ธรรมชะลอวัย : กระบวนการส่งเสริมคุณภาพชีวิตผู้สูงอายุในชุมชนยายชา อำเภอสามพราน จังหวัดนครปฐม

           This research aims 1) to study the quality of life of the elderly people in Yaicha community, Samphran district, Nakhon Pathom province; 2) to develop a process to promote the quality of life of the elderly people in Yaicha community, Samphran district, Nakhon Pathom province according to Buddhist principles; 3) to propose a process to promote the quality of life of the elderly people in Yaicha community, Samphran district, Nakhon Pathom province according to Buddhist principles. It is based on a qualitative research. The data collection is conducted by in-depth interviews and individual group discussions from key informants of 12 persons. The data analyses are performed by the triangular technique through using interviews, related documents, and opinion poll, and then analyze and summarize the results according to the objectives set.

            The results reveal that 1) the condition of quality of life of the elderly people in Yaicha community, Samphran district, Nakhon Pathom province: in terms of health, it is found that the health of most of the elderly people have the congenital diseases such as diabetes, Hypertension, symptoms of aches and pains on the body, etc. In social aspects, it is found that most of the elders have the quite good status of the elders in communities, moderate participation in activities whether it is the government sectors or local government organizations which have provided welfare to help the elderly people and the living allowance for the elderly people every month. In psychological aspects, most of the elderly people in community have a good life, good-hearted, and warm. In intellectual aspect, it is found that most of the elderly people are promoted to the knowledge, understanding, and realization of the all things according to reality, their own circumstances or as they are in reality, in a good level. In addition, it is found that the elders in the Yaicha community can be divided into three elderly groups in the followings: 1) the social-bound or independent elders; 2) the home-bound or dependent elders; and 3) the bed-bound elders. 

           2) The development of processes for promoting quality of life for the elderly people in Yaicha community, Samphran district, Nakhon Pathom province according to Buddhist principles: the process has been developed through introduction of Buddhist principles to apply in a series of activities and endeavor to complete all aspects for a holistic effect. These make the elders develop the quality of life which followed by the fourfold principle of Bhāvanā and Iddhipāda to enhance the quality of life of the elderly people in the following aspects: (1) health (Physical Bhāvanā), for example having the activities to take care of body; (2) social (Precepts Bhāvanā), for example having the activities to participate in discussions, meet, and talk; (3) mind (Mental Bhāvanā), for example having the activities to conduct the Dharma talk; and (4) wisdom (Intellectual Bhāvanā), for example having the activities to train on the topic of old people in the new normal era. Each activity is performed to emphasize the elderly people to participate in it according to the fourfold principle of Iddhipāda: (1) Chanda: the elderly people are satisfied in activities in order to succeed it according to one's own wishes; (2) Viriya: the elderly people are persistent in doing activities according to their wishes and satisfied to do activities according to the wishes; (3) Citta: the elderly people are a focused mind, mindfulness, concentration to do activities by using encouragement, thinking, intelligence, and meditation, not being diverted,  and to do activities to accomplish it according to the wishes; and (4) Vīmaṃsā: the elderly people are contemplated, examined, and considered when they are doing such activities. Even though they encounter problems, they have to use wisdom in solving those tricky problems until the success can be achieved according to the wishes and lead to the development of processes to promote the quality of life of the elderly people in Yaicha community, Samphran, Nakhon Pathom province according to Buddhist principles.

           3) The propose of process to promote quality of life of the elderly people in Yaicha community, Samphran district, Nakhon Pathom province according to Buddhist principles: it is found that the elderly people in the community have participated in activities by participatory action of all parties in the community such as government organizations, private sectors, sub-district health promoting hospitals, elderly clubs, and monasteries. These have the process of developing the quality of life by using the main activities to integrate with Buddhist principles and practices. It is performed under the conditions of factors such as the needs of the elderly people and meeting the needs of the elderly people in all four areas which lead to the determination of activities to develop the quality of life of the elderly people in the Yaicha community according to Buddhist principles. It is considered by the fourfold principle of Bhāvanā and Iddhipāda to help in the activities of the elderly people in order to improve the quality of life and to present the process for promoting quality of life in Yai-Cha Community.