Buddhadasa Bhikkhu was a Thai Buddhist monk and an influential ascetic-philosopher of the 20th century. Known as an innovative reinterpreter of Buddhist doctrine and Thai folk beliefs, Buddhadasa fostered a reformation in conventional religious perceptions in Thailand as well as abroad. Buddhadasa developed a personal view that those who have penetrated the essential nature of religions consider 'all religions to be inwardly the same', while those who have the highest understanding of dhamma feel 'there is no religion'.