BUDDHIST SANGHA’S ROLE OF TOWARD YOUTH’S DEVELOPMENT IN PAKTHO DISTRICT, RATCHABIRI PROVINCE

Abstract

The purposes of this research article were 1) to study the level of Buddhist Sangha’s role in youth development in Paktho District, Ratchaburi Province, 2) to compare the Buddhist Sangha’s role in youth development in Paktho District, Ratchaburi Province by classifying according to personal factors, and 3) to study problems, obstacles and suggestions for the development of Buddhist Sangha’s role in youth development in Paktho District, Ratchaburi Province. It was a mixed method research between quantitative and qualitative research. In term of quantitative research, using a sample group of 231 monks and qualitative research using in-depth interviews with key informants from purposive sampling, classified into 4 groups, totaling 9 monks or people. The research results found that 1) the general conditions of Buddhist Sangha’s role in youth development in Paktho District, Ratchaburi Province, it was consisted of the physical aspect, the monks had continually played a role in the physical development of youth, training with Dhamma principles according to projects and activities established by schools or temples, including sermons on Buddhist important days by using the Five Precepts to explain the physically development; that was, not harassing, not harming people and animals, especially quarrels. Mental aspect, Buddhist monks played a great role in the mental development of youth. Physically, that is, not harassing, not harming people and animals, especially quarrels. Mentally, monks play a great role in the mental development of youth. Therefore, the fact that those agencies organized religious and cultural activities, the monks therefore had the opportunity to teach young people to abandon evil, do good, and made their minds pure, and social aspect, the monks taught good principles regarding Buddhist etiquette, as this was Thai etiquette that made young people having a good manner and ready to apply in living with society including school, institute and their friends. 2) Problems, obstacles and suggestions for the development of Buddhist Sangha’s role in youth development in Paktho District, Ratchaburi Province, including the physical aspect, students with ADHD had their own ideas as they did not like to meditate or doing religious activities, and the mental aspect, gradually cultivating some groups of students who resisted going to temples or participating in various activities must take time so avoiding forcing them, youth should be encouraged to have ethics as the core of their development in other aspects, and on the social side, technology and being attached to friends caused children to not want to participate in temple activities, children would rather turned to technology and phones, including drugs problems. 3) The development of Buddhist Sangha’s role in youth development in Paktho District, Ratchaburi Province, including the physical aspect, there should be activities that could allow both students and parents to participate in the activities together by using the principles of Bovorn (home, temple, school) to participate in student development, mental aspect, cultivating morality and ethics in students to practice in what should be and discard all prohibited things by interfering with activities or additional training, and on the social aspect, monks should play a role in developing youth, communities, and society at the same time, including education, society and culture, moral and ethical development, environment, economy, and prevention of drug problems in the community. In this regard, monks must play a role in developing the education of Dhamma principles to be clear and systematic by providing school-level education to opportunity expansion schools in surrounding communities.