Development of the concept of mind in Theravada Buddhism

Abstract

This article is an academic article that aims to present the development of the concept of mind in the Theravada Buddhist scriptures by studying as follows 1. Set the concept (Concept), 2 Collect content, 3 Analyze / synthesize data groups (Classification). The result of the study found that in Theravada Buddhist scriptures stating of the concept of mind in the view of Brahmanism which was a pre-Buddhist belief that contradicts the Buddhist viewpoint of the state of commonality, showing the process of the mind according to the principle of reaction of Paticcasamuppāda (dependent origination, or dependent arising) by using different words to name the mind according to different functions, Such as (mind:Citta; heart/mind: Mno; spirit/consciousness: viññāṇa ). In the Suttantapitaka scriptures which some scholars’ believe that is the original concept that describes the mind of the Buddha. Later, the next generation of disciples proposed the concept of spirituality (ultimate realities) by classifying the mind into different types in the scriptures, they are the Abhidhamma Pitaka (The Abhidhamma Piṭaka is a collection of canonical texts in the Theravada Buddhist tradition) and the Abhidhamma Mattasangha, this can be considered as the development of the concept of mind in the Theravada Buddhist scriptures.