Table 2.

The three-level coding system.

Open coding	Axial coding	Selective coding
Initial category	Main category	Core category
A1 Stress reduction and resilience	B1 Seeking inner peace and spiritual fulfillment	C1 Reasons contemporary Chinese youth participate in short-term monastic life
A2 Spiritual exploration and self-improvement
A3 Escape from reality and reflect on life
A4 Learn more about Buddhist culture	B2 Interest in Buddhist culture and philosophy
A5 Experience religious life
A6 The pursuit of spiritual purification and promotion
A7 Promote and experience traditional culture	B3 Respect and legacy for traditional culture
A8 Searching for roots and self-identity
A9 Sense of social and cultural responsibility
A10 Inner peace and serenity	B4 Positive emotional experience	C2 Emotional experiences of contemporary Chinese youth in short-term monastic life
A11 Selflessness and flow
A12 Subjective wellbeing
A13 Feelings of loneliness and isolation	B5 Negative emotional experience
A14 Feelings of frustration and maladjustment
A15 Anxiety and uncertainty
A16 Emphasizing a simplified lifestyle	B6 Changes in lifestyle	C3 Behavioral feedback of contemporary Chinese youth in short-term monastic life
A17 Increasing meditation and self-reflection habits
A18 Improving dietary and health habits
A19 Enhancing tolerance and gratitude	B7 Improvement in social interaction and interpersonal relationships
A20 Enhancing sense of social responsibility
A21 Improving intimate family relationships
A22 Deepening understanding of religious or spiritual philosophy	B8 Deepening spiritual beliefs and values
A23 Valuing inner worth and personal growth
A24 Forming prosocial and altruistic behavior