Buddhist Interpersonal Relationships

The purpose of the present study is to explore the interpersonal relationships of the members in a Buddhist study group. The study used qualitative methods to investigate this research question. A total of six hours and forty-two minutes were dedicated to gathering data; this included five hours and twenty-five minutes of observation and one hour and twenty-one minutes of interview. Data was collected through two periods of observations and three semi-structured interviews; both were conducted at the Buddhist temple. The interviews identified what types of relationships have been formed, and both observations and interviews revealed how the members interacted with one another. According to the data, the relationship formed between the members …show more content…
This theme was seen mainly in observations. Members of the study group exhibited similar expressions of compassion and care. For example, at the second observation period, one man expressed concern for another member’s well-being. The man asked, “How are you?” and “How’s the baby? Is the baby doing better?” to show that he was concerned about how the woman was doing and that he cared for her. For another example, take the interaction between two women, Member A and Member F, for instance. At the first observation period, ‘F’ and ‘A’ showed mutual care and compassion for one another. When ‘F’ tried to offer help in the kitchen, ‘A’ lightly scolded ‘F’ for attempting to help while being sick. ‘F’ responded, in kind, that it was only fair to help since ‘A’ had been preparing the meal alone without any help. ‘F’ understood the effort it took for ‘A’ to prepare the meal, so ‘F’ insisted on helping even though ‘A’ tried to dismiss her. In contrast, ‘A’ knew ‘F’ was unwell, so ‘A’ tried to discourage ‘F’ from further strain that may affect her health. Both members had compassion for one another, and so the caring is mutual in this relationship. In an interview, Ms. T recalled the moment when she truly felt that the members were united by their care for one another. Ms. T …show more content…
The relationship between members of the study group is characterized by mutual social support. Support between members was revealed in observations and interviews. At the first observation, two men and one woman were engaged in a conversation. One man asked the other man about the health of his ill father, and the woman chimed in saying that she recently visited him. This brief conversation showed that the members cared for each other and that they would support each other during times of need, as indicated by the fact that the woman visited the sick father (of her fellow