A Buddhist Practice for the Development of the Elderly

Abstract

This article presents an analysis of a buddhist practice for the development of the elderly through a study of 64 documents from well-known authors on the subject. It considers the problems of the elderly as well as Dhamma for the elderly, and covers three topics-the principal Dhamma for the elderly, a guide of conduct or practice according to the Buddhist way, and the success in the development of the elderly. One common principal Dhamma that is used in developing the elderly in all cases is awareness or mindfulness. The Buddhist practices involve giving, observing religious precepts, meditation, and they should be harmoniously interconnected in their application. The success of such application is manifested in both external and internal values of 6 types: body, spirit, emotion, society, wisdom, and awareness or mindfulness. In the Buddhist perspective, these values contribute to true happiness of the elderly.