AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF WORLD IN THERAVADA BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY

Abstract

The objectives of this research article were: 1) to study the concept of world in eastern philosophy, 2) to study the concept of world in Theravada Buddhist philosophy, and 3) to analyze the concept of world in Theravada Buddhist philosophy. The data of this documentary research were collected from the Tipitaka and related documents.
The results of the study found that:- 1) The concept of world in eastern philosophy, especially in Indian philosophy, could be concluded that: (1) The Vedas as the fairy tale specified that the world and everything were created and controlled by gods, and as philosophy, the only truth was Satta, (2) According to Nyaya philosophy, the world consisting of uncountable number of atoms could really exist, but space and time were objectivity and independent, (3) Vaisheshika philosophy believed that the world and things were composed of the four elements; earth, water, air and fire, (4) In Samkhya, matter was the origin of the world and everything, (5) Yoga philosophy believed that Sampayoga, the compound of matter and ultimate reality, was the origin of evolution of the world and things, and (6) Mimamsa philosophy taught that the world has been existed for a long time and everything in the world was originated from matters, (7) According to Vedanta philosophy, the world is a phenomena of Brahman and has never been created, and (8) In Upanishad, Brahman was the original cause of things and that were gradually evolved. 2) According to Theravada Buddhist philosophy, the world is not limited only for human beings and other creatures within this world, but it also includes other states of existence and planes of consciousness. The world is in the cycle of happening, existing and declining naturally. The concept of world in Theravada Buddhist philosophy was focused on human beings rather than on other creatures. 3) The concept of world in Theravada Buddhist philosophy can be divided into 3 main groups; 1) Geographical world consisted of the world of man, the heavenly world, and the Brahma world, 2) Ethical world was composed of the world of sense-desire, the world of form, and the formless world, and 3) The world in the concept of Buddhaghosa consisted of the world of location, the world of beings, and the world of formations.