การสืบทอดทำนองสวดและประเพณีสวดพระมาลัยที่บ้านหนองขาว จังหวัดกาญจนบุรี / ปรมินท์ จารุวร = The transmission and tradition of The Malai Chant at Ban Nong Khao, Changwat Kanchanaburi / Phoramin Jaruworn
This thesis aims at studying the Malai funerary chanting tradition at Ban Nong Khao, Tha Muang district, Kanchanaburi province in order to study the chants and melodies and also to analyze the social factors that influence the transmission of the Malai chanting tradition. The study reveals that the Malai chanting in Ban Nong Khao uses So Dhammaphakdee version as the main chanting text. It is found that the Malai chanters are men over 40 years old and there are 3 main groups of Phra Malai chanters in Ban Nong Khao. At present, 22 melodies of chants are preserved : 2 Phra Dhamma melodies, 5 ancient melodies and 15 Lam Nok melodies. Certain social factors enable the tranmission of the Malai chanting tradition. First, Ban Nong Khao is the community that has a long history enhancing the villagers to be proud of their own community and of themselves as well. Hence, the village traditions have been transmitted. Second, the practice of the exchange of labor and mutual help among villagers strengthens the bound between villagers. Third, the kinship and marriage system together with the belief in the same ancestral spirits also create the sense of belonging to the same kin groups resulting the social obligation to attend the funeral thus helps prolonging the Malai chanting tradition. Fourth, the popular Buddhist belief in kharma and reincarnation also justifies the Malai chanting tradition since people believe that the Malai chanting helps the spirits to go to heaven. And last, the village self-sufficient economy increases the village self-reliance thus indirectly helps preserve the tradition. All of the above mentioned social factors help transmit the Malai chanting tradition in Ban Nong Khao.
