Effectiveness of Vipassana Meditation Practice Graduate Students Mahachulalongkornrajaviyalaya University

Abstract

          The research on the effectiveness of Vipassana meditation practice among graduate students at Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University aims to: 1. Study the practice of meditation according to the Four Foundations of Mindfulness in Buddhism; 2. Investigate the Vipassana meditation practice of graduate students; and 3. Assess the effectiveness of Vipassana meditation practice among graduate students at Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University. The study used qualitative research methodology, employing in-depth interviews with a total of 25 participants, including program administrators, Vipassana meditation teachers, and graduate students. The data was analyzed using content analysis based on field research findings.

            The results of the study revealed the following: 1. In Buddhism, there are 40 meditation practices, with Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University at all levels implementing the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, particularly the practice of "Pong-Noh, Yub-Noh" (inflating and deflating the abdomen) as part of their teaching. 2. The practice of Vipassana meditation among graduate students includes: 1) a required course as part of their curriculum; 2) a meditation practice for 30 days for Master's degree students and 45 days for Doctoral degree students, as required by the university; and 3) activities related to meditation practice, such as dhutanga meditation pilgrimage and spiritual pilgrimage in India. 3. The effectiveness of Vipassana meditation practice among graduate students can be categorized into four aspects: 1) Physical effectiveness (Kayanupassana), using bodily processes as a means to acquire knowledge through postures such as standing, walking, sitting, and lying down; 2) Moral effectiveness (Vedananupassana/Social), learning Buddhism through awareness of sensory experiences and increasing responsibility towards society and others around them; 3) Mental effectiveness (Cittanupassana), leading to greater self-control and increased mental energy for academic work, thinking, and decision-making with more logical reasoning; and 4) Intellectual effectiveness (Dhammanupassana), using reason and judgment effectively in accordance with the reality of situations.