Social Environment and Spiritual Intelligence in Shaping Interest in Learning Dhamma among Buddhist Communities
Abstract
This study aims to examine the influence of the social environment and spiritual intelligence on interest in learning Dhamma among Buddhist communities in Gianyar Regency, Bali. This research is important because participation in religious learning activities—such as puja bakti, meditation, Dhamma talks, and introductory Buddhist courses—remains relatively low, posing challenges to the continuity and effectiveness of community-based Dhamma education. Identifying key factors that shape learning interest is therefore essential for strengthening Buddhist religious education at the local level. The study employs a quantitative approach using a survey design. Data were collected through structured questionnaires administered to 196 Buddhist respondents in Gianyar Regency. The data were analyzed using correlation analysis, simple linear regression, multiple linear regression, as well as partial and simultaneous significance tests to assess both individual and combined effects of the independent variables. The findings indicate that the social environment and spiritual intelligence simultaneously have a positive and significant effect on interest in learning Dhamma, explaining approximately 75% of the variance in learning interest. Partially, the social environment shows a very strong and dominant influence compared to spiritual intelligence. This highlights the importance of family support, temple-based communities, religious social interactions, and a supportive religious climate in encouraging participation in Dhamma learning. Spiritual intelligence also exerts a significant positive effect by fostering intrinsic motivation and deeper personal engagement with Dhamma practice. The study implies that strengthening communal religious environments while cultivating individual spiritual intelligence can effectively enhance interest in learning Dhamma. The originality of this research lies in its empirical demonstration of the interaction between social structures and personal spiritual dispositions within the context of Indonesian Buddhist education.
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