ABSTRACT

                         The purposes of this study were to study the meaning and importance of the support and protection of Buddhism, to study the support and protection of Buddhism in the Buddhist history, and to analyze the development of the support and protection of Buddhism in Thailand. This was a qualitative research with the documentary analysis.

                         A result of the present study was found that the support and protection of Buddhism meant supporting, keeping, protecting Buddhism from the internal and external threats, and making the Buddhist principles valuable and essential as seen in Thai Tipitaka. The support and protection of Buddhism were very important for Buddhism. The stability or the instability of Buddhism depended upon this support and protection because Buddhism was most valuable for Thai people who were proud through the present and protected it greatly as great property in Thailand for ever.

                         The state of support and protection of Buddhism in the Buddhist history was generally made by the Sangha, the rich men, authorized people, and all other people who sacrificed their lives to Buddhism according to the given roles and duties. Generally, they aimed at protecting the Buddhist principles. However, the support and protection of Buddhism that were greatly stable and sustainable required the protection of all elements of Buddhism: Sāsana-dhamma by studying it clearly, practicing it, and spreading it towards the other people, Sāsana-puggala by promoting the support and protection of moral religious personnel who followed the Buddha’s teachings and by establishing the religious heir to spread Buddhism, Sāsana-sathana by issuing the proper rules to establish the temples and calling for the communities to take care of the temples and be conscious of them as their own property, Sāsana-vatthu by keeping and respecting the Buddha images and the disciple images with recognizing their value to help all creatures from suffering, and finally, Sāsana-bidhi by studying the Buddhist rites clearly and recognizing their value, importance and keeping them for the next generations.