THE WISE MEANS OF THE BUDDHA IN DELIVERING DHAMMA DISCOURSES IN LINE WITH THE SIX TYPES OF CHARACTERISTIC BEHAVIOURS

Abstract

This research has three objectives, i.e., (1) to study the Six Types of Characteristic Behaviors in Buddhism; (2) to study the wise means of the Buddha in delivering Dhamma discourses in line with the six types of characteristic behaviors; and (3) to suggest ways to apply the Buddha’s wise means to the preaching of Dhamma to the present Thai society. This is a documentary research of the Buddhist scriptures as well as works written by other authorities. The character or temperament of a person refers to her/his characteristic behaviors, basis of habits, or backgrounds of the minds that tend to fall into one of six types: (1) the lustful, (2) the hateful, (3) the deluded, (4) the faithful, (5) the intelligent, and (6) the speculative. The Buddha is most skillful in the three profi ciencies, i.e., (1) profi ciency as to gain or progress; (2) profi ciency as to loss or regress, and (3) profi ciency as to means or methods through which He applied to the four styles of teaching. They include: (1) elucidation and verifi cation, (2) incitement to take upon oneself, (3) encouragement, and (4) fi lling with delight and joy. Application of the three profi ciencies to the four methods of teaching yields the highest accomplishment when delivering Dhamma to people of the six types of characteristic behaviors. He spoke of impurity and mindfulness with regard to the body to the lustful; of practicing loving-kindness to the hateful; of mindfulness and maintenance in education, questioning, and conversing about the Dhamma to the deluded; of mindfulness of breath to the speculative; of the fi rst six refl ections to the faithful; and of the signs of insight: impermanence, unsatisfactoriness and no-self to the intelligent. Finally, the wise means of the Buddha is brought into discussion in order to suggest ways to apply them in disseminating Dhamma to the present Thai society.