In the past, I analyzed the characteristics of Santi Asoke by referring to literature on Santi Asoke (cf. Moribe 1997, Moribe 2009). Of above-mentioned literature, noticeable studies were Akagi 1991 , Fukushima 1993, Jackson 1989a and Essen 2002. However, a full-scale study was only Essen 2002. Therefore, it seemed that a study of Santi Asoke was insufficient. But luckily, I got the book written by Marja-Leena Heikkila-Horn (Marja-Leena Heikkila-Horn 1997) quite recently. And when I finished reading the book, I determined to make a short report of the book. The book is a concise version of a doctoral dissertation written by Marja-Leena Heikkila-Horn on the basis of her fieldwork in Santi Asoke of Bangkok from October, 1994 to April, 1995. According to Marja-Leena Heikkila-Horn, in the past, Western scholars had little interest in Santi Asoke Buddhist group. And there was no voluminous book written in English. Besides, studies by scholars in the early days, such as Jackson, Olson and Taylor, were not based on sufficient fieldwork, and their interpretations of Santi Asoke, reflected the images of Santi Asoke seen by the leading monks in Thai Buddhism whom they studied. In this note, I will pick up and describe the following four subjects. (1) Santi Asoke's leader, Pothirak's home environment before becoming a Buddhist monk. (2) Relations and differences between Santi Asoke and mainstream Buddhist groups criticized by Santi Asoke. (3) Social classes which Santi Asoke's members belong to. (4) Why did Santi Asoke have to be legally banned?
