Justin McDaniel
University of Pennsylvania
By looking closely at the figure of one supposedly Hindu character, the hermit, in modern and pre-modern Thai art and religion, I will argue that we need to rethink the way terms like Hinduism, Buddhism, and syncreticism are used in describing Thai religion. There are several problems with the use of the terms “influence” and more importantly “syncretism” or separating Thai rituals along sectarian lines or according to religious affiliation, whether it be Hinduism, Theravāda Buddhist, Mahāyāna Buddhism, or even Animism. Specifically, it should not be assumed that the presence of statues of Brahmin hermits, or deities like Indra, Śiva, Lakṣmī , Gaṇeśa, Brahma represents the presence of “Hindu” influence or Hinduism in Thailand. I argue that when we separate Hindu figures from the study of Thai Buddhist practice we do not see them as actively a part of Thai Buddhism.
(Presented in the 2012 Chulalongkorn-EFEO International Conference on Buddhist Studies : Imagination, Narrative, and Localization, 6-7 January 2012, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, organized by Faculty of Arts and Institute of Thai Studies, Chulalongkorn University In conjunction with The Buddhist Studies Group, EFEO)