Abstract:
The objectives of this research are; 1) to study the concept related to the beliefs of Naga and the Nagas ethics in Theravada Buddhism 2) to study the beliefs of Naga of people in Nongkhai Province and 3) to study the guidelines to enhance the social ethics for people through the beliefs of Naga in Nongkhai Province. This research is the qualitative research by field study for collecting the data by in-depth interview from the key informants consisting of Buddhist monks, officials, the personnel of Choompol Subdistrict Administrative Organization, local experts and general people including 30 subjects and then to report the results of research with descriptive analysis.
The results of research are found that the concept related to the beliefs of Naga is based on development from the frame of primitive concept of Idia in two lineages, that is, to perceive that all beings occur from actions and the results of action in two cultures result in the concepts related to Naga by dividing into two lineages, that is, (1) divine omens perceives that Naga was born from the divine creation and (2) The active action perceives that Naga results from Kamma and his own action. While Nagas ethics in Theravada Buddhism consist of 8 items, that is, 1) the Eight Precepts observed by devotees in Uposatha days 2) the precept perfection observance 3) the honesty observance 4) Austerity observance 5) liberality 6)the Buddha protection 7) Faith in Buddhism and 8) to preserve Buddhism.
The beliefs in Naga of people in Nongkhai Province can be divided into two groups, that is, 1) the groups believe in Naga as appeared in the Scripture of Theravada Buddhism, the histories of the Noble Buddhist monks, teachers, legends of Naga, hearsays, and real experiences 2) the groups who do not believe in Naga because the majority of modernists believe in the scientific evidences because all those can be proved so they do not believe in the super natural power that will be good effect or bad evil for those people.
The guideline of enhancing the social ethics for people through thye beliefs in Naga in Nongkhai Province, that is, 1) to enhance in the community level, that is, (1) to apply the principles of Buddhist teachings for families such as the Four Sublime States of Mind, the Four Bases of Sympathy and Virtue for good household life (2) to apply the virtue for enhancing themselves consists of 8 items, that is, to have honesty, discipline, charity, gratitude, gratefulness, respectfulness, unity, justice, loving kindness and compassion 2) to enhance in the level of society, that is, to apply the five precepts for the law in creating the ethics for controlling the human beings behaviors in order to make society happy.