This Institutional Policy Manual is written for one clear purpose: to help HSWAGATA protect the Buddha’s sacred relics with care, truth, and peace.
Relics are not only cultural objects. For many people, they are a living bridge to faith, memory, and moral life. When relics are protected well, communities feel safe and united. When relics are handled poorly, people can feel fear, anger, or deep confusion. In some places, conflicts grow around guardianship, access, donations, testing, rumours, and ownership. I have seen that these problems do not come only from “bad intention.” Many problems come from weak systems: unclear roles, missing records, poor communication, and lack of training.
This manual is based on Hswagata 100 Case Studies on Buddhist relics, ethics, and institutional practice. These cases show real patterns: how institutions grow strong, how misunderstandings spread, how misinformation harms trust, how theft risks appear, and how peace can be rebuilt through calm process. I used these lessons to shape a simple and practical guide for staff, monks, volunteers, board members, and approved partners.
What this manual is
This manual is a working tool. It gives:
clear policies for stewardship and safeguarding,
guidance for daily institutional practice,
peaceful methods for conflict prevention and response,
and ethical rules for truthful public communication.
It also supports careful cooperation with science and education. Testing and research can help protect heritage, but only when done with consent, respect, and good communication. Faith and science should not become enemies. They can support each other when we act wisely.
How to use this manual
Please use this manual in a steady and practical way:
Follow the policy steps, even when you feel busy.
Use the templates to record decisions, meetings, risks, and actions.
Keep records safe and complete. A clear record can prevent many future conflicts.
Speak with calm words. Avoid blame language.
If a case becomes sensitive, do not act alone. Use the right authority path.
Some parts of this manual are Internal, Restricted, or Sacred-Restricted / Sensitive. This is not to hide truth. It is to protect safety, dignity, and the living trust of communities. Please respect these levels and share only with approval.
Our ethical foundation
HSWAGATA follows the path of non-violence. We do not use threats, hate speech, or harsh humiliation. We aim for right intention, truthful speech, careful action, and respect for the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha. When conflicts arise, we choose peaceful methods first: listening, mediation, fair process, and clear agreements. When legal steps are needed, we still keep a peace lens and protect community harmony.
A living manual
This document is not perfect and it is not “finished forever.” Institutions learn. Risks change. New situations appear. Therefore, I ask all departments to treat this manual as a living guide: use it, review it, and improve it through proper internal process. When you find gaps, record them and bring them forward for review.
Gratitude
I offer sincere thanks to the monastic community, lay supporters, donors, community elders, staff, researchers, and partners who support this work. Their care helps protect sacred heritage and build peace. I also thank those who shared difficult lessons from past conflicts and losses. These lessons, though painful, can prevent future harm.
May this manual help HSWAGATA serve as a trustworthy guardian of the Buddha’s relics.
May it protect faith, culture, and social harmony.
May it support wise stewardship for the benefit of all beings.
Sao Dhammasami @ Bhikkhu Indasoma Siridantamahapalaka
Founder and Custodian of the Tooth Relics
The Office of Siridantamahapalaka
The Hswagata Buddha Tooth Relics Preservation Museum (HSWAGATA)
Bangkok, Thailand
14th / 12 / 2025
INTRODUCTION
This Institutional Policy Manual is a practical guide for the daily work of HSWAGATA. It helps the museum protect the Buddha’s sacred tooth relics with respect, safety, and peace.
It also helps the museum work in a clear and fair way with staff, monks, volunteers, donors, communities, researchers, and approved partners.
HSWAGATA serves three connected duties:
Stewardship (care and respect)
We care for relics as sacred heritage. We keep dignity, clean intention, and respectful behaviour.Safeguarding (safety and prevention)
We reduce risk of loss, theft, neglect, damage, and misuse. We also protect people who serve the relics and people who come to worship.Peaceful management (social harmony)
We work to prevent conflict and reduce tension. We use calm speech, truthful communication, and fair process. We do not use violence, threats, or harsh public blame.
This manual is based on the Hswagata 100 Case Studies on Buddhist relics, ethics, and institutional practice. These cases show real problems and real solutions. They teach that good relic guardianship is not only about devotion.
It also needs strong systems: clear roles, clear approvals, good records, careful partnerships, and consistent training.
Who this manual is for
This manual is for:
Monks/novices assigned to relic work
Staff and managers of HSWAGATA
Board and committee members
Volunteers with approved duties
Approved partners (only for the parts they are allowed to see)NOT FOR SALE
What this manual contains
This manual includes:
Policies (the rules and standards we must follow)
Procedures and guidance (how to act step by step)
Templates (forms to record decisions, actions, risks, and learning)
Templates are important because they help the museum:
avoid confusion and rumours,
show accountability and fairness,
protect continuity when staff change,
and support evidence-based decisions.
Confidentiality and careful sharing
Some parts of this manual and some templates are sensitive. HSWAGATA uses three levels:
Internal only: normal internal use
Restricted: limited access; share only with approval
Sacred-Restricted / Sensitive: very limited; need-to-know only
This is not to hide truth. It is to protect:
the safety of relics and people,
the dignity of faith communities,
and the peaceful stability of society.
The “peace lens” for every decision
HSWAGATA uses a simple peace lens when making decisions. We ask:
Does this action protect faith and dignity?
Does it protect heritage and safety?
Does it reduce conflict and support harmony?
If a decision may increase tension, we slow down, consult wisely, and use calm process. If a case becomes high-risk (theft, threats, serious conflict, public misinformation), we do not act alone.
We follow the authority path and document the case properly.
How the manual should be used
This manual should be used as a living working tool:
read the relevant section before acting,
use the correct template for recording,
get the right review and approval,
file records safely with correct classification,
and review actions after each case for learning.
When policy updates are needed, changes must follow the official review process. Uncontrolled personal edits should not be treated as official policy.
Final note
HSWAGATA is a guardian institution. Our work must be both spiritually respectful and institutionally strong. When we combine devotion with good systems, we protect relics better, serve the public better, and support peace better. This introduction invites all users of this manual to act with care, truth, and calm responsibility in every task.
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