Abstract

This dissertation entitled ‘The Moral Courage in Theravãda Buddhism’ has three objectives: 1) to study the concept of moral courage of western scholars, 2) to study the concept of moral courage in Buddhist scriptures and 3) to propose the way in creating and utilizing moral courage in Theravãda Buddhism. This is a qualitative research.

In the research, it was found that the concept of moral courage has been generally upheld by western scholars as the firm willingness to uncompromisingly resist what is not in morality because they strongly believed that such a thing is the right thing. The way in enhancing moral courage can be made through the awareness of the held moral value by means of the cultivation of honesty, endeavour, self-control and self discipline. Apart from this, the promotion of role model in the form of moral courage can be taken as the source of inspiration giving rise to the decent habit.

The concept of moral courage in Buddhist scriptures basically refers to Vesãrajjakarana-dhamma, confidence, good conduct, great learning, exertion and wisdom. As far as the concept of moral courage is concerned, the way in creating and utilizing it in accordance with Theravãda Buddhism is to start with having self-confidence, prowess derived from good conduct and perfect knowledge by virtue of great learning through a great deal of effort which can bring about the right understanding of things as they really are. In this research, it obviously showed that the moral courage is a personal ability in defeating anxiety leading to the affirmation of moral principles through the awareness of moral essentiality as the unavoidable guidance for man’s living life.

The way in utilizing Theravãda Buddhist moral courage suitable to Thais should be fundamentally initiated by one-self, family and society under the framework of the concept of the mentioned Vesãrajjakarana-dhamma.

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