AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF UNWHOLESOME ACTION CAUSING BEING TO HUNGRY GHOST EXISTENCE IN THERAVADA BUDDHISM

Abstract

This Research is of three aims: 1) to study the Unwholesome Actions in Theravada Buddhism; 2) to study the concept of Pretas or the Hungry Ghosts in Theravada Buddhism; 3) to analyze the mainly Unwholesome Actions those cause to become the Pretas or the Hungry Ghosts. This is the documentary research and it is analyzed by the content analysis.

The results of this research are as the followings: The Akusalakamma or unwholesome action is the bad deed motivated by greed. anger. delusion. Those three defilements are the roots of unwholesome. The bad deeds are shown in three ways: the physical. the verbal and the mental. It is named 10 unwholesome courses of action; 3 bodily actions; a destruction of life or a killing. a taking what is not given; stealing sexual misconduct; 4 verbal actions; a false speech. tale-bearing; malicious speech. harsh speech. frivolous talk; vain talk; gossip and the 3 mental actions; a covetousness; avarice illwill. false view or wrong view. This unwholesome causes the performers to have a rebirth in the lower realm of existence or in the world of the hungry ghost.

The term "Pretas or the Hungry Go=host" as found in Buddhism is applied in to two ways: 1) It means a person who passed away from this world to the hereafter may be born in a state of the happiness or unhappiness. 2) It means the one who passed away. thereafter. becomes the Pretas or the hungry ghosts. As appeared in Buddhist Texts. there are a lots of Pretas or hungry ghosts.

From the 10 unwholesome actions. the main causes of becoming the 4 kinds hungry ghost are as the followings; 1) the stealing is the cause of being born as the Paradattupajivipreta. 2) a non-giving and non reserving 5 precepts are the causes of being born as the Khuppipasikavantapreta. 3) A killing and a taking what is not given are are the causes of being born as the Nijjhamatanhikapreta. 4) the equality of a good deed and a bad deed performed is the cause of being born as the Kalakancikapreta. So the Pretas or the hungry ghosts are resultants of the unwholesome actions of one self. They have to suffer in accordance with the bad deeds those performed in their human past lives.