Journal of Buddhist Anthropology

JAYAMAṄGALA GĀTHĀ AND PSYCHOLOGICAL COPING IN APPLIED BUDDHISM

Soontaree Sookhanaphibarn — 2026-04-29

Background and Objectives: Contemporary life is characterized by rapid social change, economic uncertainty, and persistent psychological stress, making coping an essential life skill for sustaining psychological well-being. Modern psychological research emphasizes emotion regulation, resilience, cognitive appraisal, and meaning making as key mechanisms for managing adversity. Religious and cultural traditions also provide moral and contemplative resources that cultivate inner stability and ethical clarity. Within the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, the Jayamaṅgala Gāthā, commonly known in Thai as the Phahung Chant, is widely recited as a sacred chant recounting the Buddha's victories over various adversaries. The term Jayamaṅgala Gāthā means "Verses of Auspicious Victory." Although often interpreted as a ritual text for blessings and protection, its narrative structure presents a sequence of encounters in which challenges are resolved through virtues such as wisdom, patience, loving-kindness, and moral clarity. This documentary research aimed to analyze the narrative structure of the Jayamaṅgala Gāthā in terms of life challenges and their modes of resolution grounded in Buddhadhamma, and to construct a Buddhist coping framework for developing life coping skills in relation to contemporary psychological well-being.

Methodology: The study employed documentary research with qualitative thematic content analysis. The primary data consisted of the canonical text of Jayamaṅgala Gāthā preserved in Theravāda chanting traditions and supported by relevant academic literature. Each narrative episode within the chant served as the unit of analysis. The analytical process involved close textual reading, coding of symbolic life challenges and corresponding modes of resolution, and iterative grouping of codes into broader coping themes. Thematic synthesis was used to interpret how Buddhist virtues embedded in the narrative episodes function as coping processes. Analytical transparency was maintained through explicit connections between textual evidence, coding categories, and thematic interpretation.

Main Results: The findings indicate that the chant functions as a structured set of coping exemplars rather than merely a ritual recitation. Across the narrative episodes, diverse forms of adversity were identified, including fear, aggression, anger, rigid beliefs, false accusation, attachment to power, and distorted understanding. These adversities are consistently resolved through inner cultivation. Five integrative coping processes emerged: Emotional regulation, patience and endurance, compassion-based conflict de-escalation, wisdom-based clarification, and context-sensitive skillful means. These processes reflect core Buddhadhamma principles such as paññā, mettā, khanti, and samādhi, demonstrating their roles as moral-psychological mechanisms that support both wisdom development and ethical cultivation.

Involvement to Buddhadhamma: From the perspective of Applied Buddhism, the chant can be interpreted as a culturally embedded narrative model that illustrates how Buddhist ethical principles guide responses to adversity. The narrative episodes portray "Victory" as internal transformation through wisdom, compassion, patience, and ethical discipline. This interpretation highlights the role of Buddhism in the development of wisdom and morality through narrative-based learning processes.

Conclusions: The Jayamaṅgala Gāthā can be understood as a narrative-based coping framework rooted in Buddhadhamma. Conceptually, the study demonstrates how Buddhist ethical principles can be translated into a structured coping model relevant to contemporary psychological contexts. Practically, the findings suggest that the chant may function as a reflective resource for developing coping skills in educational, contemplative, and well-being settings. The study contributes to Applied Buddhism by presenting a model that integrates wisdom development and moral cultivation within a contemporary well-being framework.

LOGIC WITHOUT LOSERS: BUDDHIST DIALECTICAL REASONING AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF UNDERSTANDING IN THE MILINDAPAÑHA

Prateep Peuchthonglang — 2026-05-10

Background and Objectives: Contemporary academic reasoning, particularly within philosophy, logic, and the social sciences, has been predominantly shaped by adversarial models of rationality. These models assume that rational inquiry culminates in decisive outcomes: Truth over error, correctness over incorrectness, winner over loser. While such frameworks have yielded powerful analytical tools, they also risk reducing "Understanding" to a by-product of intellectual victory. Against this backdrop, this article re-examines the classical Buddhist dialogical text, the Milindapañha, as a distinctive form of dialectical reasoning that is not competitive but oriented toward the ethical unfolding of understanding. Rather than reading the text merely as doctrinal exposition or apologetic literature, this study aims to analyze the Milindapañha as a form of dialectical logic that does not seek to produce a loser, but instead emphasizes the structure of reasoning over doctrinal content. It further proposes a theoretical framework for Buddhist dialectical reasoning that foregrounds the process of wisdom's emergence. In doing so, the study seeks to connect the interpretation of Buddhist texts with contemporary debates in the sociology of religion, positioning them as alternative sources of rationality.

Methodology: This study employed qualitative theoretical documentary research grounded in a hermeneutic-interpretive methodology. The primary sources consisted of the Pāli Milindapañha and its authoritative translations, while the secondary sources were drawn from Buddhist Studies, the philosophy of logic, and the sociology of religion. Analytical strategies included close textual reading of the dialogical exchanges between Phra Nāgasena and King Milinda, dialectical analysis, comparative logic, and the sociology of knowledge. Rather than seeking definitive doctrinal conclusions, the analysis focused on how questions, analogies, and paradoxes function as logical and ethical mechanisms. Reflexivity and theoretical triangulation were employed to ensure interpretive rigor.

Main Results: The findings revealed that the Milindapañha operated through a non-adversarial dialectical structure characterized by; 1) Open-ended questioning that did not aim at final conclusions; 2) The use of analogy as a logical mechanism for elevating understanding, and 3) Mindful engagement with paradox. Phra Nāgasena did not seek to refute or defeat King Milinda's questions; Instead, he gradually unfolded the assumptions underlying them. Through this process, dialogue shifted from confrontation to shared inquiry. Understanding emerged not as the triumph of one position over another but as a relational event occurring within the dialogical space itself.

Involvement to Buddhadhamma: The dialogical logic articulated in the Milindapañha is deeply consonant with core principles of Buddhadhamma, particularly non-self (Anattā), dependent origination (Paṭiccasamuppāda), and right speech (Sammā-vācā). Reasoning is not detached from ethical cultivation but constitutes a form of practice aimed at reducing attachment to one's own views. The absence of winners and losers is not a rhetorical strategy but an ethical consequence of a worldview that denies a fixed self and absolute truth.

Conclusions: This article advances the conceptual framework of "Logic Without Losers" and proposes Buddhist dialectical reasoning as a theoretical contribution to the sociology of religion. By demonstrating that Buddhism is not merely a belief system but also a source of alternative logic, the study highlights its potential to engage constructively with the modern world. The Milindapañha thus emerges as a globally relevant resource for rethinking dialogue, rationality, and coexistence in pluralistic societies.

BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: INTEGRATING SOCIETY, ECONOMY, AND ENVIRONMENT

Shiv Lal Bhusal — 2026-05-11

Background and Objective: Prosperity achieved by human civilization loses its real meaning if the socio-economic well-being of mankind and its stewardship of natural systems are ignored. Any damage to these systems makes them unsustainable and ultimately threatens human civilization. The discussion of this study focuses on two contrasting philosophical approaches to sustainable development: An ongoing growth-oriented model that relies on profit, technology, and policy solutions, and an ethically grounded, justice-oriented view historically rooted in South Asian communities. The core debate centers on whether profit should define social and ecological outcomes, or whether social values should set the limits of profit. Whether sustainability is best understood as an individual market choice or as a collective responsibility, and the environmental crisis faced by humanity reflects a deficit of technology, or a crisis of ethical values that requires a fundamental shift. The main objective of the study was to critically examine the perspectives of sustainability with reference to Buddhist and spiritual practices in South Asia as a collective resource that informed holistic and value-driven responses to pressing global challenges, supported by empirical examples of development practices.

Methodology: A qualitative design with documentary research has been followed. With a systematic review of the literature, including classical Buddhist texts, the canon in Pali, and experiences from engaged Buddhism, the primary sources for the analysis were taken from these sources. Ideas from Key informants comprising 10 specialists regarding Buddhist Philosophy and their application have been conducted and taken as a guide for the analysis. Evidence from community-based practices has been incorporated to explain the understanding of Buddhism not only as a philosophy, but as an ethical and lively resource for supporting sustainable development. Applying a thematic approach to content analysis and comparative textual interpretation, the study proposes the concept of the Wisdom spiral, integrating the inner transformation with outer sustainability.

Main Results: Unlike the contemporary worldview, the indigenous and Buddhist worldviews and practices recognize the interdependence of all life and teach that true prosperity does not come from unlimited growth but from ethical living. The system guided by Buddhist philosophy offers an alternative in which harmony between human society, the ecosystem, and all beings can be achieved with deep respect. Proving philosophical guidelines of interdependence, the Middle Way, and shared responsibility, Buddhist philosophy suggests a moral and practical framework for environmental, social, and economic balance with human-nature relations. The evidence from indigenous values and traditions in South Asian communities also reflects the lived experience of alternatives.

Involvement to Buddhadhamma: Drawing from the Buddhist philosophy and practices of Engaged Buddhism, this paper examines how Buddhist ideas have been reshaped in modern times as both spiritual imperatives and practical tools for shaping and implementing policy. A dialectical approach has been followed to find differences between the original Buddhist teaching and initiatives taken by engaged Buddhism for sustainable development. This allows for a nuanced understanding of how spiritual philosophy can help to shape the ethical boundaries of recent orientation. An interpretative textual analysis rooted in a historical cultural context has been explored to examine how classical Buddhist traditions are interpreted in practices.

Conclusions: Drawing on the concept of the wisdom spiral, integrated with the sustainability bottom line, the study concludes that sustainability requires more than technological advancement, and development becomes meaningful only when it respects economic viability, considers social equity, and respects ecological limits. The findings emphasize that human activity should be guided by moderation, compassion, and interdependence. Sustainability is more than a technological advancement. It is not value-neutral but requires fundamental ethical transformation that Buddhist and spiritual practices can offer holistically.

MATERNALIZING THE BUDDHA: PATRONAGE, NARRATIVE, AND GENDERED SACRED PERSONHOOD IN SOUTHERN THAILAND'S LAK PHRA PROCESSION

Chawarote Valyamedhi — 2026-05-20

Background and Objectives: The Lak Phra procession of southern Thailand provides a distinctive lens for examining the relationship between Buddhist cosmology, material culture, and communal ritual. Although canonical doctrine presents the historical Buddha as mahāpurisa (Great Man) and venerates him as mahākaruṇiko nātho (Great Compassionate Protector), in several southern Thai communities, standing Buddha images are experienced as maternal presences. This study aims to examine how maternal sacred personhood emerges in Buddha images within the Lak Phra tradition. It also aims to develop an analytical model to identify the interaction of three dimensions: Female patronage, local narrative memory, and communal ritual repetition, through which these images come to be addressed and experienced as mothers. The study also seeks to explain why such maternalization occurs in some communities but not others within southern Thailand.

Methodology: This research was based on multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork conducted between 2022 and 2025 in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Songkhla, and Phatthalung. The study followed the movements of Buddha images in annual Lak Phra processions, observing how devotees spoke about them, how the images were dressed and carried, and how stories were shared within communities. These qualitative data, together with temple archives, original ornaments, and oral histories, were analyzed through established analytical dimensions and a theoretical framework integrating Butler's concept of gender performativity, Turner's notion of liminality and communitas, and Tambiah's analysis of ritual charisma and sensory participation.

Main Results: The findings showed that the maternalization of Buddha images, where they are ritually addressed as Mae (Mother), emerges only when three conditions converge: Female patronage or lineage dedication, narrative frameworks, and communal continuity through annual Lak Phra processions. Through repeated acts of naming, dressing, ornamentation, carrying, and relational address, ritual practice stabilizes maternal sacred personhood across generations. Where this triad is present, maternal identity becomes enduring; Where it is absent, images remain ungendered despite similar ritual contexts. In this process, compassion is enacted through touch, sound, labor, and care within shared ritual life. Maternalized images also function as vehicles of female religious agency, enabling laywomen within the Fourfold Assembly (Cattāro Parisā) to shape sacred meaning and transmit lineage memory. Ultimately, the Lak Phra tradition shows that the Buddha's compassion is lived through relationships, leaving a lasting sense of shared movement with a presence both sacred and intimately human.

Involvement to Buddhadhamma: This study is situated within Applied Buddhism, focusing on how Buddhism contributes to the development of wisdom and morality through religious ritual and communal life. It shows that the Buddha's canonical compassion (Mahākaruṇā), as articulated in Buddhadhamma, is actively interpreted and enacted in local practice. In the Lak Phra tradition, this enactment aligns with the Fourfold Assembly (Cattāro Parisā), where lay participation sustains Buddhist life. Through the maternalization of Buddha images, compassion becomes a relational and accessible form grounded in kinship idioms, reflected in the Pāli dictum "Mātā Mittaṁ Sake Ghare" (A Mother is a Friend in the Home). The study thus demonstrates how core Buddhist principles are applied in everyday communal practice through ritual, memory, and social relations.

Conclusions: Maternal Buddha images in the Lak Phra tradition are more than symbolic artifacts; They are socially constituted sacred presences whose maternal personhood emerges through the interplay of ritual practice, narrative memory, and gendered community agency. Their study shows that Buddhadhamma is preserved as doctrine and embodied in lived ritual life, where it actively shapes kinship, gender relations, and communal identity in southern Thai Buddhism.

INSTITUTIONAL MINDFULNESS BELL PRACTICE FOR MANAGERIAL AWARENESS: EVIDENCE FROM STABN RADEN WIJAYA

Sulaiman — 2026-05-20

Background and Objectives: This study was conducted to clarify how mindfulness practices can serve as structured managerial tools in higher education institutions. At STABN Raden Wijaya, the mindfulness bell has been implemented three times daily for more than one year as a routine practice to pause activities, regulate attention, and foster collective awareness among academic staff. Despite its consistent application, the specific role and impact of this practice in shaping managerial awareness and the institutional work climate have not been systematically examined. This study aimed: To analyse the systematic implementation and level of institutional engagement in the mindfulness bell practice within the pluralistic environment of STABN Raden Wijaya; To evaluate the impact of regular mindfulness practice on the development of individual managerial awareness, focusing particularly on emotional regulation and reflective behaviour; To investigate how collective mindfulness influences the institutional work climate by promoting social connectedness and harmony across various religious backgrounds; and To develop an integrative conceptual model called Mindful Managerial Awareness (MMA) that connects Buddhist awareness principles with contemporary organisational governance.

Methodology: This study used a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design, in which quantitative data were collected first and followed by qualitative data to explain and enrich the statistical findings. Quantitative data were collected via a closed-ended questionnaire distributed via Google Forms to 44 respondents from a total population of 89 employees. Qualitative data were obtained from open-ended questionnaire responses, participatory observation of daily mindfulness bell sessions, and institutional documentation. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, and qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. Data integration was conducted through triangulation to ensure interpretive depth and validity.

Main Results: The results indicated a high level of institutional acceptance and engagement with the mindfulness bell practice. All respondents reported awareness of and participation in the programme, with 84.1% engaging consistently in all daily sessions. A majority of respondents (63.6%) perceived the practice as having a strongly positive effect on concentration and work atmosphere, while others reported moderate benefits. Thematic analysis revealed six core themes: Self-awareness, social interconnectedness across religious boundaries, collective calmness, empathetic work relations, reflective managerial awareness, and spiritual-institutional balance. A significant proportion of non-Buddhist respondents described the practice as universal rather than sectarian, highlighting its role in fostering inclusivity and mutual respect.

Involvement to Buddhadhamma: From a Buddhadhamma perspective, the mindfulness bell reflects the practice of sati (Mindfulness) as a foundation of awareness while cultivating mettā (Loving-kindness) and karuṇā (Compassion) in workplace relationships. These values support calm and ethical leadership grounded in paññā (Wisdom), demonstrating how Buddhist teachings may be applied within contemporary organisational life. This study is therefore classified under Applied Buddhism, particularly in the domain of Buddhist management and educational practice.

Conclusions: This study indicates that the mindfulness bell practice plays an important role in strengthening collective awareness in the institutional environment. Employees demonstrated improved emotional regulation and stronger social interaction, while the practice also supported the development of reflective leadership behaviour. These findings suggest that mindfulness functions not only as an individual psychological intervention but also as an organisational culture mechanism. In this context, the mindfulness bell serves as a practical tool for fostering attention, empathy, and collaborative decision-making in a multireligious academic setting.

BUDDHIST-ORIENTED MANAGEMENT THROUGH THE COMMUNITY OF BAN SANAM ACCORDING TO THE PRINCIPLE OF SANGAHAVATTHU

Phrarat Uthaisophon Manat Sa-art — 2026-05-21

Background and Objectives: Buddhism serves as a fundamental foundation of life and culture in Thai society. The Four Sangahavatthu (Bases of Social Solidarity) principles are Dana (Giving), Piyavaca (Kindly Speech), Atthacariya (Useful Conduct), and Samanattata (Even and Equal Treatment), providing essential guidelines for fostering unity and harmonious coexistence. The Ban SaNam community in Uthai Thani Province maintains a close relationship with Buddhism and local culture. Therefore, examining Buddhist-oriented management through the community's way of life, based on the Sangahavatthu, is significant for understanding community identity and media communication patterns, as well as ultimately leading to the development of a community management model tailored to the local context. This study aims to: Examine the Buddhist-oriented management approach through the way of life of the Ban SaNam community based on the Sangahavatthu principles, to analyze the identity that connects Buddhism with local culture, to investigate media communication patterns utilized in Buddhist-oriented management within the Ban SaNam community, and to develop a Buddhist-oriented management model for the Ban SaNam community based on the Sangahavatthu principles.

Methodology: This study employed a mixed-methods research design. Qualitative data were collected through in-depth interviews with 12 key informants, selected via purposive sampling, including experts in Buddhist-oriented management, the Ban SaNam community identity, and media communication. Quantitative data were gathered using questionnaires from a sample group of 400 participants, comprising community leaders, abbots, assistant abbots, and temple committee members in Uthai Thani Province.

Main Results: The research findings indicated that the Sangahavatthu principles were effectively applied in the management of the Ban SaNam community. These principles support unity, cooperation, and mutual assistance among community members. The community's identity was closely connected to Buddhism and local culture, as reflected in its traditions, beliefs, and social activities, with the temple serving as a central institution, and media communication patterns were found to play a vital role in coordinating community cooperation and activities. The overall level of agreement regarding media use was high ( = 4.71, S.D. = 0.41), indicating that both traditional and modern communication channels contribute to effective information dissemination and participation.

Involvement to Buddhadhamma: This study is related to Applied Buddhism, focusing on Buddhism and sustainable development: Buddhist-oriented Management in the Ban SaNam. The community reflects the practical application of Sangahavatthu principles in everyday life. The Four Sangahavatthu (Bases of Social Solidarity) principles are: Dana (Giving) refers to giving, self-sacrifice, and sharing resources for the benefit of others without selfishness. Piyavaca (Kindly Speech) refers to speaking with polite, gentle, and sincere words and refraining from using harsh or abusive language. Atthacariya (Useful Conduct) refers to performing beneficial actions or rendering assistance for the benefit of others, and Samanattata (Even and Equal Treatment) refers to being consistent and impartial, sharing both suffering and happiness with others, and not taking advantage of others.

Conclusions: The Ban SaNam community exhibits a way of life and identity deeply rooted in Buddhism and local culture. The proposed "Buddhist-oriented Management Model" integrates Sangahavatthu principles within the community management process. This integration enhances public participation, strengthens social relationships, and promotes community resilience and sustainability. The temple serves as a central hub for religious and social activities, reinforcing collaboration among community members. Ultimately, this model provides a practical framework for sustainable community development based on Buddhist principles.

RURAL BUDDHIST AGENCY IN CONTEMPORARY INDONESIA: TRIBUANA MANGGALA BHAKTI AS A NEW PRACTICE

Candra Dvi Jayanti — 2026-05-21

Background and Objectives: Buddhism, though practiced by a minority in Indonesia, a country with the world's largest Muslim population, represents a religion of rich multidimensional traditions, with Mahayana, Theravada, and Vajrayana coexisting across the archipelago. Within this landscape, Javanese Buddhists occupy a particularly complex position. They live within a state framework on religion largely shaped by a monotheistic paradigm that conceives religion as a singular, exclusive, and clearly bounded belief system. Yet their lived religiosity embodies a hybrid religious life shaped by the historical layers of Hinduism, ancient Buddhism, Islam, and Kejawen, which continue to inform how the Javanese Buddhist community perceives, practices, and expresses its religiosity. This tension between a singular conception of religion and a hybrid experience has prompted Javanese Buddhists to construct practices grounded in their own cultural identity, particularly within Theravada communities, which, though inspired by mainland Southeast Asian Theravada traditions, increasingly incorporate indigenous Javanese elements. One significant outcome is Tribuana Manggala Bhakti, a Javanese Buddhist religious-cultural rite developed in Jatimulyo, Kulon Progo, Yogyakarta. This research aims to examine the principles and patterns through which this community negotiates Buddhism and Javanese cultural identity through the invention of the Tribuana Manggala Bhakti, and to reveal what this negotiation discloses about the working of religious localization within a state framework oriented toward homogenous religion.

Methodology: This research applied an ethnohistorical approach, combining ethnographic fieldwork with historical analysis. Fieldwork was conducted with the Javanese Buddhist community in Jatimulyo, Kulon Progo, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, which was purposively selected as the primary site where Tribuana Manggala Bhakti is actively practiced. Field data were complemented by historical records and relevant scholarly literature on Buddhism in Indonesia and Southeast Asia.

Main Results: The findings revealed that the Javanese Buddhist community demonstrated significant agency in negotiating its religious identity. Rather than passively reproducing transnational Buddhist traditions, the community actively engages in a creative process of cultural negotiation by selectively integrating Javanese values, symbols, and ceremonial forms into Buddhist practice. Tribuana Manggala Bhakti emerged as the product of this negotiation, a ritual framework that was simultaneously Buddhist in doctrinal orientation and Javanese in cultural expression. For practitioners, the rite was not merely ceremonial but functioned as a way of embodying Buddhist values within a familiar cultural world, where reverence toward all sentient beings, gratitude toward ancestors, and harmony with nature became lived practices rather than abstract teachings.

Involvement to Buddhadhamma: From the perspective of applied Buddhism, this construction reflects a meaningful engagement with core Buddhist teachings, expressed through locally meaningful cultural forms. Tribuana Manggala Bhakti is essentially a form of puja, a widely shared devotional practice that serves as a vehicle for expressing core teachings. The community preserves the structure and intent of puja by integrating Javanese expression into its execution, cultivating wisdom and moral sensibility through the doctrinal principle of reverence and loving-kindness toward all sentient beings across the three realms (Tribuana): Air, land, and water, from which the ritual derives its name. This illustrates how Buddhadhamma can serve as a flexible yet principled foundation that accommodates cultural diversity without compromising its essential doctrines.

Conclusions: The Javanese Buddhist community in Jatimulyo, through its construction of Tribuana Manggala Bhakti, occupies a dynamic position at the intersection of transnational Buddhist tradition and local cultural identity. This case exemplifies a broader pattern of religious localization in which a Buddhist community asserts cultural agency while maintaining doctrinal integrity. Tribuana Manggala Bhakti stands as a quiet testimony that religious life, when allowed to breathe within its layered historical roots, can remain faithful to doctrine while resisting the demand to become a homogenous, sealed-off form.