How Can Buddhist Education Help Adolescents Develop Moral Behavior?

Abstract

Although Buddhist education has been widely used all over the world, Vietnamese students cannot currently access it at school. Recently, some Truc Lam (Bamboo Forest) Zen monasteries have offered religious education to adolescents in the hope of improving their moral behavior. However, no empirical studies have evaluated the effectiveness of these efforts. As a result, this study examined whether Buddhism helps teenagers develop moral behaviors. The findings showed that Buddhist religious education can enhance adolescents’ understanding of Buddhist doctrines, increase their faith, and promote Buddhist practices. As a result, they committed antisocial behaviors less often.

Keywords:

• Buddhism
• Buddhist education
• religious education
• adolescence

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the retreat organizers and the monks and nuns at the Truc Lam Zen monasteries of Vien Chieu, Chinh Phap, and Ham Rong for supporting this research. We also thank the teenagers for their participation.

Disclosure statement

There is no potential conflict of interest.

Research approval

Decision 222/QD-VTNT dated November 14, 2018 by Tran Nhan Tong Institute, Vietnam National University.

Notes

1 In a Vietnamese context, antisocial behaviors are understood to be individual actions which are harmful to society and the national tradition.

2 The terms saddhā (Pali) and śraddhā (Sanskrit) are often translated “faith” in English. These terms imply confidence in the Buddha’s teachings (or the recitation of sacred texts and mantras directed at the Buddha or celestial Buddhas/Bodhisattvas) to bring about their concomitant results, i.e., nirvana, or a more worldly effect of some kind. My thanks to Dr. Chris Gibbons for his assistance with this terminology.

3 Truc Lam Buddhism laid the foundation for social morality under the Tran Dynasty in Vietnam. Its teachings and practices were intended not only for Zen masters but also for all people because its doctrines stated that everyone had the Buddha-nature.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Loc Tan Le

Loc Tan Le is associated with Tran Nhan Tong Institute, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam. Email: t[email protected]