Name Malee
Anakul.
Wariya Chinwanno, B.A., M.A., Ph.D.
Supaluckmondhalee Bhavabhutanonda, B.A., M.A.
Phra Metheevorrayarn, B.A. Pali grade 9
Date of graduation 3 May
B.E. 2539 (1996)
ABSTRACT
There are two vital obligations in Buddhism to study.
They are Ghanthadhura and Vipussanadhura.
The two are meant for each other as they will not be a right
understanding of life if we lack either one. Ghanthadhura is studying of
scripture of the Tripitaka and commentaries. Once one thoroughly understands
them, it is up to him to choose the way most suitable to his temperment. In
addition, the actual experience from
the practice will help one to prove for the truth by oneself.
The main objective of this thesis is to make a
comparative study between the khammathana
in the Mahasatipatthana-sutta, the
Abhidhammattha-samgaha and the Visuddhimagga,
including the study of the change of ideas in the scripture, and at the two
meditation practice centers, namely, The Omnoi Meditation
Center and the Vipassana Meditation Center of Wat
Mahadhatu. The thesis is divided into two parts: The documentary and the
field work. The first part is concerned with the
teaching of meditation or Kammatthana, both in theories and in practice as found
in the Tripitaka, the commentaries and other related works. The field work is
focused on the philosophy and the different method of meditation teaching by
interviewing eight persons from both place
mentioned above and the teachers from the Abhidhammajotika college.
According to the findings from the scriptures, it is
obvious that each scripture has different emphasees point. These
difference help make clear to us the best right part of
living.
The Mahasatipatthana-sutta stresses the four
foundations of
mindfulness,
while the Abhidhammattha-samgaha, not only stresses
mindfulness, but also illustrates the main points of natural conditions and the
phenomena of thoughts and behaviors which are obviously on the study side rather
than the practice
one. In
contrast , the Visuddhimagga shows relevant steps
of the three-fold training; morality, concentration and wisdom, even up to the
Sammathakammatthana and the Vipassanakammatthana to the final goal i.e. the
enlightenment. However, the right training is based on the understanding of
natural phenomena that have been told in the Abhidhammattha-samgaha.
In brief, the Abhidhammattha-samgaha
sheds some light on mindfulness in the Satipatthana provide an insight into the
development of Visudddhimagga.
A study of the meditation practice centers is to find
out whether both places adapt theory and
the method from the Mahasatipatthana-sutta. They build up different
practices i.e.
The Omnoi Meditation Center rewrites the
Satipatthana-sutta into fifteen ways of doing, but the content remain unchanged.
Beside the Satipatthana-sutta, the phenomena explained in the
Abhidhamamattha-samgaha and the three-fold training in Visuddhimagga also
provide another content for teaching. On the
contrary, The
Vipassana Meditation Center of Wat Mahadhatu adapts the method of
breathing and action watching into the new method called “Rising-Falling”.
This method is to develop mindfulness by keeping the mind of the meditator on
the abdomen while breathing in and out,with specific words to develop
concentration. The contents of teaching are explained step by step from the
Visuddhimagga rather than the phenomena in the Abhidhammattha-samgaha.
These adapted from ideas and methods provide
a basic way for each place to try to introduce and guide us in the right
direction. one can not say, however, which is the best method, just to help
widen our mind on Buddhism by combinding the good points of each and make use of
them in our dialy life.
Ultimately, meditation will
yield such fruits only if it is practised properly since there are many ways of
buddist maditations, the meditator should study first the teaching concerning
the practice of meditation in the scripture before making a decision to study a
particular branch of menditation center.