Ceylon and Burma were for many centuries Buddhist kingdoms with a
sovereign as patron and supporter of the monks and very often with
members of the royal family amongst the great abbots. Buddhism has
indeed depended much upon royal patronage, and in these days when
kings are rare it is of special interest to get a glimpse of a modern
Buddhist kingdom which is not unlike those of the past. Let us study a
great festival in Siam where the king's own brother is Head of the
Order and where he himself is a staunch patron of Buddhism.