Compare the Sociological Point of Views with Buddhism Regarding the Origin,

Development and the benefit of Family

Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 1
The Sociological point of Views of Family in Buddhism .......................................................................... 2
Companionship ................................................................................................................................... 2
Sexualization ....................................................................................................................................... 2
Reproduction ...................................................................................................................................... 2
Socialization ........................................................................................................................................ 2
The origin of the family ........................................................................................................................... 3
The Development of the Family.............................................................................................................. 3
The benefit of the family......................................................................................................................... 4

Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................... 5

Bibliography ............................................................................................................................................ 6

Compare the Sociological Point of Views with Buddhism Regarding the Origin,
Development and the benefit of Family

Introduction
Society means the interaction between two individual or more than two. The human
activities are important to society because there is any good or bad happen in the society, all
those are depend on human activities. When we talk about the topic of compare the
sociological point of views with Buddhism regarding the origin, development and the
benefit of family it can be divided into four topics, such as what the sociological point of the
family, the origin of the family, the development of the family, and the benefit of family.
The Buddhism is not only talk about transcendental life, Buddhism talks about
worldly life also. The doctrine of the Buddha is for the purification of the human life. It
means the people life of worldly and transcendental. People need to live in this world before
attain to Nibbna. Therefore the Buddha preached dhamma to the people for make purifying
their worldly life. As the instance siglovda, mah magala, parbhava, vyaggapajja, vasala,
dhammika, and klma sutta. In these suttas have more explanation about human life and
society.
The family is a very important place of the society. As well as the husband and wife
are important person of the family. There is no husband and wife, a family also nothing. If the
complete family, there should be husband and wife together peacefully.
The family divided into two parts by the modern sociologists such as the Nuclear
Family and Extended Family. In the nuclear family are only parents and children. We can see
this background of the family is in the modern society. But in the early society, there are
many family members of the family. They are parents, children, grand mother and father,
aunt and uncle and other relatives. That is called Extended family. The extended family is
better than nuclear family because it is the safe place for the children. They can learn many
things from the elder who have more experience about life or society. Therefore, new
generation does not have something harmful for the society. Nowadays, the family changed
extended to nuclear because economic problems.
The three types of family are divided by encyclopedia of britannica such as the
Extended family, Joint family and Nuclear family1. The joint family or undivided family is an
extended family, consisting of many generations living in same family2. In the earlier one
husband had many wives called Bahu bhrya sevana. The Buddhist culture is not accept it
because it can be appeared mental problems as sexual jealous (saptn rosa). Whatever family
should be safe place for the people who stay in same family. And also it should be blinded
with love each other.

Joint family. Web Application Dictionary.com, encyclopedia of britannica online. Web. 04 April.
2016.<http://www.dictionary.com/browse/joint-family>.
2
Hindu Joint Family. Web Application Encyclopedia online. Web. 04 April. 2016.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_joint_family>.
1

The Sociological point of Views of Family in Buddhism

All human beings are social animals. They live together in the society. Therefore they have to
follow social law what has given by society. Thus, I discuss this topic divided into four
categorize, namely companionship, sexualization, reproduction and socialization.

Companionship
Every family member must have companionship among them. Its meaning is the
pleasant feeling that has when we have a relationship with each members of family such as
mother, father and siblings. A family of togetherness is companionship. Mostly the boy likes
mother and girl like father. Therefore parents must think childrens thought and necessary.
Otherwise they go to others to find love and kind. In this way, parent, children, and relatives
should be with companionship as extended family.

Sexualization
Sexualization is not only activity between husband and wife3. The sexualization is
divided into four parts by American Psychological Association (APA) such as when a
persons worth is assumed to only come from his her sexiness, when a child is expected or
encouraged act or dress sexuality, when a person is treated as a sex object rather than as a
whole person, when physical characteristics are considered to be the only indicator sexiness4.
The both males and females can be bait of sexualization. It means everyone who holds the
worldly life need the sexualization.

Reproduction
Reproduction or procreation is one of the important factors, can be regarded
continuation of the generation. There are two categorizes of reproduction such as sexual and
asexual reproduction. Whatever, it can be regarded as biological process to make new
organisms. Each individual organism exists as the result of reproduction.

Socialization
Socialization is the process that conforming to society. Anyone cannot live without
society because human beings are social animals in the world. They have to go society and do
some activity together. The socialization provided from childhood. Family is the basal place
to improve the socialization. Likewise, the school, the temple, the church and comity are the
place of socialization.
The marriage also one of the socialization point. It hopped ones who get marriage
they should inform to society and get a permission to do sexual activity and reproduce the
generation. When someone gets marriage and they must a certificate of marriage because
marriage is the custom where two people as husband and wife come to agreement to live
How Can I Protect My Tween from Sexualization?. Web Application Encyclopedia online. Web. 04 April.
2016.< http://tweenparenting.about.com/od/physicalemotionalgrowth/a/Sexualization.htm>.
3

Sexualization.
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together. It can be considered as an assent from the society. Nowadays one who reproduces
she should marry, otherwise it is not legal. That birth regarded as illegal or unlawful.

The origin of the family

The origin of the family discussed in the Aggaa sutta in Dganikaya. Aggaa sutta
the beings come from the bhassara to the earth. In this time they recognized as pitibhakka
(feeding with happiness), sayapabha (self luminous), ksacri (floating in the sky).After
they came down to the earth and started eating that Rasapahavi, Bmipappaaka, Badlat
and Kahapka sli. In this time, the sole system (sun, moon and stars) came into existence.
When the rice (Akahapkasli) appeared on the earth and the habit of eating rice, change the
being to human. Later on, the result of the eating rice, the male and female appeared. Then
they tried to engage sexual intercourse in the public place. There were some who disliked and
criticized it. Therefore they have to make house to hide their sexual activities. In this time
people divided into each house, the householders started to store rice and stole from others.
Then they tried to quarrel each others. In this way they had to choose a judge man called
Mahsammata5. After long time later that house used as their safe place which can be lived
together children and parents. We can point out other scientists opinions about origin of the
human or world. According to Charles Darwin theory, the human has been development from
the monkeys. The monkeys physical structure and their some action are similar to human. As
well as the Big Bang theory is another opinion about origin of the world. Whatever the
Aggaa sutta is the main evidence about origin of the family.

The Development of the Family

Every living beings have own house, cage or nest without cuckoo bird. But people
house is different each others house. Animals need home only reproduction. Some animals
after growing their child they release their nest. People are almost different from animals,
because they settle down the house until death. As well as mother and father always be
together Family has a connection ship with neighbor or relatives.
In the very beginning the people had the function is only the finding food. Mostly the
people also eat animals meat. Therefore they make tools for the hunt animals. Then they
gradually develop their tools to hunt easily. In the early life of the human, they were living
together as a tribe or clan. When they develop generation to generation and their brain also
developed. Therefore they tried to think about ethical tasks. Then the human family develops
step by step with ethical tasks. Nowadays we can point out the family has developed in the
three ways such as the biological, mental and material things. In the very beginning the
beings settle down to earth with luminous body. Long time after their luminous body
converted to rough body. From that time to now we can see how the people develop
biologically. In the very beginning there were not any ethical activities in the society. Finally
people live in the house and try to develop family with morality. In the very beginning people

Agganna sutta, Dn 3, pp.144-158.

had only tools to hunt animals. They made by stone or wood. But now the people have
developed with many material things.

The benefit of the family

We can regard the children as the benefit of the family. In the modern society the
people get marriage and help to continue the generation. One stays in lone life (without
marry), he follows homelessness life. Parents have a responsibility to produce the good
children for the society. They must have good qualities. First of all the parents must have
good behavior or character. The most important factor the exemplar of the parents because
children always try to follow parents behavior. Therefore the example is better than advice.
The children behavior improves in the home. Love, kindness, benevolence,
disinterestedness, compassion, sympathy are all these qualities are improved from the home.
There is and famous English Proverb is Charity begging at home. The family is a training
centre for the children. They always training to obey and respect for the parents, elders, and
monks (religious masters) too. When the parents love children, they also pay love and obey
back to them and society too. The parents have four special qualities called four brahma
viharaa. They are Metta, Karu, Mudita and Upekkha. When the mother get pregnant, she
has metta (loving kindness) for the baby, and father also. Child after birth he tries to speak,
stand, step or do some activities following others. In this time parents have karu
(compassion or pity). When the son after learn and get job, marriage and sons, at that time the
parent have mudit (sympathy in others welfare). When the parents go to old age, they have
upekkha (equanimity) for their children. The mah magala sutta talks about the benefit of
family life. There are thirty eight qualities, for this life and rebirth. Among them the
important qualities are given here. Not to associate with the foolish (asevanca balna),
but to associate with the wise (paitna ca sevan). In this way, the parents give advice to
the children. To reside in a suitable locality (patirpadesa vsoca).The home should be good
and safe place to live together. To have much learning, to be skillful in handicraft, welltrained in discipline, and to be of good speech (bhusaccanca sippa ca, vinayo ca susikkhito,
subhasitca y vc) if one learns more, he can reach ethical task such as mental, oral and
bodily. These factors are improved in the childhood. After growing the child, he has
responsibility to feed or protect parents and family members such as to support mother and
father, to cherish wife and children, and to be engaged in peaceful occupation (mtpit
upahna, puttadrassa sagaho, ankulaca kammant). And also he should pay his
attention to be generous in giving, to be righteous in conduct, to help one's relatives, and to
be blameless in action, to loathe more evil and abstain from it, to refrain from intoxicants,
and to be steadfast in virtue. In the old age the person must pay his attention to be respectful,
humble, contented and grateful, and to listen to the Dhamma on due occasions, to be patient
and obedient, to associate with monks and to have religious discussions on due occasions.
After practice all these factors he reachs to make mental qualities deeply such as self-restraint,
a holy and chaste life, the perception of the Noble Truths and the realisation of Nibbana. The
Buddhists goal is the nibbana. Rather he can practice a mind unruffled by the vagaries of
fortune, from sorrow freed, from defilements cleansed, from fear liberated, those who thus
4

abide, ever remain invincible, in happiness established. Finally, he can reach the purification
of his life.
According to mah magala sutta, the benefit of family is the child grown with
righteous way, due to socialization. Ultimately one who follows these ethical task he rich
with morality.

Conclusion
The Buddhism is not pessimism or optimism. Someone tries to consider Buddhism as
pessimism or optimism because the suffering discussed in the four noble truth and also
Buddhism talk about threefold mark such as Anicca (impermanent), Dukkha (suffering) and
Anatta (non-soul). But, Buddhism says happiness also. One who lives in the home life he can
be happy. There are four kind of happiness depend on the economy. They are: Atthi sukha: If
we have enough wealth or money we feel happy. If we do not have enough money or wealth
we feel unhappiness. Bhoga sukha: its meaning is happiness of enjoyment. Bhoga means our
properties such as land, house, furniture and equipment. Anaa sukha: happiness of debt-free.
Usually the most of people have got loan from the bank or somewhere. So they cannot be
happy because they always thinking about their debt. Anavajja sukha: happiness of rightness,
means we must live righteous way, without do any illegal thing. Without these four factors,
there is another happiness called Pabbajj sukha. The one, who practices the monk life, is
happiness. Another happiness called lokiya sukha, its means happiness of worldly life,
whatever we can use as pleasant thing belonging to worldly life. There is the highest
happiness called nibbana sukha. We cannot find out any happiness higher than happiness of
nibbana. According to these ideas, the home life also kind of happy life, but we have to
improve our life.
The Buddhism always mentions about person life. The person how live without any
false. In this way, Buddha guided to people various ways such as the economy, politics,
society and all living activities. We have to live in this world. It should be righteously.

Bibliography
Anandamaithri, Balangoda. Buddha jayanthi thripitaka grantha mala. Sri Lanka: Lanka
Bauddha Mandalaya, 2006. Print.
Ariyadhamma, Thebiliyana and Bandara Adikari, Ruwan. Tripitaka Praveshaya. Colombo:
Rathna poth prakasakayo, 1998. Print.

Velagedara, Wijitha and Dharmasiri, Nimala S.B.M, Sri Sambuddhathwa Jayanthi Shastriya

Samgrahaya. Colombo: Adyapana Amathyanshaya. 2011. Print.

Internetsources

How Can I Protect My Tween from Sexualization?. Web Application Encyclopedia online.
Web. 04 April. 2016.
<http://tweenparenting.about.com/od/physicalemotionalgrowth/a/Sexualization.htm>.
Sexualization. Web Application Encyclopedia online. Web. 05 April. 2016. <
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexualization>.
Joint family. Web Application Dictionary.com, encyclopedia of britannica online. Web. 04
April. 2016.<http://www.dictionary.com/browse/joint-family>.
Hindu Joint Family. Web Application Encyclopedia online. Web. 04 April. 2016.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_joint_family>.

Ven. Dorapane Chandananda

International Buddhist College
Thailand
04.05.2016