This thesis has 3 objectives, namely :-  (1) to study the Way of Lay Sotāpanna’s Life in Buddha time, (2) to study the laymen’s enlightenment of the Stream Entering  (3) to apply the Way of Lay Sotāpanna’s Life in Thai societies.

             From the research, it is found that the Lay who were Sotāpannas at the Buddha time, were of the ways of life consisting of leading the lay life and having the family lives. They carried out the good lives and had the good occupations. They have the good faiths and are pleased with the Buddha, the Dhammas and the Sangha.  They are without the greed, but being pleased with the donation and the observing of the 5 precepts.  Some laities observe the 8 precepts on the Buddhist Holy Days, ready for learning, hearing and listening to The Dhammas/sermon, as well as developing the meditation regularly, practising The Dhammas for Dhammas throughout committing oneself for helping the others. Moreover, some of the Lay Sotāpanna have a chance to practise for helping and persuading the others to approach the full faith, to move forward with the percepts, the charity, the generosity, the listening to The Dhammas and The Dhammas practising.  Some people have given the Sermon and the Dhammas to others until those people have enlightened the Dhammas.  Previously, some people led their lives in the wrong ways, or conducted the dishonest occupations, lived without percepts or were of the mistaken notions, without any faith to give any things to anyone.  Nevertheless, they have enlightened and become the Stream Enterers after they have listened to the Dhammas or have been given some Buddhist teachings. Those people have turned back their ways of life to the faithful authentication in Buddhism, and have believed in the Triple Gems.  They have led their right livelihoods, right actions or conducts, being full of percepts, being pleased with donation as well as being of the right views. Moreover, the major Lay Sotāpannas have led their lives by Dhammas States of Minds or resting at the leisure time by developing the Six Reflections explicitly,  the recollection of the Buddha, the recollection to the perfect conformity with the Dhammas, the reflection on the virtue of the Sangha, the recollection of morality, the recollection of generosity, and the recollection of heavenly beings are beneficial.

             Most of the Lay Sotāpannas had listened to the Buddha’s Dhammas, especially, the progressive sermon preached by the Buddha and the Four Noble Truths, have been of the attention and the considertion along with the Buddha’s teaching until they were able to see the Three Characteristics clearly with the emotional Nirvāna, as well as the destruction of to Samyojanas and the annihilation of the whole misbelieves and the ignorance.  Subsequently, they have entered into the Fruition of the Stream Enterers. Some people have developed the mindfulness of death or the reflection or the contemplation on the 32 impure parts of the body in order to consider the Three Characteristics and to develop Vipassanā until the achievement of the Stream Enterers.  In Conclusion, it is true as the Buddha’s saying :-

          “No matter whether the King, the Brahmna, the merchant, the agriculturist,

       the tradesfolk, the Untouchable and the Garbage men. ; the one who

       continually performs the perseverance and the devotes one’s own body and

       one’s own mind full of determinations, one could reach the complete

       purification.”

             So, the lay people who wish to be Sotāpanna should carry out the good life according to the ways of Lay Sotāpannas’ life.  That is not to disturb oneself and others, but should make the profits to the people and should practise themselves to be the good samples to others.  Thus, one should carry out one’s life on the 3 sides, namely :-

             1. to make a profit to oneself. That is to behave oneself to be a good lay person with 5 precepts and be of good occupation, not to carry out the 5 mistrades.  One should be of 5 Upāsaka Dhammas, namely :- 1) Suddhā, 2) Sīla 3) not to be superstitious, not to believe in deeds and in luck 4) not to seek for the worthy gift outside Buddhism 5) to do his first service in a Buddhist cause.  One should practise more 5 Upāsaka Dhammas, namely :- 1) not to fail to meet the monks 2) not to be away from The Buddhas teaching. 3) to study the 5 precepts. 4) to be of the confidence in the monks. 5) to listen to the Dhammas in order to understand the Dhammas clearly.

Download