Abstract:
The purpose of this research study was to investigate the effects of a Buddhist personal growth and counseling group and ĀNĀPĀNASATI training on UPEKKHĀ and PAÑÑĀ. The study was conducted in a pre-test and post-test quasi-experimental design with a control group. Forty-one students from public university were purposively sampling and randomly divided into 3 groups for the two experimental conditions and one control group. The first experimental group attended the Buddhist personal growth and counseling group followed by the ĀNĀPĀNASATI training. The second group attended the ĀNĀPĀNASATI training and then the Buddhist personal growth and counseling group. As previously mentioned, the last group was the control one. After the experimental conditions were completed, in-depth interviews were conducted with seven participants from the experimental groups for a qualitative data analysis. The UPEKKHĀ Scale and the abbreviated PAÑÑĀ scale were used for measuring UPEKKHĀ and PAÑÑĀ, respectively. MANOVA statistics were used for data analysis. Results indicated that, for the first experimental group, after the first treatment, the UPEKKHĀ and PAÑÑĀ scores was significantly higher than the pre-treatment scores at .01 and .05 respectively, Additionally, the scores of this treatment group were significantly higher than those of the control group at .01 and .01, respectively. Only the post-treatments UPEKKHĀ scores of the 2nd period experiment group was higher than its pre-treatment score at .05 significant level, while the PAÑÑĀ scores was not significantly different. However; The UPEKKHĀ and PAÑÑĀ scores were not significantly different from the control group. The UPEKKHĀ and PAÑÑĀ scores were not significantly different compared with before experiment. After the 2nd period experiment, the UPEKKHĀ score were not significantly different compared with the 1st period experiment. However; for the PAÑÑĀ score, the 2nd period experiment score was higher than the 1st period experiment score at .05 significant level. Moreover, the UPEKKHĀ and PAÑÑĀ scores of the 2nd period experiment score are higher compared with the control group at .001 and .001 significant levels. By the way, for the second experimental group, only UPEKKHĀ score of the 2nd period experiment was higher compared with the 1st period experiment score at .01 significant level, while there was not significantly different for the PAÑÑĀ score. When compared with control group, the UPEKKHĀ and PAÑÑĀ scores of the 2nd period experiment were higher at .05 and .05 significant level. Finally, the UPEKKHĀ and PAÑÑĀ scores had no difference between 2 experimental groups. Three key findings were as follows. First, participants who attended the Buddhist personal growth and counseling group followed by the ĀNĀPĀNASATI training significantly higher on the UPEKKHĀ and PAÑÑĀ measures than those attending only the ĀNĀPĀNASATI training and the control group (p < .05). Secondly, those attending the ĀNĀPĀNASATI training alone obtained significantly higher on the UPEKKHĀ score at post-treatment, when compared with the pre-treatment score (p < .05). Thirdly, participants who attended the Buddhist personal growth and counseling group followed by the ĀNĀPĀNASATI training scored and those attending the ĀNĀPĀNASATI training followed by the Buddhist personal growth and counseling group scored significantly higher than the control group on the UPEKKHĀ and PAÑÑĀ measures, at 001 and .05 respectively. It was found that qualitative data from depth-interview supported the existence of UPEKKHĀ and PAÑÑĀ in the participants of experimental group.