The three purposes of this documentary research are 1) to study the concept of mental wellbeing according to Theravada Buddhism, 2) to study the teachings in the Sabbāsāvasutta, and 3) to study the application of the teachings in the Sabbāsāvasutta to overcome mental illness in order to improve mental wellbeing.

In this study, mind and feelings have been studied thoroughly before analyzing the happiness according to Theravada Buddhism. Buddhism speaks of different kinds of happiness. According to Buddha sensual pleasure is not the utmost pleasure and joy that beings experience because there is another kind of pleasure loftier and more sublime than that pleasure. Furthermore the process of attaining mental wellbeing has been studied and illustrated. According to Buddhism wellbeing of the mind is gained through mental culture or mental development along with some other factors. The Sabbāsāvasutta or Sabbāsavasamvarasutta is a discourse on the restraint of all the taints or the method of controlling all cankers. Analysis of Āsava and methods for overcoming Āsavas have been analytically studied in a detailed manner. Application of the seven methods of practice found in the Sabbāsavasutta  for mental wellbeing has been studied and presented with analyzing and comparing with modern psychological findings as well. The ways to apply these methods to overcome commonly found mental illness such as stress, depression and anger have been presented step by step with combining knowledge gained from modern scientific findings of the psychological field.

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