THE ROLE OF BUDDHIST GUIDANCE: BUILDING WILLPOWER AND LIFE GOALS FOR LEARNERS

Abstract

his article aims to present the concepts and roles of Buddhist guidance in enhancing willpower, determination, and life goal setting among learners within contemporary educational contexts. Currently, numerous students face stress, academic pressure, and uncertainty regarding their life directions, exacerbated by rapid social changes, digital disruption, and intense educational competition. These factors significantly impact long-term motivation and self-development, highlighting the critical need for inner psychological cultivation. Consequently, this article underscores the necessity for comprehensive guidance encompassing academic, psychological, emotional, and moral dimensions. By integrating educational theories, positive psychology, and Buddhist psychology, it proposes a learning process that fosters self-awareness, reflective thinking, and the continuous development of inner potential. Buddhist guidance emphasizes the counselor’s role as a Kalyanamitta (noble friend) who cultivates trust, provides a psychologically safe space, and facilitates meaningful learning. It employs the Iddhipada 4 (Four Paths of Accomplishment) as a mechanism to bolster willpower and intrinsic motivation, alongside the Attha 3 (Threefold Benefits) as a framework for establishing life goals that encompass personal well-being, the welfare of others, and the ultimate benefit. A synthesis of relevant literature and research indicates that Buddhist guidance promotes holistic learner development across intellectual, mental, and moral domains. It fortifies intrinsic motivation, psychological resilience, goal clarity, and self-regulation, thereby engendering meaningful learning aligned with 21st-century educational objectives that value both competencies and morality. Ultimately, this article serves as a conceptual proposition for educational institutions to adapt and apply in shifting their paradigms of student counseling