Buddhist Education And "Kanglang" Social Xishuangbanna Theravada

All of the Dai people in Xishuangbanna believe in Theravada Buddhism universally, where there are villages,where there are temples and monks. In the long historical process, the Theravada Buddhism culture merge with the local national culture together, formed a "Dai Buddhism, Buddhist Dai" phenomenon. How to inherit and develop Dai traditional culture? National culture is being challenged, and national education is being impacted,essentially. Only in-depth understanding of national education,we can know why the ethnic culture is disappearing.no matter from the view of practice or epistemology, the ethnic education often simply is equal to school education.Education is composed of traditional education and modern school education,which is can not separated.Nevertheless,Theravada Buddhism as an important form of the Dai traditional education, it’s educational function has been ignored in academic. This article aims to revert Theravada Buddhism as the essence of education in the Dai community, help people to understand the purpose, contents, forms of Theravada Buddhism education.As a starting point,"Kanglang",which has broad social foundation will be analyzed to show us how does Theravada Buddhism play a important role in education."Kanglang"as junction of the temples and Dai society, is a way that the education of Theravada Buddhism can influence the Dai society. By using Parsons’ AGIL functional analysis model to analyse this special group called "Kanglang",we can knowthe socialization process of "Kanglang" and the role they play in the process:such as the educated and educators of Theravada Buddhism,Dai society builders,traditional culture bearers. How does Theravada Buddhism education implement the funtion of education.Meanwhile,in the modern background,the socialist ideological trend of science and technology influence the value orientation of modern education.In the driving of the globalization technololatry, Dai ethnic education includes Theravada Buddhism education and school education,the two are complementary rather than antagonistic relationship.Modern school education should pay attention to the Dai natural and sociocultural environment,which carries forwards Dai traditional thoughts and culture.As long as the bearer of social and cultural Dai traditional culture is still existent,Theravada Buddhist education will continue to exist.In the context of modernization,continue to develop the education function of Theravada Buddhism,strengthen the trainning of monks,construct of the buddhist institute and improve the education system of Theravada Buddhist is imminent.