Dhamma Relieved Aging: The Promotion Process of the Quality of Elderly Life at Yai-Cha Community in Sampran District, Nakhon Pathom Province

Abstract

The objectives of this research are as follows: 1) to study the quality of life of the elders in the community; 2) to develop a process for promoting the quality of life of the elders in the community according to Buddhist principles; 3) to present a process for promoting the quality of life of the elders in the community according to Buddhist principles. This is a qualitative research. The data collection is conducted by in-depth interview, focus group discussion, and behavioral observation. These data are analyzed by a content approach and written by a descriptive lecture.

The results of the research are as follows: 1) quality of elderly life in the Yai-Cha Community has a good condition and good-hearted. They have the knowledge, understanding, and realization of the all things according to reality, in a good level; 2) the process of promoting the quality of elderly life of in the community has been adopted by using Buddhist principles  such as four Bhāvanās and four Iddhipādas to improve quality of life of elders in all four areas; 3) the process for promoting the quality of elderly life in the community according to Buddhist principles found that the elders in the community cooperate to do activities by participatory action through organizing the activities in conjunction with Buddhist principles and practices. The new body of knowledge indicates that 1) applying the four Bhāvanās in the developmental processes along with the development of quality of elderly life into four aspects: health, social, mental, and wisdom; 2) applying the four Iddhipādas: Chanda, Viriya, Citta, and Vimaṃsā; 3) emphasizing on the development of elders in each group: a social-bound or independent group using four Bhāvanās, a home-bound or dependent group using Kāyā, Citta, and Paññā Bhāvanās, and the bed-bound group using Kāyāand Citta Bhāvanās.