Thich Chon Thien - Personality

CONTENTS

FOREWORD (not available)
PREFACE

Part One : General Introduction

I.1 Chapter 1 : Introduction

I.1.1 : Title and clarification of the topic
I.1.2 : Scope of the topic

I.2 Chapter 2 : Dependent Origination as the Ultimate Truth of Life

I.2.1 : Indian Society and Thought before the Advent of Lord Buddha
I.2.2 : Lord Buddha's way to the Noble Truth

Part Two : Dependent Origination

II.1 Chapter 1: The Meaning of Dependent Origination

II.1.1 : Cause-Causal Law-Causal Happening - Things as Having Causally Happened
II.1.2 : The meaning of the twelve Causes
II.1.3 : The operation of the twelve Elements of Dependent Origination

II.2 Chapter 2: In the Light of Dependent Origination

II.2.1 : The outlook on Life and Universe
II.2.2 : Dependent Origination and Individual Problems
II.2.3 : Individual and Environment
II.2.4 : Individual and Human Values

Part Three : The concept of personality revealed through the Pancanikaya

III.1 Chapter 1: Contemporary Personality Theories

III.1.1 : Concept of Personality
III.1.2 : Features of Personality
III.1.3 : Review of typical personality theories

III.2 Chapter 2: Man is Pancakkhandha

III.2.1 : The meaning of Pancakkhandha
III.2.2 : The operation of Pancakkhandha
III.2.3 : The Five Aggregates and the problem of suffering and happiness

Part Four : Pancakkhandha and Individual problems

IV.1 Chapter 1: Individual Desire

IV.1.1 : Sensual desire
IV.1.2 : Sexual desire
IV.1.3 : Desire for Existence
IV.1.4 : Desire for Non-Existence
IV.1.5 : Regard of Wisdom

IV.2 Chapter 2: Five Aggregates and Individualized Education

IV.2.1 : Individualized Education
IV.2.1 : Individualized Education (continued)
IV.2.2 : Pancakkhandha & old, new Kamma
IV.2.3 : Cultivation of the five aggregates and Education

Part Five: Conclusion

V.1 Chapter 1: A New Course of Education and Culture

V.1.1 : New course of Education
V.1.2 : New course of Culture

V.2 Chapter 2: Solutions for Current Crises

V.2.1 : Solution for "Thought crisis"
V.2.2 : Solution for "Desire crisis"
V.2.3 : Solution for "Heart crisis"
V.2.4 : Solution for "Emotional crisis"
V.2.5 : Solution for "Morality crisis"
V.2.6 : Solution for "Environmental crisis"
V.2.7 : Solution for 'Educational crisis"

Index (not available)

I. Name Index
II. Discourse Index
III. Subject Index

Bibiography

I. Primary sources
II. Secondary sources

Diagrams (not available)

-Diagram 1 : Indian Thoughts
-Diagram 2 : Indian Thoughts before Buddhist Era classified in Buddhist Texts
-Diagram 3 : Indian Thoughts and Western Thoughts classified in the three spheres of Philosophy
-Diagram 4 : Personality theories for Education
-Diagram 5 : Individuals problems and their solutions
-Diagram 6 : Buddhist spirits of Education for the wholeness of man

-ooOoo-

PREFACE

Buddhism is often understood as a religion or an ethical way of life for the Buddhists. Not so many articles consider it as a way of education. Even in a very well-known educational work entitled "Theories of Personality" by Calvin S. Hall and Gardner Lindzey, published in 1991, 3rd Edition, there is only one new chapter on "Eastern Psychology" discussing Abhidhamma, in sixteen pages, as an Eastern personality theory. In this research work, the author has made an attempt to present Lord Buddha's teachings recorded in the Pali Suttapitaka as a theory of personality on which a new course of education or culture may be based. The author began his work from the starting point of the current crises of human society, then came to Lord Buddha's concept of personality, then to the solutions for those crises. The author was aware of difficulties that he would come across during the period of proceeding with the work, but under the kind and interesting supervision and encouragement from his supervisor, Dr. Bhikshu Satyapala, he worked on the chosen topic, "The Concept of Personality revealed through the Pancanikaya", with confidence, especially after the topic was admitted by The Board of Research Studies for the Humanities, Delhi University, through its meeting held on February 16, 1994.

The author has divided his research work into five parts:

1. Introduction of the topic.
2. Dependent Origination as the Noble Truth.
3. The Concept of Personality revealed through the Pancanikaya.
4. Five Aggregates and Individual problems.
5. Conclusion: A new course of education or culture, and solutions for the current crises.

The author does not mention a human being as an entity having a permanent nature, but as a conditioned existence or a process of becoming. In doing this, the author has a hope that this research work will present something interesting to the world of education.

On the completion of this work, the author would like to express his sincere gratitude to Dr. K.T.S. Sarao, Head of the Department of Buddhist Studies, Delhi University, who gave him kind advice, to Dr. Reader, Bhikshu Satyapala who kindly supervised the whole work to its completion. He would also like to express his sincere gratitude to other Professors, Readers and Lecturers of the Department of Buddhist Studies.

He is also extremely grateful to the I.C.C.R. of the Indian Government for granting him a scholarship for M. Phil. and Ph.D. Studies, to Vietnamese Government for giving him permission to go to Delhi to pursue research in Buddhist Studies, and to Dr. Bhikkhu THICH MINH-CHAU, the Rector of the Vietnam Buddhist Research Institute, who always encouraged him to think of a Buddhist way of Education.

Last but not the least, the author does not fail to express here his gratitude to those whose works proved very useful source of reference for his Thesis.

Bhikkhu THICH CHON-THIEN (NGUYEN HOI)
Department of Buddhist Studies
University of Delhi, Delhi - 110007, India
1995

Sincere thanks to Ven. Thich Tam-Hai for providing the digital files of this book (Binh Anson, 02-2001)

The Concept of Personality Revealed Through The Pancanikaya

Ven. Thich Chon-Thien