ABSTRACT

              The purposes of this research are :- (1) to study the problems faced by the single-mother families in Thai societies (2) to study the mothers’ roles and duties  and Theravada Buddhist principles for the single mothers (3) to study the means of applying  Buddhist principles for instilling the  ethics to the single mothers’ offsprings.

             This research is a qualitative one using mixed methods of the documentary research and the life history approach interview with eight single mothers who were selected in this study as key informants. 

From the research, it is found that the problems faced by the single-mother families in Thai societies, if it is considered from the single mothers’ experiences  are of 3 major issues :- (1) the economic and the financial problems  (2) the mother-child relationship problems (3) the child rearing problems. And the causes of these problems are mainly from:- (1) the mother’s failure to perform her duties (2) the mother’s lack of guidelines on the proper self-conduct.  From the study of the Buddhist scriptures, it is found that a mother should perform three significant duties to her offsprings.  Such duties are:- (1) caring and nurturing (2) instructing and training (3) being a good role model.  In addition, the Buddhist principles can also be used as the guidelines for single mothers’ proper self-conduct. The Buddhist principles are: (1) Ditthadhammikattha-samvattanika-dhamma and Bhogadiya (for the economics and finance) (2) Saraniyadhamma and the principle of 6 Disas (for the  mother-child relationship) (3) Brahmavihara and Gharavasa-dhamma (for the child rearing)

             In applying the above Buddhist principles to instill ethics to the single mothers’ offsprings, the researcher found 3 different ways which are practiced on the basic principles and the basic conditions (Knowledge and Morality) as follows:- (1) the means of applying  the Buddhist principles to instill ethics on economics and finance under the 3 principles:- sufficiency,  rationality and having a good immune, and the 2 conditions:- the knowledge of occupation and the virtues on loyalty, perserverance, discipline and sufficiency. (2) the means of  applying  the Buddhist principles to instill ethics on the relationship of the family members under the 3 principles:- responsibility, rationality and generosity, and the 2 conditions:-to be self-knowledge and the virtues on faithfulness, tolerance and sacrifice. (3) the means of applying the Buddhist principles to instill ethics on child rearing under the 3 principles:- being a good role model, consistency and forgiveness, and the 2 conditions:- the knowledge of parenting and the virtues of gratefulness, loving-kindness, compassion and equanimity.

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