A Critical Study of the Development of Early Buddhist Psychological Concepts in the Pali Commentarial Literature

Abstract

This dissertation makes an attempt to expose the development and relevance of Bhiivanii on the basis of early Buddhist Psychological concepts. Buddhist Psychological concepts are the broadest in the contexts of the mind and behavior. The mind associated with mental factors and physical base, together with the concept of memory (Sati), the feature of sense-base, the feature of aggregates and the feature of elements have explained here. The dissertation is divided into I two parts and comprises nine chapters. The first three chapters (II, III I & IV) which critically discuss the mind and physical phenomena relationship with mental factors is the part one of the dissertation. The main data on early Buddhist concepts above the primary sources and its original sources and their results are approached, exposed, discussed and elaborated in the outline of this study. The chapter two is dedicated to contributing to the parallel concepts between western and early Buddhist Psychology. A comparative perspective on the nature of human mind and brain (matthalungay as well as sensory system associated with neuroscientists, which is presented. Here, the emotions of love, hate, fear, lust, sorrow, etc. that cause problematic mental states and behaviours are also contextualized in the discussion. This dissertation provides the therapeutic restraint or control of these problems confronted in the human life. The next four chapters (V, VI, VII & VIII) which belong to the part two of this research observe mental development (Bhiivanii) or mental cultivation in the senses in the ·context of its necessity for the attainment of the highest goal (Nibbiina). This research holds that both Tranquility Meditation and Insight Meditation are summed up as the Buddhist spiritual development. The Buddhist teaching of mindfulness and the concept of personality development is expounded in chapter five. That constitutes the spiritual foundation of senses and how sources get into the memory (mindfulness) from the outside. In the chapter six, the forty meditation subjects for developing tranquility and the twenty-nine stages of developing insight are analytically deliberated proving detailed information of cause and result on meditation. The chapter seven illustrates the stories of achievers of perfection and the struggles recounted with accomplishments of the early Buddhist monks and nuns who achieved the goal of perfection due to their exposure to the Buddhist therapeutic process. The eighth chapter emphasizes a mature stage of the mental development leading to the final stage (Nibblina). The Pali commentarial literature were cited to deal with the contents in each chapter. The last chapter ( cone! usion) was drawn through the possible interactions of early Buddhist psychological concepts.