The Process of Controlling Human Temperament According to Theravada Buddhism

Abstract

This documentary study examines the Theravāda Buddhist concept of temperament (carita) and proposes a practical, Abhidhamma-informed process for regulating temperament in contemporary life. The study pursues three objectives: (1) to clarify the concept and typology of carita in Theravāda sources; (2) to synthesize canonical and commentarial guidance with contemporary perspectives on emotional and behavioural regulation; and (3) to propose an actionable process for controlling unwholesome temperaments and strengthening wholesome dispositions. Data were drawn primarily from Pāli commentarial literature, especially the Visuddhimagga’s discussion of the six temperaments, supported by standard Abhidhamma manuals and relevant scholarly works; supplementary insights from expert interviews with Buddhist scholars were used to triangulate interpretations. Findings indicate that the six carita types, rāga, dosa, moha, saddhā, buddhi, and vitakka, function as trainable tendencies shaped by past conditioning (vāsanā/kamma) and present cognitive–affective habits. Interpreting carita through the Abhidhamma analysis of consciousness (citta) and mental factors (cetasika) provides a fine-grained account of how reactivity and regulation arise and can be redirected. The proposed process emphasizes (i) self-assessment, (ii) ethical restraint and the four right efforts, (iii) selecting meditation objects suited to temperament, and (iv) iterative reflection, mindfulness cultivation, and kalyāṇamitta support. The model aligns with contemporary accounts that link temperament to reactivity and emotion regulation, while contributing a distinctly Buddhist framework oriented toward liberation and sustainable well-being.