How Can Buddhist Education Help Adolescents Develop Moral Behavior?

Abstract

Abstract Although Buddhist education has been widely used all over the world, Vietnamese students cannot currently access it at school. Recently, some Truc Lam (Bamboo Forest) Zen monasteries have offered religious education to adolescents in the hope of improving their moral behavior. However, no empirical studies have evaluated the effectiveness of these efforts. As a result, this study examined whether Buddhism helps teenagers develop moral behaviors. The findings showed that Buddhist religious education can enhance adolescents’ understanding of Buddhist doctrines, increase their faith, and promote Buddhist practices. As a result, they committed antisocial behaviors less often.