The Guidelines for Public Welfare of Monks in the COVID-19 Era, That Phanom District, Nakhon Phanom Province

Abstract

          The objectives of this qualitative research were: 1) to study public welfare in Buddhism, 2) to investigate the public welfare activities of monks during the COVID-19 pandemic in That Phanom District, Nakhon Phanom Province, and 3) to study the approach to public welfare by monks during the COVID-19 pandemic in That Phanom District, Nakhon Phanom Province, using interview tools with three groups of informants: (1) seven monks who practice public welfare, (2) five religious scholars, and (3) 14 recipients of public welfare. The research results were as follows:
          Public welfare in Buddhism: the core principle and method are to practice public welfare both physically and mentally, revealing teachings to solve societal problems. In modern society, giving involves more than material factors due to its complexity.
          Public welfare during COVID-19 in That Phanom District, Nakhon Phanom Province: the primary informants in That Phanom District engaged in six public welfare activities. Monks focused on mental support, counseling, and guidance for those mentally affected by COVID-19.

Approaches to public welfare during COVID-19 in That Phanom District, Nakhon Phanom Province: approaches include: (1) principles of practicing according to Buddhist discipline through chanting, meditation, wisdom cultivation, and mindfulness to deal with basic problems; (2) public welfare by giving the four requisites for at-risk groups and medical personnel, providing encouragement, creating motivation, establishing safe areas in the temples, managing funeral ceremonies, and giving advice; and (3) implementing a step-by-step process, such as holding consultation meetings among working groups and assessing work risks to determine appropriate assistance strategies.