teachings on peace and harmony of the 14th dalai lama and selected peace advocates (sum)

Thai Nguyen University Batangas State University
Socialist Republic of Vietnam Republic of Philippines


PHD. CANDIDATE: TRAN THI NHI



TEACHINGS ON PEACE AND HARMONY
OF THE 14
TH
DALAI LAMA AND SELECTED
PEACE ADVOCATES


Major: English Language and Literature




SUMMARY OF Ph.D DISSERTATION
IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

THAI NGUYEN, 2014

The Dissertation was completed in:
THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY


Advisor: Dr. Maria Luisa A. Valdez


Reviewer No.1:
Reviewer No.2:
Reviewer No.3:



The Dissertation will be evaluated at the State Council held at:
………………………………………………………………………
At: hour date month year 2014




Dissertation can be found at the libraries:
- National library of Vietnam;
- Learning Resource Center - Thai Nguyen University;

- Library of International Training and Development Center;
- Library of Batangas State University, Philippines.


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6. That the members of the community may realize, through this
paper, that peace and harmony is most effective when it highlights
the positive interdependence existing among the people, groups,
organizations and nations.
7. That future researchers conduct other literary studies on the theme
of peace along lines of this research for academic enhancement. This
would bring a wider crosssection of views of life and to substantiate
the present study.

1

Chapter I
THE PROBLEM

Introduction
There exist myriad problems in the current world which threaten
the existence of humanity. Violence is accelerating everywhere.
Ceaseless wars and conflicts are taking place in several regions,
killing thousands of people and causing suffering for millions of
human beings. Furthermore, more and more modern weapons with
massive destruction capacity are being produced, threatening the
whole mankind in every minute. Meanwhile, the world is also faced
with terrorism, environmental pollution, racial religious conflicts,
political disputes, social and economic inequality, the large gap
between the rich and the poor, diseases and poverty.
Making the situation worse, these problems happen in every
continent without exception, and tend to happen to not only one
nation or a few nations but also bigger groups of nations.
For example, the United States and Western countries have
recently experienced terrorist attacks, civil unrest and violent
massacres; the political disputes between Russia and other European
countries around the issues related to Ukraina has resulted in the
embargo and trade and business sanctions which creates hardships
for of millions of citizens in the European continent; the rise of

terrorist country self-called Isis has created turmoil and terrible
violence in Middle East and North Africa; constant conflicts in the
China Sea are threatening the stability and the maintenance of peace
in the South East Asia.


2

All of these catastrophic events beg the question of how to save
humanity.
As stated in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) constitution, the statement that
“Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that
the defenses of peace must be constructed” is an appeal for a
psychology of peace, a movement which seeks to find a the solution
to conflicts without violence but via mutual and harmonious
relationships.
Accordingly, peace education is a principal means to maintain and
promote peace. To establish and foster a culture of peace is a
necessity for any nation, including Vietnam - a country vulnerable to
peace.
Aligning with UNESCO constitution, the country has been a long
time advocate for peace, maintaining and promoting education for
peace via its education policies implemented in both informal
teaching and formal education.
Peace education as a social movement can be traced back from
religious traditions. For centuries, peace and peaceful resolution of
conflict was primarily discussed in the teachings of religious leaders
such as Lao Tse, Jesus Christ, the Buddha, the Dalai Lama, and
Bahau llah, who taught that people were supposed to promote peace

in their lives and in the world as a whole.
The contribution that religious figures can make to peacemaking
has been increasingly studied and recognized. Peace education has
evolved from radical values in religious traditions of love,


23

peace and harmony can access the academe and spawn peace and
nonviolent-related activities in the curricula that will educate the
academic community of the beneficial outcomes of these virtues to
all people.
2. That the working professionals integrate the recommendations of
this study in the mainstream of their disciplines, their lives and the
world. And, organize workplace peace initiatives to nurture and
challenge people of all ages working in various sectors of society to
live peaceful and harmonious lives.
3. That media practitioners and professionals be inspired to develop
an intervention strategy that incorporates educational messages on
peace and harmony into popular media such as soap operas and other
media programming on the television and radio to change cultural
attitudes, norms and behaviors that would benefit audiences.
4. That college instructors of literature may use this analysis as one
of their methodologies in teaching literature specifically the
appropriate materials, media, and literary theories and approaches in
literary analysis in their literature classes and to develop their
students’ appreciation and sense of value in order to guide and allow
them to crystallize and synthesize what philosophy of life is best to
learn and to live by.
5. That the students of literature realize the significance of peace

education and may be inspired to treat literature as a work of art
distinguished from other texts through content and form, and
intensify their appreciation of prose and poetry as well as inspire
them to engage in literary analysis as an academic activity.


22

Conclusions
Based on the findings of the study, the following conclusions are
drawn:
1. The 14th Dalai Lama simplifies the thousand-year Buddhist
philosophical wisdom and turns it into the principles which are
comprehensible and relevant to any ordinary person in the modern
time who wants to practice them in the daily life in order to attain
peace.
2. Powerful and distinctive concepts of peace are found in Rumi,
Tagore, Pope John Paul and Ikeda’s poems and proses.
3. Although the selected peace advocates represent four different
religions and they come from different cultures, much common
conception is found in their teachings on peace.
4. All the teachings on peace by the selected peace advocates which
emphasize “learning to live in harmony together” the universal and
permanent moral values and principles which promote a spirit of
respecting cultural pluralism, cultivate human good qualities and
responsibility must be integrated in education so that the young
generation’s peace spirit is fostered, energized and enlivened through
literature and culture.
Recommendations
From the findings and conclusions of this study, the researcher

offers the following recommendations:
1. That the academic managers educational policy makers and
administrators utilize this study as a frame of reference when they
prepare developmental priorities, programs, projects and policies in
the educational institutions. This would ensure that the value of


3

compassion, tolerance and charity to modern theories revolving
interpersonal relations and environmental issues (Harris, 2002).
Buddhism, the religion which was introduced to Vietnam about
two thousand years ago, despite ups and downs, has tremendously
influenced all facets of Vietnamese culture, especially the spiritual
life and the system of moral values. Historically, most Vietnamese
have dentified themselves with Buddhism. Buddhism was introduced
to Vietnam as being a peaceful way, aimed at seeking justice,
compassion, freedom for humans from sufferings. These beliefs are
close to the long standing cultural values of the Vietnamese and
suitable with Vietnamese people, who advocate peace and always
desire happiness and freedom for their nation. Therefore, the religion
was easily accepted and quickly spread by the Vietnamese.
Throughout the country, there exist thousands of Buddhist
pagodas in the cities and the countryside, playing an important part in
the spiritual life and making an identified culture of the Vietnamese
people. These pagodas function not only as the place for communal
activities but also a place for ideological teachings to be conveyed.
Buddhism has been considered as the national religion of
Vietnam. During the Ly dynasty in the eleventh and twelfth century,
Buddhism was so popular and vibrant that half of the Vietnamese

population at that time followed it.
In the 20th century, the country experienced a series of harsh
historical events, affecting the development of the religion. However,
with recent changes in economics and social developments, the
picture of religious life within Vietnamese people has become more
vivid. If in the past, only old women went to the temples and


4

practiced Buddhist rituals, nowadays, there seems to be an increasing
interest in practicing the religion in both men and women, and in
both old people and young ones. This trend likely creates a a
favorable environment to promote peace education for the whole
nation in general and for its young generation in particular. It is
undeniable that Buddhism has deep roots in Vietnamese culture,
since its principal beliefs and values can be found in various facets of
Vietnamese culture, from folklore, arts and literature to many aspects
of everyday life. The religion has been imbedded in the common life
of the Vietnamese communities.
The core value in the philosophy of Buddhism largely recognized
by the Eastern Buddhist countries and recently by Western countries
is its interpretation of peace and harmony, its nature and the way to
attain it.
For centuries, Buddhist countries have practiced the doctrine and
followed the teachings of Buddha. However, in the modern era where
rapid development in information technology is at hand, it is very
timely to contemplate if the Buddhist philosophy on peace and
harmony is still appropriate for the hectic and busy and frenetic life
style experienced by people in the present day.

The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, a Tibetan Buddhist monk,
has been the primary proselytizer and advocate of the philosophy of
peace and harmony from the perspective of Buddhism in recent
times. Notably, he has been successful in making relevant the
thousand-year wisdom of Buddhism to the specific and practical
teachings for the modern life of the new millennium.


21

14
th
Dalai Lama and Daisaku Ikeda for Buddhism, Mawlana Rumi
for Islam, Pope John Paul II for Christianity and Tagore for non-
formative religion, much common conception is found in their
teachings on peace. Their perspectives to the existence of human
beings and the world and their concepts on peaceful and harmonious
relationships are universal despite the time and geographical distance.
Regarding peace and harmony at three aspects - intrapersonal,
interpersonal and international, these peace advocates all desire
peace, seek ways to attain peace for the humanity and bring man back
to the original soul which is infinite and beautiful part of human
beings. Peace is radical need and ultimate goal of man.
To achieve peace, man needs to cultivate good qualities such as
love for nature and for human beings and responsibility with himself,
with his community and with the whole of mankind. They all
emphasize the respect of various races, diverse cultures and different
religions as a necessity for a peaceful and harmonious world.
4. With the contemporary world full of conflicts and violence
today, there is a necessity to devise a form of education which can

help resolve its problems and turns it into a safe, peaceful and happy
home for mankind. All the teachings on peace by the selected peace
advocates which emphasize “learning to live in harmony together”
should be one of the major issues in education today. The universal
and permanent values and principles which promote a spirit of
respecting cultural pluralism, cultivate human good qualities and
appraise responsibility must be integrated in education so that the
young generation’s peace spirit is fostered, energized and enlivened
through literature and culture.


20

present time, the Dalai Lama calls for a sense of universal
responsibility and proposes a spiritual revolution as a solution to
achieve peace and harmony for human beings at all levels - personal,
community and global.
2. Powerful concepts related to the value of human life and
humanity are found in Rumi, Tagore, Pope John Paul and Ikeda’s
writings and speeches.
Rumi’s thought that human beings must delve deeper into the soul
and need to accept the physical differences to find the commonality
of humanity can be instrumental in creating peace and harmony in
society.
Tagore, as a symbol of harmony, sees the beauty of the universe
in the face of diversity and the bond between human beings and
nature. Through his poems, he prays for the whole humanity to live
in peace and harmony by discarding all evils and taking up good
deeds.
Daisaku Ikeda promotes dialogue as a principal means to peace

and he stresses value of man in contribution to the well-being of the
community of three levels - the local community, national
community and global community. Ikeda also encourages the
transmission of the value of peaceful coexistence and wisdom gained
from generation to generation.
Pope John Paul considers freedom of conscience, justice, truth,
respect for rights and responsibilities as crucial values to ensure
peace and harmonious existence.
3. A noticeable finding from the research is that although the
selected peace advocates represent different religions, namely, the


5

Beside the Dalai Lama, there have been a great number of peace
advocates, including religious figures, political leaders, literary
writers and philosophers, who have advocated the teachings of peace
and harmony in their books, sermons and speeches. All of this have
provided a basis for a trend and a growing movement for peace and
harmony in modern times. Because of the importance of this peace
movement, the researcher has decided to focus on studying the
works of the Dalai Lama and a few other selected advocates of the
peace movement to have a deeper and holistic view on understanding
of the concepts of peace in current time and discuss the implications
of this movement for life in modern times, particularly its impact on
Vietnamese student values.

Statement of the Problem
This study is an analysis of the teachings on peace and harmony
of the 14th Dalai Lama and selected other notable peace advocates

and to integrate their viewpoints into a global peace education
perspective.
Specifically, the study seeks answers to the following questions:
1. What are the teachings on peace and harmony held by the 14th
Dalai Lama?
2. What are the peace concepts that may be drawn from the works of
the following peace advocates:
2.1. Mawlana Rumi;
2.2. Rabindranath Tagore;
2.3. Pope John Paul II; and
2.4. Daisaku Ikeda?


6

3. What are the common aspects on the teachings of peace held by
these individuals ?
4. How may the varied teachings on peace be integrated in a global
peace education perspective and program?

Scope, Delimitation and Limitation of the Study
This study analyzes the philosophy of nonviolence as embodied in
the selected literary pieces of the 14th Dalai Lama and the selected
peace advocates Mawlana Rumi, Rabindranath Tagore, Pope John
Paul II and Daisaku Ikeda and focuses on its implication for
Vietnamese students’ values. This study employs the qualitative
method of research in analyzing the selected writings and speeches of
the personages and uses sociological and philosophical approaches as
the bases for analysis.
This study is anchored on Gultung’s theory on peace. Other

approaches in literary criticism that may be employed in the analysis
such as the Formalist Criticism, Biographical Criticism, Historical
Criticism, and Psychological Criticism are not part of this study.
The researcher also uses content analysis, which is a systematic
technique in analyzing message content and message handling. The
data analysis in this study centered on pattern seeking and the
extraction of meaning from the selected peace advocates’ selected
literary narrative or image data.
Much effort was focused on the task of recording data or making
notes through concepts and categories; altering or creating new codes
or more subtle categories; linking and combining abstract concepts;
extracting the essence; organizing meaning; creating theory from


19

This study employed the qualitative method of research and
sociological and philosophical approaches as the bases for analysis.
This paper also involved content analysis, which is a systematic
technique in analyzing message content and message handling.
The representative literary works were analyzed: Dalai Lama’s
The Power of Compassion, Infinite Compassion for an Imperfect
World, Beyond Religion - Ethics for a Whole World, Ancient
Wisdom, and Modern World - Ethics for the new Millennium. Other
elected writings analyzed were: Rumi’s Nasnavi, Tagore’s Gitanjali
and Nationalism, Pope John Paul’s Messages on the World Peace
Day and Daisaku Ikeda’s For the Sake of Peace – Seven Paths to
Global Harmony: A Buddhist Perspectives.
Findings
The results of analysis and interpretation revealed the following:

1. The 14th Dalai Lama’s teachings are a reinterpretation and
restatement of the thousand-year Buddhist philosophical wisdom into
principles that are comprehensible and relevant to any ordinary
person in the modern time, enabling people to practice them in the
daily life to attain peace.
The Dalai Lama states the universal issues: that human beings
regardless social classes, races, religions, occupations or cultures, all
want happiness and do not want sufferings, that all religions share
common purpose: bringing happiness and releasing human beings
from misery; they all encourage good human qualities like love,
compassion, tolerance, kindness, honesty and responsibility and
reject cruelty, greed, selfishness, envy and hatred. Through his
discussion on the problems which challenge the humanity in the


18

CHAPTER IV

This chapter presents a thorough analysis of the selected
works to answer the questions raised in chapter I.

CHAPTER V
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

This chapter presents the summary, findings, conclusions and
recommendations of the study.
Summary
This study is an analysis of the teachings on peace and harmony
of the 14th Dalai Lama and selected peace advocates, and the varied

teachings on peace that may be integrated on a global peace
education perspective.
Specifically, the study seeks answers to the following questions:
1. What are the teachings on peace and harmony held by the 14th
Dalai Lama?
2. What are the peace concepts of the following peace advocates:
2.1. Mawlana Rumi;
2.2. Rabindranath Tagore;
2.3. Pope John Paul II; and
2.4. Daisaku Ikeda?
3. What are the common aspects on the teachings of peace held by
these advocates?
4. How can the varied teachings on peace be integrated on a global
peace education perspective?


7

emerging themes; writing an understanding; and drawing
conclusions.
The essential features in the treatment of materials were
considered by the researcher in the conduct of this study.
The general rules cited by Stott (2014) as regards the seven
standards a piece of literature should have in order to be considered
literary served as a in the selection of works under study.
Applying these standards the following literary works were
analyzed: Dalai Lama’s The Power of Compassion, Infinite
Compassion for an Imperfect World, Beyond Religion - Ethics for a
Whole World, and Ancient Wisdom and Modern World - Ethics for
the new Millennium. The selected writings Rumi entitled Nasnavi,

Tagore’s Gitanjali and Nationalism , Pope John Paul’s Messages on
the World Peace Day and Daisaku Ikeda’s For the Sake of Peace:
Seven Paths to Global Harmony – A Buddhist Perspective were also
included. These prose and poetry pieces constituted the primary
resource materials for of the study.
However, since these individuals are not only well-known
literati but also social figures, religious leaders and philosophers; this
study also analyzed essays, works and recorded speeches, to provide
as comprehensive an assessments of their ideas as possible.

Significance of the Study
This approach - using literary analysis as a tool for eliciting
the meaning and significance of the materials analyzed makes this
study extremely beneficial to academic managers, working
professionals, media practitioners, college instructors of literature,


8

students of literature, members of the community, and other
researchers.
Academic Managers. This dissertation will help policy makers
such as those from Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training,
include developmental priorities, programs, projects and policies in
the educational institutions to ensure that the concepts of peace and
harmony can access the academe. This will also inspire them to
develop peace-related activities in the curricula that will educate the
academic community of the beneficial outcomes of peace and
harmony to all people regardless of gender, race, nationality and
religious backgrounds and to serve as a bridge builder in interfaith

encounter.
Working Professionals. This study will be beneficial for them in
the sense that the selected works have showcased how the 14th Dalai
Lama’s and the selected peace advocates’ activism which helped
shaped the people’s understanding of peace as a philosophy of life.
Likewise, they may be motivated to bring peace awareness in the
mainstream of their disciplines, their lives and the world and be
inspired to organize peace initiatives to nurture and challenge people
of all ages working in various sectors of society to a nonviolent life.
These initiatives may help the working people to embrace this
advocacy, clarify life goals, and revitalize working relationships
within their workplaces.
Media Practitioners. This study may inspire them to introduce an
intervention strategy referred to as entertainment education to change
cultural attitudes, norms and behaviors that would benefit audiences.
This strategy incorporates educational messages on peace and


17

with in the different selections; and the varied teachings on peace that
can be integrated on a global peace education perspectives.
These prose and poetry pieces constituted the primary sources of
the study. They were chosen to parallel the criteria spelled out for the
purpose. These works have been subject to critical analysis far less
frequently than these selected peace advocates’ most popular books.
In subjecting the materials to internal and external criticism and
analysis, the meaning and trustworthiness of the statements in the
primary and secondary sources were carefully charted and analyzed.
In this analysis, the researcher was free to defend her understanding

and appraisal of each literary piece. This reflected her personal
response to the suitability of the language to the theme, the
relevance of the language to the situation, and the appropriateness of
the language to the literary pieces under study.
To attain congruency between the theories used in explaining the
concept of peace and harmony, coding and categorization were
conducted. In this study, the categories which served as coding units
include the following: the teachings on peace and harmony as
reflected in the selected works of the 14th Dalai Lama; the peace
concepts that may be drawn from the works of the aforementioned
peace advocates; the intrapersonal, interpersonal and international
aspects on the teachings of peace dealt with in the different
selections; and the varied teachings on peace that can be integrated
on a global peace education perspective.
Direct references drawn from the selections served as the primary
texts and were compared with the theoretical statements discussed.
These passages from the chosen letters and speeches substantiated the
theoretical basis of the study.



16

appeal to the readers’ creative sides with beautifully crafted phrases
and sentences.
Finally, relative to style, the peculiar way in which the author sees
life, forms his ideas and how he expresses them were also
considered. The selected literary pieces reflect the writers’ view of
the world and can suggest ideas and interpretations to the readers in a
way they have never considered.

For the purpose of this study and to give philosophical credibility,
the following representative literary works were analyzed: Dalai
Lama’s The Power of Compassion, Infinite Compassion for an
Imperfect World, Beyond Religion - Ethics for a Whole World,
Ancient Wisdom, and Modern World - Ethics for the new
Millennium. The main selected writings of identified literary writers
and philosophers Rumi entitled Nasnavi, Tagore’s Gitanjali and
Nationalism , Pope John Paul’s Messages on the World Peace Day
and Daisaku Ikeda’s: For the Sake of Peace: Seven Paths to Global
Harmony are also analyzed.
As these authors are not only well-known literati but also social
figures, religious leaders and philosophers; they are all prolific
writers and great orators. This study also analyzed their other works,
including more informal written works and recorded speeches, for
analysis under the theme of the research.
The selections were chosen for their value in further clarifying
the teachings on peace and harmony as reflected in the selected
works of the 14th Dalai Lama; the peace concepts that may be drawn
from the works of the selected peace advocates; the intrapersonal,
interpersonal and international aspects on the teachings of peace dealt


9

harmony into soap operas and other media programming on the
television and radio to change the attitudes and behavior of the
audience.
College Instructors of Literature. This analysis will be helpful
in the instructor’s methodology in teaching literature as an inquiry
into using the appropriate literary theories and approaches in literary

analysis. This will lead to treating literary criticism as a worthwhile
exercise that includes, among others, the identification of a
meaningful themes and the investigation of literary devices to reveal
such themes. In addition, this will provide them with opportunities to
focus on the concept of peace and harmony in their literature classes
and open their students’ mind and hearts to the varied teachings on
peace that can be integrated on a global peace education perspective.
Students of Literature. Not only will this analysis give them an
extensive and profound outlook in life with reference to peace and
harmony through the lives and experiences of the writers and the
characters in the selected literary pieces, it will also make them
realize that issues in relation to violence should not be tolerated. In
addition, this paper will make them treat literature as a work of art
distinguished from other texts through content and form, and
eventually intensify their appreciation of prose and poetry and inspire
them to engage in literary analysis as an academic activity.
Members of the Community. This paper will make them more
aware of their social responsibility and peace work to curb violence
that beset the community and the world today. This will make them
understand that peace and harmony is most effective when it
highlights the positive interdependence existing among the people,


10

groups, organizations and nations involved and the need for joint
efforts to achieve mutual benefits. It will also make them aware that
integrative agreements maximize mutual benefits; and that the use of
a procedure of decision making that creates a synthesis or integration
of various preferences of the involved parties or takes everyone’s

perspectives and conclusions into account. Likewise, the analysis
will sensitive people to the fact that some of the belief systems and
practices at home and the community are oftentimes not in
accordance with the establishment of valued roles in relation to peace
and harmony for young Vietnamese students, and thus should be
avoided.
Other Researchers. This paper may inspire them to conduct
more researches on ways that are most effective in integrating the
nonviolent principles into the people’s dominant worldview.
Researches on peace and nonviolence and tolerant values and
worldviews might diminish the negative aspects of fear and mortality
salience that is usually associated with terror management. Likewise,
researchers will be benefitted by this study through the analysis and
treatment of materials, and through the careful investigation of both
theme and form in literary genres. This paper may also show them
the process of drawing out literary theories and utilizing critical
approaches in literary analysis.




15

In relation to spiritual value, the quality of great literature which
elevates the spirit was taken into consideration during the selection
process. The chosen representative literary works are thought to have
an underlying moral message that can potentially make the readers
better people. These moral values are often written between the lines
and can help the readers become better persons.
As regards universal appeal, the thought that great literature

appeals to all people regardless of race, creed, nationality or beliefs
was taken into consideration. The literary works chosen for analysis
appeals to a range of people across different age groups, nationalities,
cultures and beliefs.
In connection with permanence, the quality that great literature
endures was also considered. The selected prose’s and poems’ appeal
is lasting and they can be read again and again as each reading gives
fresh delight and new insights and open new worlds of meaning and
experience.
With reference to suggestiveness, the value associated with the
emotional power of great literature was noted. The selected literary
pieces can carry many associations that lead beyond the surface
meaning. The reader is left to establish what the author is suggesting
and this captures the readers’ imagination by making them think
about what they are reading and engaging them into the story or
poem.
With reference to artistry, the quality which appeals to the
readers’ sense of beauty was likewise noted in the choice of
representative works. The chosen works are well-written and they


14

seeking and the extraction of meaning from the 14th Dalai Lama’s
and the selected peace advocates identified narrative or image data.
Much effort was focused on the task of recording data or making
notes through concepts and categories; altering or creating new codes
or more subtle categories; linking and combining abstract concepts;
extracting the essence; organizing meaning; creating theory from
emerging themes; writing an understanding; and drawing

conclusions.
Treatment of Materials
The following essential features in the treatment of materials were
considered by the researcher in the conduct of this study.
To adopt a more systematic identification of selected works,
several norms were adhered to.
According to Stott (2014), there are generally considered seven
standards as regards how a piece of literature should abide to in order
to be considered literary. If a piece of writing is considered “literary”
this usually suggest that it is a scholarly article or classical writing
that is extremely well written and is very informative. The said
standards include intellectual value, spiritual value, universal appeal,
permanence, suggestiveness, artistry and style.
With regard to intellectual value, the worth connected to the
stimulating influence of great literature was considered. The
selections can help the readers understand their lives and realize
truths about humanity and life in general. They likewise stimulate the
readers mentally and enrich their thoughts particularly on peace and
harmony.


11

Chapter II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter is presented for the purpose of identifying the
constructs of the study.
Conceptual Literature
The review of the conceptual literature yields four types of

constructs, which are used in the analysis and interpretation of the
literary pieces dissected. These constructs include: the 14th Dalai
Lama and his Significant Works; the Other Selected Peace Advocates
and their Significant Works; Peace Education and Culture of Peace;
and the Sociological and Philosophical Approaches in Literary
Criticism.
Research Literature
This section presents the published and unpublished researches
that are related to the present study.
Synthesis of Literature Reviewed
This section justifies the direct bearing of the conceptual literature
to the present study followed by the presentation of the similarities
and differences of the cited research literature to the present study.
Conceptual/Theoretical Framework
This section presents the central theme or the main thrust of the
study. It serves as a guide in conducting the investigation. It is
followed by a paradigm which is a diagrammatic representation of
the conceptual framework of this study.


12

Definition of Terms
This section presents the terms defined conceptually and
operationally for a better understanding and appreciation of concepts
as they are used in the study. The following terms were defined:
content analysis, global peace education perspective, harmony,
intrapersonal aspect, interpersonal aspect, international aspect, peace
advocates, selected works, the Dalai Lama, and the 14th Dalai Lama.

13

Chapter III
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the research methodology in terms of the
research design and treatment of the materials studied.
Research Design
This study employed the qualitative method of research in
analyzing the tenets of peace and harmony in the representative
literary works chosen.
According to Suter (2012), qualitative research is directed by the
philosophical premise that one must consider the multiple realities
experienced by the participants themselves to understand a complex
phenomenon. These multiple realities experienced by the participant
can be reflected in various ways, including the literary genre called
letters and oratorical pieces.
According to Ary, et. al. (2006), human experiences take their
signification from social, cultural and political influences, and are
therefore incapable of being separated from the said influences.
Hence, in analyzing the representative literary works, the tenet of
peace and harmony were considered. These provided substantial and
significant interpretations of the author’s and characters’ motivations
as regards the theme.
Patton (2002) pointed out that the goal of qualitative data analysis
is to uncover emerging themes, patterns, concepts, insights, and
understanding. Thus, this study also involved content analysis, which
is a systematic technique in analyzing message content and message

handling. The data analysis in this research centered on pattern