Ching Phra Chan Collection: A Reflection to Theravda Buddhist Legend

Abstract

It is undeniable that Thai classical music plays significant role in ritual context in Thai society since the ancient time especially played during the arrival, the meal, and the farewell of Buddhist monks. Ching Phra Chan (CPC) is the special collection of songs played during the meal. This leads to the research question why these songs are collected together. The objective of this article is to answer the question. Until the present day there is only single research in which this issue has been involved, however the conclusion remains unclear. In this article the author reconsiders Buddhist legend as methodology to interpret above-mentioned phenomenon. According to Theravāda Buddhist legend, prince Siddhartha obtained the first meal after the severe asceticism from the first female follower, namely Sujātā; and then he came to Nerañjarā River and floated the vessel for enlightenment prophecy. When considering some connection to water and the last song to farewell, Phra Chao Loy Thaat, ‘Buddha floating the vessel’, it could be the reason for Thai composer to select and create the collection of songs that are functional in Buddhist ritual context in order to remind that incident, the special meal before enlightenment of Buddha. This case of study shows not merely reinterpretation of Thai classical music but also probability to integrate legendary background of knowledge to reclaim the world of Thai music to be more meaningful.



Author Information
Nawin Bosakaranat, Thammasat University, Thailand

Paper Information
Conference: ACCS2019
Stream: Linguistics

This paper is part of the ACCS2019 Conference Proceedings (View)
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Posted by James Alexander Gordon