Presentation of Thai Culture in Cyberspace
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PRESENTATION OF THAI CULTURE IN CYBERSPACE: MYTH OR VIRTUAL REALITY
Observations by M.R.Chakrarot
Chitrabongs
Inspector General of the Ministry of Education of the Royal Thai Government
Presented at the Asia-Europe Forum on "Culture in the Cyber Age"
23-25 October 2000 at Kyongju, Korea.
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THE MODERN CYBER-COSMOLOGY
Cyberspace is an artificial cosmos created by man out of a figment of his imagination. This cosmology exists as a two-dimensional world in which "pixels" replace the molecules of life; "millions of colours" represent the infinite variety of hues in nature; great distances may be traversed at the "click of a mouse button". In this cyber-cosmology, man is striving to deposit his immense pool of knowledge and wisdom. This has made the concept of "cyberspace" so vast that no individual can observe it in its entirety, but only in small portions at any one time through a "window". There is nothing "real", but everything exists in the "virtual reality" state which can be both created and manipulated at will, utterly open to the whims of their creators.
This state of being is eminently suitable for the representation of the most important aspects of Thai Culture - the classical culture based on the belief of "Tri Bhumi" (The Three Planes of Existence).
THE TRI BHUMI BUDDHIST COSMOLOGY
It is said that the oldest Thai literary work in existence is an extensive treatise on the Buddhist Cosmology written by Phya Lithai, the 5th monarch of the House of Phra Ruang of the Sukhothai Kingdom (1238-1378), the first independent state of the Siamese people. This work was given the title "Tribhumikatha" by the author although it is more popularly known in Thai today as "Tri Bhumi Phra Ruang"
Phya Lithai became king in 1347 under the royal title of "Phra Chao Sri Suriyapong Ram Maha Dhamma Rajadhiraj" (The Royal Descendant of the Sun God, Great Righteous King of Kings), often shortened to "Phra Maha Dhamma Raja I". He compiled his studies into the Tri Bhumi in 1345 while he was the Uparaja or the Prince Successor of the City of Sri Satchanalai. Phya Lithai is recognised today not only as a great monarch, but also as a great scholar of the period. He was an expert on the Tripitaka Buddhist scriptures, which had become the state religion during the 13th century, and in astrology. He was learned in the magical arts, a development of the basic animistic beliefs of the people. He was a staunch patron of the Arts, building many fine architectural complexes in his Kingdom and using them as places of learning which may be regarded as the fore-runners of today's Buddhist theological colleges. In 1357, he sent a mission to Ceylon to receive relics of the Buddha and built the reliquary at the ancient city of Nakorn Chum, a part of present-day city of Kampaeng Phet. In 1361, he invited Singalese monks to Sukhothai, notably Phra Maha Swami Sangaraj who became the Supreme Patriarch. He took the robes of a monk himself in 1362 under the supervision of the Supreme Patriarch and became known as the first Thai monarch to be ordained as a Buddhist monk in Thai history.
Many of these virtues remain unsurpassed even to today. It is not surprising that such a scholarly king should produce a great scholarly work as the "Tribhumikatha". This treatise may be briefly described as a comprehensive study for the self-improvement of man. The scenario embraces the three planes of existence as understood in that period: Kama Bhumi (nether world), Rupa Bhumi (physical world) and Arupa Bhumi (ethereal world). Manifestations within these three planes, Tri Bhumi, are fraught with kiles or temptations, which generate the perpetual cycle of suffering. The treatise does however, offer an enlightened path out of this perpetual cycle, known as "amatanipana", achieving the supreme state of contentment.
The original manuscript of this treatise was probably in the form of a palm-leaf book-bundle inscribed with the ancient Thai alphabet the invention of which is attributed to King Ramkhamhaeng Maharaj, Phya Lithai's grandfather. The oldest known copy of this book dates to 1778. This copy is in the form of the palm-leaf book-bundle, inscribed with the modern Thai script of the late Ayudhya Period. Now the book has been published in the modern book form using computerised typesetting, and soon it will be available in CD-ROM in Thai and English. The Tribhumikatha's durability of over six and a half centuries time span signifies its importance in Thai culture.
THE TRI BHUMI AS AN INSPIRATION OF THE THAI ARTS
The Tribhumikatha defines and describes at great detail, all things which exist in the Buddhist cosmology, including the physical terrain and its inhabitants. The seemingly factual descriptions of these things are written in such a florid literary style that artists through all the generations have been inspired to dream and to create imagery based on this one book. Here are some examples of the descriptions.
On mountains and rivers:
"The mighty Sumeruraj Mountain is 84,000 yojana high and stands 84,000 yojana deep in the water. It is 252,000 yojana in circumference. From the east, it appears silvery in colour, from the south facing the Jambu Dhaveep, where we reside, it appears crystalline and bright …
… around Sumeruraj Mountain is a river which is 84,000 yojana wide and 84,000 yojana deep. Beyond the river there is a ring of mountains 42,000 yojana high standing 42,000 yojana deep in the water and is 42,000 yojana thick."
On the sun and moon:
"From the inner mountain range to the edge of the universe is the orbiting path of the sun and moon and all the stars. Their paths vary such that we can recognise the year, month and day as well as the goodness and badness of the period. From our land to the orbiting sun is the distance of 42,000 yojana and 8,000 wah and the moon orbits 8,000 wah lower …"
On forests, flora and fauna:
"The continent known as Jambu Dhaveep is 30,000 yojana in area. We human beings inhabit 3,000 yojana, 4,000 yojana is covered with seawater the other 3,000 yojana is covered with a forest named "Phra Himapaan". Himapaan is an exciting place…some birds are as big as elephants…some elephants are as big as houses …
… Beyond, there is a forest of Nareepol trees. These trees bear fruits in the form of beautiful 16 years old maidens. All men who venture across this tree instantly fall in love with its fruits."
On the heavenly abode of the gods:
"On the top of Sumeruraj Mountain is the city of the Lord Indra which is about 8,000,000 wah wide. The crystalline palace in this city is surrounded by a crystalline wall with a thousand gateways, within which can be heard the sweet sound of magical music."
It is easy to understand that the artists of old, with their sensitivities and imaginations, found boundless inspiration from these descriptions. The art they stove to create was not of their own world, but the world of the gods complete with all the fantasy and the fantastic imagery. The Thai classical arts were about this wonderful world. They were so integrated and universal that the Thai language of the Sukhothai Period, there is no word for "art" (silpa), "painting" (chitrakarma), "sculpture" (pradimakarma), "architecture" (sadhapatayakarma). All words in parentheses are modern words coined out of the Sanskrit language in the modern era.
REPRESENTATION OF THE TRI BHUMI IN THAI ART
There came to be a need to represent the Tri Bhumi in Thai Art because the Thai people came to accept the theological concept of the Hindu God-incarnate for their monarchs. This was probably by choosing and not through any kind of obligation.
Prior to independence as a nation-state, the Thai settlements were under the suzerainty of Khmer Empire, which was heavily influenced by Hinduism and Brahmanism. The advent of Buddhism in the region did not change the main stream of the tangible culture by any large extent and was only recognisable in the iconography. Thai culture itself exhibited traces of Khmer influence as seen in the Khmer architecture of Sukhothai. As for the intangible culture, there survives the concept of the "Devaraja" (God-king) and its appurtenances such as ceremonial rites and rituals and, most important, the royal language which uses Khmer words and terminology. This is most evident in the name of Sukhothai's first king "Khun Sri Indraditaya" which refers to both Indra the supreme god and Aditaya the sun god. It should be mentioned here that this concept of kingship was not native to the Thai who had existed in a paternalistic society as evidence from references to chiefs as "Por Khun" (paternal king) in early stone inscriptions.
In order to uphold the concept and subsequently power of the god-incarnate, there needed to be created imagery of god-incarnate's environment. But where could one find descriptions of this environment? Ready answers and lush imagery were there in the Tribhumikatha and possibly other works which had not survived the ravages of time. There were examples too in the Khmer architecture and art such as the Angkor Wat complex which remains the most perfect expression of the cosmology with the mighty Sumeruraj in the centre, surrounded by rings of mountain ranges and continents. Thai artists and craftsmen had access to other Khmer temples found throughout Thailand's North-eastern Region and as far west as Singburi near the Burmese border. They may have even taken part to craft such temples for it is evident that local craftsmen had participated.
The most clear example of the inheritance of the Tribhumikatha imagery until today is the tradition of painting a mural of the Tri Bhumi on the cross wall behind the principle Buddha statue in the majority of ubosoth (consecrated halls) across the country.
THE POTENTIAL OF USING MODERN IT PRESENTATION OF THAI ART
Traditional artists and craftsmen of old have always sought for new techniques and materials to present the Tri Bhumi cosmology. The Sukhothai period craftsmen created glazed-ceramic Naga (great snake) head for use as roof finials. During the subsequent periods unto today, artist and craftsmen have found and used a number of materials which are all unnatural and not found in the natural environment. These include glazed ceramics, glazed metal, tin, gold and a host of bright and garish pigments. For example, in order to represent the flora and fauna invoked by descriptions of Himapaan magical forest, they invented the technique known as "lai rod nam" (literally the washed painting) gilded painting to achieve fine monochrome imagery in gold on black. This modern technology of the period made ingenious use of the water-soluble mask and the insoluble sap of the rak (lacquer) tree. They also perfected the technique of "hung krajok" (literally cooking the mirror) to make highly reflective metallic membranes which could be cut an bent at will to fit the contours of building and free-form decorative elements. This was used to give palace buildings that "crystalline" appearance mentioned in the Tribhumikatha.
Following the examples of the fine artisans of the bygone era, the classical Thai artisans have striven to conserve this exuberant style throughout the ages. Only recently i.e. during the early 19th century did Western "civilised knowledge" arrive and came to be accepted. The Thai began to learn of the new cosmology of a globular earth orbiting the sun, of the new geography of continents and oceans, and about the mighty Himalayas which men strove to conquer. The Tri Bhumi cosmology became out of date and was ignored, replaced with the more exciting western art and imagery of the Greek gods and humanities. Thai art remained as a conservation movement, more or less.
During the past 50 years and less, there has been a revival of interest in the traditional imagery. The art movement, now sectionalised into architecture, painting, sculpture, dance, music and the decorative arts are each finding new ways to present the cosmology. There are new presentations and misrepresentations of the Tri Bhumi in modern forms such as framed portable paintings, individual art objects not related to any other art form, etc. As yet, few have shown interest in using the new intelligent technology and computerised imagery techniques. Available are CD-ROMs of photographs of Thai art, huge inkjet prints of existing murals in immaculate details, and not much else.
Computer imaging techniques are an ideal carrier of the classical Thai visual arts. Computers will enable the artists of tomorrow to use their imaginations to take the classical Thai arts to new dimensions. Fantastic images created with three-dimension software such as those seen in the multimedia presentations and special movie effects can very well carry images of the Tribhumikatha. The cosmology can be brought to life even in a more exciting manner than traditional techniques.
IT can bring the myths of the Tribhumikatha to reality, or rather virtual reality. Cyberspace will be enriched with yet another branch of human wisdom.
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Chakrarot 12 November 2000
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