Abstract

The objectives of this study were: 1) to study the meaning of the conflict and the conflict management, 2) to study the ways for the conflict management in Buddhism, and 3) to study the role and the way of the monks on the promotion of reducing the conflict in Buddhism.

This research applied the documentary research with collecting data from Tipitaka in Thai of Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, academic textbooks, related documents and researches.

Results of the Research

1.   The conflict and the conflict management mean the infringement, disobedience and disagreement because the conflict is the feeling, emotion or argumentative action in self, between the people, and between the groups. It made the competition or the defilement. In Buddhism, the conflict was not found in Pali. However, the other word had the similar meaning of the conflict. The meaning of the conflict had two items in Buddhism: the conflict in Dhamma and the conflict in Vinaya.

2.   The ways for the conflict management in Buddhism were: 1) for the conflict in the information,  it should  give the opportunity and the education appropriately, 2) For the conflict in the usurpation, it should send the ambassadors to discuss or depend on the leadership of the leaders to be the information or fact giver, and 3) For the conflict in the interpretation, it was the conflict that happened the interpretation of something differently such as the interpretation of Vinaya of Phradhammathorn and Phravinayathorn in Kosumphee. The problem happened from showering in the bathroom.

3.    The role and the way of the monks on the promotion of reducing the conflict in Buddhism had two kinds: the role to the self and the role to the others. The monks had the roles and the ways on reducing the conflict in Buddhism, apply the role in the participation of doing the activities with the monks and the people according to six duties:  the government, religious studies, the supporting   education, the propagation, the public construction, and the public support by the media between the religious authority and the government authority to do the activities in one way. Moreover, it should teach the people in the performance according to Phasukaviharadhamma (saraniyadhamma): Mettakayakamma (to be amiable in deed), Mettavacikamma (to be amiable in word), and Mettamanokamma (to be amiable in thought) to live happily in the society since the past to the present. It made the happiness to the people, and the problems decreased because of the power of the monks.