This thesis has three objectives: 1) to study the five precepts in Theravada Buddhism, 2) to study the five vows in Jainism, and 3) to comparatively study of five precepts in Theravada Buddhism and five vows in Jainism. This study is of documentary type of research. The data has been collected from religious scriptures, text, documents, and research works to be compared.

The results of the study were as follows:

The Five precepts in Theravada Buddhism are the fundamental practices of householders for human society in order to control bodily and verbal behavior to be in goodness, namely, 1) abstinence from killing,             2) abstinence from taking what is not given, 3) abstinence from sexual misconduct, 4) abstinence from falsehood, and 5) abstinence from drinking intoxicant that will be the causes of carelessness. This is the basic ethics in the mundane level that would make the world peaceful and happy, when the world became peaceful and happy, people in the society would be peaceful and happy as well.

The Five vows in Jainism are also the fundamental practices for the householders that advises ones to abstain from unwholesome state aiming at controlling human behavior to be in wholesome state, consisting of: 1) non-violence), 2) truth, 3) non-stealing, 4) non-sexual misconduct, and 5) non-possession. This is the basic ethics in the mundane level that would make the world peaceful and happy at the present time.

The similar point of five precepts in Theravada Buddhism and five vows in Jainism was that five precepts and five vows are the fundamental practices for householders aiming at controlling bodily and verbal behavior to be in the goodness.

The different point of five precepts in Theravada Buddhism and five vows in Jainism was that five precepts in Theravada Buddhism are the prohibited rules for resolving of five main problems that make society in order and normal, being safe in life and properties, and also make the families having trust in each other, in addition to close the door for going to the states of misery. In addition, there is another different point of them is that of drinking intoxicant. But five vows in Jainism are the state of non-greed, non-violence especially non-violence is the supreme principle of morality in Jainism. The five Vows are sometimes called ‘five promises’ that are the small rules along with the great vows or the great rules. Actually, the great vow is the practical rule for ascetics, whereas the small vow is the practical rule for the householders. The details of the doctrines of both of them are the same, but the difference is the great vow is more stringent than the small vows.

Download