從同理心邁向菩提心之自我敘說－以《菩提道次第廣論》為敘說視框之研究=A Self Narrative as an Approach to Examining the Process of Turning from Empathy to Bodhicitta--Using Lamrim Chenmo as the Narrative Frame
Learning to be a Buddhist and studying the contents of Buddhism are not all the same. Different from other academic research, studying the contents of Buddhism, this work emphasizes the process that the researcher learns to be a Buddhist. To complete a proper research process, the researcher who learns to be a Buddhist must moderate and subdue internal afflictions and always keep practicing to make continuous improvements by following the teachings of the Buddha. Thus the research framework of this work is necessarily different from those works studying the contents of Buddhism, and is much closer to those of social science studies. Being a social worker over 20 years, the purpose of this research is to investigate the researcher’s own narrative experiences of inner-conflicts in social work practice. By documenting what the narrator experienced in professional practice, this study attempts to obtain a frame that underlies the interdependence between the researcher and the social work as her profession. This study uses the “self-narrative” research method. This method allows the researcher to reproduce "narrated self" from "experienced self". Then to produce "interpreted self" through interpreting and reflecting. Finally return to the researcher’s own life experiences through reproduction of “meaning” or transformation of view. This ideological framework of this study is based on “The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment”, written by Tsong-Kha-Pa, as one of the greatest guide book to learn and become a Buddhist. The researcher investigates her own transformation process of from being a professional social worker to becoming a Buddhist, engaging in the happiness and suffers of self and other sentient beings’ infinite lives. In this study, the researcher focuses on the process of from being empathy to becoming with bodhicitta. Through the process of this “self-narrating”, the researcher experiences how social work implements in the society and understands how Buddhism views humanity and also reflects the idea of helping in social work. The new framework thus is discovered. The researcher found that bodhicitta can solve the inability of empathy used in helping others. In particular, through observing merits and appreciating kindness (OMAK), it can transform one’s view successfully from looking for others’ faults to their strengths; through practicing to achieve the “perfection of patience”, it can transform one’s attitude from pursuing self-benefit to other’s benefit. Using these ways, one can also get rid of anger, endure the suffer caused by the past evil behaviors to fulfill the path to enlightenment. These kinds of practice can be integrated to the daily life of a social worker to have a job done professionally and successfully. It can rebuild the professional value of a social worker. Finally, wish everyone can achieve the great life mission of helping one self and all others.
