The objectives of the research were: (1) to study meaning, concept and theory of the public mind, (2) to study teachings concerning the public mind in Theravada Buddhism and (3) to study application of the public mind in Thai society now.

This research applied the documentary research with collecting data from Tipitaka, academic textbooks, related documents and researches. Analysis of the data used the analysis of the content and the summary of the research used presenting the descriptive results of the research.

                  Results of the Research

The public mind was the feeling or the consciousness that paid attention, participated in the useful activities to the society and the country and also the responsibility or performing the duty as the good member of the society. The public mind was the good consciousness being within the mind of person, the consciousness consisting of the virtue and the ethics influenced from the state of the living and the social environment by perceiving, learning, remembering and copying. These made the behavior in helping together, gave the time, power, and property to make the benefit to the others and the society.

In the teaching of Buddhism, there were Dhamma principles relating to the practice and according with the concept of the public mind such as the four Holy Abiding (Brahmavihāra) the four Bases of Social Solidarity (Sańgahavatthu) the four Virtues for a Good Household Life (Gharāvāsa-dhamma) and the Six Directions (Disā) etc. These Dhamma principles were the virtue for the society, and the human because these lead to the benefit to oneself, others and the society.

The application of the public mind to the society found that applying that the six Disas with the family, educational, religious, political and economic institution can organize the society well because it was cultivating the consciousness and the responsibility and the prototype of performing the duty properly according to the status of each person. For example, the duty of husband had to respect, not to libel the wife. The duty of the wife had to do the chores. The duty of parents had to teach the children to be good person. The duty of son or daughter had to Take care of the parents and help the work in the school. The duty of teacher had to advise, teach, respect and protect the students. The duty of the student had to obey and serve the teachers etc. When everybody had to perform the duty properly, it will be useful to the development of the society and the country and support the development of the mind of each person in the living in the society peacefully.