Creating happiness Creating happiness for the elderly with Buddhist principles

Abstract

This dissertation is of 3 objectives: 1) to study the Buddhist principles in cultivating happiness for the elderly; 2) to investigate the cultivationg happiness by the Buddhist principles towards the elderly in Nam Bo Luang Sub-district, San Pa Tong District, Chiang Mai Province, 3) to offer the integrative guidelines in happiness cultivation towards the elderly by Buddhist principles; a case study of the elderlies in Nam Bo Luang Subdistrict, San Pa Tong District, Chiang Mai Province. It is a qualitative research. Its results were found that : 1) On the Buddhist principles in cultivating happiness for the elderly, the happiness is a state of sufferingless. Being happy will bring about to a person, the being refreshed, sound minded, cheerful, enable to engage activities that are beneficial to themselves and society. The Buddhist principles in cultivating happiness are as follows: Three Characteristics, the Four Noble Truths, Sin and Merit/Kamma, the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, the Five Precepts and Virtues, and the Four Sublime States of Mind.  2) On the cultivating happiness by the Buddhist principles, it was found that in the elderly's happy life living, it is to make the elderly being peaceful, not anxious undisturbed, relaxed, smooth, free, airy, light, not clinging, not meen, open, sheding affection, good wishes to all fellow human beings and animals, having acknowledged the suffering of others with loving kindness, cheerful joining with perseverance in the happiness and prosperity of everyone's success and 3) On the integrative guidelines in happiness cultivationg  towards the elderly by Buddhist principles, it was found that, firstly the eldery's concepts or attitudes should be adjusted, it is to think positively and have the optimistic view. The next one is the implementation to participate in activities by devoting oneself to be useful towards oneself and the others. These activities should be thoghtfully performed according to the above mentioned principles. From the survey results derived from the integrative cultivating happiness with Buddhist principles in all 7 items had got an overall average of 3.817, at a high level. The implied that this guideline is effective.