Forest monks, Town monks and Development monks
The present Thai sangha comprises of two sects (nikaya), i.e. the older majority
group, Mahanikaya, and the reform order, Dhammayuttikanikaya, founded in the 19th
century by King Mongkut. Within these two groups there are monks who are labeled
forest monks and village/town monks in accordance with the specific vocation, each is
pursuing. i.e. (meditation) “practice” (patipatti) or “learning” (pariyatti). This traditional
division was dated back to the 13th century during the Sukhodhaya period when the nonsectarian
sangha consisted of monks who were forest dwellers (arannavasi) consecrated
to meditation practice and those who were village/town dwellers (gamavasi) devoted to
the vocation of books (gantha-dhura) or learning. Since the establishment of the sangha
in the Sukhodhaya Kingdom the Thai laity has accepted “learning” and “practice” as the
basis of the regular sangha’s life. Ideally, Thai monks should combine the two vocations
together, but in practice such achievement is so rare. Buddhadasa of Wat Suan Moksa in
the South is one of the very few monks who are both meditation master and forest
scholars. Though every monk is required to practice meditation since the day of his
ordination not many of them are willing to practice insight meditation (vipassanakammathana)
leading toward liberating knowledge (panña) and the resulting nibbana.
Majority of Thai monks prefer “learning’ and a less stricter mode of life to “practice” and
austerities.