BUDDHIST COMMUNICATION THEORY AND EDUCATION IN A CONSUMERIST AND CAPITALIST WORLD: A SPECIAL REFERENCE TO Ratthapālasutta

Abstract

The concept of communication has undergone a tremendous transformation over the last century. The advent of 'mass communication' and 'mass media' within a new 'mass' culture marked a historical turning point, further accelerated by capitalist and consumerist ideologies. This mode of communication evolved into a new form of social control with the rise of computerization, the proliferation of media and information, and the advancement of new techniques. When engaging with media, people from different cultures, traditions, and societies should not necessarily adhere to Western-oriented concepts. This study seeks to theorize communication and examine communication education through a Buddhist lens while critically questioning the commodification of reality via mass media. There is a dire need for communication theory and communication education that reflect the identities of non-Western societies and traditions in the multipolar world of the 21st century, where the cognitive empire of Eurocentrism is dwindling. In this context, Buddhism, as a comprehensive knowledge system that has evolved with a complete range of currents of thought, holds special significance. In philosophizing communication theory and education, the Ratthapala Sutta from the Buddhist canon was used. Critical Discourse Analysis was employed as the methodology.