Stress Therapy for Working People According to Buddhist Teaching

Abstract

This thesis entitled “Stress Therapy for Working People According to Buddhist Teaching” aimed to study the state of stress of working people, the Buddha’s teachings applied for stress therapy and how to apply Buddhist teachings to relieve the stress of working people. It was qualitative research (document) by study and analyzing the data taken from Tripitaka scriptures as well as documents related to the issues, then brought to examine, summarize, finally compiling in a descriptive report. The results showed that; Stress refers to state of emotional or physical tension, distraction, frustration, and unhappiness, which is divided into two main types: 1) physical stress or the environment and  2) stress that arises within mind, which is directly result of stress. There are  3) factors that occur during working person; 1) socio-cultural factors, 2) internal organization factors, such as hard work, over assigned works, organization structure etc., 3) family factors. Working people have different approaches to stress therapy, in both positive way such as continued self improvement, exercise, pray, meditation, etc., and in negative way such as alcohol drink, drugs using, suicide, etc. The Dhamma principles used to retreat the stress of working people are; Ariyasacca or Four Noble Truths, Tisikkhā or Three Training, Tilakkhaṇa or Three Common Characteristics, Sati-Sampajañña or mindfulness and awareness, Satipaṭṭhāna or Four Foundation of Mindfulness, and Sappurisadhamma or seven wises’ virtue. Guidelines for the stress therapy for working people include; 1) Implying of Four Noble Truths, Threefold Training or Three Common Characteristics for reducing the stress arisen from socio-cultural factors, 2) Mindfulness and Awareness, Four Foundation of Mindfulness, and the wises’ virtues for reducing stress risen from internal organization factors, 3) Three Common Characteristics, mindfulness and awareness, and Four Foundation of Mindfulness for reducing the stress arisen from family factor.