Theravāda Buddhist Perspectives on Aesthetics with Special Reference to Suttapiṭaka: A Comparative Analysis with Western Aesthetic Concept

This article examines Theravāda Buddhist perspectives on aesthetics through a close reading of the Suttapiṭaka and offers a comparative analysis with key developments in Western aesthetic theory. Challenging the widespread assumption that Buddhism adopts a negative attitude toward beauty and sensory experience, the study argues that the Theravāda tradition articulates a nuanced approach to aesthetic appreciation grounded in the distinction between harmful sensual craving (taṇhā) and mindful, non-attached engagement with aesthetic phenomena. Drawing on discourses across the Suttapiṭaka, including teachings on sense experience, poetic compositions, and the Buddha’s own aesthetic practices, the article demonstrates that early Buddhism proposes a middle path approach to beauty that neither rejects aesthetic experience nor endorses indulgent attachment. Comparative engagement with Western aesthetic thinkers, particularly Kant and Schopenhauer, reveals both significant convergences, such as the emphasis on freedom from desire, and crucial divergences regarding the ethical and soteriological role of aesthetic experience. The study concludes that Theravāda Buddhism offers an affirmative yet disciplined model of aesthetics in which beauty is compatible with, and at times expressive of, ethical cultivation and spiritual development.