A Conceptual Framework of Wrong View on Self (sakkāya-Diṭṭhi) and Its Transformative Approaches for a Peaceful Society

Abstract

This qualitative study examines sakkāya-diṭṭhi, commonly translated as identity view or wrong view of self, and develops a Theravāda Buddhist framework for transforming its individual and social consequences. The study had three objectives: (1) to analyze the concept of sakkāya-diṭṭhi in Theravāda Buddhist scriptures; (2) to examine its causes, manifestations, and impacts from Theravāda and scholarly perspectives; and (3) to propose transformative approaches that may contribute to a peaceful society. Documentary research was combined with semi-structured interviews with nine purposively selected experts, including Buddhist scholar-monks and specialists from modern academic disciplines. The data were examined through content and thematic analysis.

The findings show that sakkāya-diṭṭhi is classically expressed through twenty modes of identification with the five aggregates and can be interpreted at three levels of manifestation: transgressive behavior, active mental domination, and latent tendency. The study further identifies ignorance, attachment to the five aggregates, unwise attention, misleading external influence, and unwholesome association as conditions that can reinforce self-centered interpretation. Rather than treating sakkāya-diṭṭhi as a psychiatric diagnosis, the article interprets its consequences within a Buddhist ethical-psychological framework, including attachment, hostility, rigid self-protection, and conduct that may contribute to interpersonal and social conflict. The proposed transformative framework links three levels of practice to three domains of peace: ethical transformation through bodily and verbal restraint; mental transformation through cultivation of non-greed, non-hatred, mindfulness, and concentration; and insight transformation through right view, wise attention, and insight into the five aggregates. The study argues that reducing reified attachment to self may support ethical conduct, psychological balance, and peaceful coexistence, while recognizing that the proposed framework remains conceptual and requires further empirical evaluation.