Abstract:
The thesis entitled A Comparative Study of Concept and Practice of Penance in Theravada Buddhism and Brāhmanism-Hinduism has three objectives: 1) to study the concept and practice of penance in Theravada Buddhism, 2) to study the concept and practice of penance in Brāhmanism-Hinduism, and 3) to comparatively study the concept and practice of penance in Theravada Buddhism and Brāhmanism-Hinduism. This study is of documentary research. The sources of this study have been collected from documents and research papers related to this thesis.
The results of the study were as follows:
The practice of penance (tapa) in Theravada Buddhism is of training Perseverance for overcoming defilements aiming at eliminating defilements and attaining nibbāna by following three training (Ti-sikkhā), i.e., training in morality (Sīla Sikkhā), training in concentration (Citta Sikkhā), and training in wisdom (Paññā Sikkhā). When the practitioners follow three trainings, then they would develop wisdom into the level of supermundane, that is to say, realizing all things, removing all defilements and illusion, at the same time, living life with wisdom as the light of life.
The practice of penance in Brāhmanism-Hinduism uses many ways of practices including the extreme way such as drying oneself with harsh sunlight, and air drying etc., in order to balance oneself with the original pure nature aiming at reaching the ultimate goal (Moksha). It is the unification of ones soul (Ātman) with Paramātaman or making ones soul unified with the first spirit. It is called the attining of Moksha that emancipate oneself from transmigration of human beings by following two ways of practices, namely, four Yoga and eight limbs of Ashtanga yoga. When the practitioners follow these kinds of practice, then they would be able to attain the four ultimate goals of being human (Puruṣārtha) viz., Artha, Dharma, Kāma, and Moksha.
From the comparison of the practice of penance between Theravada Buddhism and Brāhmanism-Hinduism, it was found that both of them has the similar aspect on objective and the goal of practice, i.e., eliminating defilements inside themselves till they fulfill the ultimate goal as the belief in their own religion, but the differences of them is on the way of practice; Theravada Buddhism emphasizes on the middle way of practice (Majjhimāpaṭipadā) by following three training (Ti-sikkhā), i.e., training in morality (Sīla Sikkhā), training in concentration (Citta Sikkhā), and training in wisdom (Paññā Sikkhā), whereas Brāhmanism-Hinduism had many ways of practice including the extreme way such as mortifying oneself by following three stages of practice, viz., four Yoga and eight limbs of Ashtanga yoga.
Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University. Center Library