This research consists of three objectives, namely:- 1) to study the teachings of gratitude in Theravada Buddhism, 2) to study the problems for expressing gratitude of the students and 3) to propose “Guidelines for Cultivating the Gratitude of the Students Who Studied at the Intrachai Commercial College Diploma of Vocational Education 1 Phlabphla Sub-District Wangthonglang District Bangkok”. This research was undertaken by means of documents, literatures and related research papers, interviews by study focused on the analysis of promote of gratitude to their parents in order to know the meaning, significance and the relationship between gratitude and the other Dhamma principles. In addition, the problems and how to cultivate the gratitude are also focused. The in-depth interview with the 20 key-informants comprised of 4 moral teaching monks, 3 administrators and the teachers, 3 parents and 10 first year of vocational certificate students. The results of this study found that, The gratitude according to the principles of Theravada Buddhism are the virtues of a good human. It is also be a good culture sustaining moral family, society and the world to be happiness and peaceful. Gratitude plays role and influence on the Thai society and culture which enable family and social stability. It is a basic principle for human to act appropriately on their function, starting by having self-responsibility, together with responsibility in the family, and expanding wider to the society. Problems in expressing the gratitude of youth, resulting with the boom in technology affected directly to unwanted behaviors such as, regardless of the morality and ethic, no conscience in gratitude, forgot in traditional Thai lifestyles of gratitude, stick of friends, unruly, aggressive, premature sex and affected to  parents with disappointed.

Guidelines for cultivating gratitude to the parents, Family and parents must sacrifice more time for their children. Moreover, they must behave as a good example to their children, give the love and warmth towards them, cultivate the consciousness gratitude towards their parents and guide the children how can they practice for good children and behave as a good advisor to the children when experiencing problems, including monitoring the behavior of the children to know the causes and solutions to the problems of teaching or admonition. Parents organize activities that help promote gratitude, such as teaching children to bring drinking water to their parents when returning home, helping to hold little things or to help their parents to clean the home. The parents should appreciate and emphasize the importance of behavior that children have expressed gratitude to their parents. Indirect activities are being a good model, parents must show gratitude to their children, such as buying or cooking food for grandfather and grandmother, or elder cousins who has the grace for their children or explaining the reason how benefit them in showing gratitude to those people. If not, what will be happened to them The children should analyze the results either physical or mental feeling when they show gratitude to others. As for parents, care should be given to warmth, closer to the children, giving advice when children encounter problems. Parents should teach the children to remind the grace of parents and teachers that they should find the way to serve them. In addition, schools should provide an activity that expresses gratitude, teach the benefits of gratitude and teach the imposition of ones who not to reward the gratitude and the graces for how they lives.

Download