In Theravada Buddhism the motivation for this compassion is the desire to produce good karma and to express one’s identity with all that lives (Thittila, op. cit., pp. 94–96).

When Anawrahta made Theravada Buddhism the national religion ... But the people found it difficult to discard at once old beliefs and old practices, and resorted to stratagem.

In Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand and Cambodia, with Theravada Buddhism in their cultures, Naga is considered an auspicious creature, one that brings protection and blessings ...