Promoting the Buddhist Five Precepts of People of Mahar Aung Myay Township, Mandalay, Myanmar

Abstract

This research article is aiming to promote of the Buddhist Five Precepts of people
of Mahar Aung Myay Township, Mandalay, Myanmar in order to encourage people’s
consciousness of morality to lead the society to living a good life and peaceful cohabitation.
In fact, the Five Precepts are the essential of all good qualities and the fulfi llment of higher
stages of concentration and wisdom. It also upholds whatever wholesome states one already
has. This qualitative research article involves in-depth interviews of fi ve key informants
and 100 research participants for data concerning demographical characteristics and for
the promotion of moral values of people of the Township mentioned in this paper. The
results show that there is a higher tendency of people to break the precepts during the last
couple of years (2017-2018) due to the continuous stimulation on such human natures as
greed, avariciousness, and wants by mainly capitalism, and materialism. Besides, an indepth interview gives informative knowledge about the causes of decline moral values and
the way to promote moral values of their people in the township. In addition, the use of
Training Program as an approach to promote moral values of people is successful. About
26 participants or 26% of total 100 participants drink alcohol, and 12 persons have decided
to stop drinking alcohol. Nevertheless, in Buddhism the Five Precepts are not for the sake
of morality alone, they are for the base concentration and wisdom.