View Human in Theravada Buddhism

Abstract

This research article aims to examine the concept of the human being in Theravada Buddhist philosophy through two primary perspectives: Equilibrium (Samangi-bhava) and Continuity (Anantara-bhava). This study is qualitative research based on the analysis of primary scriptures and related academic literature. The findings reveal that the Buddhist explanation of the human being does not originate from external matter, but commences with the physical body characterized by perception (saññā) and mind (citta) as the starting points. Firstly, the concept of Mind and Body as Equilibrium: This perspective describes the human being as a holistic entity composed of materiality (rūpa) and mentality (nāma), functioning in a systematic and reciprocal causal relationship. This equilibrium is reflected through mental processes from conception to decease, with the vital faculty (jīvitindriya) acting as the link that enables the coexistence of body and mind. Furthermore, it is considered through the dimension of Kamma, where the mind serves as the driving force for physical actions; should either element be absent, the continuity of life cannot persist. Secondly, the concept of Mind and Body as Continuity: This perspective explains the uninterrupted succession of life, connecting the previous and the new existence without interval through the process of Dependent Origination (Paṭicca-samuppāda), which revolves in the cycle of defilements, karma, and its results (kilesa-kamma-vipāka). This continuity manifests in two aspects: 1. Ontological aspect: Emphasizing the relationship of causal factors that transmit momentum from one existence to another without a permanent self (atta). 2.Epistemological aspect: Explaining the rapid and continuous arising and ceasing of consciousness and mind-and-matter through sensory perception within a single thought-moment. The analysis of the human being in terms of equilibrium and continuity demonstrates that the body and mind function complementarily according to the principles of conditioned phenomena (saṅkhata-dhamma). Despite the perpetual state of arising and passing away, an underlying identity is transmitted through causal factors and karma, allowing the life cycle to proceed incessantly within the Saṃsāra