Abstract

                      This thesis is of 2 objectives, namely:-1) to study the essence and the Doctrinal Principles in Indriyabhāvanāsutta 2) to study the principle of the development of the faculties in Theravāda Buddhist Scriptures.

                      In this thesis, the researcher makes the documentary research by studying the data in the Three Baskets and the books relating in Theravāda Buddhist Teaching including the different written works, composing, explaining and checking the data by the specialists and also brings them for studying and explaining in order to get the agreeable essence according to the level of the research works.

                      From the research, it is found that :- Indriyabhāvanā-Sutta is the discourse in which  the Buddha said about the way of developing the Indriya.  The Indriyabhābhavanā-Sutta is of the essence of 5 Indriyas (Faculties). That is to say:- A) Indriyas in Indriyabhābhavanā-Sutta are to study the temperaments which contact the 6 sense - objects and mind-object. B) The 5 faculties are the faith, the effort, the mindfulness, the concentration and the wisdom all of which have the faith as the leading doctrine. The effort and the other doctrines are supporting one and other to cause the Dhamma practiser to attain the target that is to go beyond the suffering. C) The development of the facultices is of 4 steps, namely:-  (1) The restraint by mindfulness            (Sati-saṁvara), to use mindfulness to care  for the 6 faculties in order not to let the defilements to have a chance to cover one’s mind (2) The restraint by knowledge (Ñāṇa-saṁvara) , to use the knowledge to consider the temperaments and the feeling arising to know the present moment (3) The resitraint by patience (Khanti-saṁvara) , to use the patience to control the feeling arising from the 6 faculties until they extinguish by themselves. (4) The restraint by effort (Viriya-saṁvara), to use the effort to change the feeling according to one’s desire. This is in the way of using the thorn to withdraw the thorn. D) The Buddha had the method of training the faculties which are still weak to be stronger. The Buddha had 5 methods of training the faculties, namely:- (1) To have a good friend. (2) To be a person of the precepts.  (3) To be able to listen the Subjects of Discussion (Kathāvatthu) which is the high factor to delete the defilements.  (4) To think of the effort to get rid of Akusaladhamma in order to cause the Kusaladhamma to arise. (5) To be the person of wisdom.  E) To train the faculties is compared with the horse car with the 2 couples of horses,that is on the left hand side there are 2 horses and on the right hand side there are 2 horses, and thus, there are 4 horses all of which are of complete powers Thus, it causes the horse car to move easily. On the other hand, the driver who is as the same as the mindfulness. controls the horse to go to the destination safely.  He is like the Buddha’s son, Venerable Nanda Thera who is brought to be the case study.