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The Concept of 'Dhamma' in Thai Buddhism: a Study in the Thought of Vajiranana and Buddhadasa

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The Concept of 'Dhamma' in Thai Buddhism: a Study in the Thought of Vajiranana and Buddhadasa University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations 1985 The Concept of 'Dhamma' in Thai Buddhism: A Study in the Thought of Vajiranana and Buddhadasa Pataraporn Sirikanchana University of Pennsylvania Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations Part of the Philosophy Commons, and the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Sirikanchana, Pataraporn, "The Concept of 'Dhamma' in Thai Buddhism: A Study in the Thought of Vajiranana and Buddhadasa" (1985). Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations. 954. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/954 This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/954 For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Concept of 'Dhamma' in Thai Buddhism: A Study in the Thought of Vajiranana and Buddhadasa Abstract Dhamma is one of the most important and most difficult concepts in Pali Buddhism. Its significance lies in the fact that the term points to both the essence and the goal of Buddhism. Its ambiguity, however, results from the variety of the term's interpretations depending on its contexts. This dissertation analyzes the concept of dhamma in the writings of the two foremost interpreters of Thai Buddhism in the modern and contemporary periods, Vajiranana (1860-1921) and Buddhadasa (1906- ), who, in differing ways, attempt to recover the original teaching of the Buddha's dhamma. The study first describes the anger of meanings of the term in the Pali canonical materials, and selected western interpreters, before focusing on its normative and popular significance in Thai Buddhism. After discussing the historical context in which Vajiranana and Buddhadasa have worked, the dissertation then provides a detailed exposition of their interpretations of dhamma. Through an analysis of their institutional roles and written corpus, the dissertation establishes the distinctive nature of the substance and method of their teachings. We find that Vajiranana closely follow the Theravada scholastic tradition as epitomized by Buddhaghosa; and that his strong emphasis on dhamma as moral norm is consistent with the efforts of the Thai government of his days to use religion to help build a strong nation-state. Buddhadasa breaks away from traditional Theravada exegetical methods and attitude toward scriptures. Advancing a theory of religious language/ truth not unlike Madhyamika, he emphasizes the ontological nature of dhamma. In particular, he interprets dhamma in terms of the Thai term for "nature," dhammajati, which he equates with "the normal" (pakati), dependent origination (paticcasamuppada), and emptiness (sunnata). In addition to analyzing the content of their thought to get at their distinctive interpretations of dhamma, the dissertation also contrasts the styles of Vajiranana and Buddhadasa in terms of Weberian-type categories, viewing Vajiranana as a charismatic priest and an ideal of the Buddha's right-hand disciple--a scholar-administrator (ganthadhura) monk--while Buddhadasa is a charismatic prophet and an ideal of the Buddha's left-hand disciple--a forest-dwelling meditator (vipassanadhura) monk. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Religious Studies First Advisor Guy R. Welbon Second Advisor Donald K. Swearer Keywords philosophy, religion, theology Subject Categories Philosophy | Religion This dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/954 THE CONCEPT OP DHAMMA IN THAI BUDDHISMi A STUDY IN THE THOUGHT OF VAJIRANANA AND BUDDHADASA PATARAPORN SIRIKANCHANA A DISSERTATION in Religious Studies Presented to the faculties of the University of Pennsylvania in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy 1985 Supervisor of Dissertation JJirhMJL K JjuHfUuA—' Supervisor of Dissertation Graduate Group Chairperson Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Copyright Pataraporn Sirikanchana 1985 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Acknowledgements This dissertation could not have been completed without the help and kindness of many advisors and friends. The Harvard-Yenching Institute supported my study at the University of Pennsylvania from the beginning to the end of my doctoral program. Without this aid my tenure in the United States would not have been possible. Professors G. R. Welbon and Donald K. Swearer were generous with their assistance, working closely with me until my dissertation was completed. They will always be held in the deepest esteem and gratitude. The computer rooms of the Department of Religious Studies contribute greatly to my success. Without the use of the word-processor, I might not have been able to finish my work on time. I would like to thank Professor Robert A. Kraft who allowed me the use of computer facili­ ties. I owe a special debt of thanks to Jackie Pastis whose instruction and assistance enabled me to computerize the whole dissertation and submit it to the Graduate Office in time. I am very grateful to Jack Abercrombie who helped me comput rize the dissertation and to Ted Bergren iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. who encouraged me and initially taught me to use the com­ puter instead of a typewriter. Thanks go to many American friends in the computer rooms who came to help me willing­ ly whenever I had some problems with the machine. I have learned much about the field of religion from the professors under whom I worked in the Religious Studies Program. In particular, I wish to thank Pro­ fessors Ann Matter and Stephen Dunning for their support and guidance throughout my entire academic years. I am also grateful to my father who sent from Thailand many of the materials I needed for my disserta­ tion research. Finally, I would like to acknowledge a debt of gratitude to the Department of Religious Studies. Its members were loving, caring and supportive, thereby contributing to the successful completion of my program. iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................... iii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ........................... vii PREFACE ......................... viii Chapter I. INTRODUCTION ................................... 1 Meaning of Dhamma in the Pali Tipitaka . 1 Buddhaghosa1s Expositions of Dhamma . 19 The Normative Buddhist Interpretation of Dhamma in Thai Buddhism ............ 35 The Popular Interpretation of Dhamma . 52 II. THAI SOCIO-POLITICAL HISTORY DURING THE TIMES OF VAJIRANANA AND BUDDHADASA . 78 The Period of Thai Modernization ......... 79 Contemporary Thailand and Buddhadasa . 117 III. VAJIRANANA'S INTERPRETATION OF DHAMMA .... 156 The Meaning of Dhamma in Vajiranana's W o r k .......................... 157 An Analysis of Vajiranana's Dhamma in the Thai Social C o n t e x t .............. 197 IV. BUDDHADASA'S INTERPRETATION OF DHAMMA .... 238 Introduction ................................ 2 38 The Meaning of Dhamma in Buddhadasa's W o r k ..................... 241 Buddhadasa's Methods of Dhammic Expositions .................. 284 C o n c l u s i o n ..................................... 299 V. C O N C L U S I O N ........................................ 313 The Meaning of Charisma ..................... 313 v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Vaj iranana1s and Buddhadasa's Life and Work as Charismatic Reformers of Thai Buddhism 3 2 4 ILLUSTRATIONS .......................................... 342 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................ 348 INDEX ................................................... 3 59 Vi Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 1. Wisdom Sprung Out of the M u d .................... 342 2. Wrong Practice of Buddha-Dhamma ................ 343 3. Acceptance of the Dhamma ...................... 344 4. Thai Territorial Losses in 1907 and 1909 .... 345 5. Vaj irariana-varorasa, Prince-Patriarch ........ 346 6. Buddhadasa-bhikkhu ................................ 347 vii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. PREFACE The transliteration of Pali terms in this dissertation follows the standard form of Davids, T. W. Rhys, and Stede, William, eds. The Pali Text Society’s Pali-Enqlish Dictionary. London: The Pali Text Society, 1979. And the transliteration of Thai terms generally follows a modified version of Phya Anuman Rajadhon. Thai Language. Bangkok: The National Culture Institute, 1956. Personal names and titles, however, are romanized according to the popular use in English, for example, King Ramkhamhaeng (not King Ram Kamhaeng) and King Vajiravudh (not King Vajiravudh). I would like to give my special thanks to Professor Donald K. Swearer who initially provides me with his helpful advice and materials for the transliteration of Thai terms throughout this dissertation. PATARAPORN SIRIKANCHANA Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • December 1985 viii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION The term "dhamma11 is perhaps the most important term in Pali Buddhism because its discovery entitled
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