Theoretical Foundations of Recovering the Human Spirit for Teens (RHS-T): Mindful-Intention from a Buddhist Educational Perspective

ABSTRACT

[Objective] The purpose of this study is to reinterpret intention in Buddhist education as a key mechanism for reorienting actions, speech, and thoughts beyond the therapeutic function of adolescent mindfulness education, and conceptualize it as “Mindful-Intention.” Through this, the study seeks to lay a Buddhist educational foundation for extending mindfulness-based education toward the cultivation of relational and social capacities.[Contents] To accomplish this purpose, the study examines the meaning of intention and the structure of transformation in early Buddhism and Yogācāra, focusing on the relation between awareness and conduct. Mindful-Intention is defined as an awakened volitional structure that pauses automatic reaction and redirects conduct in a wholesome direction. The psychological interpretation of the Six Realms in RHS-T program is analyzed as its educational embodiment.[Conclusions] First, mindfulness is a starting point of awareness, but does not itself guarantee behavioral transformation. Second, intention is a core psychological function that redirects conduct upon awareness. Third, the psychological interpretation of the Six Realms in RHS-T serves as an educational medium that helps learners recognize emotional states and reflect on intention.