Journal of Mass Communication & Journalism

Alternative Views on the Theory of Communication: An Exploration through the Strands of Buddhism

Abstract

Sumit Narula

Communication occupies a pivotal role in the total development of every human being. Communication as a basic social process is influenced by the philosophical and societal value system. The objective of this paper is to underscore the importance of Buddhism as a way of thought in the discourse of human communication. Buddhism, which has its origins in ancient India, focuses on the centrality of human effort in the attainment of salvation. That Buddhism has much to contribute to the understanding of the communication phenomenon is evident from the works of Dissanayake and others. This paper is furtherance in that direction. The author shall try to analyze the essence of communication from Buddha’s teachings and thus explore and reinvent Buddhist view of communication in today’s communication perspective through the method of discourse analysis.