Brahmavihārā and the Value of People in Thai Society

Abstract

The academic paper aimed at studying Brahmavihārā or the Four Sublime States of Mind with the value of people in Thai society. The results of the research found that there are various values of Brahmavihārā towards Thai society such as family, education, and the work of people in Thai society. It is the virtue that family members in Thai society use as a base to perform to each other with loving-kindness in duties properly and rightly under the framework of morality as well as the law of the country. For the education aspect in Thai society, Brahmavihārā allows both teachers and students to perform their duties smoothly, happily, with a good relationship towards each other, resulting in the transfer of knowledge with more efficiency. In addition, Brahmavihāra also has high values to the work for people in Thai society, namely, the working performance that is based on mettā (loving-kindness), karuṇā (compassion), muditā (empathetic joy), and upekkhā (equanimity), which ensures the righteous working and workers to perform their duties happily with a good relationship with others.