|
第三届世界居士佛教论坛 |
 |
Buddhist Education and Pedagogy: It would be useful for us to begin by first having an overview of the purpose of education. In a strict sense, education entails drawing out and developing harmoniously the faculties possessed by an individual. This includes the development of the physical, social, psychological and spiritual dimensions of the human personality that would serve an individual as adequate preparation for future life. This understanding of education involves not merely the process of acquiring information, facts, data and knowledge on various subject-matters which fall within the school curriculum. Education rightly should embrace much more than an intellectual pursuit. No doubt facts, data and information are essential for one to evaluate matters and to make objective and balanced actionable decisions. The system of education is not meant to simply churn out what may be termed as 'human robots'. However, impressive an individual's acquisition of worldly knowledge, however proficient his or her abilities are, and however intelligent he or she may be, but if that person cannot utilize his or her thinking ability and personal skills to work for a safer and enriching world, then the education imparted would be of little relevance to society. In the true sense, therefore, education entails the development of the complete human being and the preparation of a person to live a successful and purposeful life. The goal of education thus is to produce well-adjusted, rational individuals who can relate with and feel for other members of society in a wholly humane way Going by the foregoing understanding of education, it is necessary to ensure that a system of education is not focused on the mere acquisition of knowledge. Neither should unhealthy features and trends take priority in the system of education such as the pressure being put on students to score straight A’s in all subjects in the examinations. Instead, the system of education should provide a balanced attention to personal and social development. That is to say, the goal of education should be directed towards creating a society that is characterized by humanism. This means that schools should function as a nurturing and caring environment where children are seen, accepted and treated as special in their own making. Further, they are to be helped to develop at their own pace, according to their particular personality and innate talents and skills each child possesses. Overview of Buddhist Education Briefly, Buddhist Education is a practical, clear-cut, tried and tested holistic training programme to be followed in one’s daily life. It encompasses a method and technique of living to help one to meet the problems and challenges in life as well as to make the best of the limitless opportunities that life has to offer. In this sense, Buddhist Education is a holistic education programme, based on the practice and practical application of the Dhamma. It is far from being an academic study to satisfy one’s intellectual gratification. On the contrary, Buddhist Education calls for resolute self-effort and a firm self-commitment to not only learn but to also skilfully train oneself in the Teachings of the Buddha. As such, Buddhist Education engages all of one’s faculties – the emotions as much as one’s intellect and will. The Buddha did not want anyone to blindly follow the Noble Path He unravelled for the benefit of all humankind without regard to a person’s own life-experience. He wanted disciple monks and lay-adherents whose own experimentation provided them shraddha or confidence obtained through a right understanding of the Dhamma. It was for this reason that the Buddha consistently underlined this cardinal requirement of self-inquiry and self-development in one embracing the Dhamma. We must therefore not overlook this basic requirement of Buddhism which we are to first fulfil. So before everything else, one has to undergo oneself, the spiritual experimentation or orientation. Three Domains of Learning in Buddhist Education A theoretical study of the sacred texts must not therefore be looked upon as the be-all-and end-all of Buddhist Education for this will limit one to only a superficial involvement with the profound Teachings of the Buddha. From possessing a theoretical foundation of the Dhamma, one should advance to patipattior the practice of the Dhamma through inquiry, investigation and self- experience. Skilful practice of the Dhamma in daily life is absolutely necessary for one to progress to the third domain of learning and self-training namely, pativedha -- the realisation of Insight Wisdom. The Buddha had always stressed that in order for one to come to grips with the realities of life one has to come to terms with one’s own spiritual development. To really understand and benefit fully from the Dhamma, one has to progress beyond the theoretical plane and immerse oneself in the method and technique of practicing and applying the Buddha’s Teachings in daily life. The Buddha had always stressed that in order to benefit from the Dhamma one has to practise his Noble Teachings with understanding and depth. This is because the Dhamma is a complete education and training programme which we are to infuse into our day-to-day living. The Buddha persistently admonished His disciples and lay followers that he was only a Teacher, Guide and Role Model of one who had understood, lived and experienced the Dhamma. Throughout His forty-five years in teaching the Dhamma, He laid stress on the Eternal Doctrine as a way of wholesome living rather than an esoteric philosophy for scholarship or for theorising. On many occasions he refused to be drawn into useless speculation and debate when he knew that the discussion would not lead the opponent to understand the nature of his existence and the realities of life It is significant to note that in modern teaching psychology too, three distinct levels of learning are recognised namely, the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains. The cognitive domain of learning deals with bare knowledge such as facts, figures, data and theories. This essentially knowledge-based learning focuses on the acquisition and retention of facts or information such as Siddhartha was a Sakya prince; his father was King Suddhodana; he attained Supreme Enlightenment and so on. As these learning deals essentially with acquiring and regurgitating knowledge, the inner being, in terms of one's emotional feelings, thinking process and mind-set remains largely uninvolved or affected. It is because of this fact that the cognitive level or domain of learning is referred to as a 'passive' process. On the other hand, the affective and psychomotor domains of learning involve, among other things, critical observation, self-reflection, self-analysis and the synthesis of different facts, ideas and viewpoints. The thrust of the affective domain of learning is for one to develop a deep, probing, inquiring mind. This is similar to the penetrating, analytical and objective, mental make-up and thinking that is typical of the Buddha’s life since his childhood. Here the individual has to establish for him or herself what is significant in a subject, analyze and synthesize the facts, ideas and viewpoints that are involved and to independently form objective judgments and conclusions. In this way, the individual progresses from the domain of possessing knowledge or facts on a specific subject to developing his or her observational skills, ability to reflect, sieve, conceptualise and evaluate the different facts and details. In the process objectivity is sharpened objectivity which enables a person to think clearly and with a critical mind. The development of the mind is central in Buddhist Education. In the context of daily living, this helps one to discriminate, for example, between wholesome and unwholesome thoughts and actions. In terms of practising and internalising the Dhamma, the affective domain of learning and training is without question an essential ingredient and is linked to harnessing the pool of information and facts in the Dhamma that is to be relied upon for one to arrive at sound conclusions, decisions and actions in our daily life. The psychomotor domain of learning advances an individual a step further in learning. As the term itself suggests, this level of learning deals with the total person, that is, the body and mind concurrently. In this domain, both the psychological (meaning the thinking, attitude, mental make-up, emotions, sentiments and feelings) and the behavioral (in reference to personal skills, talents, conduct and volition or actions) aspects of learning are involved in unison. It is in this domain that the practical application and practice of the Dhamma impacts forcefully on the development of the individual. Viewed from the perspective of Buddhist Education, the psychomotor and the affective domains of learning, relates to the living or 'being' aspects of Buddhism. Here the individual becomes mindful of living the Dhamma. The focus of the learning and training is on developing. human values and virtuous qualities such as metta, karuna, muditha, upekkha. Thus it is in the psychomotor domain that the practical application of Buddhism in terms of actual day- to -day practice of the Dhamma is ingrained. Buddhist Education Revisited One could gather all the facts and information about the life of the Buddha and His Teachings. But this would not be very much different from learning about other historical persons such as Pythagoras, Rabindranath Tagore, Omar Khayyam, Bertrand Russell or Mother Teresa. One will certainly come to know more about the lives of these outstanding personalities and of their extra-ordinary achievements in their respective fields of endeavour such as in science, metaphysics, philosophy, poetry, literature, or in extending self-less service to society, but one may not necessarily emulate them. Such an approach to Buddhism would of course not provide as much benefit to a person than if he or she were to diligently put into practice the Dhamma in every day life. What this scenario implies is that the emphasis in Buddhist Education should not be limited to the acquisition of knowledge per se of the Buddha Dhamma. Buddhist Education is not meant to be a subject of mere academic interest. The Dhamma most certainly is not an abstract or esoteric subject. Far from being thus, the Buddha Dhamma is a noble and complete practical guide for peaceful, harmonious, fulfilling, wholesome living. It is therefore not to be merely read and studied but instead to be applied and practiced. The singular thrust of Buddhist Education on the practice and practical application of the Buddha’s Teaching in daily life can hardly be over emphasised. The Buddha in fact repeatedly admonished us not to just study the Dhamma as such, but to ‘breathe’ and live His noble Teachings and thereby benefit from it in this very existence and in the lives hereafter. In His very words, “it is better for a person to live a day in accordance with the Dhamma than to chant a thousand suttas a thousand times over.” Arising from this underlying thrust in Buddhism on one’s skilful practice of the Buddha’s Teachings, we must be ever mindful of two important principles in Buddhist Education. Firstly, that in embracing Buddhism as a life-orientation one is not merely adopting a religion to be studied as such. To the contrary, the Buddha Dhamma is a complete system of learning and skillful self-training of one’s body and mind that would enable one to experience sukkha or happiness. Secondly, these and other lofty goals embedded in the Buddha Dhamma can only be realised by applying the Buddha’s Teachings in one’s daily life. Here again, what this means is that the emphasis in Buddhist Education is clearly not on acquiring knowledge about the belief-system but in skilfully practicing the Dhamma. This is because the Dhamma is wholly rooted in one’s life journey, that is, in one’s present existence and has direct relevance to our day-to-day living. Thus, Buddhist Education entails far more than for a person to be familiar with the Buddha’s Teachings. The focus is on ‘being’ the Dhamma and not on mere possessing knowledge of the Dhamma. Ideas, concepts, views, opinions, beliefs all fall into the realm of knowledge even when they appear as religious dogmas or religious truths in the form of maxims, rules, commandments and precepts are essentially knowledge-based, in terms of learning. Significantly, in Buddhist Education the method, manner and means or the technique which one is to employ to put into practice the knowledge of the belief-system is given high priority. That is to say, one does not aim to acquire the Dhamma. Rather one has to ‘become’ the Dhamma by experiencing and realising its Truth in real life. To experience the value of Buddhism one has to progress beyond the cognitive domain into the affective and psycho-motor levels of one’s life-experience. In other words, one has to extend oneself beyond cognition and ‘be’ the very life orientation laid out in the Buddha Dhamma. Just by gaining more knowledge about the Buddha Dhamma, even if it is to be about the very steps that are laid out in the method for its practice, will not be sufficient to be ‘awakened’ from the slumber of ignorance of the realities of life and Nature and to benefit from this spiritual uplift. The tendency for people to regard the Dhamma as an abstract doctrine like any other mundane subject such as history, geography, science, mathematics represents one of the greatest barriers to a correct understanding and appreciation of Buddhism. This is a major failing among people who are inclined to regard the Buddha Dhamma as a theoretical spiritual formulation. This lack of understanding of Buddhism is a major handicap in inculcating its practice and application. The situation unfortunately has been further compounded by a preoccupation among academicians, including Buddhist scholars and unfortunately members of the Maha Sangha to savour theorising on the Buddha’s Teachings and in the process split hairs on some fine detail in the scriptures. They lose sight of the more important aspect namely, practice and practical application of Buddhism in daily life. These unfortunate trends among those directly involved with Buddhist Education are particularly transparent when they gather at some conference or discussion group. Almost always, there is in these gatherings, an over indulgence on their part to parade their individual knowledge of sacred Buddhist texts and to virulently debate over a particular point, term, idea or concept in the Buddhist Canon. Some even carry it to the point where their indulgence reveals their human failing of being carried away by a personal ego trip. On the surface such erudite explorations into the sacred Buddhist scriptures can be impressive. Exponents may even mesmerise and hold their audience spell bound by their erudition of scriptural texts. But this is not what Buddhist Education is about. What is really needed of Buddhist scholars, both lay followers and members of the Maha Sangha is not so much spell-binding theorising; vigorous debate and splitting hairs over some detail in the Buddhist texts and scriptures, but to focus their energies on promoting the actual practice of the Dhamma daily. This is critical because Buddhism is a religion which calls for a practical involvement and a deep personal commitment on the part of the adherent to the tried and tested method of dealing positively and holistically with the all pervasive and enduring problems, challenges and opportunities we encounter in life. The tendency to dwell at the theoretical level and to overlook the deeper and richer spiritual meaning and purpose of Buddhism has to be addressed squarely through Buddhist Education. It may be difficult for those who have concentrated their efforts on the theoretical study of the Buddha Dhamma to accept the shortcomings of their approach. However, the sooner this serious failing is recognised the better it is for the persons concerned and for the Buddhist fraternity as a whole. After all, as the Buddha himself had advised, “Even if a man recites a hundred verses but does not practice, he is like a spoon which carries the honey but does not know its taste”. Buddha’s Pedagogy of Self- Example The Buddha himself once admonished a group of learned monks that he did not regard a bhikkhu who has simply learned a great deal and talks verbosely about the Dhamma as one who is well versed in it. However, one who has learnt only a little and knows just one stanza but fully comprehends the Four Noble Truths and is ever mindful is the one who is truly versed in the Dhamma. According to the Buddha, one who speaks eloquently about the Dhamma is not necessarily well versed in His Teachings. One who listens to the Doctrine and practices what has been learnt is the one who knows the Dhamma. This significant point is encapsulated in the Dhammapada thus,”One is not versed in the Dhamma merely because one speaks eloquently. He who hears little but sees the Dhamma mentally and does not neglect the Dhamma, is indeed, well versed in the Dhamma.” (Dhp.259) Internalization of the Dhamma Internalization of morals, ethics, and religious values provides a firm foundation of the reinforcement of a child's wholesome thinking and way of life. When children internalise and create for themselves good self-images, strengthen their trust and confidence in religious teachings, ethical and moral practices and in the values of good health and well-being, their self-reliance is bound to intensify. This would serve them well as a strong bulwark against negative influences from various external sources they invariably encounter as they grow up. Shraddha reinforces a person's trust and faith in his or her spiritual beliefs and forms a powerful ingredient in the strengthening resilience against negative influences in life. A child devoid of confidence is inclined to be shy and withdrawn. He or she would find difficulty in interacting freely with his or her peer groups within and outside the school environment. An effective way to help a child to overcome aloofness and inability to perform well in social activities is by having group activities such as games and simulated interactive learning programmes, in particular those which involve physical contact. This will help the child to feel accepted in the group and to feel more comfortable with him or herself and those others with whom he or she has to commonly interact with. This is because physical contact helps the child to develop stronger emotional bonds and at he same time generates a feeling of reassurance in a sub-conscious way. It is largely for this reason why it is important for parents to hug their child with deep emotion. By hugging their child with feeling, parents are able to impact fully reassure him or her of their love, care and deep concern for his or her welfare and wellbeing. In the process their child's self-confidence too gets reinforced. To an extent the teaching approach and methodology through which the Maha Sangha disseminates the Sublime Dhamma is a factor for insufficient internalisation of Buddhism in daily life. It is observed that due to a variety of reasons, Venerable Members of the Maha Sangha have tended to study for themselves and to disseminate to lay disciples the Dhamma, generally at the cognitive level. Regrettably, the affective and psychomotor levels of learning and training in the Dhamma are barely touched by them. Cultivation of the Mind: the Key The mind is extremely difficult to control; The mind is extremely difficult to perceive; The Buddha did not want us to merely pay homage to him. He did not seek reverence. He never wanted anyone to treat him as God. For that matter, he never even claimed to be a messenger or a proxy of any God. Instead he insisted that his disciples and lay followers alike should not worship him but regard him as a human being. But it was all too clear that he was, by any standard of comparison, an exceptional being. To be precise, he was an “Acchariya Manussa” (a supra-human or extra-ordinary human being) or a “Lokottara” (a supra-mundane being) who had perfected his mind and body and realised the Dhamma and become a Samma Sambuddha (a Supremely or Fully Enlightened One) and so deserves the highest respect and reverence. But never ever did the Buddha arrogate to himself divinity. The Buddha was ever so mindful of impermanence of his earthly, physical body and like all human beings he recognised that his body would succumb to the inexorable law of change, decay and unavoidable death. We should, however, always bear in mind that, as so often cited,”there was no religious leader who was ever so Godless as the Buddha; yet none so God-Like.” The Anguttara Nikaya describes the Buddha as a unique being, an extra-ordinary man who arose in this world for the benefit of the many, for the happiness of the many out of compassion for the world, for the good, benefit and happiness of humankind. True to the rational being that he was, the Buddha emphasised that by merely resorting to external worship, ceremonies and prayers alone one cannot expect to progress and realise the full potential of one’s personal capabilities. One cannot expect to make progress towards righteousness and inner self-development simply by outward acts of prayer alone. He likened mere praying for success, progress and salvation to one asking the opposite bank of the river to move over to the bank one is standing on to enable one to get across to the other side. This obviously is an unrealistic expectation and one, which falls more in the realm of wishful thinking. Without the commitment of one’s positive, personal effort to cross the river one will not be able to get to the yonder bank. In the same vein without a firm commitment and resolute effort, or “Viriya” to practice the Dhamma, one cannot expect to realize a successful, wholesome, happy life. Buddhist Education is for all of humankind to benefit from. The Buddha’s deep compassion motivated him to help humankind achieve lasting happiness and inner peace by encouraging sila, Samadhi and panna. In its essence, Buddhism is a framework for developing a positive, virtuous, realistic, purposeful, wholesome way of life. The emphasis clearly is on the practical application of the Buddha’s Noble Teachings and the development of a positive mental culture. This is why it is paramount for one to be always mindful that Buddhism is a religion of ‘being’ and not one of just ‘knowing’ the Eternal Doctrine. Buddhism is certainly not meant to be an abstract body of knowledge but a religion that must touch us deeply and be an integral part of our lives from the very moment of our birth to our last breath. This being so, Buddhism is truly a life-process that has to be diligently followed and not a bland doctrine or philosophy. Hence the reason why the Buddha had consistently maintained that ‘knowing’ the Dhamma alone is not enough. We must truly ‘live’ the Dhamma if we are to experience its richness and benefit fully from the Buddha’s Noble Teaching. The Buddha highlighted this fundamental principle in Buddhism through the anecdotal-style of communication He employed to illustrate His thoughts to the ordinary masses. He likened a beautiful thought or concept or ideal that is not accompanied by a corresponding wholesome deed or action to a bright and beautiful flower that has no fragrance and so is devoid of productive capability. Such a flower is only good enough to look at. Beyond that it does not serve much purpose. Beautiful though to look at and admire, it will not bear fruit. The absence of fragrance will not enable it to attract insects that is so necessary for its pollination to take place. Similarly, the Dhamma is a flower of beauty, radiance and fragrance. However, we must always be mindful that its superior quality is to be experienced only by ‘living’ the Dhamma. As a lovely and beautiful flower having According to the Buddha a brief life of virtue and wisdom is far better than a long but unvirtuous life filled with foolishness Though one should live a hundred We must therefore progress from just ‘knowing’ to ‘being’ the Dhamma by putting the Buddha’s Noble Teaching into actual practice in our day-to-day life. A most effective way of promoting the practical application of the Dhamma is by encouraging its ‘internalisation’ in our very being. In this way one will be able to experience its blissfulness in this very existence. Our goal therefore should be to ‘internalise’ the Dhamma in our daily lives so that it becomes and integral part of our being. Only then will we be able to feel and experience directly the Dhamma’s true meaning and the blissfulness that results there from. Social and Cultural Impact In the broader sociological and cultural dimension the positive impact of Buddhism on human society can hardly be surpassed. In its organised form Buddhism has brought real benefits to the larger community. Its many religious ceremonies and festivals incorporated a wide variety of customs and traditions wherever the Sublime Dhamma traversed. The liberal outlook of Buddhist Education adds to the richness and vibrancy of Buddhist culture and heritage. This invariably inspires the blossoming of the creative genius of cultures touched by Buddhism. Beyond question, the free spirit in Buddhist Education encourages expressions of indigenous creativity and the flowering of native genius in all fields of human endeavour. This largely explains the vast variety of customs, traditions and social and cultural expressions we find in the different Buddhist countries all over the world. Examples abound in many cultures such as during the period of the Tang Dynasty in China where Buddhism profoundly inspired the literary genius, art, aesthetics and the adventurous spirit of the peoples in those societies. The volumes of Buddhist scriptures and commentaries by thousands of Indian, Sri Lankan, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Burmese, Tibetan, Mongolian, Thai, Cambodian, early Malay and Indonesian pilgrims and scholars of the past speak volumes on how Buddhism touched these peoples. Many of them had to brave grave dangers and hardships in search of the Sublime Dhamma. So deep and abiding in them was their shraddha in the Buddha Dhamma that many of them dedicated their entire adult lives to the cause of Buddhist Education in the countries of their adoption. Buddhism also provides the nursery for the seeds of individual creativity to germinate and blossom into brilliance. It serves as a motivation for the individual to realise a more wholesome and self-fulfilling life-experience, and in turn, triggers the forward momentum for learning well beyond what is normally extended in education. For, in Buddhism we find learning to include the development of a positive mental culture through the broadening and enrichment of one’s mind in the context of one’s personal self-development and progress. Children in particular cultivate Buddhist customs, traditions, cultural and human values, positive outlook and attitude and advance their life aspirations as they familiarise and internalise the Buddhist way of life. This is realised by them participating in or observing informal Buddhist ceremonies and activities. Youths and adults too gain profoundly from their involvement in the religio-cultural cum social activities which Buddhist education readily offers. In organizing, managing and participating in these functions and activities they became more ingrained with noble Buddhist values and culture. Buddhist Education is strongly orientated towards fostering harmonious family life. Fathers, mothers, sons, daughters all flocked to the Buddha to learn and observe the Dhamma as His Teachings also extensively addressed the integral unit of the family. The practice of the Dhamma is encouraged as a total family commitment for the benefit of all its members and not just as a doctrine that is confined to parents alone or to the children exclusively. This emphasis on the family as a unit with very clear understanding on the respective domains of duty and responsibility has been a deeply entrenched feature in Buddhist Education since the time of the Buddha. The Sigalovada Sutta explicitly underlines this noteworthy feature in Buddhist Education and culture. The religio-cultural cum social functions, ceremonies and celebrations observed among Buddhist communities generally take the form of family get-to-gathers on some significant or happy occasion. Community -based social and cultural events and activities held in conjunction with a special ceremony or festive occasion or an auspicious day often is combined with religious observances. Major events in the life of an individual are likewise profoundly laced with Buddhist practices. The conception of a child, the birth of a newborn, the naming of a child, marriage and the loss of loved ones incorporate religious ceremonies and activities These religious ceremonies and accompanying sermons form an essential platform for religious upbringing for the family, and collectively, for the community, in particular for the younger generation. One may regard such religious rearing among Buddhist communities as an informal means of providing invaluable education for the community. Though informal, they constituted an important process of inculcating Buddhist values and practices and the learning of the Buddha Dhamma for the younger generation from the outset of their formative years. The thinking, attitude and mental make-up of the young are thus shaped and channelled along a positive path through these frequently held religious ceremonies and activities. Shortfall in Buddhist Education To an extent the teaching approach and methodology through which the Maha Sangha disseminates the Dhamma can be regarded as a factor for the insufficient ‘internalization’ of Buddhism in daily life. It is observed that due to a variety of reasons venerable members of the Maha Sangha have tended to study for themselves and to disseminate to lay disciples the Dhamma generally at the cognitive level. Regrettably, the affective and psychomotor levels of learning and training in the Dhamma are barely touched by them. As noted earlier, when it comes to imparting Buddhist Education, the teaching approach adopted by the Maha Sangha has generally tended to gravitate towards disseminating knowledge of the Sublime Dhamma at the cognitive level of learning. They generally focus on providing facts and information about Buddhism. In addition, the pre-occupation of the Maha Sangha today is largely concentrated on handing down the scriptures to the Samaneras and conducting religious services for the laity, in particular chanting suttas. Depending on the level of their mental development, commitment towards a disciplined monastic life, spiritual duty and shraddha in the Buddha Dhamma, individual monks endeavour to immerse themselves in the Dhamma by practising the Eternal Doctrine. Purely to illustrating the point, practices such as the development of mindfulness is observed only by a limited number of monks. The situation should be markedly different, given the Buddha’s repeated emphasis on the practice of the Dhamma, and specifically, on the indispensability of bhavana. In this setting therefore the affective and psycho-motor aspects in the learning and practice of the Dhamma, especially in the context of its day-to-day application do not receive the due attention it deserves. It is most unfortunate that the cognitive areas of the Dhamma receive prominence at the expense of the far more profound and important affective and psycho-motor aspects which especially since the true value of the Dhamma is in its practical application and practice in daily life. There is therefore a real need to create a greater awareness of the importance of the affective and psychomotor levels of learning and training of the Dhamma by focusing on its application in daily life. It is only by emphasising the practice of the Dhamma that one will be able to generate a greater consciousness of the affective and psycho-motor levels of learning and training in Buddhism. Only then will the Buddhist fraternity be able to progress effectively from merely ‘knowing’ to truly ‘being’ the Dhamma. This indeed is a most meaningful way for us to set aglow in our very person the magnificence of the Buddha Dhamma and to experience the blissfulness it brings forth. The Maha Sangha is bound, as part of its social contract, to care for the spiritual well-being of the community, which it serves. This means teaching the Dhamma so that it can be practised and applied meaningfully in daily life. In the same spirit, the Maha Sangha must also update and reinforce their methods and techniques of learning and teaching the Dhamma to help adherents to effectively meet the challenges and opportunities in contemporary living. In the light of this situation and given the very paucity of monks in the West and countries such as Australia, Malaysia and Singapore, parents have to take on the role of ‘internalising’ Buddhism in their children. This can be done by parents taking up their responsibility, indeed their sacred duty, to guide their children from the time of birth and ingrain the Buddha’s Teachings in them as they grow up. The ‘home education’ which the parents provide their child will hold their children in good stead throughout life. Buddhist Education in the home environment thus forms the firm foundation for a child’s personal self-development, progress and lasting happiness. Through Buddhist Education parents would be able to guide their children to advance from the stage of pariyatti to patipatti and ultimately for them to realise pativedha. In this way their children would, as pinpointed by the Enlightened Buddha, advance from merely ‘knowing’ His Noble Teachings to truly understanding, and ‘being’ the very aura of the Dhamma, and thereby, enjoy success, well-being and happiness. Today, a greater number of children around the world are privileged to enjoy a higher quality of life. Among other benefits, the opportunities for them to have at least a basic primary education are incomparably greater than what was available for children in past generations. Also noteworthy is the fact that the infra-structure of contemporary schools and the educational facilities provided today are by far superior to what was available only a few decades ago. However, if we were to take the primary objective of education as the way to draw out innate wholesome qualities in a person, it would appear that most systems of education around the world, by and large, have failed to meet expectations. This contention is substantiated by a number of pertinent observations. One of the most striking indicators of the failure of the systems of education is the bourgeoning number of children and youths in contemporary society who are involved in social ills and crimes. An alarmingly high number of them, who are as young as 10 years old, get into all sorts of problems and troubles with school authorities and even the law. Rather paradoxically, despite all the education that has been made available to them, a progressively increasing percentage of adolescents and youths are known to be delinquent in their behaviour. This has manifested in various kinds of social ills such as the harmful abuse of drugs, gangsterism in schools, sexual misconduct, teenage pregnancies, in the large numbers of youths becoming victims of HIV/ AIDS and so on. Many children and youths are even guilty of committing serious crimes. Indeed, the incidence of teenage crimes have exacerbated to frightfully alarming levels all across the world which again suggest that the systems of education suffer from serious short comings, if not indeed, betray a very serious flaw in most environments. Buddhist Education and Pedagogy most certainly bridge the serious gap recognised in the systems of education and bring about a healthier socially structured generations all across the world.
|