BUDDHIST MANAGEMENT METHOD FOR DOI LUANG COMMUNITY FOREST OF CONSERVATION OF WANG MUANG VILLAGE COMMITTEE AT WIENG SA DISTRICT IN NAN PROVINCE

Abstract

Objectives of this research article were: 1. To study the level of management in the conservation of Doi Luang Community Forest by the village committee of Ban Wang Muang, Wiang Sa District, Nan Province. 2. To study the relationship between Sammappadhāna 4, Four Supreme Efforts, and the management in conserving Doi Luang Community Forest. 3. To propose a Buddhist approach to the management of Doi Luang Community Forest, conducted by the mixed methods research. The quantitative research involved a sample group of 209 samples who were residents in the area. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. The qualitative research collected data from 10 key informants and analyzed them by descriptive interpretation.

The research findings revealed that: 1. The overall quality level of the Doi Luang Community Forest management by the Wang Muang Village Committee, Wiang Sa District, Nan Province, was at a high level. Regarding the aspect of Buddhist principles for management in conserving the Doi Luang Community Forest, all of which were at a high level. 2. The overall relationship between the Four Sammappadhāna principles and the management in conserving the Doi Luang Community Forest of the Wang Muang Village Committee, Wiang Sa District, Nan Province, showed a very high level of correlation with statistically significant level at the 0.01. Therefore, research the hypotheses were rejected. 3. Guidelines for applying Sammappadhāna to the management in conserving the Doi Luang Community Forest, were as follows: (1) Sangvara-padhana is the effort to restrain and prevent unwholesome states that have not yet arisen through mindfulness and self-restraint. (2) Pahana-padhana is the effort to abandon unwholesome states that have already arisen by reflecting upon and sustaining the mind to abandon bad deeds. (3) Bhavana-padhana is the effort to bring about wholesome states that have not yet arisen through the firm intention to act toward community forest conservation. (4) Anurakkhana-padhana is the effort to maintain wholesome states by continuing and preserving guidelines for instilling awareness in community forest conservation.