A Kingly Public Servant

[Ross Barlow]

King Bhumibol of Thailand’s 80th Birthday. A Kingly Public Servant.

Today, 5 December 2007 C.E. (Year 2550 of the Buddhist Era), is a big national holiday here in the Kingdom of Thailand, celebrating King Bhumibol’s 80th birthday. The king is easily the most loved and honored person in the entire kingdom. The king’s birthday serves as Father’s Day each year as well (just as the queen’s birthday on 12 August is Mother’s Day).

I have said before that I have never been much of a fan of monarchy. I see myself as a Jeffersonian republican (small “r”) with libertarian principles and some very strong anarchist sympathies. But even this farang has tears in his eyes when contemplating this exceptional king.

They really love him here, and I can see why. He provides a new perspective on the term “public servant.” During his long life and 60 year reign, he has shown a genuine concern for the people of his kingdom, traveling to remote rural villages, with maps in hand, to ask people personally what he can do to make their lives better. As a former teacher of geography, as well as of history and philosophy, I find the Thai people’s love for the king to be fascinating and instructive.

King Bhumibol of Thailand is the world’s longest reigning monarch and longest-serving head of state. Thailand has been a constitutional monarchy since 1932, so his position is ceremonial and his power is mostly that of cultural tradition. His living example of Buddhist ethical principles are an inspiration to his people.

He was born in 1927 in Cambridge, Massachusetts while his father, Prince Mahidol, was studying public health at Harvard. Bhumibol is grandson to the great King Chulalongkorn and great-grandson of the great King Mongkut. He never really expected to ever become king.

Bhumibol started his early primary education in Bangkok and then completed his secondary education in Switzerland, getting his high school diploma with a major in French literature, Latin and Greek. He then studied science at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland.

His older brother became king in 1935, and Bhumibol visited Thailand briefly in 1938. When his brother died in 1946, Bhumibol was made king. He wanted to continue to study in Switzerland, so his uncle acted as regent while he studied law and political science in order to prepare himself to be a good king.

While visiting Paris, he met Sirikit, the daughter of the Thai ambassador to France. It was during this time that he had an automobile accident in Switzerland in which he lost his left eye.

Bhumibol returned to Thailand in 1950 and had an official coronation along with his new bride, young Queen Sirikit. (Linked immediately below is a photo of the two of them on their coronation day.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Portrai...bol_sirikit.jpg

Queen Sirikit is an absolute doll, smiling warmly, enjoying life and counseling toleration in social and religious life. She is a living example of “mudita,” the Buddhist principle of cultivating within oneself the feeling of a genuine and sympathetic joy at witnessing the happiness and achievements of others.

King Bhumibol temporarily entered the order of Buddhist monks in 1956, as is customary for Thai males, and he named his wife regent for the brief time that he was in the monastery.

King Bhumibol is the personification of the image of the wise and compassionate king who serves his people. His many projects to improve the life of the rural poor include the establishment of medical centers, improvements in education, water projects, soil conservation, and agricultural experimentation and development. He holds patents for inventions he came up with to improve agricultural production. He has traveled frequently throughout the kingdom to meet the common people, to talk with them and stay in tune with their lives and problems. His concern for the people is very real, and there is no trace of a politician’s faked concerns.

He rarely intervenes in political affairs, but has stepped in during emergencies and carried the day with no power except for his immense prestige, popularity and moral authority. A good example is Bloody May 1992. After a military coup, followed by new but unsatisfactory and possibly fraudulent elections in which the coup leader came out as prime minister, there was blood and death in the streets as pro-democracy demonstrators clashed with police. At the height of the crisis, the king summoned the two opposing leaders – the coup leader and the pro-democracy leader, both of them generals – to an audience before him. He basically told them that they were behaving unethically and to knock it off. Significantly, he had it televised. The live image of King Bhumibol on his throne and the two antagonists, side-by-side on their knees before him (per royal protocol), diffused the entire situation. The coup leader resigned later and new elections were held. The king’s only power is moral power, but it is tremendous. He is a symbol of calmness, peace, benevolence and decency.

Widely recognized as an accomplished jazz musician and composer, he used to play on the radio earlier in his reign. He has jammed with many of the old Western jazz greats from time to time. CDs of his performances and compositions are widely available in the Kingdom. Featured in many bars is an old photo of him and Queen Sirikit talking with Elvis Presley (who is in his Army uniform) – two kings and a queen conferring. King Bhumibol is definitely cool.

Bhumibol is also known as an artist, a photographer and competent sailor of small craft. His personal self-development and his mastery of many languages and skills is a great example to the Thai people.

This is the hardest working royal family I have heard about in recent times. Following the example of King Bhumibol, the Queen and the four children are constantly in the news as diplomats to foreign nations and concerned citizens in their own native country here. You will almost daily see clips on TV news of a royal family member giving out diplomas at university graduations, cutting ribbons for some important opening event, or being welcomed in far off places around the globe at either diplomatic events or scientific expositions. Even the former wife of the crown prince is involved, as well as the prince’s present wife and little son.

The king is quite frail and is often in the hospital. Sad to say, his life and reign will probably not endure for a whole lot longer, and a comparable replacement is not on the horizon. The crown prince does not have the same kind of charisma, popularity or veneration. He will most likely be the successor, although a female heir to the throne is theoretically allowed and not out of the question.

Besides the one son there are three princesses. The oldest is into fashion, jet-setting and high society, appearing at Paris fashion shows and such events. She married an American, and her son was killed in the tsunami on 26 December 2004 while jet-skiing at Phuket.

The youngest princess travels the world often as an ambassador for the royal family. (She attended the movie “Stardust” at the Siam Paragon Theatre when we were watching it recently, and we were wondering why so many soldiers and police were suddenly there and why our exit from the theater was held up.)

But it is the middle princess that the Thai people love most. She never married, nor does she care for fashion or glamour, being unfashionably a bit over-weight, wearing a very plain hairstyle, modest dresses and sensible shoes. Always smiling and laughing genuinely, and lacking in pretensions, she appears as one of the people. She has charisma. She speaks over half a dozen languages and travels to many nations for ideas in science, business and culture that she can apply at home, and she is frequently seen taking notes in a plain spiral notebook. Recently she was in Germany attending a university event, and she addressed those present in German. I suspect that secretly many Thais wish she would inherit the throne.

Queen Sirikit is well loved as well, and she is known as the voice of toleration. She defused a potentially contentious situation here recently. After the military coup of September 2006, a new constitution was being drafted to be put up for a referendum and approval from the people in the summer of 2007. The big controversy was caused by many Thais wanting the constitution to proclaim Buddhism as the “official” religion of Thailand. (Being a big First Amendment fan as an American, this suggestion caused me some real concern, because my study of history shows that church/state entanglement usually leads to no good.)

Thailand is 95% Buddhist, so such a law is not needed. The 4% Muslim population is tolerated well and they are generally very good citizens. That is, except for the separatist insurgency in Thailand’s far South by ethnic Malay Muslim terrorists. The remaining 1% of Thais are Hindu, Sikh or Christian. If Thai Buddhists are concerned about Buddhism losing influence on the Thai people, they should set better examples, not pass laws. And that is basically what Queen Sirikit counseled on her birthday address to the nation the day before her birthday last 12 August. She quietly and patiently talked about understanding the concerns of Thai Buddhists, but she also explained why such a law was neither necessary nor prudent. Toleration of other religions goes all the way back to the Buddha in the Buddhist tradition. All of this message was spoken with her characteristically warm and benevolent smile. The question was thus settled by reasoning and moral example.

Yesterday the King gave his customary speech on the day before his birthday. It was televised, showing the pomp and splendor of Thai royal traditions. He counseled unity and toleration between all Thai people, especially military and civilian special interest groups. Today was a celebration at the Grand Palace, also televised.

It is a big holiday, and you hear crowds shouting, “Long Live the King.”

As for me, I am a huge fan of King Bhumibol. His example touches my heart.

.

-Ross Barlow.

[Chris Grieb]

What is the relationship to the "King" in The King and I.

[Greybird]

Queen Sirikit [...] is a living example of “mudita,” the Buddhist principle of cultivating within oneself the feeling of a genuine and sympathetic joy at witnessing the happiness and achievements of others.

If only I hadn't run into so many Objectivists over the years who've called this wholly praiseworthy outlook "altruism," which it is not, and decried it. The queen, methinks, has the right idea.

[BaalChatzaf]

Queen Sirikit [...] is a living example of “mudita,” the Buddhist principle of cultivating within oneself the feeling of a genuine and sympathetic joy at witnessing the happiness and achievements of others.

If only I hadn't run into so many Objectivists over the years who've called this wholly praiseworthy outlook "altruism," which it is not, and decried it. The queen, methinks, has the right idea.

The very antithesis of schadenfreude.

Ba'al Chatzaf

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

I call this the joy of the farmer. Often he likes to see things grow just to see them grow and gets enormous pleasure from it.

Nathaniel Branden called it the Muttnik principle of psychological visibility.

Michael

[studiodekadent]

Nathaniel Branden called it the Muttnik principle of psychological visibility.

And IIRC, Spinoza used this principle as the basis for his enlightened egoism. According to Spinoza, if one loves the good in oneself, one should love the good in others.

This attitude obviously has a long history.

[Ellen Stuttle]

Nathaniel Branden called it the Muttnik principle of psychological visibility.

And IIRC, Spinoza used this principle as the basis for his enlightened egoism. According to Spinoza, if one loves the good in oneself, one should love the good in others.

This attitude obviously has a long history.

Except it isn't the Muttnik principle of psychological visibility. The Muttnik principle is feeling "seen" correctly by a consciousness with which one is interacting. (That's not the formal definition; haven't time to look it up now; it isn't, of course, in the Lexicon, having been penned by Dr. Uncitable.)

Ellen

___

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Except it isn't the Muttnik principle of psychological visibility. The Muttnik principle is feeling "seen" correctly by a consciousness with which one is interacting.

Ellen,

Huh?

You just described the principle of psychological visibility. This is also called the mirror principle.

(I suggest reading NB's works.)

Michael

[Ellen Stuttle]

Except it isn't the Muttnik principle of psychological visibility. The Muttnik principle is feeling "seen" correctly by a consciousness with which one is interacting.

Ellen,

Huh?

You just described the principle of psychological visibility. This is also called the mirror principle.

(I suggest reading NB's works.)

Michael

Might I suggest that in reverse? The sort of good-will principle being talked about re the King and Queen of Thailand isn't NB's Muttnik principle, which would apply equally well to hate-consumed souls receiving visibility from their own kind.

Ellen

___

[Chris Grieb]

I recently finished listening to one of Ellen Kenner's lecture series and there is no mention of Branden's ideas. Is the above statement true in all ARI circles about N. Branden's work?

I wanted to add I enjoyed seeing it on OL.

[Mike Hardy]

He was born in 1927 in Cambridge, Massachusetts

So that means the king of Thailand is officially a citizen of the USA. -- Mike Hardy

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Ellen,

Oops.

I misunderstood your post. I thought you were saying that the Muttnik principle was different than the principle of psychological visibility. Sorry.

I disagree with you, however, about the application of it to the example. It's a broad enough principle of human nature to apply.

Michael

[Chris Grieb]

Mike; I suspect that if the King's parents were diplomats he could not qualify for American citizenship. He also might have eligible for American citizenship but did not take the option.

[Judith]

Queen Sirikit [...] is a living example of “mudita,” the Buddhist principle of cultivating within oneself the feeling of a genuine and sympathetic joy at witnessing the happiness and achievements of others.

If only I hadn't run into so many Objectivists over the years who've called this wholly praiseworthy outlook "altruism," which it is not, and decried it. The queen, methinks, has the right idea.

Rand referred to this attitude somewhere in her works -- I can't give an exact citation -- saying that we recognize others as being like ourselves and that we thus take pleasure in seeing their successes. Something akin to the boy on the bicycle in "The Fountainhead".

Judith

[Alfonso Jones]

Queen Sirikit is an absolute doll, smiling warmly, enjoying life and counseling toleration in social and religious life. She is a living example of "mudita," the Buddhist principle of cultivating within oneself the feeling of a genuine and sympathetic joy at witnessing the happiness and achievements of others.

Interesting. Thanks for posting this one.

We could use more of this sort of benevolent attitude.

Alfonso