Dhutanga as Buddhist Peacebuilding: Adhivāsana-khanti and ‘Silent Preaching’ in the ‘Walk for Peace’ Project

บทคัดย่อ

The thirteen ascetic observances (dhutaṅga-vatta), directed at the eradication of defilements and the cultivation of contentment, support the Threefold Training (tisikkhā) of morality (sīla), concentration (samādhi), and wisdom (paññā) through the Four Foundations of Mindfulness (satipaṭṭhāna). This article examines their contemporary application through a case study of the ‘Walk for Peace’ project, in which nineteen Theravāda monks from Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos undertook a 3,700-kilometre pilgrimage from Texas to Washington, D.C. (October 2025–February 2026), observing several austerities strictly while adapting them to the American context through mindful walking and the radiation of boundless loving-kindness (appamaññā-mettā). The study finds that noble patience-forbearance (ariya-khanti) -specifically adhivāsana-khanti, grounded in right view, morality, loving-kindness, and wisdom was decisive in sustaining moral discipline and in the project’s outcome. This is exemplified by Venerable Maha Dam Brahmasaro, who employed adhivāsana-khanti and wise reflection (yonisomanasikāra) to transmute the acute suffering of a severe traffic accident into unconditional forgiveness, dissolving ill-will and dismantling the cycle of retaliation. The project nonetheless depended upon external supporting conditions, including volunteer networks, local coordination, and risk management. Three contributions are proposed: 1) the revitalisation of dhutaṅga-vatta as ‘Silent Preaching’communication through exemplary conduct and as ‘Somatic Peacebuilding’, which addresses psychological distress through embodied awareness; 2) adhivāsana-khanti as the mechanism linking ascetic observance with Buddhist propagation and positive peacebuilding, reducing ‘othering’ in plural societies; and (3) the ‘Dhutaṅga for Peace Model’, a cyclical five-stage framework PREPARE, PRACTICE, CULTIVATE, TRANSMIT, and EXPAND offering a practical Buddhist praxis for reconciliation and conflict transformation.