Reflections on Theravada Buddhism
Dr. Amartya Kumar Bhattacharya
BCE (Hons.) ( Jadavpur ), MTech ( Civil ) ( IIT Kharagpur ), PhD ( Civil ) ( IIT Kharagpur ), Cert.MTERM ( AIT Bangkok ), CEng(I), FIE, FACCE(I), FISH, FIWRS, FIPHE, FIAH, FAE, MIGS, MIGS – Kolkata Chapter, MIGS – Chennai Chapter, MISTE, MAHI, MISCA, MIAHS, MISTAM, MNSFMFP, MIIBE, MICI, MIEES, MCITP, MISRS, MISRMTT, MAGGS, MCSI, MMBSI
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In southern Asia, no serious difference of opinion on Buddhism ever arose. All these countries – India, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand – have accepted the principles of the Theravada Buddhist school and any differences that might be present are restricted to minor matters.
The earliest available teachings of Lord Buddha are to be found in the Pali Canon and belong to the Theravada Buddhist school, which may be called the most orthodox school of Buddhism. This school admits of the human nature of Lord Buddha and is characterised by a psychological understanding of human nature and emphasises a meditative approach to the transformation of the mind. The teaching of Lord Buddha according to this school includes the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path and the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination. Lord Buddha asks us to ‘abstain from all kinds of evil, to accumulate all that is good and to purify our mind’. These can be accomplished by The Three Trainings – the development of ethical conduct, meditation and insight-wisdom.
The philosophy of Theravada Buddhism is that all worldly phenomena are subject to three characteristics – they are impermanent and transient, unsatisfactory and there is nothing in them which can be called one’s own, nothing substantial and nothing permanent. All compounded things are made up of two elements – the non-material part and the material part. They are further described as consisting of nothing but five constituent groups, namely the material quality and the four non-material qualities – sensations, perception, mental inclinations and consciousness. When a person achieves the perfect state of insight, i.e. Nibanna, the person is a ‘worthy person’ – an Arahant. The life of the Arahant is the ideal of the followers of Theravada Buddhism – a life where all (future) birth is at an end, where the holy life is fully achieved, where all that has to be done has been done and where there is no more returning to the worldly life.
Dr. Amartya Kumar Bhattacharya 