The Journal of International Buddhist Studies College

A Buddhist-Inspired Media Innovation Process for Emotional Well-Being in Digitally Intensive Work Environments

Kornkij Praditpolpanich — 2026-07-03

This study developed and preliminarily evaluated a Buddhist-Inspired Media Innovation Process (BIMIP) for enhancing digital mental well-being among working adults in digitally intensive environments. The objectives were to examine the emotional well-being challenges associated with digital overwhelm, to develop a contemplative media process grounded in Buddhist principles, and to evaluate its preliminary effects on emotional well-being.

A mixed-methods developmental design was employed in three phases: documentary and qualitative exploration, process development with expert validation, and implementation of a 14-day contemplative media intervention with 26 working adults. Quantitative data were collected through pre- and post-intervention emotional well-being assessments, while qualitative data were gathered from reflective journals and participant reflections.

The findings indicate that working adults experienced digital fatigue, cognitive overload, emotional tension, fragmented attention, and a diminished sense of meaning in their daily work lives. The developed BIMIP consists of three interconnected stages: Grounding the Mind, Softening Emotional Tension, and Reconnecting with Meaning. The process integrates mindfulness, loving-kindness, compassion, and wise attention through guided audio practices, contemplative narratives, and reflective micro-learning media. Pre-post descriptive results and qualitative reflections suggested improvements in emotional awareness, inner stability, reflective capacity, and perceived meaning. The study presents a structured framework that links Buddhist contemplative wisdom with media innovation to support emotional well-being in contemporary digital environments. Because the study used a small sample, a short intervention period, and no control group, its findings should be interpreted as preliminary.

Asoka’s Dhamma Policies and Buddhist Peaceful Means: A Conceptual Framework for Sustainable Peace in Contemporary Societies

A Shin Pandita — 2026-07-03

This qualitative documentary study examined sustainable peace through selected Buddhist peaceful means, Asoka’s Dhamma policies, and their possible relevance to contemporary peacebuilding. The study pursued three objectives: to analyze the Buddhist ethical and psychological foundations of sustainable peace; to examine Asoka’s Dhamma policies as a historical model of ethical governance; and to synthesize these perspectives into a conceptual framework for contemporary societies. Data were drawn from selected discourses in the Pāli Canon, English translations of Asoka’s rock and pillar edicts, and relevant scholarship in Buddhist ethics, ancient Indian history, and peace studies. The materials were examined through thematic coding, contextual comparison, and integrative synthesis. The findings indicate that Buddhist peaceful means emphasize inner cultivation and social responsibility through generosity (dāna), loving-kindness (mettā), wisdom (paññā), non-harming, and communal principles such as the aparihāniya-dhamma. Asoka’s edicts illustrate a complementary institutional dimension expressed through Dhamma-vijaya, interreligious respect, moral exhortation, welfare administration, restraint in the use of violence, and the appointment of Dhamma-mahāmattas. The study proposes an integrated Buddhist–Asokan peacebuilding framework in which bottom-up ethical cultivation and top-down welfare-oriented governance operate as mutually reinforcing conditions for positive and sustainable peace. Because the study is documentary and interpretive, the framework should be regarded as a conceptual contribution rather than an empirically validated policy model. Comparative and field-based research is required to assess its feasibility across different political, cultural, and institutional settings.

Developing a Process for Observing the Five Precepts to Enhance Emotional Well-being Among Working Adults at Buddhamahametta Foundation

Yanyang Zhao — 2026-07-04

This study developed and evaluated a structured process for integrating the Five Precepts into daily reflective practice to support emotional well-being among working adults. The study had three objectives: to examine emotional well-being challenges in contemporary work settings; to interpret the Five Precepts as a practical framework for ethical awareness and emotional regulation; and to develop and preliminarily evaluate a 14-day audio-guided reflective process. A mixed-methods developmental design was conducted in three phases comprising documentary and qualitative exploration, process development and expert review, and field implementation. The intervention consisted of daily audio-guided reflections lasting approximately four to six minutes. Quantitative data were collected using the 17-item Emotional Well-Being Questionnaire (EWBQ), which assesses emotional awareness and positivity, social connection and support, meaningful engagement, and accomplishment and growth. Qualitative data were obtained through follow-up interviews and reflective accounts. Descriptive pretest-posttest comparisons indicated higher posttest scores across the four EWBQ domains, while qualitative findings suggested greater awareness of the relationship among intention, emotion, speech, and action. Participants described pausing before reacting, communicating more carefully, and considering the effects of their behavior on colleagues and family members. They also regarded the short audio format as feasible within ordinary work routines. The study proposes the Five Precepts Reflective Process Model, in which ethical reflection is linked to heightened awareness, improved emotional regulation, and more constructive interpersonal conduct. Because the manuscript does not yet report the sample size, instrument psychometrics, exact quantitative results, or a comparison group, the findings should be interpreted as preliminary evidence of feasibility and perceived benefit rather than proof of effectiveness.

The Development Process of the Practice of Gratitude to the Buddha to Enhance Emotional Well-Being for Working Professionals

Voraya Satitpatanaphan — 2026-07-04

This study developed and evaluated a 14-day Buddhānussati-based gratitude practice program designed to support emotional well-being among working professionals. The objectives were to examine participants’ emotional and spiritual needs, construct a structured practice protocol, and explore preliminary changes following implementation. A mixed-methods research-and-development design was conducted in three phases: a qualitative needs assessment; program development and validation by 9 experts; and a one-group pretest–posttest implementation with 17 working professionals. Quantitative data were collected using the PERMA-Profiler, while qualitative data were obtained through semistructured interviews and participant reflections. The needs assessment identified emotional fatigue, cognitive overload, social isolation, performance anxiety, and a diminished sense of meaning. In response, the program adopted a sequential structure: forgiveness and khama-kamma reflection, recollection of the Buddha’s qualities through Buddhānussati and Dhamma Kita (melodic Dhamma chanting), and integration into daily routines. Descriptive results showed that the overall well-being mean increased from 4.21 before the program to 4.43 after the program. The largest mean changes occurred in Positive Emotion (+0.35) and Meaning (+0.25), followed by Emotional Regulation (+0.23) and Relationships (+0.18). Participants also reported greater calm, attentional stability, relational awareness, and purpose. Because the study used a small purposive sample, self-reported outcomes, a short intervention period, and no control group or inferential analysis, the findings indicate feasibility and potential benefit rather than established effectiveness. The study contributes a preliminary applied model linking forgiveness, Buddhist recollection, gratitude, and brief workplace-compatible contemplative practice.

A Psychological Study in Dealing with Conceit (Māna) According to Theravāda Buddhism

Maygawati — 2026-07-08

This qualitative documentary study examines conceit (māna) as a psychological and ethical problem within Theravāda Buddhism. It aims to investigate the nature and causes of conceit, analyze relevant Buddhist teachings, and formulate a practice-oriented framework for its management and eventual eradication. Primary sources included selected texts from the Sutta and Abhidhamma Piṭakas, together with authoritative commentaries and English translations. Secondary sources comprised scholarly works on Theravāda psychology, the five aggregates, insight meditation, and Buddhist approaches to mental cultivation.

The findings indicate that māna is not limited to overt arrogance but functions as a persistent process of self-referential measurement. It appears through comparisons in which individuals regard themselves as superior, equal, or inferior to others. From the Abhidhamma perspective, conceit is associated with greed-rooted consciousness and is sustained by ignorance, attachment, unwise attention, and identification with the five aggregates. Importantly, conceit must be distinguished from identity view (sakkāya-diṭṭhi): although identity view is abandoned at stream-entry, the subtle conceit “I am” (asmimāna) persists until Arahantship.

The study proposes a two-level framework for dealing with conceit. At the worldly level, ethical restraint, humility, mindfulness, loving-kindness, and wise attention can regulate its behavioral and emotional manifestations. At the supramundane level, insight into impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and non-self progressively uproots the basis of self-comparison. The resulting framework demonstrates that Theravāda Buddhism addresses conceit through both practical self-regulation and radical transformation of self-identification. This model offers a conceptual foundation for Buddhist education, contemplative practice, conflict reduction, and further interdisciplinary research on ego, social comparison, and psychological well-being.

An Analysis of Animal Killing from Theravāda Buddhist Ethic Perspectives

Aggānandālañkāra — 2026-07-13

This qualitative documentary study analyzes animal killing (pānātipāta) from the perspective of Theravāda Buddhist ethics. It has three objectives: to examine the meaning, types, and consequences of animal killing; to analyze selected scriptural case studies concerning animal killing; and to identify ethical teachings and practices in Theravāda Buddhism that prevent harm to animals. Primary sources include the Pāli Canon, commentarial literature, and authoritative English translations, while secondary sources include academic studies in Buddhist ethics, animal ethics, and environmental thought. The findings show that animal killing is morally evaluated through the First Precept and the central role of intention (cetanā), which determines the ethical and karmic weight of an act. Theravāda sources distinguish intentional, unintentional, direct, indirect, ritualistic, and economically motivated killing, with moral gravity shaped by intention, motivation, method, and the mental roots involved. The study examines three scriptural examples: the Kūṭadanta Sutta, which rejects ritual sacrifice; the Sundasūkarika narrative, which illustrates the danger of habitual cruelty; and the story of Thera Cakkhupāla, which clarifies the distinction between intentional and unintentional harm. The analysis concludes that Theravāda Buddhism offers a comprehensive ethical framework for reducing animal killing through moral discipline (sīla), loving-kindness (mettā), compassion (karuṇā), mindfulness of intention, and wisdom concerning kamma. The study contributes to Buddhist ethical studies by presenting a structured account of animal killing that is doctrinally grounded, ethically nuanced, and relevant to contemporary debates on animal welfare, ecological responsibility, and compassionate living.

Impact of Dhamma Music on the Emotional Well-being of Chinese Young Adults: A Uses and Gratifications Study of the Bilibili Platform

Sujie Liu — 2026-07-20

This study examines how Dhamma Music on the Bilibili platform contributes to the emotional well-being of Chinese young adults through the lens of Uses and Gratifications Theory. It has three objectives: (1) to identify the content characteristics of Bilibili Dhamma Music and the emotional and thematic distribution of user-generated texts; (2) to analyze the core need dimensions and gratification modes of Chinese young adults who use Bilibili Dhamma Music; and (3) to explain the influence paths through which Dhamma Music supports emotional well-being. The study used a mixed-methods design combining qualitative narrative analysis and computer-assisted quantitative text analysis. Eighteen Chinese young adults aged 18-35 were interviewed through semi-structured online interviews. In addition, 126,000 valid bullet-screen comments (danmu) and user comments were collected from ten high-engagement Bilibili Dhamma Music videos and analyzed through sentiment analysis and Latent Dirichlet Allocation topic modeling.

The findings indicate that Bilibili Dhamma Music appears mainly in three forms: long-duration scene-accompanying music, secularized adaptations, and traditional Buddhist chants. User interaction was dominated by themes of anxiety relief, sleep support, emotional decompression, life reflection, and spiritual comfort. Three gratification dimensions emerged: emotional relief, cognitive companionship, and spiritual comfort. These dimensions operated through a five-stage healing narrative: emotional dilemma, algorithmic or accidental discovery, acoustic comfort, community resonance, and cognitive-emotional transformation. The study concludes that Dhamma Music functions as a low-threshold digital resource for emotional regulation, companionship, and meaning-making among Chinese young adults. Its effect should be understood as a media-based support mechanism for emotional well-being rather than a clinical intervention.

Effects of TMV-Based Mindfulness Practices on Student Happiness at the International Buddhist Studies College

Ven. Neminda — 2026-07-21

This pilot study examined the effects of a five-day mindfulness intervention grounded in Theravāda, Mahāyāna, and Vajrayāna (TMV) Buddhist practices on subjective happiness among undergraduate students at the International Buddhist Studies College (IBSC), Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University. The study had two objectives: (1) to examine whether a five-day TMV-based mindfulness intervention was associated with improvement in students’ subjective happiness; and (2) to test the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a mindfulness innovation course in a Buddhist academic context. A mixed-delivery, single-group pre-test/post-test design was employed with 20 undergraduate students. Subjective happiness was measured before and after the intervention using a 15-item adapted Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ). The adapted instrument demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = .81) and strong content validity based on expert Item–Objective Congruence review. Paired-samples t-test results indicated a statistically significant increase in happiness scores from pre-test (M = 4.08, SD = 0.35) to post-test (M = 4.26, SD = 0.41), t(19) = -3.51, p = .002. Qualitative feedback also suggested high engagement, acceptability, and practical feasibility.

The findings indicate that a short TMV-based mindfulness intervention is feasible and associated with preliminary short-term improvement in self-reported happiness among IBSC students. However, because the study used a small convenience sample, lacked random assignment and a control group, and measured outcomes only immediately after the intervention, the results should be interpreted as preliminary rather than causal evidence. The study contributes to culturally grounded mindfulness research by demonstrating the practical potential of integrating Buddhist contemplative traditions into student well-being programs.