Table of Contents

1. Introduction: the particular and the general; 2. The stage and its setting; 3. Cosmology; 4. Primary village concepts; 5. The institution of monkhood in historical perspective; 6. The rules of conduct for monks, novices, and laymen; 7. The phases of monkhood; 8. The monastic routine and its rewards; 9. The ideology of merit; 10. The cycle of collective wat rites and the agricultural calendar; 11. Death, mortuary rites, and the path to rebirth; 12. Liberation through hearing: the sacred words of the monks; 13. Sukhwan rites: the elders summon the spirit essence; 14. The co-existence of the brahman and the Buddhist monk; 15. The cult of the guardian spirits; 16. Myth and rite: the Naga symbol and the rocket festival; 17. The afflictions caused by malevolent spirits; 18. Exorcism as healing ritual; 19. A kaleidoscopic view of the religious field; 20. The parade of supernaturals; 21. The past and present in the study of religion: continuities and transformations

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Dr Tambiah describes the religious practices and beliefs of the people of a remote village in north-east Thailand.