FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE: AN ANALYSIS OF THE BUDDHA’S DIALOGUES IN THE SUTTA PITAKA

Interreligious dialogue is an important tool for building a peaceful multireligious society. Scholars have been debating about what makes it effective. This study contributes to this knowledge from a Buddhist perspective. It draws from the Buddha’s dialogues with people of other faiths in the Buddhist Pali Canon, the Sutta Pitaka through a qualitative content analysis of the three collections: Digha Nikaya, Majjhima Nikaya, and Anguttara Niakaya. Particularly, the study addresses two questions: How effective is the Buddha’s dialogue as described in the Sutta Pitaka? What are the factors contributing to its effectiveness? The study found four levels of effectiveness: (1) negative responses; (2) clarification of each other’s view; (3) transformation of attitudes; and (4) conversion which has three types: (i) converting and remaining in one’s old religion, (ii) smooth conversion, and (iii) dramatic conversion. The study finds that both internal and external factors contribute to these levels of effectiveness. The Buddhist insights suggest that positive effects of dialogue require, among other factors, knowledge, virtue, communication skills, openness to truth, capacity to discuss truth rationally, and an environment conducive to dialogue. Submitted: 03 June 2025 Accepted: 01 October 2025