Barami
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Barami (Thai: บารมี; from Pali pāramī) is a deeply ingrained and significant sociological and political concept in Thai culture, particularly within its Theravada Buddhist framework. While often translated as "prestige," "charisma," "virtue," or "moral perfection," barami encompasses a broader sense of innate, superhuman power and influence derived from accumulated good karma and virtuous actions over many lifetimes. It is analogous to the Burmese concept of hpone.[1] The concept of barami has been attributed with enabling the escalation of power of Thailand's judiciary and other elite institutions in the modern era.[2] These entities have increasingly steered Thailand's constitutional regime away from liberal democracy.[2]
Characteristics
[edit]Barami is an enigmatic characteristic, that is accumulated over numerous lifetimes and rebirth, built up through continuous virtuous actions, often spanning many existences. While cultivated, it refers to an inherent capacity within certain individuals to embody dhamma. Those with barami exert influence not just over people but, in a traditional belief system, even over illness and the environment. Unlike mere power or charisma, barami is inherently linked to goodness, purity, and ethical conduct.[3] Individuals who wield power but engage in evil acts are generally not considered to possess true barami. Barami is an invisible force, but its effects are tangible in the respect, admiration, and positive outcomes it brings to those who possess it.[3] Individuals with barami are believed to have a larger network of influence, wealth, and physical beauty.[3]
Origins
[edit]The term barami originates from the Pali word pāramī (or pāramitā), which in Buddhist contexts refers to the "perfections" or "virtues" cultivated by a Bodhisattva (a Buddha-to-be) on their path to enlightenment.[4] In the Thai context, barami is understood as a beneficial and protective force that accrues from these good deeds, thoughts, and actions.[4] It is seen as an intangible power that radiates from individuals who embody these virtues, allowing them to attract followers, exert influence, and bring about positive outcomes.[5] The monarchy, divinities, monks and the Buddha are all considered repositories of barami.[5] Political relationships were even described using the language of barami, with submission to the king being "phun phrabarami" (พูนพระบารมี, 'coming under the protection of his barami').[3]
Barami in Thai society
[edit]Kingship and political legitimacy
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Historically, the concept of barami has been central to the legitimacy of Thai kingship.[4] Kings were considered to possess immense barami due to their exceptional merit accumulated in past lives, making them worthy rulers and protectors of the Buddhist faith.[5] The Vessantara Jātaka was commonly invoked an exemplar of a leader's barami.[4] Since dynastic succession was not always guaranteed in the Ayutthaya, Thonburi, and Bangkok periods, the representation and maintenance of barami was vital for gaining and keeping political and social influence.[3] The historical Siamese taboo against publicly depicting the royal personage reinforced the link between barami and the power of sight.[3] This changed in 1856 when King Mongkut (Rama IV) allowed himself to be photographed, marking a shift in how royal barami was represented and perceived.[3]
Trai Phum Phra Ruang ("Three Worlds of King Ruang"), written by King Lithai in the fourteenth century, is a pivotal work of literature concerning barami. Initially intended as a Buddhist reading for his mother, it also holds significant value as a political text.[2]
The royal anthem of Thailand, "Sansoen Phra Barami," literally translates to "Glorify His Prestige" or "Glorify the Royal Barami," highlighting its importance.[4] The king's barami was believed to influence not only people but also natural phenomena like rain and agricultural production, ensuring peace and fertility for the kingdom. Through patronage of Buddhism and adherence to the "royal virtues" (thotsaphit ratchatham), monarchs were seen to continuously accumulate and increase their barami in their present lives, aspiring to be a Bodhisattva in their next.[3]
During the 1950s and 60s, Sarit's government boosted its own legitimacy by forging a close relationship with the Thai monarchy.[3] It heavily promoted the monarchy's barami by reviving royal ceremonies, widely disseminating royal photographs, and conducting royal tours.[3] This association with the monarchy, in turn, enhanced Sarit's own perceived barami and allowed other military leaders to accumulate theirs.[3]
The concept of barami continues to play a role in political discourse and analysis in the modern era, in describing charismatic political, religious and business leaders.[4] There is often a call for "good people" (khon dee) to lead, with the underlying implication that such individuals possess barami, contrasting with those perceived as lacking moral standards or acting for self-interest.[6] This moral authority derived from barami can provide a powerful source of legitimacy, sometimes even challenging conventional democratic processes.[6]
Monks and spiritual authority
[edit]Beyond kings, highly revered Buddhist monks are also believed to possess significant barami.[7] Their ascetic practices, moral conduct, and spiritual attainments are seen as manifestations of their accumulated merit. Devotees often seek to make merit by supporting these monks and their construction projects, believing that doing so allows them to partake in the monk's barami and accumulate merit for themselves. The physical presence of such monks, and even their relics, are thought to radiate this benevolent energy.
Everyday life
[edit]While prominent figures like kings and senior monks are seen as having extraordinary barami, the concept is not exclusive to them. In everyday Thai life, individuals are encouraged to cultivate barami through good deeds and virtuous conduct.[8] This is closely related to the broader Buddhist concept of merit-making (tambun), where actions like giving alms, observing precepts, and practicing meditation contribute to one's accumulated merit and, by extension, their barami.[8] A person with strong barami is often seen as fortunate, successful, and commanding natural respect and goodwill from others. The concept of barami has been used as fatalistic explanation for people to accept their socio-economic status.[8]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Thiha, Amara (December 2024). "Rituals, Lore and Legitimacy in Post‑Coup Myanmar". Annali di Ca' Foscari. Serie Orientale (2). doi:10.30687/annor/2385-3042/2024/02/009. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
- ^ a b c Tonsakulrungruang, Khemthong (2022), Schonthal, Benjamin; Ginsburg, Tom (eds.), "Thai Constitutions as a Battle Ground for Political Authority: Barami versus Vox Populi", Buddhism and Comparative Constitutional Law, Comparative Constitutional Law and Policy, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 161–180, doi:10.1017/9781009286022.012, ISBN 978-1-009-28602-2, retrieved 2025-06-04
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Veal, Clare (2013-04-01). "The Charismatic Index: Photographic Representations of Power and Status in the Thai Social Order". Trans Asia Photography. 3 (2). doi:10.1215/215820251_3-2-207. ISSN 2158-2025.
- ^ a b c d e f Jory, Patrick (2002). "THE VESSANTARA JATAKA, BARAMI, AND THE BODHISATTA-KINGS: The Origin and Spread of a Thai Concept of Power". Crossroads: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Southeast Asian Studies. 16 (2): 36–78. ISSN 0741-2037. JSTOR 40860799.
- ^ a b c Funahashi, Daena (September 2017). "In the Name of the People: Magic and the Enigma of Health Governance in Thailand". Kyoto Review of Southeast Asia (22).
- ^ a b Leelapatana, Rawin (2021), Harding, Andrew; Pongsapan, Munin (eds.), "The Thai-Style Democracy in Post-1932 Thailand and Its Challenges: A Quest for Nirvana of Constitutional Saṃsāra in Thai Legal History before 1997", Thai Legal History: From Traditional to Modern Law, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 217–232, doi:10.1017/9781108914369.016, ISBN 978-1-108-83087-4, retrieved 2025-06-04
- ^ D, Alexander (2021-12-03). "More on Barami". Fund for Education Abroad. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
- ^ a b c Subpawanthanakun, Kritsada (2016-06-13). "Thai Buddhism serves the state, teaches people to be complacent: academic". Prachatai English. Retrieved 2025-06-04.