This thesis, The Analytical Study of the Doctrinal Principles in Brāhman-asanyutta, is of 3 objectives namely: - (1) to study the context of the meaning and the structure and content in Brāhmanasanyutta Scripture, (2) to analytically study the Doctrinal Principles appearing in Brāhmanasanyutta, and (3) to apply the Doctrinal Principles in Brāhmanasanyutta to Thai societies. The conclusion of the research can be found as follows:
1. The context of the essence appearing in Brāhmanasanyutta is divided into 2 parts:- Arahanta Vagga dealing with Brāhmana who attained Arahantaship after listening to the Dhamma and Upāsaka Vagga dealing with the Brāhmana who announced himself to be an Upāsaka after listening to the Dhamma. They are altogether 22 Suttas. The essence in each Scripture deals with the incident in which a Brāhmana who went to converse about the Dhamma with the Buddha and asked Him some questions, and the Buddha himself preached Dhamma to him. The Brāhmanas usually regarded themselves to be of high caste, the masters of the ceremonies and the ones born from Ven. Brahma’s mouth. However, the Buddha said that those Brāhmanas were born from the Brāhmani’s womb and were equal to other castes. The evident influence possessed by those Brāhmanas to the societies is in the matter of the ceremonies such as the ceremony of floating the sins on the water, the ceremonies of worshipping the fire and the Ploughing ceremony.
The Doctrinal Principles appearing in Brāhmanasanyutta are of 3 groups namely:-
1) The Doctrinal Principles for the monks dealing with the monk’s and the novices’ education with the emphasis on the Threefold Learning, the principles of administering oneself while living in the forest, the principle of living in the monkhood and the principles in behaving oneself to the people who believe in other religions.
2) The lay peoples’ Doctrinal Principles dealing with the way how to behave oneself to the persons in the family, the principle of practicing oneself as a lay man and a lay woman.
3) The other Doctrinal Principles dealing with how to behave oneself in the same society.
The Doctrinal Principles appearing in Brāhmanasanyutta can be applied to the Thai Societies as follows:-
1) The Doctrinal Principles for the monks. They are the ones in connection with the ordained ones. They are the Threefold Learning, the principles to deal with the people of other religions. It is the way of showing the manner by the people of other religions to help and be friendly with one another.
2) The Doctrinal Principles for the lay people. They are the ones for husbands and wives in the family with the equal belief in the principles of Samajīvitadhamma. The families of different basses of beliefs must apply to their lives the principles of Gharāvāsadhammas which are the Doctrinal Principles for leading the lay lives. The Doctrinal Principles for the parents are the Brahmavihāra Dhammas for looking after the children. The Doctrinal Principles for the children are the ones for respecting with the state of modesty and pliancy and the principle of filian devotion and paying back the debts of gratitude, the fact of which is the sign of being a good person to be admired by others. The Doctrinal Principles for the male and female devotees are the beliefs in Kamma (action) not the beliefs in the news and the choice to make merits, not to make merits with the mind of defilements.
The other Doctrinal Principles to deal with other people are that one must treat the human being in societies without the class and the caste. If a person is the administrator, he should treat the person under his administration with the Doctrine of Social Welfare which gives out the love, the lovingkindness and the excusing with true mind. When one works on behalf of other people as their representative, one must think of the common benefit by holding the Doctrinal Principles. If one is under the administrator, he must do his own duties, respect the laws and give the proper co-operation to the country.
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