Venerable Phra Anil Dhammasakiyo (Sakya)
Mahamakut Buddhist University
Like many Buddhist terminologies, dhammadūta is a widely used Buddhist term in Buddhist milieu. For many, dhammadūta is an ancient term existed from the time of the Buddha and considered to be one of the tasks of Buddhist monks. Dhammadūta is generally translated it as a ‘missionary.’ Albeit popular belief some scholar view that this is a neologism coined in the late 19th century.
Although the term was not existed in the Pali Canon or even on Asokan inscriptions the term is widely used in Commentaries from the 5th century onward. Throughout centuries the uses of dhammadūta changed accordingly. This paper will look at how Thailand has used dhammadūta and narrative history of Thai dhammadūta from ancient to modern context.
(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)