Our religion plays a powerful role on who we are and our beliefs. As Henslin mentions on Sociology: A Down to Earth Approach, “Religious ideas... provide the foundation of morality for both the religious and the nonreligious” (84). From religion, we learn “doctrines and values” and it can influence “what kinds of clothing, speech, and manners are appropriate for formal occasions” (84). Buddhism is one of the biggest religions in the world with over 381 million followers. In Thailand, about 95% of the population are practitioners of the Theravada Buddhism, which is the official religion of the land (Buddhism in Thailand, 122). Buddhism has influenced every aspect of the Thai life, the structure and form of government, the system of …show more content…
Then, they bow down to it as a way to cultivate humility and let go of negative things. Buddhist arrange rows of substances that delight the senses such as: water, flowers, food, incense light, candles, cloth, and lutes. They are traditionally placed bellow the deity’s “lotus seat or throne” in an “offering bowl” and are known as the “seven offerings”. These offerings are rows of substances that delight the senses such as: water, flowers, food, incense light, candles, cloth, and lutes (Beer, 2003). As a way to acknowledge the Buddha for his teachings, in Thailand are some of the biggest statues of the Buddha in the world. In fact, Buddhism has such a big influence of Thailand that there are statues of the Buddha in almost every household, temple, and even street corner. They sit in front of these rituals and meditate for hours. In fact, meditation is another ritual that is practiced by the Buddhist Thai that influences their way of life. Buddhist pursue meditation as part of their path toward Enlightenment and Nirvana (Kamalashilia 2003). Thailand has many meditation centers as well as facilities where people