APPLICATION OF BUDDHIST PRINCIPLES IN SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT TOWARD A MORAL ORGANIZATION

Abstract

This academic article aims to: 1) study the concept of schools as moral organizations; 2) analyze Buddhist principles relevant to the development of schools toward becoming moral organizations; and 3) applying Buddhist principles to develop schools into moral organizations. This study employs a documentary research approach based on the Thai Tipiṭaka of Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, Buddhist scriptures and related Buddhist texts, as well as academic literature concerning educational administration, moral organizations, and learner development.

The study found that a school as a moral organization is not merely an educational institution that occasionally conducts morality-promoting activities. Rather, it is an organization that integrates morality into its administrative system, the moral leadership of school administrators, teachers as moral role models, learning management, student behavior, organizational culture, and collaboration among families, temples, and communities. The Buddhist principles suitable for school development include the Threefold Training, Four Brahmavihāras, Four Saṅgahavatthus, Hiri-Ottappa, and the Four Iddhipādas. The Threefold Training serves as the overarching framework for developing behavior, mind, and wisdom. The Four Brahmavihāras are applied to develop moral leadership of administrators and the moral role of teachers. The Four Saṅgahavatthus are applied to foster cooperation. Hiri-Ottappa is applied to cultivate moral consciousness, while the Four Iddhipādas are applied to develop commitment, perseverance, and responsibility among students, teachers, and school personnel.

The knowledge synthesized from this study is the B-SHIFT Model, which consists five components: 1) Brahmavihāra Leadership, referring to leadership and teacherhood based on Four Brahmavihāras; 2) Saṅgahavatthu Collaboration, referring to cooperation-building based on Four Saṅgahavatthus; 3) Hiri-Ottappa Consciousness, referring to cultivation of moral shame and moral dread toward wrongdoing; 4) Iddhipāda Commitment, referring to the development of commitment based on Four Iddhipādas; and 5) Trisikkhā Development, referring to holistic development based on the Threefold Training. This model indicates that developing a school into a moral organization requires a systematic process that transforms morality from the level of policy and activities into a sustainable organizational culture.