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THE THERAVĀDA BUDDHIST CONCEPT OF WORLD IN RELATION TO HUMAN SUFFERING AND HAPPINESS Ravindra Lal Weeraratne Koggalage A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Buddhist Studies) Graduate School Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University C.E. 2018 The Theravāda Buddhist Concept of World in Relation to Human Suffering and Happiness Ravindra Lal Weeraratne Koggalage A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Buddhist Studies) Graduate School Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University C.E. 2018 (Copyright by Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University) i Dissertation Title : The Theravāda Buddhist Concept of World in Relation to Human Suffering and Happiness Researcher : Prof. R.L.W. Koggalage Degree : Doctor of Philosophy (Buddhist Studies) Dissertation Supervisory Committee : Ven. Dr. Phramaha Somboon Vuddhikaro : Prof. Udaya Meddegama Date of Graduation : March 11, 2019 Abstract Throughout the history, people have tried to understand the world to reduce suffering and increase human happiness. Scientists and many others try to put their best effort to increase the way of satisfying the human senses, as they believed that it is the way to end suffering and gain ultimate happiness. However, Buddhist perspective of world in relation to human happiness and suffering is slightly different from this approach. Buddha has clearly mentioned that one cannot gain ultimate happiness from the external world just by trying to satisfy senses and also craving for that leads to more and more suffering. According to Buddhism, one has to understand the reality of what suffering is, causes of it, cessation of suffering, and the path leading to that in order to gain ultimate happiness. Buddha has also mentioned that this world lies on suffering, and to understand the reality of the world, causes of it, its cessation, and the path leading to that cannot be found externally, but within this fathom long body. The question arises here is, whether the world can give real human happiness with no suffering, as many people including scientists are trying to gain happiness by improving material world in order to satisfy senses, or is there any other path shown by the Buddha. This research investigates the above question in detail with reference to Theravāda Buddhism. Therefore, it is important to investigate the relevant sections of the Tipiṭaka and interpretations of it as the primary source. In this research data collection is based on accessing those resources by using books, publications, meeting or listening to sermons of practioners, and also by using internet resources. The methodology applied here is not just based on referring to scholarly work, but also to use practical experience to ii critically analyze, with the aim of revealing the Buddha’s intention of teachings with respect to gain ultimate happiness. Initial parts of the research try to understand how philosophers, scientists, and other non-Theravāda teachings tried to gain the happiness from the world and to see whether they have achieved ultimate happiness. Then the Buddhist perspective about the material world, mental world, and suffering and happiness is investigated. Findings of this research show that the Buddhist perspective of the world is different from others in relation to human happiness and suffering. According to Buddhism one cannot gain ultimate happiness just by trying to increase the happiness gained through by satisfying the senses with material world. One can achieve ultimate happiness within this life by following the Noble Eight Fold Path, as shown by the Buddha; in order to understand the reality of world by developing one’s own wisdom. iii Acknowledgement First of all I would like to express my sincere thanks to Dr. Upali Sedere, Rector, Sri Lanka International Buddhist Academy (SIBA), for accepting me as a Ph.D. student and giving this opportunity. As head of the Department of Postgraduate Studies, Dr. Iromi Ariyarathne did a tremendous job, of organizing all academic matters, and guiding us to progress towards this submission. Without her tireless efforts, this would not be successful. My sincere thanks for you as well, madam. My sincere thanks are due to Rector, Dean and other supportive staff of MCU for accepting us as Ph.D. students and also kind support given during our visit to Thailand in 2016. I also wish to pay my gratitude and thanks to Venerable Dr. Phramahā Somboon Vuḍḍhikaro, the Dean of Graduate School of MCU who has kindly agreed to supervise my thesis, apart from his busy schedule. Thank you sir and it is very valuable for me to have you as my MCU supervisor! Professor Udaya Meddegama has agreed to supervise my research project even with his busy schedule of academic life. He helped me even when was in Thailand, by reading drafts of this thesis. I really appreciate his commitment and all the advice given to me, which helped me a lot to bring my thesis up to this standard. I would like to pay my sincere gratitude and thank you very much sir! Author’s profuse thanks are due to Professor A. F. P. De Zoysa, Chief Consultant, Overseas Education Consultancy, Cosmecks Sri Lanka, for his efforts, who has volunteered to read my whole thesis, with his keen interest in Buddhism and helped me correct many language errors in accord with the standard expected as research/academic writing. I would like to thank all others including fellow colleagues who offered their comments, ideas, and criticisms in this work. They even contributed to improve the content in my thesis. Last but not least, I would like to pay my respect for my parents who brought me up in a Buddhist background and all other family members and friends, who directly or indirectly helped me my meditation practice and teachings, allowing me to gain iv knowledge about what Buddha had taught, and organizing them in a thesis like this so that many others might gain some benefit along the path towards Nibbāna. May all those merits help you all to enter the path shown by the Buddha to realize the ultimate happiness of Nibbāna within this life! Ravindra L. W. Koggalage March 11, 2019 v Table of Contents Page Abstract i Acknowledgement iii Table of Contents v List of Figures vii List of Tables viii List of Abbreviations ix Chapter I Introduction 1.1 Background and Significance of the Research Problems 1 1.2 Objectives of the Research 1 1.3 Statement of the Problems Desired to Know 3 1.4 Scope of the Research 4 1.5 Definition of the Terms Used in the Research 4 1.6 Review of Related Literature and Research Works 5 1.7 Advantages Expected to Obtain from the Research 20 1.8 Structure of the Thesis 27 Chapter II Views of the World with Reference to Human Happiness 2.1. Scientific Views about the World and Happiness 30 2.2. Other Philosophical and Non-Theravāda Views 38 2.3. Buddha's Position on World and Happiness 50 2.3.1 Physical World and Happiness 64 2.3.2 Mental World and Happiness 69 2.3.3 Kāma, Rūpa, Arūpa Worlds and Happiness 73 2.3.4 Buddhist Attitude towards World of Happiness 74 Chapter III Dependant Origination (Paṭiccasamuppāda) of the Suffering 3.1 Critical Analysis of Paṭiccasamuppāda to Understand Suffering 82 3.2 Nāmarūpa Saḷāyatana and Right View about Suffering 90 vi 3.3 Saḷāyatana Phassa and Right View about Suffering 92 Chapter IV Path Leading to Understand the Reality and Overcome the World of Suffering 4.1 Noble Eight-fold Path 96 4.2 Four Foundations of Mindfulness 103 4.3 Two Types of Right Views (Sammādiṭṭhi) 108 4.3.1 Mundane Right View 108 4.3.2 Supra-Mundane Right View 108 Chapter V Self-Enlightenment towards Ultimate Happiness of Nibbāna 5.1 The Four Stages of Awakening and the Path 112 5.2 Places where Craving can Arise and its Causes 116 5.3 Senses and the Truth 118 5.3.1 Truth about the World Experienced by the Eye 118 5.3.2 Truth about the World Experienced by the Ear 121 5.3.3 Truth about the World Experienced by the Nose 123 5.3.4 Truth about the World Experienced by the Tongue 124 5.3.5 Truth about the World Experienced by the Body 125 5.3.6 Truth about the World Experienced by the Mind 126 5.4 Further Investigation of the Mind 127 Conclusion 131 Bibliography 135 Biography of the Researcher 142 vii List of Figures Figure 1: Artist’s impression of the New Horizons spacecraft, which 31 made a historic flyby of dwarf planet Pluto on July 14, 2015. (Credits: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute) Figure 2: The latest two full-frame images of Pluto and Charon were 32 collected separately by New Horizons during approach on July 13 and July 14, 2015. (NASA/JHUAPL/SWRI)- FoxNews Figure 3: Remarkable new details of Pluto's largest moon Charon are 32 revealed in this image from New Horizons' Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI), taken late on July 13, 2015 from a distance of 289,000 miles (466,000 kilometers) Figure 4: This artist's illustration shows the Earth and our solar system's 34 place in the Universe. Image Credit: Andrew Z. Colvin Figure 5: Comparison of eye and the camera 75 Figure 6: What mind sees is not the outside object 76 Figure 7: Image appeared on the TV screen 77 Figure 8: Flow of Cause and Effect combinations according to 78 Kalahavivāda Sutta Figure 9: Cause and Effect relationship in Dependent Origination 85 (Paṭiccasamuppāda) Figure 10: Three categories of the Noble Eight-Fold Path 100 Figure 11: Inter-relationships of the Noble Eight-Fold Path 101 viii List of Tables Table 1: Comparison