ABSTRACT

                This research had three main purposes: (1) to study a way of the Buddhist propagation made by the Buddha and his disciples, (2) to study the principles of three miracles in Theravada Buddhism, and (3) to study analytically the use of three miracles to propagate Buddhism by The Buddha and his disciples.

                A result of this study was found that ways of the Buddhist propagation made by the Buddha and his disciples were to live nobly in the form of Brahma-cariya. They went to meet people with a main purpose to help them and make both people and heaven beings peaceful and happy. In this Buddhist propagation, the Buddha urges his disciples to do it without praying and begging those human beings and heaven beings for things because some group of those beings had a wrong view. Thus, Buddhism was useful both for heaven beings and human beings.

                A way of Dhamma propagation made by the disciples was not different from the Buddha’s techniques. It started with making the conversation and then, persuading people to understand Buddhist principles more and more. There was great intention and the use of sweet, fluent, and proper words to instruct people or embrace the respectful propagation according to four types of teaching: 1. Sandassana—to describe the points clearly, 2. Samaadapana—persuasion of listeners to accept and take principle into their practice, 3. Samuttejana—to urge the listeners to practice happily without escaping the faced problems,   4. ampahangsana—to console the listeners and make them joyful without possible hope.

                Miracles in Buddhism were divided into three types: (1) Iddhi-pathihariya—marvel of psychic power or the use of the magic, (2) Adesana-pathihariya—marvel of mind-reading, and  (3) Anusasani-pathihariya—marvel of teaching. This depended upon the mind that was made with great concentration as a base of tranquility and insight meditation. Then, mind went to the state of the fivefold rapture until it achieved the realm of absorption. The absorption was generally made with contemplation on the gazed objects (kasina) or noted words. The proper way of practice depended upon the past experience and habit that a person had embraced from the past to the present. The skill of contemplation on that object was called ‘Vasi’: the skill of thinking, going in and coming out, controlling mind, making mind concentrated, reducing the intensity of concentration, adding the intensity of concentration, moving mind, and interchanging mind just as the meditator wanted.

                The use of miracles was made by the Buddha himself. He actually used miracles to propagate Buddhism rather than the use of psychic power to make people frightened. He tried to make those people understand truths and believe in their action rather than to make them believe in praying and begging the holy things. The main purpose of Buddhist propagation was to make people understand the Buddhist principles. Sometimes, there was the use of many ways to propagate but it still had the same purpose. However, the miracles were a witness to confirm that the Buddha was a great master in the world. Because he understood clearly the human mind, he could propagate his religion quickly and there were a lot of people to attain the enlightenment after the Buddha. Generally, the Buddha praised Anusasani-pathihariya—marvel of teaching. This miracle came from following the Buddha’s teachings. When one followed the Buddha’s teaching carefully, one was successful in all miracles: marvel of psychic power, marvel of mind-reading, and marvel of teaching. Thus, mind was placed in good action without all attraction because of the attack of defilement.