Abstract

This thesis has three objectives: to study the Bodhisatta in the Theravāda Buddhist Scriptures, to study the Great Utterance of Bodhisatta in the Theravāda Buddhist Scriptures and to study the virtues of the Great Utterance of Bodhisatta in the Theravāda Buddhist Scriptures. Clarified and analyzed data are taken from the Theravāda Buddhist scriptures namely, the Tipitaka, Buddhist commentaries, Tīga, and other related scriptures then composed, explained in details, corrected and verified by Buddhist scholars.

The word Bodhisatta refers to one who has resolved to attain enlightenment for the helping of his fellow beings. There are 3 kinds of Bodhisatta, namely,
(1) Paññātiga-Bodhisatta: the Bodhisatta accumulated his perfections with wisdom,
(2) Saddhātiga-Bodhisatta: the Bodhisatta accumulated his perfections with faith and, (3) Viriyatiga-Bodhisatta: the Bodhisatta accumulated his perfections with perseverance. The Gotama Buddha was once born a Paññātiga-Bodhisatta which was because he had strongly accumulated his perfections with wisdom. He had, in the uncountable eras of the prior Buddhas, made solemn wishes to get enlightened and then to help others to also gain enlightened, too.

The Great Utterance of Bodhisatta refers to the words of braveness of the Buddha. It is the sign that the Buddha has come about with the saying ‘I am the best,
I am the greatest, I am the noblest’. These three words appear in the Tipitaka and Buddhist commentaries respectively.

In studying the Great Utterance of Bodhisatta, the virtues are found in several ways. They are in the faith virtue which explains that when the Bodhisatta pointed his finger upwards it means: (1) Deities had come to welcome him, which means that the baby- Bodhisatta would be accepted by well-known teachers of that time, such as Ālara and Udaga hermits, (2) for the baby to had walked to the north is interpreted that He would be above or can conquer all the wrong views of that time, (3) for the baby to point one finger upwards and utter the Great Utterance is interpreted that He would
be proclaiming the Noble Truths to the world and, (4) for the baby to have stepped forwards for 7 steps is interpreted that he would be able to propagate Buddhism into the 7 regions and would be able to establish strong belief amongst Buddhists. In Thailand the sign of the Great Utterance of Bodhisatta is made into an object of worship.

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