A STUDY OF ADOLESCENT’S LIFE MEANING IN BUDDHISM-Central Tzu-Chi Collegiate Youth

• Main Authors: Pen-chen Lin, 林品辰
• Other Authors: none
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2005
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/h476g5

碩士 === 靜宜大學 === 青少年兒童福利研究所 === 93 === The approach to this study used a qualitative research method and an in-depth interview. The samples were nine Tzu Chi Collegiate Youth from the central area and two Tzu Chi advisers. The study seeks to understand how Buddhism influences or change the concept of the meaning of life through the experience of Buddhist teaching. Likewise, it helps us realize how Central Tzu Chi Collegiate Youth contributes to adolescent’s educative training and the discovery and influence of Buddhist teachings on the life of the adolescent. According to the results of the interview, four analytic structures were affirmed: 1. Buddhist Tzu Chi Collegiate Youth philosophy of life; 2. The influence of Buddhism in collegiate youth’s life; 3. Central Tzu Chi Collegiate Youth undergo educative training; 4.Discovering and understanding of Tzu Chi’s Buddhism. Based on the questions and aims of this research, and its result, I have the following conclusions: 1. Tzu Chi Buddhism Collegiate Youth in the central areas’ life philosophy demonstrates a strong sense of responsibility and moral sense. It regards love and service as the moral goal of life. Whereas, death goes by nature, human beings should take death in a natural way and rebirth as a new occurrence of life. 2. Tzu Chi Buddhism Collegiate Youth teaches about gratuitousness in life and helps the youth to learn to be grateful and in return repay gratitude through service to others which means the practice is a vehicle to experience being a Buddhist. 3. Tzu Chi collegiate Youth undergo varied experiences in life, serving the society to make them experience a sense and respect for life, and in turn they utilize each moment of life through numerable social services on education for life. 4. Tzu Chi believers take life as a process of sowing, which means human beings should make efforts on giving rather than taking. Thus, it enables people to deepen and widen their life’s purpose. For life is a preparation for death, and death is a new beginning of life. 5. Tzu Chi Collegiate Youth ask adolescents to be humble, modest, and selfless by practicing and experiencing compassion in the spirit of Buddhism