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DEVELOPMENT and SIGNIFICANCE in BUDDHIST SOCIETY Pisit

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DEVELOPMENT and SIGNIFICANCE in BUDDHIST SOCIETY Pisit PRARATCHAPUCCHA : a clear and correct understanding about DEVELOPMENT AND Buddhist doctrines and disciplines. SIGNIFICANCE IN The tradition of “Praratchapuccha” has 1 BUDDHIST SOCIETY been passed down to Thai society and can be seen in the form of Royal Buddhist Pisit Kobbun 2 inquiry, serving the purpose of not only maintaining the Buddhist teachings, but also encouraging monks to actively engage Abstract in finding the most comprehensible explanation and answers to the king’s The research paper aims to study the questions based on the various Buddhist development and significance of texts. “Praratchapuccha”, a Royal inquiry on Buddhist problems, directed at the Buddha Introduction himself as well as his disciples. It studies the roles and significance of Praratchapuccha is a royal inquiry on “Praratchapuccha” during and after the Buddhist matters proposed to monks in the Buddha’s era and in early Thai society. hope of getting clear answers. HRH Prince The study reveals the development and the Damrong Rajanubhab (1970) stated the transmission of “Praratchapuccha” as characteristics of Praratchapuccha as follows: well as the significance of “Praratchapuccha” in Buddhist society. The method of Praratchapuccha, as seen in written records, was “Praratchapuccha” was and is an sometimes done in the presence of important tradition in Buddhist society, in monks, sometimes through dictation the Buddha’s time and after the Buddha’s at the hands of royal pundits. Then time. In the Buddha’s era, the Praratchapuccha was presented “Praratchapuccha” served the purpose of to the Supreme Patriarch… The encouraging kings to be Buddhist Praratchapuccha tradition is supporters, thereby ensuring a firm believed to be a tradition carried on establishment of Buddhism. In the post- in countries that have been Buddhist Buddha era, “Praratchapuccha” served countries since ancient times. In the purpose of disseminating and revising other countries no Praratchapuccha the Buddha’s teaching as well as creating manuscripts have been found, except for the Milindapañha scripture, in 1 This research paper is an excerpt from a which King Milinda interrogated research entitled “Praratchapuccha: Nāgasena in India. Perhaps succeeding Development and Literary Value” supported kings, touched by Buddhism, liked by The Thailand Research Fund (TRF). I am the style of King Milinda and so grateful to Associate Professor Dr.Suchitra Praratchapuccha Chongstitvatana for her suggestions and became a comments. tradition. (Damrong Raganubhab 2 Lecturer, Department of Eastern Languages 1970: Introduction) and Literature, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Ubon Ratchathani University. In this study I aim to examine Praratchapuccha as a tradition which has Downloaded from Brill.com10/04/2021 02:42:51AM via free access MANUSYA: Journal of Humanities Regular 12.2, 2009 been carried on since the Buddha’s time After the Buddha had attained supreme until its appearance in Thai society by knowledge, he preached firstly to the five examining Praratchapuccha with regard to wandering ascetics (1995: 263–268), then the traditional development of Buddhist to Yasa and friends, until there were 60 society, its continued existence and its arahat 4 disciples. The Buddha then sent importance in the context of different these disciples to spread Buddhism to periods and social conditions. different lands (Strong 2002: 85–88). The Buddha himself went to R ājagaha Magadha Praratchapuccha in the Buddha’s time to preach King Bimbis āra. He had promised that the King would be the first In the Buddha’s time, there existed many person to hear his sermon if he had beliefs in society. Evidence from the attained supreme knowledge. Moreover, it Tipitaka displays society at that time as is likely that the Buddha saw that King group of people in search of the path to Bimbis āra was the ruler of a big town. So liberation from suffering. For example, teaching King Bimbis āra, and leading him Brahmaj ālas Sutta, D īgha Nik āya (Walshe to have faith in Buddhism would lead to 1987: 73–75) sets out, in sixty-two an increase in the number of Buddhist divisions, always going out from various believers and the firm establishment of forms of ancient views of liberation while Buddhism. Path aman ānātth iya Sutta, Ud āna (Ireland 1997: 81–84) showed the disputation over Formerly King Bimbis āra and the those beliefs. There were philosophical and Rājagaha townsfolk had revered the three religious debates. The Buddha himself, after Jat ila brothers. Then, Lord Buddha declaring Buddhism, had to deliver sermons journeyed to Magadha and started to teach to many sect leaders. Uruvelakassapa, his two brothers and 1,000 servants to abandon the former faith Among the variety of beliefs in the and turn to Buddhism, resulting in their all Buddha’s time, there were the sects of six attaining arahatship and becoming his teachers 3 that were popular and played an disciples. important role in the Buddha’s time. In other words, there were many believers, and When the Buddha and King Bimbisāra importantly, there were kings and townsfolk first met, according to the Tipit aka, King who formerly had had faith in these cults Bimbis āra heard the message that the before converting to Buddhism. For Buddha had displayed great intelligence in instance, King Bimbis āra and the Rājagaha attaining enlightenment on his own, as people believed in the three Jat ila brothers well as teaching doctrine to humans, (matted-hair ascetics). King Pasenadi and brahm ā and angels, and had journeyed to the people of Kosala believed in Brahmans Rājagaha. Therefore, King Bimbis āra went and Nigan th a a (ascetic in Jainism) . with the householders of Magadha to pay homage to the Buddha. He and the householders wondered why Uruvelakassapa 3 The six teachers are Pur āna-Kassapa, 4 Arahat is “the term denotes a person who had Makkhali-Gos ā, Ajita-Kesakambala, Pakudha- gained insight into the true nature of things. In Kacc āyana, Sañjaya-Belatth iputta, Nigan th a- the Buddhist movement, the Buddha was the Nātaputta first arahant.” 32 Downloaded from Brill.com10/04/2021 02:42:51AM via free access Praratchapuccha and his brothers and disciples had given up became an enduring practice in Buddhist fire-worship and had turned to a faith in society. the Buddha. To this, Uruvelakassapa replied that having listened to the Buddha’s King Aj ātasattu also had Praratchapuccha sermons and immediately grasping with the Buddha repeatedly. One very Buddhist doctrine, which was the way to important occasion was the first encounter. peace, he had abandoned fire-worship That Praratchapuccha occasion made which was useless, and had professed Buddhism a more widely accepted religion himself the Buddha’s disciple. On this because it confirmed the prophet’s occasion the Buddha preached to King teaching. According to the Sāmaññaphala Bimbis āra and the Brahman householders Sutta and D īgha Nik āya (Walshe 1987: of the Magadha, delivering gradual 91–109) King Aj ātasattu mentioned in the instructions (anupubbikath ā) namely: (1) Praratchapuccha that all careers that men dāna-kath ā , sermon on giving, (2) s īla-kath pursued to earn their living at that time ā, sermon on good conduct, (3) sagga-kath allowed them to easily provide for ā, sermon on heaven, and (4) magga-kath ā, themselves and their people, as well as to sermon on the path to Nibbana; he make merit to the Brahman ascetics for proclaimed the danger, elimination and their physical and psychological impurity of sense desire and the benefit of contentment. Then, was the Buddha able lack of desire. Then he delivered a precept to explain the benefits of being a Buddhist that was the core of Buddhism, which is recluse as a state attained through dhamma the Four Noble Truths: suffering, its practice? The Buddha asked King origin, its cessation and the path to Aj ātasattu whether he had asked other liberation. The entire audience became priests and contemplatives this question; enlightened and professed themselves to the latter replied that he had asked all six be Buddhist laymen (Horner 1993: 52–55). teachers but no one could give a King Bimbis āra attained sot āpattiphala (the satisfactory answer, so the Buddha taught fruition of stream-entry ), became a him about the fruits of the contemplative sot āpanna (stream enterer ), and professed life with counter-questions: himself to be a Buddhist. King Bimbis āra thought of an appropriate dwelling place 1. If a person who used to be a slave or for the Buddha and his disciples, so he labourer of King Aj ātasattu’s had gone offered the Vel uvana (bamboo grove), for into the monkhood and had behaved the Buddha and the latter accepted it. This decently, would the king demand that he is considered the first temple in Buddhist return to his former status as a slave or history. labourer? King Aj ātasattu said he would not but would show reverence and offer After converting to Buddhism, King the four requisites and protection. The Bimbis āra maintained Buddhism in all Buddha concluded that these were the aspects, resulting in a large number of rewards of monkhood as seen at the Buddhist believers in Magadha. The current time. Tipitaka also shows that King Bimbis āra repeatedly had Praratchapuccha with the 2. If a person who used to be a farmer and ā Buddha. The tradition of having a householder of King Aj tasattu’s had Praratchapuccha was thus formed and gone into the monkhood and behaved decently, would the king demand that he 33 Downloaded from Brill.com10/04/2021 02:42:51AM via free access MANUSYA: Journal of Humanities Regular 12.2, 2009 return to his former householder status as a King Pasenadi was the king of Kosala. He farmer? King Aj ātasattu said the same as was an important patron of Buddhism in for the previous question, that these were the Buddha’s time.
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