DEVELOPING THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE ELDERLY ACCORDING TO BUDDHIST PRINCIPLES

Abstract

Currently, there are 542 million elderly and likely to increase. The 11th National Economic and Social Development Plan focused on the development of the elderly to have economic and social stability, quality, value, and ability to adapt to changes as a power for social development. At present, Thai society is more accepting of the talents of the elderly, seeing that the elderly are the treasures of society, not the worthless old people. Continually entering the aging society, the elderly mind needs to have a good living attitude which shows mental stability.

The transmission of intellectual power of the elderly weakens with life expectancy due to the laws of nature, the impermanence of all things. In Buddhism, there is an idea for people to be aware of the possibilities of the sankhara with wisdom in order to create the right attitude to life. Is to consider the trinity, which is a universal teaching that shows the unsustainability of everything and manages Khan to maintain a healthy body for the benefit of disease prevention. And then to develop 4 bases of mindfulness which is to train the mind to have confidence, to understand all things truthfully.  The heart is free, not overwhelmed by passion and suffering. For this reason, the elderly can live happily in society, even in the Covid-19 pandemic era as of the present day.