Administration Strategies for the Provincial Monastery Meditation Practice Centers

Abstract

The research article consisted of the following objectives: 1) to investigate the present conditions and problems of administration at the provincial meditation center; and 2) to propose the administrative strategies for the provincial meditation center. The study used a qualitative research method, with data collected at the following locations: 1) Wat Chonprathan Rangsarit; 2) Wat Panyanantaram; 3) Wat Amphawan; 4) Wat Rong Wai; 5) Wat Khlong Talong; and 6) Wat Chai Na. Data were obtained through observation and interviews with key informants including the heads of meditation centers, meditation masters, and practitioners. The data were analyzed, and then strategies were developed and proposed before being presented in a descriptive manner.

From the study, the results are found as follows: 1) The present conditions and problems of administration at the provincial meditation centers are (1) a clear administrative structure but lacks of the use of modern technology; (2) personnel management in which, despite the fact that the centers’ head and meditation masters are competent, a system for hiring personnel is still lacking; (3) academic administration in which, despite having a curriculum and teaching approach based on Satipatthāna (the Four Foundations of Mindfulness), there is still a lack of collaboration with other meditation centers; (4) budget management in which, despite having meditation fund, there is still a lack of expenditure monitoring and assessment; and (5) general management in which, despite the building's preparedness, there is still a lack of use of modern information technology, 2) The administrative strategies for the provincial meditation centers consist of 5 as follows: (1) building structure and developing provincial meditation center administration to be efficient and effective; (2) developing personnel potential in terms of knowledge and ability to conduct provincial meditation center training efficiently and effectively; (3) developing the provincial meditation centers’ practice program to be modern and relevant to the current circumstances; (4) building a transparent and auditable budget management and donation system for the provincial meditation centers; and (5) increasing the potential for the provincial meditation centers’ general management to be effective and efficient.