This research is a documentary one with 3 purposes, namely:- 1. to study the principle of teaching and the simily as well as the metaphor about the Tortoises in Theravãda Buddhism, 2. to analytically study the problems and the way to preserve the Tortoises in the Buddhist views, 3. to study the belief and the ceremony about the Tortoises in Thai societies.

                 From the research, it is found that the Buddha’s method of teaching with the principles of simily (Upamã) the subject of comparison (Upameyya) in order to see the things in the concrete examples. The Buddha compared the five aggregates with the Tortoises. Furthermore, The Buddha said that it is very difficult for the foolish people to go just only once to the realm of the hungry ghosts and to be reborn as the human beings again. They are compared to the blind tortoises in the ocean. The Buddha taught the monks to protect themselves to be away from all the defilements just as the Tortoises keep their heads and legs in their shells.

                 The belief and the ceremony about the Tortoises in Thai societies arise from the fact that the people in each region come across the problems in leading their daily live such as the disaster, the even the natural disaster. The said problems are beyond the ordinary people’s abilities to solve. So, there is an idea that the sacred things which are beyond the nature cause such incidents to arise and the said sacred things may be ghosts, Souls or the Gods. Therefore, in order to prevent the said disasters from arising, there is a request from the said sacred powers with the belief that such the disasters will be extinguished, if one informs the sacred entities or the sacred entities are pleased with our requests.

                 In the Theravãda views, it is found that there are the principles of teaching, and of the Vinaya Rules in compliance with the preservation of the nature and the beasts.

            Regarding the way of preserving the animals, there must be the mental base of loving kindness, because the beasts love the happiness and hate the suffering as the human beings do, Therefore, every type of harming the beasts (the living beings) either with or without the volition is totally against the principle of loving kindness (Mettã).