Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This article aims to analyze the concepts of wrongdoing and punishment in the Vinaya through the lens of criminological theory. The study found that Buddhist criminology serves as a social control system for the monastic community, encompassing elements such as crime prevention through the establishment of precepts to instill shame and fear of sin (hiri-ottappa), the justice process through the investigation and adjudication of offenses, and the treatment of offenders through penalties called offenses (pātimokkha), which are categorized into three levels: serious offenses (parajika), which are irreversible and result in expulsion from the monkhood; medium offenses (sanghādisesa), which can be remedied through probation; and minor offenses (dukkaṭa), which can be corrected through confession. A key finding is that the Vinaya is not merely a system of punishment but a preventive and rehabilitative mechanism aimed at preserving the purity of the monastic community and providing opportunities for offenders to reform, reflecting deep criminological principles within Buddhism.
Institution: Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University
Language: Thai
Topic: Indian and Buddhist Studies
Subfield: Religious studies
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7219280391