17.11.2014 Views

SUFFiciENcy EcONOMy ANd GRASSROOtS DEvElOPMENt

SUFFiciENcy EcONOMy ANd GRASSROOtS DEvElOPMENt

SUFFiciENcy EcONOMy ANd GRASSROOtS DEvElOPMENt

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

The Meaning of Sufficiency Economy <br />

International Conference<br />

239<br />

need artificial air-conditioning.<br />

The seventh precept in Buddhism encourages the practitioners to avoid all kind<br />

of entertainment, such as listening to music, watching films or singing songs. Many<br />

Asoke lay people try to follow the Eight Precepts, which is a sign of a more serious<br />

practitioner, whereas Five Precepts is regarded to be the general rule for all<br />

Buddhists. <br />

The Asoke people wake up between 3 to 4 am, which further discourages<br />

people from watching TV late into the night or indulging into other night<br />

entertainment. <br />

Concluding one can summarize that the Asoke group has its high ideals of<br />

modest living and living in self-chosen poverty, but the group is also rather flexible<br />

in accommodating the modernity of present-day Thailand.<br />

From 2001 to 2010, Asoke group trained Thai farmers in organic agriculture in<br />

the Asoke centres. The farmers were elected and sent by the Bank of Agriculture and<br />

Agricultural Cooperation (BAAC), which had chosen them among the most<br />

indebted farmers. The BAAC also paid the expenses caused to the Asoke centres<br />

from these training courses.<br />

The Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperation (BAAC) chose the<br />

participants for the training courses among the most-indebted farmers. The average<br />

debt of a farmer varied between 30,000 to 60,000 Thai baht. When the average<br />

income of a farmer is between 1,500 to 3,000 baht a month, the debt becomes<br />

unbearable. 13<br />

The training courses constituted of a rigorous five-day period of asceticism,<br />

where groups of peasants arrived in the Asoke centres, had to attend the early<br />

morning session at 3.30 am, eat vegetarian food, usually only two meals a day, and<br />

follow the Five Precepts. The farmers were divided into smaller groups, they were<br />

given daily tasks to participate in the different work bases, and they listened to series<br />

of long lectures on organic agriculture, household economics, basic healthcare, and<br />

Buddhist teachings. <br />

Asoke group has created an Organic Farming Network, which the trainees can<br />

join after having switched to organic farming. The Network tries to facilitate the<br />

marketing of organic products. The Network peasants can sell their products<br />

wherever they can find a market, but belonging to the Network, guarantees them the<br />

markets that the Asoke group can offer, which is the fresh market and Palang Bun<br />

supermarket at the Santi Asoke temple in Bangkok; and markets, shops and<br />

restaurants in Ratchathani Asoke, Sisa Asoke, Pathom Asoke and in Chiang Mai;<br />

and any of the other existing Asoke vegetarian shops and supermarkets in Thailand.<br />

13<br />

Based on my survey among the participants of the training courses in April 2002 in Sisa<br />

Asoke.

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!