{"id":4201,"date":"2026-07-14T06:58:26","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T06:58:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/knowledge4development.org\/?p=4201"},"modified":"2026-07-14T07:07:40","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T07:07:40","slug":"tha-of-pgaz-knyau-karen-lifes-verses-and-the-truth-of-the-forest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/knowledge4development.org\/th\/tha-of-pgaz-knyau-karen-lifes-verses-and-the-truth-of-the-forest\/","title":{"rendered":"\u0e18\u0e32 \u0e1b\u0e01\u0e32\u0e40\u0e01\u0e2d\u0e30\u0e0d\u0e2d \u0e16\u0e49\u0e2d\u0e22\u0e17\u0e33\u0e19\u0e2d\u0e07\u0e41\u0e2b\u0e48\u0e07\u0e0a\u0e35\u0e27\u0e34\u0e15 \u0e41\u0e25\u0e30\u0e2a\u0e31\u0e08\u0e08\u0e30\u0e41\u0e2b\u0e48\u0e07\u0e1c\u0e37\u0e19\u0e1b\u0e48\u0e32"},"content":{"rendered":"
\u201c\u0e40\u0e21\u0e30\u0e22\u0e37\u0e48\u0e2d\u0e0d\u0e32\u0e01\u0e27\u0e48\u0e32\u0e1a\u0e37\u0e2d\u0e1e\u0e34 \u0e1a\u0e37\u0e2d\u0e1e\u0e34 \u0e40\u0e08\u0e2d\u0e08\u0e36\u0e25\u0e48\u0e2d\u0e42\u0e2d\u0e4a\u0e30\u0e14\u0e34 \u0e40\u0e21\u0e30\u0e22\u0e37\u0e48\u0e2d\u0e0d\u0e32\u0e01\u0e27\u0e48\u0e32\u0e1a\u0e37\u0e2d\u0e40\u0e04\u0e25\u0e2d\u0e30 \u0e1a\u0e37\u0e2d\u0e40\u0e04\u0e25\u0e2d\u0e30 \u0e40\u0e08\u0e2d\u0e08\u0e36\u0e25\u0e34\u0e2d\u0e42\u0e2d\u0e4a\u0e30\u0e17\u0e2d\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/summary>\n

\u0e16\u0e49\u0e32\u0e04\u0e34\u0e14\u0e16\u0e36\u0e07\u0e09\u0e31\u0e19\u0e43\u0e2b\u0e49\u0e21\u0e2d\u0e07\u0e14\u0e39\u0e02\u0e49\u0e32\u0e27 \u0e02\u0e49\u0e32\u0e27\u0e40\u0e1b\u0e47\u0e19\u0e1d\u0e35\u0e21\u0e37\u0e2d\u0e02\u0e2d\u0e07\u0e09\u0e31\u0e19 \u0e16\u0e49\u0e32\u0e04\u0e34\u0e14\u0e16\u0e36\u0e07\u0e09\u0e31\u0e19\u0e43\u0e2b\u0e49\u0e21\u0e2d\u0e07\u0e14\u0e39\u0e02\u0e49\u0e32\u0e27 \u0e02\u0e49\u0e32\u0e27\u0e04\u0e37\u0e2d\u0e23\u0e2d\u0e22\u0e21\u0e37\u0e2d\u0e17\u0e35\u0e48\u0e09\u0e31\u0e19\u0e17\u0e33<\/em><\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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\u201c\u0e04\u0e38\u0e13\u0e22\u0e32\u0e22\u0e40\u0e25\u0e48\u0e32\u0e27\u0e48\u0e32 \u0e40\u0e21\u0e37\u0e48\u0e2d\u0e01\u0e48\u0e2d\u0e19\u0e18\u0e32\u0e04\u0e37\u0e2d\u0e20\u0e32\u0e29\u0e32\u0e1b\u0e01\u0e15\u0e34\u0e02\u0e2d\u0e07\u0e1c\u0e39\u0e49\u0e04\u0e19 \u0e43\u0e0a\u0e49\u0e40\u0e2b\u0e21\u0e37\u0e2d\u0e19\u0e01\u0e32\u0e23\u0e1e\u0e39\u0e14\u0e04\u0e38\u0e22\u0e01\u0e31\u0e19 \u0e44\u0e21\u0e48\u0e21\u0e35\u0e01\u0e0e\u0e40\u0e01\u0e13\u0e11\u0e4c\u0e15\u0e49\u0e2d\u0e07\u0e04\u0e25\u0e49\u0e2d\u0e07\u0e08\u0e2d\u0e07\u0e2b\u0e23\u0e37\u0e2d\u0e17\u0e33\u0e19\u0e2d\u0e07\u0e44\u0e1e\u0e40\u0e23\u0e32\u0e30 \u0e40\u0e1e\u0e23\u0e32\u0e30\u0e2d\u0e2d\u0e01\u0e21\u0e32\u0e08\u0e32\u0e01\u0e43\u0e08\u0e41\u0e25\u0e30\u0e2a\u0e32\u0e21\u0e32\u0e23\u0e16\u0e43\u0e0a\u0e49\u0e40\u0e1b\u0e47\u0e19\u0e41\u0e19\u0e27\u0e17\u0e32\u0e07\u0e43\u0e19\u0e17\u0e38\u0e01\u0e02\u0e13\u0e30\u0e02\u0e2d\u0e07\u0e01\u0e32\u0e23\u0e14\u0e33\u0e40\u0e19\u0e34\u0e19\u0e0a\u0e35\u0e27\u0e34\u0e15\u0e44\u0e14\u0e49 \u0e18\u0e32\u0e08\u0e36\u0e07\u0e21\u0e31\u0e01\u0e1b\u0e23\u0e32\u0e01\u0e0f\u0e43\u0e19\u0e17\u0e38\u0e01\u0e40\u0e23\u0e37\u0e48\u0e2d\u0e07\u0e40\u0e25\u0e22 \u0e41\u0e15\u0e48\u0e17\u0e38\u0e01\u0e27\u0e31\u0e19\u0e19\u0e35\u0e49\u0e41\u0e17\u0e1a\u0e44\u0e21\u0e48\u0e21\u0e35\u0e43\u0e2b\u0e49\u0e40\u0e2b\u0e47\u0e19\u0e41\u0e25\u0e49\u0e27\u201d tha<\/strong> was once the ordinary language of the people, used just like everyday conversation. There were no rules about rhyme or beautiful melodies, because it came straight from the heart and could guide people through every moment of life. That’s why tha found its way into every part of life. Today, however, few people still use it.”<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, in an era when the world is confronting an environmental crisis, and the decline in forest cover is often invoked in political and social discourse to stigmatize forest-dwelling communities, the wisdom embedded in tha<\/em> may prove to be the simplest yet most sustainable answer to maintaining ecological balance, as reflected in a tha<\/em> verse handed down by earlier generations of the Pgaz K\u2019Nyau:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Tee-graer-oh-poe-tar-toe-graer, no-graer-oh-poe-tar-toe-graer, ku-see-glaw-see-sae-toe-graer, ku-see-daw-see-wa-toe-graer, sae-wa-mae-loe-u-loe-pae, poe-ba-koe-wee-poe-ba-koe-chae”<\/strong><\/em><\/summary>\n

Pure water is found in the forest. Healthy ponds are found in the forest. Do not fell the trees. Do not cut them down. If the trees disappear, we too shall starve.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This teaching is more than a simple prohibition, but the very heart of stewardship, revealed through the practice of rotational farming\u2014the spiritual core of the community. Even the felling of a single tree to make way for cultivation can become the beginning of irreversible loss. This verse of tha<\/em> is therefore expressed as a lament, so that the tree stump may sprout new leaves, put out new branches, and continue growing in nature’s own cycle, allowing people to have enough to eat and use in a sustainable way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This report, Tha<\/em> Pgaz K\u2019Nyau: Life’s Verses and the Truth of the Forest, invites readers to explore the ideas embodied in the verses of tha<\/em>, revealing that this tradition of communication, much like ancient teachings, does far more than bind together the hearts of the people of Ban Mae Yang Min. It is also a voice for environmental ethics\u2014a moral compass that continually reminds humanity of an essential truth: to protect the forest is to protect the very breath of life and to preserve one’s own lineage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ban Mae Yang Min’s Pgaz K\u2019Nyau: A Worldview of Nature and Community Activities Constrained by Government Policy<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ban Mae Yang Min, Si Thoi Subdistrict, Mae Suai District, Chiang Rai Province, has a population of 329 people living in 98 households, with a total area of 12,847 rai1<\/a><\/sup>. The village lies in rugged, mountainous terrain with steep slopes and high mountain ranges, where mixed agriculture and highland farming are practiced alongside ongoing efforts to conserve the remaining community-use forest. These include patrol teams to prevent forest encroachment, forest fire watch teams stationed at fire lookout towers, reforestation and forest restoration activities, collaborative efforts to build check dams to improve water storage, and\u2014before the start of each growing season\u2014the construction of communal reservoir (fai luang<\/em>) or water channels that convey water from natural sources to individual farm plots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the Pgaz K\u2019Nyau of Ban Mae Yang Min, the choice of where to settle was never based solely on convenience. Instead, the landscape was divided into clearly defined zones. Steep slopes and mountain peaks were regarded as sacred areas, protected as headwaters and the dwelling places of sacred spirits. Separate spiritual zones were designated for rituals honoring the village guardian spirit, the spirit of the headwaters, and for burial grounds, establishing clear boundaries between the human and spiritual realms. Other areas were reserved for settlement and cultivation. The location of a village or agricultural plot was chosen according to its proximity to water sources and streams, following careful surveys of the surrounding landscape and divination rituals rooted in traditional beliefs to seek the approval of the guardian spirits of the land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every Pgaz K\u2019Nyau child is welcomed into the world through a ritual known as de-por-thu<\/em>, a ceremony that symbolically binds a person’s life spirit to a tree. The baby’s umbilical cord is placed inside a bamboo tube tied to a tree, symbolizing the enduring bond between people and the forest. Mr. Boonrit Teja<\/strong>, the village head of Village No. 4 in Mae Yang Min, explained:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“We place the baby’s placenta in a bamboo tube and tie it to a tree so that the child’s life spirit will grow strong and flourish, just like the tree to which it is bound. No one is ever allowed to cut that tree down. This ritual transforms each tree into a tree of life, which is spiritually connected to its human guardian. As a result, the forest surrounding the community is protected by the belief that destroying a tree is no different from destroying the life spirit and the life of the community members.”<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The way of life in Ban Mae Yang Min follows a calendar shaped by traditional beliefs and seasons, especially the practice of rotational farming. A plot of land is cultivated for one or two growing seasons before cultivation shifts to a nearby plot, allowing the soil to rest and regain its fertility. The land is then left fallow for five to seven years before being cultivated again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, following a series of policy changes, particularly the impact of the Fifth National Economic and Social Development Plan (1982\u20131986) which introduced measures on forest management and the administration of hill tribes as part of its rural poverty alleviation and the distribution of social services, while also establishing natural resource management policies that set an annual target of reforesting 300,000 rai. In the context of protecting watershed forests2<\/a><\/sup>,the plan further called for measures to halt and restrict forest destruction, which was attributed to the “shifting cultivation” practiced by hill tribes. This was reinforced by the Cabinet Resolution of 28 May 19853<\/a><\/sup>, which introduced watershed classification and land-use control measures that became rigid regulations and policy barriers. Under the resolution, Class 1A watershed areas\u2014headwater forests that remained in pristine condition or were designated as critically important watershed forests\u2014were placed under strict protection. Land use of any kind was prohibited, and forest areas could not be converted to any other use. These policies effectively made the traditional practice of rotational farming impossible by default. The current village head of Village No. 4 recalled that the atmosphere at the time was filled with tension, as he himself had been hired to prepare land for reforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“We stopped practicing rotational farming in 1984\u201385, when the Upper Mae Lao Left Bank Watershed Rehabilitation Reforestation Project was introduced. Instead of farming, villagers were hired to clear land and prepare sites for reforestation. At the time, none of us realized that we would no longer be able to practice rotational farming in the years to come. It wasn’t only the villagers who felt the pressure. Even officials told us that they were under pressure as well, because they were on the front line dealing with the community. That’s why the restrictions were not strictly enforced at first.”<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

As these challenges continued, and as the people of Ban Mae Yang Min found themselves increasingly constrained by government policies within their own community, government programs also began promoting the cultivation of alternative crops. Over the past 40 years, the community’s main agricultural products have therefore been upland rice, bananas, legumes, chilies, eggplants, and other vegetables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nevertheless, a quantitative biodiversity survey conducted under the Thai Climate Justice for All Project by the Local Development Institute, in collaboration with community volunteer leaders from Ban Mae Yang Min, has been underway since March 2024. Additional field surveys are currently being carried out before the findings are compiled and published. To date, the survey has documented at least 37 plant and tree species<\/strong>, 119 species of medicinal and edible plants<\/strong>, and 65 animal species<\/strong>. According to Mr. Boonrit Teja, the current village head of Village No. 4 in Ban Mae Yang Min, the community’s farming traditions and practices are organized around the seasons and a calendar shaped by traditional beliefs, and can be categorized as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Current Calendar of Agricultural Activities and Related Rituals<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Period\/Month<\/strong><\/th>Activity\/Ritual Name<\/strong><\/th>Practices and Beliefs<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
January<\/strong><\/td>Ki Ju<\/em> (Wrist-Tying New Year Festival)<\/td>A celebration of the Pgaz K\u2019Nyau New Year, which is not tied to the Gregorian New Year and may be held anytime from early January to mid-February, usually after the harvest season has ended. The central ritual is a wrist-tying ceremony to recall one’s life spirit, bestow blessings, and prepare for the coming planting season.<\/td><\/tr>
February<\/strong><\/td>Ti Khu \u2013 Ti Phae<\/em>, or Observing the Tong<\/em> Flower to Determine the Land-Clearing Season<\/td>The tong<\/em> trees growing in the highlands of Ban Mae Yang Min have slender trunks and produce large red blossoms that bloom simultaneously, covering the foliage. During flowering, the trees attract many nectar-feeding birds. Land clearing begins only after the flowers have withered and the birds begin to disperse, as birds are among the main threats to crop yields.<\/td><\/tr>
March\u2013April<\/strong><\/td>Land Preparation<\/td>Field burning, the creation of firebreaks, and the preparation of irrigation channels for cultivation. In Ban Mae Yang Min, fields are usually burned after 4 p.m., when the winds are calmer, making the fire easier to control and reducing the risk of it spreading. This work is typically carried out collectively through the ao mue ao wan<\/em> (traditional mutual labor exchange) system, allowing community members to monitor the fire together.<\/td><\/tr>
May<\/strong><\/td>Start of the Planting Season<\/td>Sowing vegetable seeds and planting the main crops. In addition to rice, which remains the community’s principal crop, bananas have also been cultivated since 2021 using chemical-free methods, following recommendations from the Watershed Management Unit4<\/a><\/sup> under the Protected Areas Regional Office 15 (Chiang Rai), Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, because bananas can be harvested throughout the year.<\/td><\/tr>
June<\/strong><\/td>Offering to the Village Guardian Spirit5<\/a><\/sup> and the Water-Source Spirit<\/td>The largest annual ceremony in the agricultural calendar, held to pray for a successful farming season. The community prepares si<\/em>, a tradition in which unmarried men collect rice from every household to brew rice liquor. Throughout the ceremony, all farming activities are suspended, and picking flowers is strictly forbidden.<\/td><\/tr>
July\u2013September<\/strong><\/td>Tending the Fields<\/td>Setting up dokuli<\/em>6<\/a><\/sup> to deter crop pests, weeding, applying fertilizer, performing rituals at individual family fields, and making offerings to the weir spirits located at the head and tail of each household’s fields.<\/td><\/tr>
September\u2013October<\/strong><\/td>Buffalo Spirit-Calling Ceremony<\/td>A ceremony held to call back the animals’ life spirits and express gratitude for their contribution to farming. Today, however, it is no longer observed as a regular annual event and is often combined with other merit-making ceremonies before the harvest season later in the year (November\u2013December).<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

When Tha<\/em> Is More Than Words or Legend: A Community’s Code and the Voice of the Forest<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Ban Mae Yang Min, tha<\/em> is far more than a melody sung for entertainment. It serves as a means of social and spiritual guidance, helping to shape the behavior and worldview of people within the community. One of its defining characteristics is the use of kon bot<\/em>\u2014a poetic technique based on wordplay that makes lengthy teachings easier to remember. At the heart of tha<\/em> is the use of nature as a mirror through which truths about human life are revealed. As Mr. Tip Jaithiang<\/strong>, affectionately known as “Uy Tip,” an elder whose recitations of tha<\/em> were recorded and broadcast by Radio Thailand Chiang Rai (FM 95.75 MHz)7<\/a><\/sup> in late 2006, recalled:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“When composing a verse of tha, there is no need for rhyme. Instead, we use figurative language to express meaning. We often compare a young woman to a flower, and lovers to birds, making the imagery easier for listeners to visualize.”<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Beyond serving as an unwritten community code that provides social and spiritual guidance, shapes behavior, and reflects the relationship between people and nature, tha<\/em> also plays an important role in maintaining social order. It serves as a gentle form of public admonition to maintain moral standards. When someone violates a customary norm\u2014for example, by failing to uphold expectations of sexual propriety\u2014elders do not resort to harsh words. Instead, they recite a pointed yet gentle verse of tha<\/em> directly to that person, encouraging a sense of shame, and self-improvement, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Pho-sa-ho-loe-a-na-lo, Toe-ba-jee-toe-ba-koe-toh”<\/strong><\/em><\/summary>\n

(A good child does not misbehave; there is no need for scolding or reproach)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, tha<\/em> also serves as a form of entertainment that helps ease the hardships of daily work, as Uy Bai, or Mrs. Bai Jaithiang<\/strong>, someone close to Mr. Tip Jaithiang, recalled:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“In the old days, there were so many verses of tha. They spoke of people, birds, and flowers. Whenever we walked to the fields, we would sing them along the way. Sometimes we’d spend the whole day sitting and singing tha with friends, until our children would say, ‘Can’t you stop? I’ve heard enough already!’ We enjoyed it so much that we completely lost track of time.”<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

There is no denying that tha<\/em> is woven into every stage of life in the Pgaz K\u2019Nyau community of Ban Mae Yang Min, from birth to death. It accompanies people on their walks to the fields, helping them forget their weariness; it serves as a funerary chant to guide the spirits of the dead; it brings young men and women together to begin their own families; and it gives voice to the forest when nature offers a warning, as in the following verse:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Wa-koe-lo, soe-nee-wa-ngue<\/em>“<\/strong><\/summary>\n

(When the bamboo flowers, it will take three years for the bamboo forest to recover.)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

In the elders’ collective memory, bamboo flowers only once in its lifetime before the entire bamboo grove dies standing. To most people, this may appear as a beautiful and unusual sight, while in some places it is regarded as a natural part of the bamboo’s life cycle. For the Indigenous community, however, it is a warning sign of impending danger\u2014a message that nature is sending. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Sukjai Teja, the father of the current headman of Ban Mae Yang Min, recalled that during his more than 80 years of living in the village, he has seen phai sang<\/em> bamboo8<\/sup><\/a> flower only twice. He remembered that, in the past, phai bong<\/em> bamboo flowered first, followed by phai rai<\/em>, and finally phai sang<\/em> bamboo. As best he can recall, phai sang<\/em> bamboo flowered in 1979 (B.E. 2522) and again in 2026 (B.E. 2569). His recollection suggests that phai sang<\/em> bamboo flowers at extremely long intervals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"(Photo<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Photos<\/figure>\n
Photos of phai sang bamboo flowering throughout the forest, in both conservation forest and community-use areas, taken on 23 May 2026 by Maliwan Teja.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Indigenous communities in the Mae Yang Min watershed and neighboring villages have long held a belief, passed down through the knowledge and wisdom of their elders, that when \u201cbamboo flowers,\u201d it is a warning sign from nature. Whenever bamboo flowers simultaneously throughout the entire forest, villagers must quickly protect their seed stocks and agricultural harvests. This is because bamboo flowering attracts hordes of rats to feed on the bamboo seeds, after which the rats spread into farmland and consume villagers’ crops as well. Such an event occurred in 1979 (B.E. 2522), when a mass bamboo-flowering event sent hordes of rats into the village, where they devoured stored rice seeds in granaries and even took up residence inside people’s homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This bamboo-flowering phenomenon is often overlooked by most people, yet it has long been preserved within Indigenous knowledge. While bamboo flowering was once associated primarily with threats to agricultural production, today it also serves as a warning sign for community leaders and residents to prepare for forest fires, which are exhibiting an increasing trend in severity. The danger comes from the large quantities of dead bamboo that become fuel for wildfires, particularly in conservation forest areas where villagers are not permitted to manage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than teaching superstition, tha<\/em> uses belief as a guiding code that helps people prepare for and live in harmony with nature. A short verse such as \u201cWa-koe-lo, soe-nee-wa-ngue\u201d<\/strong><\/em> lets villagers know that they must quickly protect their granaries, build firebreaks, and plan for the next three years until the bamboo forest recovers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The transmission of tha<\/em> has no written texts to learn from, because it survives solely as an oral tradition, passed on through \u201ccareful observation and imitation.\u201d As Mr. Tip Jaithiang explained: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“In the old days, our mothers were the only ones who taught us. There were no formal teachers of tha. We learned by sitting and listening while the elders sang together, gradually committing the verses to memory, and then practicing them regularly. Learning tha is like taking a full pot of traditional herbal medicine\u2014it requires both time and patience.”<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

However, amid rapid change, as smartphone screens increasingly capture the attention of the younger generation in Ban Mae Yang Min, one important question remains: do young people still listen to tha<\/em> today? If, one day, the song of the forest falls silent, then when the bamboo flowers again, who will be left to heed nature’s warning\u2014and who will continue to protect this forest?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Life’s Guiding Principles Reflected in Tha<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A UNESCO study that surveyed Indigenous media organizations across 74 countries and 128 mainstream media outlets across 41 countries, together with an analysis of more than 1.4 million English-language news articles about Indigenous peoples, found that although Indigenous issues have received increasing media attention, problems of stereotyping, imbalanced representation, and the continued absence of Indigenous voices in mainstream media narratives persist.9<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the narratives that still requires stronger Indigenous voices in public discourse is the widespread assumption that Indigenous rotational farming is synonymous with the destruction of watershed forests, thereby stigmatizing the practice as a form of deforestation. Yet the facts and academic evidence reveal a far more complex system of land use and community resource management. Indeed, anyone who listens to the verses of tha<\/em> passed down through generations will discover a remarkably sophisticated approach to resource stewardship, as reflected in the following verse:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Tee-graer-oh-poe-tar-toe-graer, no-graer-oh-poe-tar-toe-graer, ku-see-glaw-see-sae-toe-graer, ku-see-daw-see-wa-toe-graer, sae-wa-mae-loe-u-loe-pae, poe-ba-koe-wee-poe-ba-koe-chae”<\/strong><\/em><\/summary>\n

(Whether water sources and ponds remain healthy depends on the people who live around them. Do not fell or destroy the trees, for doing so will bring hunger.)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

This verse of tha<\/em> makes it clear that the quality of water is directly tied to human behavior. In the rotational farming system, trees are felled according to principles of traditional ecological wisdom: they are cut while leaving the stumps intact, allowing new shoots to emerge and the forest to regenerate after the harvest. This guiding principle reinforces a simple practice that preserving trees is, in essence, preserving the very means of survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond this, tha<\/em> also establishes an ethic of caring for one’s own community and watershed, as expressed in the following teaching: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPoe-ke-roe pa-tee-toe-ke, poe-ke-roe pa-koe toe-ke, koe-toe poe-koe-su-lae, e-ba-me soe-ba-doe-che\u201d<\/em> <\/strong><\/summary>\n

(Do not boast about or admire another’s water source or homeland. Instead, take good care of your own community and watershed, and you will always have rice to eat and clothes to wear.)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

This reflects respect for boundaries and pride in one’s own homeland, serving as a wise cultural mechanism that prevents villagers from encroaching on new forest areas or exploiting resources beyond their own territory. The abundance of food and clothing thus becomes an indicator of each community’s success in conserving its forest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verses of tha<\/em> also guide human behavior by discouraging people from claiming exclusive ownership over nature. Rice grown through rotational farming is revered as a symbol of life and human dedication, as expressed in the verse: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMae-yue-ya-gwa-bue-pi, bue-pi-jer-jue-loe-oh-di, mae-yue-ya-gwa-bue-kloe, bue-kloe-jer-jue-li-oh-toh\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/summary>\n

\u0e16\u0e49\u0e32\u0e04\u0e34\u0e14\u0e16\u0e36\u0e07\u0e09\u0e31\u0e19\u0e43\u0e2b\u0e49\u0e21\u0e2d\u0e07\u0e14\u0e39\u0e02\u0e49\u0e32\u0e27 \u0e02\u0e49\u0e32\u0e27\u0e40\u0e1b\u0e47\u0e19\u0e1d\u0e35\u0e21\u0e37\u0e2d\u0e02\u0e2d\u0e07\u0e09\u0e31\u0e19 \u0e16\u0e49\u0e32\u0e04\u0e34\u0e14\u0e16\u0e36\u0e07\u0e09\u0e31\u0e19\u0e43\u0e2b\u0e49\u0e21\u0e2d\u0e07\u0e14\u0e39\u0e02\u0e49\u0e32\u0e27 \u0e02\u0e49\u0e32\u0e27\u0e04\u0e37\u0e2d\u0e23\u0e2d\u0e22\u0e21\u0e37\u0e2d\u0e17\u0e35\u0e48\u0e09\u0e31\u0e19\u0e17\u0e33<\/em><\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

Rotational farming, then, is not an invasion of nature, but a way of life that works in harmony with the forest’s cycles. Caring for rice is therefore as important as caring for one’s own life and honor. At a deeper philosophical level, embracing the virtues of letting go and taking no more than one needs, another verse of tha<\/em> celebrates the beauty of wildflowers: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLae-loe-choe-ree-pu-poe-koe-jae, pwa-mae-toe-di-oh-da-wae, lae-loe-choe-ree-pu-poe-koe-pha, pwa-mae-toe-di-phai-ya\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/summary>\n

(When you enter a rotational farming plot and find a flower in bloom, if no one has picked it, leave it where it blooms.)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

This verse teaches people to let go of greed: there is no need to claim every beautiful thing or every natural resource as one’s own. Yet at a structural level, this verse of tha<\/em> also functions as a mechanism for managing the community’s shared resources. This aligns closely with the ideas of Elinor Ostrom10<\/a><\/sup>, the Nobel Prize\u2013winning economist who demonstrated that communities can sustainably manage common-pool resources when they establish rules that members themselves help create, accept, and collectively uphold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here, tha<\/em> functions as a shared code of conduct that has never been formally enacted or made legally binding. Yet the people of Ban Mae Yang Min respect and embrace it as a guiding principle for everyday life. The principle of \u201cnot picking flowers unnecessarily\u201d has evolved from an individual moral sentiment into a measurable collective practice. Adherence to Pgaz K\u2019Nyau teachings does not mean rejecting national laws or public policy. On the contrary, land-use classification data compiled jointly by the Si Thoi Subdistrict Administrative Organization and the “Inter Mountain Peoples Education and Culture in Thailand Association (IMPECT), using standardized GIS methods11<\/a><\/sup>, show that the village’s total area of 12,847.7 rai is divided into three categories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n