Abstract

This thesis is an analytical study of Dhutaṅga Practice in the Buddhist Theravāda Scriptures.  It  aims:  1)  to  study  the  principle  of  Dhutaṅgas  in the  Buddhist  Theravāda  Scriptures,  2)  to  study   the  method  of   Dhutaṅgas  Practice  of  the  disciple in  the  period  of  Buddha  and  3)  to  study  an application  of  Dhutaṅgas  for  living  in  the  present  society.  The research methodology is documentary and field research.

The  result  of  research  is  found  that :

There are 13 items of Dhutaṅgas in the  Buddhist  Theravāda  Scriptures,  divided  into  4  groups  namely   1)  connected  with  Robes;  consisting  of  refuge-rag-wearer’s  practice  and  triple-robe-wearer’s  practice,  2)  Connected  with  alms-food; consisting  of  alms-food-eater’s  practice,  house-to-house - seeker’s  practice,  one-eater’s practice,  bowl-food-eater’s  practice,   later-food- refuse ’s  practice,  3)  connected  with  resting  place;  consisting  of  forest-dweller’s  practice,  tree-root-dweller’s practice,  open-air-dweller’s practice,  charnel-ground-dweller’s  practice,  any-bed-user’s  practice,  and  4)  connected with  energy;  consisting  of  seater’s  practice.

The  followers  who  practiced  Dhutaṅgas  in  the  period  of  Buddha  are  as  follows:  Phra   Mahakassapa  practiced  the  austerity  of  refuge-rag-wearer,  the  austerity of  alms-food-eater  and  the  austerity of  forest-dweller; Phra  Anyakonthanya,  Phra  Anuruddha and Phra  Revattakhathiravaniya  practiced  the  austerity of  forest-dweller;  Phra  Subhuti   practiced  the  austerity  of  any-bed-user  and  forest-dweller;  Phra  Pakula  practiced  the  austerity of  forest-dweller  and  sitter’s  practice;   and  Phra  Upasena  and Phra Bunnamantanibuttathera  practiced  all  13  Dhutaṅgas. The Processes of great disciples Dhutaṅga Practice are that; when they had been ordained as monks, they learnt how to practice meditation or other principles of Dhamma from the Buddha or other meditation teacher, then they entered the forest, practiced and kind of meditation till they mere skillful, performed concentration development or any of Dhutaṅgas with their effort until they got the Eyes of Dhamma and formally attained the Enlightenment, becoming Arahantas. 

The  application  of  Dhutaṅgas  for  laypeople’s  living  in  the  present  society  can  be  use  for  sufficiency  livelihood;  consuming  factors  for  living  as  needed,  not  using  unnecessary  and  unuseful  things,  having  honest  occupation,  being  respectful  to  the  elders,  dieting,  not  clinging  to  taste of food,  not  eating  piecemeal,  having  contentment  with  the  residence  that  is  one’s  own,  being  endowed  with  the  effort  to  reduce  the  brain  infarction.