Dhamma Practice According to the Theravada Buddhist Tradition

Abstract

This academic article aims to study and analyze Buddhist practice in the Theravāda tradition as a process of life development. The study focuses on elucidating the meaning, forms, and benefits of Buddhist practice through the framework of the Threefold Training (sīla, samādhi, and paññā). This research employs a documentary research methodology, drawing upon primary sources such as the Tipiṭaka, its commentaries, and related Theravāda Buddhist texts, as well as academic articles published in both national and international journals.

The findings reveal that Buddhist practice in the Theravāda tradition is not limited to meditation techniques alone but constitutes a holistic process of human development. This process begins with ethical discipline (sīla), which regulates bodily and verbal conduct and fosters social harmony; continues with the practice of tranquility meditation (samatha-bhāvanā), which cultivates mental calmness and concentration; and culminates in insight meditation (vipassanā-bhāvanā), which develops wisdom through the direct realization of reality in accordance with the Three Characteristics (tilakkhaṇa). Through this integrated practice, defilements and suffering are progressively reduced.

Moreover, Buddhist practice contributes significantly to the development of self-awareness, the transformation of individual attitudes and behaviors, and the cultivation of social virtues such as loving-kindness, compassion, and non-violence. These virtues serve as a foundation for ethics and peace in contemporary society. This article therefore proposes that Buddhist practice in the Theravāda tradition should be understood as an inward-to-outward process of life development, linking personal transformation with sustainable social development.