This thesis is of 3 objectives: 1) to study the development of Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, 2) to study ways for women’s participation in the development of Buddhism in the Buddha’s era, and 3) to analyze ways for women’s participation in the development of Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University;  it is a qualitative research of studying documents and in-depth interviews with key informant interviewees divided into 4 groups of 21 people.

                  The studies indicated the followings:

1)      Women play the important role of promoting and maintaining Buddhism; they came in to participate in all Buddhist activities like donating personal resources or devoting their bodies and minds.  Women in the status of Upāsikā must have faith and the 5 precepts.  In Buddhism, there are a lot of outstanding women in the Buddha’s era such as Maha Pajapati Gotami, Visakha Mahaupāsikā, Patacaratheri, Suppavasa and Samavati, who had the role of participation in promoting and developing Buddhism that Buddhist women at present should follow. All of them have an important role of participating, cultivating and developing Buddhism. In general saying, they are a role model of 4 characteristics of giving, communicating, sacrificing and performing appropriately.

2)      The development is the drawing of participation from all sectors of Sangha, laymen and lay women by giving them equal right to participate in planning for the development, setting up policies, making decision and taking part of responsibilities in all proceeding activities.  In general administration, the University is composed of management structures for its central part and campuses; the management authority is according to the royal act of the University in 1997.  There are 5 missions to aim for the development, consisting of producing its graduates for qualities, conducting research and development, serving academic knowledge to the society, nourishing arts and culture and managing good governance.          

3)      From the analysis of ways for women’s participation in the development of Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, it is found that women participate in different ways according to the 5 missions of the University consisting of 1. Producing its graduates, 2. Conducting research and development, 3. Promoting Buddhism and serving academic knowledge for the society, and 4. Nurturing and maintaining arts and cultures 5. Managing good governance; and with the talents and potentials of women, they can help brainstorming, planning, and making decision. Women’s strengths are communication skill and circumspection. The good opportunities of women’s participation are teaching style, creating cultures, properly self-positioning, and conveniently and flexibly finding funds.  The weaknesses are their image from the society’s perception, circumstance, the keeping of distance from being familiar; while the threats of women are the limitations of Dhammavinaya or the Norm- discipline, the opportunity on position, physical characteristic which is the risky point of image.  Women should be supported in terms of the base on academic knowledge, the opportunity to perform social activities, various welfares, and the clearness of their status.   The women who work in the Buddhist University should hold on to the moral principles of Garavata (reverence), Sangahavatthu                   (the 4 principles of kindly treatment), Brahmavihara (the 4 noble sentiments), Yonisomanasikāra (proper consideration), Iddhipāda (the 4 paths of accomplishment), Kalyāṇamittatā (being good friends) and Sila (the 5 precepts).

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