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

204 James B. Pruess
At another level, the influence of secularization and the responses
of concerned Buddhist elites in contemporary Thailand have not yet
eroded popular interest in the benefits resulting from ritual action
performed at sacred places. On the one hand, a member of a lay
Buddhist association can state that the "pilgrims" of today are those
who journey to meditation centers around the country in search of a
"guru" (the word actually used by this English-speaking informant).
On the other hand, in December 1971, construction work was begun on
"the largest Buddha-image in the world" (45 meters high when completed)
at a site just 25 kilometers north of Wat Phra That Phanom. In
spite of contemporary re-interpretations of "pristine" Theravada Buddhism
(cf. Swearer 1973), the continuing importance of merit-making and
its socially-relevant display indicate that the establishment of new sacred
places and journeys to older ones will probably remain a part of religious
life in Thailand.
).uuman Rajadhon, Phya
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