Academic Stress and Buddhist Coping Resources among Indo-Thai Buddhist Students

Abstract

Meditation and mindfulness are well known Buddhist coping resources [1]. The issue of academic stress and ways of coping much studied across many different cultures [2] but very few research has been conducted in a Buddhist context. The Buddhism is a dominating religion in Asian countries and rapidly spreading through the world. There are other coping resources also available in Buddhism. In the present study, the researcher has considered only seven resources. Meditation as a way of coping with stress is widely used by Buddhist and others also. Meditation, focusing in a relaxed and non judgmental way on one structured aspect of a situation likes breathing and mantra. Mindfulness is a central teaching of Buddhism. Mindfulness means a non judgmental awareness and acceptance of the present moment. Loving kindness means being non-judgmental, compassionate and kind to one and others. Morality means right speech, right action, and right livelihood, and doing these things with real intention. Impermanence is a scientific principle of which teach us to detach from attachment. Impermanence means realizing nothing lasts forever. Comprehensive Karma means an acknowledgment that one’s past, present, and future actions will have consequences, and that one can control his or her current activities. Fatalistic Karma means feeling a sense of helplessness that one’s past actions have led to one’s current state, and there is nothing one can do to avoid those consequences. Thus, meditating, practicing mindfulness, practicing right ethical action, loving kindness or considering the Buddhist ideas of impermanence or karma are important coping resources in Buddhism [3].