Three objectives of this documentary research “The Approach of Solving the Violence towards the Saṅgha in Theravada Buddhist Scriptures” are: 1) to study the principles of Buddhism relating to the violence; 2) to study the violence towards the Saṅgha as appeared in Theravada Buddhist Scriptures; and 3) to study the appronch of solving the violence towards the Saṅgha in Theravada Buddhist Scriptures.
The finding show , the Buddhist meaning of the violence is the bodily, verbaly and mentally action that prodce negative impact on oneself and other people in two ways namely: 1) External or behavioral (bodily or verbaly) violence. 2) Internal or mental violence. These ways of violence have been occurred since the beginning of first human age and have been gradually developed from inside to outside violence. According to Theravada Buddhist discipline, the most severe violence is the persecutive or intentional action in the level of remediless weighty offense (atekicchā). Theravada Buddhist Abhidhamma Pitaka states that the violence is occurred and developed from the process of twelve units of demeritorious consciousness.
The Saṅgha has three important principles are 1) the principle of propagation; 2) the principle of governance; and 3) the principle of living. These principles form the Saṅgha the proper personality of prudence, peacefulness and non-disturbance. But Theravada Buddhist Scriptures appeared that the violence was made towards the Saṅgha in three ways : 1) physical violence: harming, killing and raping; 2) verbal violence: calumniating, blaming, and despising; and 3) mental violence: vindictive and cruel thoughts. The Saṅgha must have the methods to solve these ways of violence.
There are three methods of solving the violence towards the Saṅgha in Theravada Buddhist Scriptures : 1) physical violence is solved with struggle and parry, The solution does not mean the aim of vengefulness. It means keeping away from danger, endurance of non-revenge, extending the loving-kindness to violence-makers and considering the impermanence of feelings; 2) verbal violence is solved with no reaction of violent words, reasonable explanation, extending the loving-kindness to detractors, and considering the impermanence of the five aggregates; and 3) mental violence: ill will thoughts are solved with considering the disadvantages of ill will and six steps of extending the loving-kindness. Cruel thoughts are solved with six steps of extending the compassion.
The interviewed with Buddhist scholars about the eight topics upon the present necessary methods of solving the violence towards the Saṅgha: 1) inculcating the ideas of Yonisomanasikāra with granting education; 2) adhering to Ovāda Pātimokkha; 3) applying the principle of non-violence; 4) religious discussion; 5) applying the holistic thoughts in accordance with the principle of Kālāma Sutta; 6) reforming the Saṅgha administration; 7) reforming the Saṅgha education; and 8) supporting the Buddhist monks developers in locality.
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