Promoting the Public Service in the Buddhist Way According to the Nipata Jataka

Abstract

The objectives of this research are as follows: 1) To investigate the role of public service in society. 2) To examine the Nipat Jataka and its relevance to public service. 3) To integrate the principles of promoting public service in accordance with the Nibat Jataka into the Buddhist approach. 4) To propose guidelines and knowledge regarding an "Integrated Model for Promoting Public Service in the Buddhist Way according to the Nibat Jataka."

          This qualitative research study involved document analysis and in-depth interviews with 16 monks or individuals. The collected data were analyzed to summarize the research findings and generate knowledge about the integrated model for promoting public service in line with the principles of the Nibat Jataka. The research findings revealed the following aspects of serving public welfare in society: 1) Serving public welfare for oneself. 2) Serving public welfare for others. 3) Serving public welfare for society as a whole. The Nipat Jataka offers Dhamma principles that promote public service across these three areas: 1) Public service concerning oneself is encouraged through the Brahmavihara principle. 2) Public service toward others is promoted with the Sangha Vatthu principle. 3) Public service for society is advocated with the principle of goodwill. Integrating these principles from the Nibat Jataka into public service across all three societal aspects entails having a compassionate heart, addressing issues rather than remaining silent, exerting efforts to assist, and actively participating in supporting society. The knowledge acquired from this research has led to the development of an integrated model for promoting public service in the Buddhist tradition, known as the "LCHC" Model: LCHC stands for Loving kindness (L), Compassionate mind (C), Helping societies (H), and Co-operation (C).