17/04/2026
(ENITS Project)
**This text is a summary derived from a research paper that received the 2025 Empowering Network for International Thai Studies (ENITS) Scholarship Award.**
Illustrated Dhamma Puzzle Manuscript from Early 19th-Century Thailand: A Preliminary Report
- Woramat Malasart, Otani University -
The study looks at old Dhamma Puzzle manuscripts, especially a folded book kept at Wat Suan Mokkaphalaram in Thailand. This book was studied by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu and others. Its exact origin is unknown, but it likely comes from the late 1700s and may have come from temples in Chiya. Instead of translating it directly, scholars published their interpretations in books in 1970 and 1991.
The manuscript includes drawings that explain Buddhist ideas like rebirth and dependent arising, though some teachings are missing. Another similar text, Pritsana Tham, was translated in 2000 and shows related teachings but with fewer illustrations. Later studies (in 2020 and 2021) connected these texts to meditation traditions and showed links to wider Tai-Khmer practices in Southeast Asia. These studies also argue that these teachings were not secret but widely shared.
In 1936, another collection of meditation texts was translated into modern Thai, showing different techniques and images. The manuscript discussed in this study, called Manual of Calm and Insight Meditations, likely comes from the late 18th or early 19th century. Its artwork mixes Thai and Chinese styles from that time.
This manuscript is important because it is detailed and well-illustrated. It shows Buddhist ideas like the cycle of life, paths to liberation, and meditation practices. The images help explain teachings such as dependent arising and mental defilements in a visual way.
Overall, the manuscript gives valuable insight into how Buddhist teachings and meditation practices were taught in Thailand. It also shows that these teachings were made accessible to many people, not just a small group, helping spread knowledge within the community.
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The ENITS project promotes and disseminates research in Thai Studies by providing research article grants to scholars. It supports emerging local researchers while engaging international scholars to expand knowledge for the sustainable development of Thai society across disciplines such as anthropology, linguistics, religious studies, history, sociology, political science, and economics.
