Page 17 - Microsoft Word - Lao History IR, year 1.doc

Internat ional Relations Year 1

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Buddhism and Lao society – from Lan Xang to modernity

1. Buddhism is one of the oldest religions in the world. It came to Laos from India through trade
routes linking India with countries in Southeast Asia, particularly Burma, Siam and Champa.
The spread of Indian religious thought, art, culture and language over a thousand years
brought some cultural unity to the multi- ethnic region.

2. The Pali and Sanskrit languages together with Buddhism, Brahmanism and Hinduism spread
through direct contact and through sacred texts and Indian literature, such as the Ramayana.
There are different versions of the Ramayana story in the countries of Southeast Asia today.
For example, scenes from the Lao Ramayana are painted on the ceiling and walls of the
Patuxay monument (Victory Arch) in Vientiane.

3. King Fa Ngum made Theravada Buddhism the state religion when he founded the Kingdom of
th
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Lan Xang in the 14 century. By the 17 century, the large number of Buddhist monks and the
art and architecture of the temples impressed the first European visitors to Lan Xang.
Supporting such a sizable portion of the male population as monks in temples reflected the
wealth and prestige of the king.

4. Another way Kings could show their power and prestige was through building temples. King
Photisarath, for example, built Wat Anou in Luang Prabang in the 1500s. King Sethathirath
undertook the building of Wat Hor Prakeo and That Luang in the 1560s, while Chao Anou built
Wat Sisaket in 1818.

5. With the support of the monarchy, Buddhist temples were built in almost every village in
lowland Laos. Lao people accepted Buddhist teachings and blended them with traditional
animist beliefs. Temples served as centres of community spiritual and cultural life. Villagers
often hold festivals at temples and bring unusual animals or ancient artefacts that they find to
temples. Wat Simeuang in Vientiane, for example, is home to cranes* and turtles, as well as
the foundation stone of the capital. Scenes from Buddhist texts are often painted onto temple
walls.

6. Animism, or a belief in spirits, is still very much part of Lao culture, alongside Buddhism. Most
Lao houses have a separate “spirit house” in the garden to house the spirits of ancestors and
ghosts; it is believed this stops the spirits from interfering in the lives of the living. Lao people
also hold a baci ceremony to mark important events in their lives, such as a wedding, or the
birth of a new child.

* ນ ົກຍາງ

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