The Comparative Study of Literature on Buddha’s History According to Theology and Humanism

Abstract

The history of the Buddha was written up by scholars of Buddhism into literature that we can divide into two types: 1) the life of the Buddha in a poetic style or the life of the Buddha in theological style, 2) Buddha's history in humanism. The first characteristic of this can be seen in the Pathomsambodhikatha written by Somdejphramahasamanachao Kromphraparamanuchitchinoras. As for the second type, it can be seen in the Buddhist biography of Somdejphramahasamanachao Kromphrayavachirayanavarot. Theological history of Buddhism such as the Pathamasambodhātha has a presentation format similar to the Mahayana Lalitvasittra. The prototype is Asavaghosa's writings on Buddhism, which emphasize the miraculous powers of the Lord Buddha and supernatural stories, with an emphasis on building faith and belief among Buddhists. While the humanist history of Buddhism is considered It is an important piece of literature that reflects the literary trends of Thai society in the era of Buddhist reformation to modernize in the Western style. What is conveyed in this work is that the Western humanist way of thinking of the author reflects the complete decline of the Tribhumi cosmology and the traditional Buddhist writing tradition. What is left for us is criticism, questioning, interpretation, logical analysis, and elimination of content that cannot be explained by modern science. It also reflects the humanist concept that attempts to present the history of the Buddha as a historical figure. Not a holy person full of supernatural stories. When looking at social aspects, this piece of literature is certainly a product of the Thai social context of that era. At the same time, it is an attempt by the author to present a new type of Buddhism to communicate with people in his era. A comparative study of the two styles of Buddha's life will help us understand the history and great personality of the Buddha more clearly and completely.