MEANING-MAKING OF LIFE PROBLEMS THROUGH BUDDHADHAMMA IN DIGITAL DHAMMA COMMUNICATION: A CASE STUDY OF THE THAMMA SAWASDEE' LIVE PROGRAM

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Digital media has transformed Buddhist communication from the dissemination of religious teachings in traditional settings into interactive environments where individuals interpret life experiences and life problems through engagement with Buddhadhamma. In these digital contexts, Dhamma communication functions as a meaning-making process through which lived experiences are interpreted and understood from Buddhist perspectives. Previous studies have primarily examined digital media as a channel for disseminating Buddhist teachings. However, limited attention has been paid to how Buddhadhamma functions as an interpretive framework for reconstructing the meanings of life problems and to the linguistic and communicative strategies supporting this process. The Thamma Sawasdee' Live Program by Mae Chee Sansanee Sthirasuta was selected as the case study because it represents an interactive form of digital Dhamma communication in which audiences engage with emotional suffering, interpersonal relationships, family issues, and social uncertainty through reflective dialogue grounded in Buddhadhamma. Accordingly, this study aimed to examine the meaning-making process through which life problems are interpreted and understood in the Thamma Sawasdee' Live Program, to investigate how Buddhadhamma functions as an interpretive framework for understanding and reconstructing the meanings of life problems, to analyze the linguistic and communicative strategies employed in Dhamma communication, and to develop a conceptual framework explaining Buddhadhamma-based meaning-making in digital Dhamma communication.

Methodology: This qualitative study employed interpretive content analysis. The data consisted of 51 episodes of the Thamma Sawasdee' Live Program published on the SDS Channel YouTube platform between 2019 and 2021. Purposive sampling was used to select episodes with more than 5,000 views. Data were analyzed through meaning-unit identification, thematic coding, thematic categorization, and interpretive analysis. Trustworthiness was enhanced through expert validation, peer debriefing, and theoretical triangulation.

Main Results: The findings revealed that digital Dhamma communication functioned as a Buddhadhamma-based meaning-making process through which participants interpreted and reconstructed life experiences. Four meaning-making dimensions were identified: 1) Life Suffering, 2) Emotional and Mental Management, 3) Relationships and Family, and 4) Contemporary Social Context. Across these dimensions, life experiences were interpreted through core Buddhadhamma principles, leading to emotional resilience, social adaptation, and personal transformation. The analysis further demonstrated that metaphorical expressions, repetition, contextual explanation, and reflective dialogue functioned as the principal linguistic and communicative strategies for translating Buddhist principles into practical frameworks for everyday life.

Involvement to Buddhadhamma: The findings demonstrate the application of core Buddhadhamma principles, including the Four Noble Truths (Ariyasacca), the Three Characteristics (Tilakkhaṇa), Dependent Origination (Paṭiccasamuppāda), Mindfulness (Sati), Loving-kindness (Mettā), and Compassion (Karuṇā), as applied in digital Dhamma communication to help individuals interpret life problems and reconstruct meaningful understandings of lived experiences. Rather than functioning solely as religious doctrine, Buddhadhamma is applied as a practical interpretive framework for emotional management, interpersonal relationships, social adaptation, and personal transformation in contemporary digital society. Accordingly, this study is positioned within the field of Applied Buddhism, specifically the development of wisdom and morality through Buddhism, by demonstrating how digital Dhamma communication enables individuals to interpret life problems, cultivate wisdom and moral understanding, and reconstruct meaningful understandings of lived experiences through Buddhadhamma.

Conclusions: Digital Dhamma communication can be understood as a Buddhadhamma-based meaning-making process in which language and communication function as interpretive mechanisms linking lived experiences with Buddhist principles. This study proposes the Buddhadhamma-Based Meaning-Making Model of Life Problems in Digital Dhamma Communication, which explains how lived experiences, interpretive communication, linguistic and communicative strategies, and Buddhadhamma are integrated into a unified framework for reconstructing life understanding in contemporary digital society. The findings contribute to the theoretical development of digital religion and Dhamma communication while providing practical implications for digital Buddhist communication, religious education, and contemporary Dhamma dissemination.