fter examining several websites attempting to address the topic of Buddhism in Thailand, the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at Northern Illinois University contacted us for assistance. This website was developed to meet the needs of students and teachers of various levels with a growing curiosity about Thai Buddhism. When you try and make sense out of what you have read and what is actually practiced, the subject of Buddhism can seem pretty daunting. We hope to help present some of the dimensions of Buddhist spirituality in Thailand and offer links and information on other resources to assist people with more serious studies. It is our hope that as you explore this site, novices as well as seasoned scholars may find something of interest. You will see that our definition of religion is at times quite broad or even stretched — we will take this to be an expression of the Thai imagination. This, of course, will demand a bit more explanation and will be a part of the unfolding process of exploring this site. We have tried to walk the slippery path of keeping things simple while remaining true to complexity.
For almost any subject, you can remain on the surface and try to grasp the overall whole, or at any point you can dig deeper. You decide when you are ready.
Visit often and please send along any suggestions you may have. Nothing is permanent; this site is in flux; watch us grow...
This site is dedicated to all students and teachers who are still students.
Grant Olson
Web aesthetics by Ion Soltan