an art to be learned,鈥�^[6]a statement that manifests in the actions of Khru Bha鈥檚 and Khun Mae Ead鈥檚 mobilization of 鈥淏uddhism as a liberating vehicle鈥�^[7]to aid the region and guide the novices alongside an overriding emphasis for compassion:a trend that transcends the narrative of the film and takes root in the core tenants of Buddhism.

Therav膩da Buddhism

In Thailand, Therav膩da Buddhism has maintained 鈥渁 leading role in all aspects of national life鈥�^[8]since becoming constitutionally recognized as the State鈥檚 鈥渙fficial religion鈥�^[9]in 1932. The result was a merging of Thai and Buddhist traditions that have connected aspects of Therav膩da Buddhism and religious practice to Thai identities. An inspired sense of nationalistic pride is thus reserved for the Thai monastic community, who鈥撯�揾aving come to embody an extension of Thai culture鈥撯�揳re represented accordingly by episodes of the 蝉补苍驳丑补鈥檚symbiotic relationship with local villagers. Evidence of this relationship in the film is encountered in the 鈥渃ollect[ing] alms鈥�^[10]or donations, that are typically offerings of food^[11]from villagers who consider their contribution as 鈥渁n opportunity to earn merit鈥�^[12]towards the Therav膩da goal to end rebirth.^[13]Further evidence of a culture of Buddhism is found in the film鈥檚 segment on Boontam, the especially adorable future novice who, at the young age of four, already 鈥済oes back and forth between the temple and his village鈥�^[14]with enthusiasm. His mother has already decided that Boontam will 鈥済o through the formal steps of becoming a novice鈥�^[15]when he is seven. This attitude towards novicehood represent the majority of Thai parents who 鈥渨ould consider it a great honor鈥�^[16]if their son pursued a life as a monastic. In both these examples, Buddhist practices are shown to have become normalized throughout Thailand^[17]and Buddhism鈥檚 reputation as an institution is recognized as trustworthy. The full weight of achieving this bond with the locals, however, is not fully realized until Khun Mae Ead explains that villagers were initially 鈥渧ery suspicious of a Thai monk鈥�^[18]and feared that the monastery鈥檚 鈥減resence put them in danger.鈥�^[19]Here, Khun Mae Ead describes a trying scenario best addressed with the nation-wide fondness and familiarity for Buddhist tradition.

In general, Therav膩da is less concerned with the intricacies of Buddhist doctrine or text and shows greater interest in the 鈥減ractical affairs of everyday life.鈥�^[20]This focus on practical knowledge informs the curriculum for the novices and includes subjects from animal husbandry鈥撯�揳 skill with the immediate purpose of travel鈥撯�搕o Muay Thai: which Phra Khru Bah recognizes as particularly relevant to The Golden Triangle, and an opportunity to pursue a career in Thai Boxing. Therav膩da鈥檚 focus on practice, however, is ultimately a focus on sangha. This relates the film to the Therav膩da context by emphasizing lived experience, alongside the 蝉补苍驳丑补鈥檚dual focus: on monasticism and renunciation.^[21]

The Sangha

The term sanghahas come to distinctly represent a 鈥渃lear and unique identity鈥�^[22]belonging to the Buddhist community. In its early history, the sanghaexisted as a 鈥渃ommunity of wanderers鈥�^[23]so as to enforce the Buddhist motivation for renunciation and to limit the monastery's potential to become burdensome for religious mendicants.^[24]The film enlivens this otherwise waning^[25]Buddhist practice of wandering by following the novices as they embark on the annual nine month trek between Thailand鈥檚 border villages under the care of Phra Khru Bah and Khun Mae Ead. This journey reveals the 蝉补苍驳丑补鈥檚maintained responsibility 鈥渢o be a good friend of the villagers鈥�^[26]who are shown to depend on Phra Khru Bah鈥檚 generosity for basic necessities and a future for children otherwise vulnerable to the region鈥檚 drug problems. The role of the sanghahas continued to operate as the region鈥檚 primary access to medical care and education; a scenario mirroring the position of early monastic centers as 鈥渢he intellectual backbone鈥�^[27]of traditional Buddhist society, and an indication of the 蝉补苍驳丑补鈥檚ongoing relationship with education and local communities.

The sanghais characterized by 鈥渕onastic and ethical codes that govern its behavior鈥�^[28]called the Vinaya. The Vinyadescribes 鈥渢hat by which one is led out [from suffering]鈥�^[29]鈥搘hich designates the 蝉补苍驳丑补鈥檚role as a 鈥渧ehicle鈥�^[30]鈥撯�揳nd defines the 蝉补苍驳丑补鈥檚vows. For novices, vows are limited to the Five Precepts and are based on expectations that span across most childhood experiences, including a promise to 鈥渁bstain from taking that which is not given鈥�^[31]that is disregarded by a novice in the film. In response, Phra Khru Bah chose to turn the event into a 鈥渧ehicle鈥�^[32]for Buddhist compassion and encouraged the children to 鈥渓ove each other鈥�^[33]without a serious reprimand. Here, the film demonstrates the manner in which the sangha enacts and adjusts its regulations to accommodate for the context of childhood, wherein a novice's failure to uphold their vows are viewed as opportunities for growth and met with leniency. In doing so, the film successfully distinguishes those nuances which separate the lived experience from doctrine and establishes the importance of an ethnographic understanding of religious practice.

The 鈥淕reater鈥� Buddhism

Emerging as a response to 鈥渟elf-interested Buddhism,鈥�^[34]the Mah膩y膩na school of Buddhism self-identifies as the 鈥淕reater Vehicle鈥�^[35]towards Buddhahood and is built around the complementary doctrines of compassion and wisdom.^[36]H墨nay膩na, in contrast, is the so-called 鈥淟esser Vehicle鈥�^[37]that commonly reduces Therav膩da to a synonym, and associates Therav膩da with selfishness for valuing personal salvation^[38]over the 鈥渃ompassionate effort to save all sentient beings.鈥�^[39]This idea of Therav膩da can be easily disproved by acknowledging the efforts of the Golden Horse Monastery and the many similar 鈥減ioneered development programs...[for] the needs of the rural poor.鈥�^[40]Khun Mae Ead elaborates and explains that although caring for the novices 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 bring material rewards,鈥�^[41]she considers it a 鈥渃hance to bring [the novices] happiness.鈥�^[42]This reflects Mah膩y膩na because, for Khun Mae Ead, the immaterial reward of lessening another's suffering inspires her compassion; this is how wisdom鈥撯�揳 鈥渄eeper understanding of emptiness鈥�^[43]as tethered to suffering^[44]鈥撯�揵ecomes the 鈥渂oundless compassion鈥�^[45]that only a 鈥渃razy fool of a monk like [Phra Khru Bah] is willing鈥�^[46]to give, or capable of giving. That said, Therav膩da compassion diverges from Mah膩y膩na by emphasizing self-love as important, and crucial to understanding the suffering of others.^[47]In the film, this is relayed to the novices with lessons in basic hygiene and is revealed in the statement 鈥渘obody wants a dead human being鈥� where individual health is described as a prerequisite to helping others.

Conclusion

This essay dismantles inaccurate representations of Therav膩da Buddhism by recognizing the centering force of compassion inBuddha鈥檚 Lost Children, and the film鈥檚 portrayal of this compassion as essential to Buddhist practice. Therav膩da Buddhism is related to the film in order to describe 鈥淏uddhism as a liberating vehicle鈥�^[48]within the context of Northern Thailand and to connect this in explanation of the unique effectiveness of the sangha in propagating social change. Therav膩da principles in practice have maintained a foundation in compassion that has been described throughout this essay鈥撯�揳s resolution for conflict, a means towards salvation, affection for a horse, or love for a child鈥撯�揳nd overlooked as 鈥渓esser鈥� to Mah膩y膩na doctrine. Ultimately, the Golden Horse Monastery鈥檚 significance can be summarized with the recitation: 鈥淚 go to the Buddha for refuge, I go to the Dharmafor refuge, I go to the Sanghafor refuge.鈥�^[49]It is this promise to provide refuge, wherein refuge and compassion are identical, that awakens Phra Khru Bah and Khun Mae Ead to the novices鈥� suffering, and grants them refuge in Buddhism.

Works Cited

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Braitstein, Lara. 鈥淟ecture #19: Mahayana.鈥� RELG 252: Hinduism and Buddhism. Class lecture

at 91社区, Montreal, QC, November 23, 2020.

Braitstein, Lara. 鈥淟ecture #20: Therav??da.鈥� RELG 252: Hinduism and Buddhism. Class lecture

at 91社区, Montreal, QC, November 25, 2020.

Prebish, Charles and Keown, Damian. 2010. 鈥淐hapter 4: The Buddhist Sangha,鈥� 鈥淐hapter 5:

Buddhism in India,鈥� 鈥淐hapter 6: Mah膩y膩na,鈥� and 鈥淐hapter 8: Buddhism in South-east Asia鈥� in Buddhism: the E-book. Fourth Edition. JBE Online Books. Pp. 9-57.

Verkerk, Mark. 2006. 鈥淏uddha鈥檚 Lost Children.鈥� Film Documentary.