The Analysis Of Wisdom And Moral Principles In The Mural Paintings Of The Uposatha At Wat Sarabua Kaew, Nong Meg Subdistrict, Nong Song Hong District, Khon Kaen Province

Abstract

The Analysis of Wisdom and Moral Principles in the Mural Paintings of the Uposatha at Wat Sarabua Kaew, Nong Meg Subdistrict, Nong Song Hong District, Khon Kaen Province. This qualitative research aims to 1) study the history and significance of the mural paintings in the Uposatha of Wat Sarabua Kaew, Nong Meg Subdistrict, Nong Song Hong District, Khon Kaen Province; 2) explore the wisdom and moral principles depicted in these mural paintings; and 3) analyze the wisdom and moral teachings illustrated. Data were collected through document analysis and fieldwork, including in-depth interviews with 20 key informants, and subsequently analyzed using descriptive methods. The research results were as follows:

History and Significance: The Uposatha of Wat Sarabua Kaew, constructed around 1932, features murals that reflect the community’s deep faith in Buddhism. These murals depict the interplay between community life and religious practices, transmitting rituals and customs.

Wisdom and Moral Principles: The murals serve as a medium for transmitting knowledge, experiences, and skills across generations. They creatively adapt traditional knowledge into a learning system that emphasizes community activities, showcasing the preservation of precepts, the practice of generosity, and meditation, coupled with the principle of gratitude towards various individuals, fostering communal harmony.

Analysis of Wisdom and Moral Principles: The murals utilize creative knowledge to foster faith and moral strategy, promoting merit-making while abstaining from demerit through adherence to the traditional 12 customary practices and 14 rules (Heet 12 Khlong 14) that are integral to Northeastern Thai culture, linking these to the community's way of life..