The Integration of Theravada Buddhist Philosophy in Promoting Community Leaders in Roi Et Province

Abstract

The purposes of this research were; 1) to study concepts and theories related to community leaders, 2) to study the principles of Theravada Buddhist philosophy relevant to promoting community leadership, 3) to integrate Theravada Buddhist philosophy to promoting community leaders in Roi Et province, and 4) to propose new knowledge on integrating Theravada Buddhist philosophy to promote community leadership in Roi Et province. This qualitative research gathers data from the study of the Tripitaka, Buddhist academic literature, and in-depth interviews with 15 key informants, including organizational leaders, Buddhist leaders, community leaders, and the public. The research findings are presented through analytical description.
The results revealed that:
1. Key concepts related to community leadership include leadership concepts, leadership theories, Path-Goal Theory, transformational leadership theory, and theories related to communities.
2. Theravada Buddhist principles relevant to promoting community leadership include: 1) Papanikadhamma, which encourages leaders to have a broad and detailed vision, allowing for far-sightedness; 2) Sappurisa-dhamma, which promotes comprehensive analysis and understanding of the community; and 3) Saraniya-dhamma, which fosters unity and builds positive relationships among community members.
3. The integration of Theravada Buddhist philosophy in promoting community leadership encompasses three key aspects: 1) Cakkhuma (far-sighted wisdom), which encourages community leaders to exercise prudence and strategic, reason-based thinking; 2) Parisannuta, which promotes leaders’ deep understanding of the community and empathy toward the people connected with it; and 3) Mettakaya-kamma (acts of kindness), which encourages leaders to show generosity through actions, speech, and thought, including sharing resources beneficial to the collective. This integration leads to the development of visionary community leaders who understand their community and can build strong networks for sustainable community development.
4. The new knowledge derived from integrating Theravada Buddhist principles to promote community leadership is represented by the LEAD Model, which consists of: 1) L = Leadership with Vision, aligned with Papanikadhamma, emphasizing foresight and prudent decision-making; 2) E = Engaged Community, corresponding to Sappurisa-dhamma, focusing on understanding the community and comprehensively analyzing issues; 3) A = Adaptable Networks, consistent with Saraniya-dhamma, highlighting unity and collaboration within the community; 4) D = Dynamic Empowerment, which promotes skill development and the empowerment of community members.