Dr.BCR.Mangalapirya
wat suthivararam
yannawa,satorn.
Bangkok,10120.
Thailand
Introduction
Communication is a process whereby information is encoded and imparted by a sender to a receiver via a medium. The receiver then decodes the message and gives the sender a feedback. Communication requires that all parties have an area of communicative commonality. There are auditory means, such as speaking, singing and sometimes tone of voice, and nonverbal, physical means, such as baby language, sign language, paralanguage, tough, eye contact by using writing.
Communication is thus a process by which we assign and convey meaning in an attempt to create shared understanding. This process requires a vast repertoire of skills in intrapersonal and interpersonal processing, listening, observing, speaking, questioning, analyzing, and evaluating. If you use these processes it is developmental and transfers to all areas of life: home, school, community, work, and beyond. It is through communication that collaboration and cooperation occur.
Communication is the articulation of sending a message through different media. Whether it be verbal or nonverbal, so long as a being transmits a thought provoking idea, gesture, action, etc. Communication is a learned skill. Most babies are born with the physical ability to make sounds, but must learn to speak and communicate effectively. Speaking, listening and our ability to understand verbal and nonverbal meanings are skills we develop in various ways. We learn basic communication skills by observing other people and modeling our behaviors based on what we see. We also are taught some communication skills directly through education, and by practicing those skills and having them evaluated.
Background and significance of the issue
When Buddha came in to existence there were many religions in jambudipa (india). There were totally sixty two heretical famous teachers during his time. And all of them held different teachings with different styles, among all the sixty two heretical teachers these six teachers were the most famous teacher during Buddha’s time. Such as 1. Puranakassapa, 2.makkhalighosala, 3.Ajitakesakambali, 4.pakudhakacchayana, 5.sanjayabellattiputta and nigantanathaputta. Their teachings were followed by many people as well.But Buddha criticized them all easily by His own method of communicating. So the thing is how He did that.
Objective of the research
The objective of this research are as follows.
1. To study the teaching of the Buddha
2. To know His method of communicating
3. To know His fundamental principles
4. To know how a teacher should act.
5. To know how to live with people
6. To make a Buddha’s image in our mind
And etc
Statement of problem desired to know
1. The status of Brahmins in ancient Indian society
2. How they used to communicate
3. How Buddha used to communicate
4. How differently the teachers communicate
Expected benefits
1. To understand the teachings of other teachers.
2. To understand how important the communication is.
3. To understand what the speaker wants to say
4. To understand Buddha’s method of explaining thing.
5. To understand the dharma through real understanding.
Buddha’s principle way of communication
It is said that He was reluctant to teach the doctrine at very beginning, He realized that the doctrine He discovered was profound (gambhīro), difficult to understand (duranubodho), difficult to see (duddaso), can not be known only through logic (atakkAvacaro) and should be known by the wise. The åriyapariyesanasutta of MN says that the Buddha decided so because human beings are led by powerful defilements, preaching the doctrine to such group will be only for the tiredness of the teacher. Yet the Buddha later decided that He should preach for still there are some with less defilement.
Because of this situation the Buddha should have thought different ways of preaching the doctrine to the people. In the µahAvekhanassasutta of MN the Buddha says the following regarding the suitable listeners to understand His doctrine.
“Etu viJJupuriso asaTho amAyAvī ujujAtiko ahamanusAsAmi. YathAnusiTThaM tathApaTipajjamAno nacirasseva sAmaM dakkhissati.”
“O wise man! Who is not shrewd and non deceiver and straight come I instruct (you). He before long by following and practicing will see (the truth) completely.”
The Buddha says honest, practical and result oriented individuals are capable of entering the path of right view, so the Buddha initially instructs to generate right view that makes a person humble and goal oriented.
1. Ānupubbīkathā:
This means gradual Talk. The Buddha preaches in a gradual method according to the mental capacities and understanding of the listener. If the listener’s mind is not matured to understand the Four Noble Truths the doctrine will be preached to prepare his mind to accept them. That preparedness of mind is endowed with following qualities.
1. Suitable to be directed to Dhamma – Kallacitta
2. Soft mind – µuducitta
3. Freed mind from defilements – VinIvaraNacitta
4. Contented mind – üdaggacitta
5. Pleasant mind – PassaNNacitta
“To prepare mind in this manner the talks on generosity, morality, heaven, bad results of sensual desire, lowness of sensual desire, impurities and the good results of renunciation are preached.”
“TesaM bhagavA anupubbIkatham kathesi, seyyathIdaM dAnakathaM, sIlakathaM, saggakathaM, kAmAnaM AdInavaM, okAraM, saGkilesaM, nekkhamme ca AnisaMsuM pakAseti.”
(µahAvaggapAli)
2. Sāmukkaŋsikadesanā:
The talk on own higherness means another level of following gradual talk. To person whose mind is prepared with gradual talk to them the Buddha used to preach with this method. In level he is directly drown to Four Noble Truths to accept with knowledge of cause and effect of good and bad.
“åtha yA buddhAnaM sAmukkaMsikA desanA taM pakAsesi, dukkhaM, samudayaM, nirodhaM maggaM. seyyathApi nAma suddhaM vatthaM apagata kAlakaM sammadeva rajanaM patigaNheyya, evameva tesaM tasmiM yeva Asane virajaM vItamalaM dhammacakkhaM udapAdi “yaM kiJci samudayadhammaM sabbaM taM nirodha dhammanti. te diTThadhammA pattadhammA honti.”
“Then whatever the Buddha’s talk on own higherness was preached (such as) unsatisfactoriness, arising of unsatisfactoriness, cessation unsatisfactoriness and the path to cease; such as a pure cloth that is free from stain would accept the coloring well, in the same way to them, on those seats themselves the eye of dharma free from dust and dirt arose (as) “whatever is of the nature of arising, they are of the nature of ceasing.” They are those who saw and approached dharma.”
This means establishing oneself firmly in the path of right view, such a person is no more a worldling. The Buddha preaches to achieve this purpose.
3. Pariyāyadesanā:
In this method he used to teach varieties of presentation. To achieve the purpose given above the Buddha preaches dharma in various ways. In the üdAgisutta of AN the Buddha gives five principles to be followed by the preacher when he is preaching.
1. ånupubbīkathaM = Presentation of dharma with gradual talk.
2. PariyAyadassAvi = Presentation of dharma in various ways.
3. ånuddayakathaM = Presentation of dharma with compassion.
4. ña Amisantaro = Presentation of dharma without expecting for material things.
5. åttAnaJca paraJca anupahacca desanA = Presentation of dhamma without contrasting oneself o others.
PariyAyadesanA means preaching the dharma in various ways; this has been discussed in the Bahuvedaniyasutta of MN when Buddha preached Ānanda that “O Ānanda! I have preached dharma in various ways (pariyAyadesito kho Ānanda mayA dhammo).” Later Buddhist School adopted this idea in their presentation of dharma. It was Theravādins who thought that the traditional ways should be followed without changed, but the other Schools adopted different ways of their own in explaining the dharma.
4+5. Neyyatthadesanā & Nītatthadesanā:
These two terms hold the meaning of Teaching of which meaning is to be brought and teaching of which meaning is already brought. Human language is a man made thing as it is understood by Buddhism. The Brāhmanic view of language was that language is a divine creation, therefore, Brahmins belief Vedic Sanskrit language to be perfect. Buddhism understands the language in different light. According to Buddhist view of language, the language has different deficiencies and inadequacies because it is a man made thing. Human language never represents everything on human thought, therefore, Buddhism says that sometimes truth can be fully expressed and sometimes it is not. Therefore, some teachings represent the teaching directly. They are called ‘nītatthadesanA’ (meaning brought) and the teachings that should be understood after further verification called ‘neyyatthadesana’ (meaning to be brought). The pakiNNakavagga of the ∂hammapada depending on this philosophical teaching says:
“µAtaraM pitaraM hantvA – rAjAno dve ca khattiye
raTThaM sAnucaraM hantvA – anIgho yAti brahmaNo
“Having killed mother and father, and the two warrior kings
having destroyed a country and revenue officer, the brahmana goes ungrieving.
Here mother represents craving as reproduces birth,
Father represents conceit,
Two kings represent the two views called Eternalism and Nihilism,
Country represents ignorance or sense objects
Revenue officer represents clinging to life (cankers)
Brahmana represents the liberated one.
The Buddha says those two kinds of discourses should not be mixed. Each should be understood as it is.
“Yo ca nItattaM suttantaM neyyattaM suttantanti dIpeti, neyyatthaM suttantaM nItattaM suttantanti dIpeti te tathAgataM abbhAcikkhanti.”
6. Use of Verse and Prose Media:
In the teachings of the Buddha verse and prose media has been used more often than not. In preaching instruction and discussion the Buddha use prose, the verses were mostly to introduce a subject or to make a summery at the end and on the other hand verses helped disciples to keep the contents in memory in brief form also quickly. In question and answer method verses were used more often and they are recorded in all the five ñikAyas of the SuttapiTaka. The Vutthisutta of SN has the following verses representing the discussion between disciples and the Buddha.
KiMsu uppatataM seTThaM - kiMsu nipatataM varaM,
kiMsu pavajamAnAnaM - kiMsu pavadataM varaM.
“What is the best among arising? What is the best in falling?
What is the best in wanderers? What is the best among speaking?”
This was like a puzzle that was in folk literature in the Buddha’s time. So the general answer was as follows.
BIjaM uppatataM seTThaM - vuTThi nipatataM varaM,
gAvo pavajamAnAnaM - putto pavadataM varaM.
“Seed is best among arising, Rain is best among falling things,
Cow is best among wanderers (those who can walk) Son is best among speakers”.
The Buddha gave a different answer to this age old question.
VijjA uppatataM seTThaM - avijjA nipatataM,
sangho pavajamAnAnaM - Buddho pavadataM varaM.
“ Knowledge is best among arising, Ignorance is best in falling,
Community is best among wanderers, The Buddha is best among speakers”
In the Buddha’s use of prose four fold methods are recorded in early literature.
1. EkasaMvyAkaraNīiya – Analyzing one topic
2. PatipucchAvyAkaraNīya – Question and answering method of analyzing
3. VibhajjavyAkaraNīya – Detailed analysis
4. Thapanīya – Observing silence
6. Silence of the Buddha:
The Buddha emerged in this world for happiness, benefit, welfare of many people not for one and few only. There were ten unanswered questions which were not only put to the Buddha, but to some religious teachers and who were living before the Buddha as well as prevailing religious thoughts. The religious teachers who were before the Buddha and contemporary had answered but they were not satisfactory answered given for them. Therefore the contemporary intelligent people were searching for the satisfactory answers of them.
In Buddhist canon there are many places where the ten unanswered questions (avyAkata) were put to the Buddha as well as to his disciples. Once a Brahmin named Vacchagotta who we had come across many times in suttas, asked these questions but the Buddha kept silence therein. When he left, Ven. Ānanda asked the Buddha why he did not reply to the questions. Then the Buddha says thus to him “if he says yes it will fall into Eternalist view, if he says no it will be Nihilist view”. So he does not want to be fallen to any one of these views. These ten were not only done answer but there are some others as recorded in the Acitayasutta of AN; they are enumerated in four unthinkable subjects:
1. Buddha visaya
2. Kamma visaya
3. loka visaya
4. Citta visaya
Therefore some of ten are including in these four unthinkable subjects. The Buddha did not answer these is that he does not want to spend his time answering these questions because they do not lead to liberation. Suppose you want to know the last coil of cabbage. Of course you may search of it but at last when you open the coils one by one you may get nothing than knowledge of its end. In the same the Buddha will be tire of answering them but they will get nothing for liberation.
One day his own disciple named µAlunkyaputta having got up from his meditation, went to the Buddha and said thus that you did not answer these questions; if the Blessed one does not answer them he will not lead the holy life. Thereon the Buddha says to him if you were shot, will you find out the arrow, what color is, made of what, from where, who shot, to which clan does he belongs etc. or will cure the worn first. So if he could cure the worn first he may read it and another word if he attain arahant hood he will be free from these questions.
For detail explanation refer to chapter 8 the Silence of the Buddha in “Early Buddhism: Its Religious and Intellectual Milieu” by Chandima Wijebandara and “What the Buddha Taught” by Dr. W. Rahula thera in page thirteen.
8. Audio and visual aids:
In the teaching and preaching the Buddha used visual aids in order to make the teaching clearer and understandable to the listeners.
Verse, similes, metaphors, Jatakas tales, parables and anecdotes can be counted as audio aids employed by the Buddha to make the teachings more closer to the listeners.
Use of piece of cloth in teaching to Cullapantaka, showing a dead she monkey to Nanda, showing a figure of an attractive woman to Khema and mastered seeds asked to bring for Kisagotami’s child can be counted as visual aids of the Buddha in teaching preaching to His disciples.
The on going observation clearly shows that the Buddha used every possible tool in transmitting the massage of the dharma to His disciples when He was preaching.
He taught us to tread the Middle Way, to be neither too strict nor too slack, to go to neither the one extreme nor the other. The Middle Way consists, on one hand, in not creating hardships for yourself and, on the other hand, not indulging to your heart's content in sensual pleasures. Walking the Middle Way brings about conditions which are in every way conducive to study and practice, and to success in putting an end to dukkha (suffering). Buddha taught self help. He said: "Self is the refuge of self."
The Buddha said, "Buddhas merely point out the way. Making the effort is something that each individual must do for himself." The Buddha taught that everything is caused and conditioned. Everything happens in consequence of causes and conditions, and in accordance with law. Each thing arises from a cause. We must know the cause of that thing and the ceasing of the cause of that thing." This principle of Dharma is scientific in nature, and we can say that the principles of Buddhism agree with the principles of science. The Buddha did not use individuals or subjective things as criteria; that is to say, Buddhism is a religion of reason.
"Avoid evil, do good, purify the mind."
Those three together are called the "OvŒda pŒtimokkha", meaning the "summary of all exhortations". "All compounded things (all things and all beings in this world) are perpetual, forever breaking up (they are impermanent).
Conclusion
The Buddha taught us to walk the Middle Way. The Buddha taught self-help is the best first. The Buddha taught us to be familiar with the law of causality and to adjust the causes appropriately for the desired results to follow. The Buddha taught as the principle of practice "Avoid evil, do good, purify the mind” Finally, the Buddha reminded us that all compounded things are impermanent and perpetual and that we must be well-equipped with heedfulness. So I believe I gave all the principles of the Buddha in brief in my above explanation. And these are the method followed by him. By following these methods He became success.
Biography
Name: Rev. Mangala priya
Educational background
2009-present BA, Candidate (Buddhist studies)
Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University
2006-2007 Candidate of advance level (Buddhist studies)
Compassion Buddhist institute, Sri Lanka.
2001-2006 Candidate of ordinary level, (Buddhist studies)
Compassion Buddhist institute, Sri Lanka.
A student of BA 1st year (2009)
Mahachulalongkornrajavidyala University,
Faculty of Buddhism. Bangkok.
THAILND
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