The Journal of the Siam Society Vol. LXIV, Part 1-2, 1976 - Khamkoo

118 John P. Ferguson and Shalardchai Ramitanondh
officials in the provincial Sangha except the Chao Khana Changwat himself
(:j:j: 12). Also noteworthy is the fact that the rewards for Pali scholarship
help a monk advance to really significant heights in the system only after
be bas passed the 7th level; thus achievement of only the last three Pari an
levels really enables one to outrank an abbot with a Phra Khru title. It
should be noted, however, that only a few abbots in any distant province
receive the Phra Khru titles, and thus the award of any of the royal titles
singles out a monk for honor, no matter at what level the title and fan
are given.
Interviews with monks and laymen produced a general consensus
regarding the criteria for awarding honorary fans and titles. It was felt
that success or achievement in the following areas would contribute
significantly toward royal recognition: the education of self through
success in taking Pali or Thai exams in religious subjects; contributions
towards the education of others (perhaps through teaching); a record of
social service projects; the ability to inspire lay men in the "development"
areas (usually construction of monastery buildings or even secular
structures); a reputation for administering one's monastery as an abbot
and for carrying out responsibility well and eagerly; talent in preaching,
writing, or even medicine-if such talents create faith among the people;
and, naturally, public respect for living a correct and proper life as a
Buddhist monk. These are the "correct" answers, so to speak. But
some informants added, with a smile, that coming from a royal monastery
surely did not hurt one's chances, nor did having influential friends
in high places. Not unexpectedly, provincial informants were sometimes
ready to tell mildly scandalous accounts of friendship and ecclesiastical
politics priming over rejection for administrative incompetence.
In general, however, monks who had received royal honor were
very proud of their certificates and fans and showed them to us with
considerable relish and excitement at times. One exception was a highly
honored monk who saw the entire honoray system as "bait used to
disguise a hook which monks should be strong enough to swallow bare."