ABSTACT

This thesis is of three objectives, namely, 1) to study the concept of pure mind in Theravada Buddhist Philosophy, 2) to study the essence of mind in Zen Buddhism, and to study the comparison of the concept of pure mind in Theravada Buddhist Philosophy and the essence of mind in Zen Buddhism.

From the study, it is found that :-

The pure mind in Theravada Buddhist Philosophy is virgin or is brighten. The mind always is bright and clean as the pure water. It is as the light. The common mind is the sub-consciousness. When the mind is working, it is covered by mental defilements. If the mind is trained by the four foundations of Mindfulness, the pure mind will be free from the mental defilements. With the power of wholesome mind which is associated with knowledge, it will be the Noble One’s mind.         

The essence of mind of Zen Buddhism is the purity and the natural brightness. It is the heir of the Accomplished One, Tathagata. It is depressed mind because it thinks about the beautiful action under the mental defilements. From that action, the habit is accumulated in the mind (Alaya Vinnana). On the contrary, the essence of mind in Zen Buddhism is really pure, clean, and bright in itself. It is the nature of Buddhahood. It is in every body. It is the essential nature of all beings. It is depressed by the defilements hiding the nature of Buddhahood, that is Avijja (Ignorance). It causes the self and attachment to arise. Those things are illusions which reflect from the mind. The becoming of the purity of mind or the reality is the essential mind which has only one reality or truth that is the practice with the full knowledge of mind. The knowledge of the truth is the opening of the nature in the mind. The practicer will find the empty mind or the free mind. Citta or the mind is the Buddha who is called Sa To Ri.

The comparison of the difference and the similarity of the purity of mind in Theravada Buddhist Philosophy is of Goth the similarly and difference. That is say, Theravada Buddhist Philosophy, has received the viewpoint from the early Buddhism, which is the pure mind e.g. the Bhavanga-Citta (sub-consciousness). Then, Zen Buddhism has gotten the concept of this view from Yogacara Sect which it is Alaya Vinnana. The Alaya-vinnana and Bhavangacitta are of the same duties. It has accumulated the experience to become a habit. Then, the difference of the purity of mind in Zen Buddhism has been studied the Zen Scriptures. That is the essential mind in purity, which is only one. It is the nature of Buddhahood, in every body. The ignorance has hidden the essential mind which causes the self and the attachment. It divided us out of the outside materials. When the created thought has been destroyed, the self and the attachment have disappeared. There is no opposition such as self and the outside things, good and bad, male and female, happy and suffering, etc. Everything is a united nature. All things are awaken or enlightened. In other words, Zen stated that all livings beings are elements of Buddha, the elements have known in the mind. The perfected one (Arahanta) and ordinary persons are not difference in the Buddha element. The difference is an Arahanta can eradicate the mental defilements covering it. It is compared with the two person have each of mirror. One mirror is clean and clear, the one can see his body with clearly because it always is cleaned. Then, another one is full of the dusty, he cannot see his body because it does not clean. The essential mirrors are not difference.

Theravada Buddhist Philosophy thinks that the pure mind is Bhavanga-citta. Although, it really is natural purity, when it is covered by the mental defilements it will be sadness during knowing the impulsive mind. It is as parents and preceptor who completed with their manner. But they lose their famous because of their sons and pupils. When the sadden mind should practice the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. The pure mind will be free from mental defilements by the power of wholesome mind which is associated with knowledge and developed the mind to be Noble One’s mind.