Buddhist Mode of Education in Modern Context

In the present book explores the various aspects of Buddhist Education in Ancient India with the focus on Buddhist Education and its mode of education in the light of application of Buddhist Methodology in Modern context. Dr. Ajit Kumar has discussed elaborately and critically various aspects of Buddhist education such as Buddhist educational method training and spiritual attainments of monks and nuns, Evolution of Buddhist Mode of Education, Origin and Development of residential monasteries some of which later on turned to be well reputed Universities like Nalanda, Vikramasila, Odantapuri, Vallabhi, Jaggadalpura, etc. and also secular education in ancient India. The main highlights of the book are focused on some of the very important aspects of the Buddhist mode of education are: Evolution of Buddhist Education system, Buddhist Philosophy of Education, its Educational Methodologies, Emergence of Buddhist Mahaviharas, Buddhist Mode of Education and contemporary educational crisis and relevance of Buddhist mode of education to handle the current educational system not only of India but the whole world. Thus Dr. Ajit Kumar has opened befoi e us a new horizon of knowledge which can guide even an ordinal y man to perfection in present globalized world as well.

At present Dr. Ajit Kumar is associated with Sharda University Greater Noida (Delhi NCR) in Various capacity of Joint Registrar (Chancellor Office) and Public Relation Officer. He comes from a middle class family of Bihar and he was born and brought up at Patna, Bihar which was considered as the playground of Buddhist activities during the time of the Buddha and after his Parinibbana and even today. Since born and brought up in Patna (Pataliputra), he has developed an in depth interested in Buddhism from his very childhood days. To fulfill his dream, after completed his schooling from Patna, Bihar, he decided to move to Delhi to pursue BA (Hons.) in Political Science from Ramjas College, University of Delhi. Later on, he has opted to pursue MA in Buddhist Studies from Department of Buddhist Studies, University of Delhi and goes on to complete even Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) in Buddhist Studies from University of Delhi itself. Later on he has joined Sharda Group of Institutions in 2002 and since then he is associated with the same organizations at various capacities till today. The pursue his academic interest, he has got himself admitted into Ph.D. program of School of Buddhist Studies and Civilization, Gautam Buddha University Greater Noida with the research topic "Buddhist Mode of Education: Exploring Tradition Methodology in Modern Context".

Buddhism was heralded in 6th century BCE, which was considered an evolutionary phenomenon in the Ancient Indian history with the great Awakening (Sambodhi) of the Buddha. For centuries, the Buddha is known as a religious leader, a philosopher and a social reformer, but first and foremost, the Buddha was an awakened teacher. He was awakened to not only the nature of human experience, but also about the way to wake up masses. As a great teacher, he had realized actual problems of human life and taught innumerable people the ways to overcome and transform their difficulties. The Dhamma he taught was the ideal life he lived and the community of Dhammic learners can be regarded in the contemporary world as a system of education, though it has been widely known as Buddhism, a religion or a philosophy. Hence, his teaching is nothing other than a pre-modem tradition of education. Buddhist education originated in Ancient India and began spreading to neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka, Myanmar, China, Thailand, Tibet, Bhutan, etc., since the 3rd century BCE, and nowadays it is prevalent in almost every corner of the world. Modem scholars who made first attempt to trace the origins and development of education in ancient India acknowledged that Buddhist education have contributed significantly to the development of education within India. The growth of Buddhist tradition brought a new vista in the Indian education system which is still relevant in present world scenario.

The objective of the Buddha's teaching or Dhamma is to attain wisdom (Anuttara-Samyak-Sambhodi) means the perfect ultimate wisdom. The Buddha further taught us that everyone has the potential to realize this state of ultimate wisdom, as it is an intrinsic part of our nature, not something one obtains externally. Buddhist education is all about development of child's personality which includes his physical, mental, moral and intellectual development with the aim to build a free man, a wise, intelligent, moral, non-violent & secular man. Students became judicious, humanist, logical and free from superstitious. The Buddhist education system aimed at regaining our intrinsic nature. it also teaches absolute equality which stemmed from Buddha's recognition that all sentient beings possess this innate wisdom and nature. Since the very early beginning of human civilization, religion showed a power of its role in education. The religion may keep alive the cultural ideals and human life by urging man to follow a right path for proceeding towards safeguarding of human values. Man has always tried to mould his character according to religious ideals. So in many ways, religion has placed the important role of education. As Vivekanand said "Religion is the inner most core of education". Indian education once is considered to be a religious education. According to R. K. Mookerji, "Nowhere is this distinctive tendency of Hindu thought more manifest than in the sphere of learning and education. Learning in India through the ages had been prized and pursued not for its own sake, if we may so put it, but for the sake, and as a part, of religion". This idea has been very cogently explained by P.V. Babat that: "Education as one of the functions or activities of a state is a concept of purely modern growth. In Europe in olden times it was a function of the Christian Church; in India it was that of her religious rules and organizations which devised its own educational systems".

The principal religions that formed the basis for education and culture in the ancient India were just Hinduism and Buddhism. In other words, the background of ancient Indian education is mainly provided by the philosophical conceptions of Hinduism and Buddhism. The teachings of both these religions were begun as a way to solve the basic problems of life as well as to improve life towards salvation. The present book traced the adoption and evolution of the pre-Buddhist educational system to serve the purposes of the Buddhist Sangha from the point of view of elaborately discuss about the Buddhist mode of education. With the spread of Buddhism, the Buddhist system of education expanded and ultimately the Buddhist viharas became the famous centres of learnings, both religious and secular. The national and comprehensive nature of Buddhist monastic education catered not only to the needs of Buddhist monks and lay devotees but also to the needs of adherents of all faiths. Such centres of learning were so much patronised by the state and the people that in due course of time, many of them assumed the form and status of modern universities. Taxila, Nalanda Vikramsila and many other centres of learning became so famous that many students came there from foreign countries for advanced studies.

The Vedic as well as the Buddhist systems of education were so comprehensive and integrated that it was difficult to disentangle the secular elements from the religious elements and the general elements from the vocational elements. Life and learning both were so fused together that it was difficult to see the two separately and distinctly. General education was secular, religious, moral, spiritual, vocational, professional all integrated into one. The structure of the educational institutions, the courses of study, the methods of teaching, the disciplinary measures etc. had moral and social elements in-built in the system. The religious nature of the courses, the reverence for the teacher, the general atmosphere of the monastery, the way of life of both the student and the teacher, all had an overdose of morality. The residential nature of the institution forced the students to imbibe a sense of social adjustment and social responsibility. The individual incongruities, if any, were automatically rubbed off during the course of corporate life of the monastery. Hence while presenting the description of the general education system, the elements of social and moral education will manifest themselves distinctly and it will be possible to have a clear idea how the aims of social and moral education were achieved through the system of general education.

The aim of education during those days was broadly speaking the same as it is today namely all round harmonious development of the personality of the child. Body, mind, intellect and spirit were stated to constitute one whole and education was aimed to develop all. There was an emphasis on a healthy body, sound mind, sharp intellect and pure spirit. Infusion of spirit of piety and religiousness, formation of character, development of personality, inculcation of civic and social duties, promotion of social. efficiency and preservation and spread of national culture may be described as the chief aims and ideals of ancient Indian education.

It's baffling that very little is known about the immense contribution of Buddhism to education. The Buddhist educational system opens up an era of free thinking or critical thinking, what is popularly known as scientific temper. Buddhism and Buddhist educational system owes its genesis to the teachings of the Buddha started in the 6th century BCE which transformed the lifestyle of the then society with its rational teachings and which stand equally relevant even today. Buddha is considered as the embodiment of wisdom , compassion, renunciation, service and exemplary personal life. Such has been the influence of the Buddha down the centuries and globally that many consider him as the greatest religious teacher. Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, once wrote that he felt lying prostrate before the image of the Buddha, and that 'the spread of industry, science, commerce and imperial power was never as prominent in India as it was during the rise and under the influence of Buddhism'. The teachings of the Buddha were imparted in our great institutions like Nalanda, Takshila, Vikramshila, etc. These institutions of higher learning, besides imparting Buddhist education, imparted education in different branches of higher learning.

It is worth noting that the Buddha, besides being a profound thinker, was a great teacher, a unique pedagogue. He employed various methods, depending upon the nature and background of the people, such as stories , poems, parables, appropriate figures of speeches in his dialogues and sermons as quite evident from the Pali Canon. I am happy to say that The National Education Policy lays considerable focus on pedagogy so that education becomes fully engaging and wholly participatory, so as to free the students from mental burden. Further, the NEP 2020 lays emphasis on the rejuvenation of Indian languages, arts and culture and their translation in Indian languages. It also recommends establishment of National Institute/ institutes for Pali, Prakrit and Persian to promote, preserve and strengthen ancient Indian languages and imbuing the students with rootedness in India's great civilisational heritage.

This book by Dr. Ajit Kumar fills a long felt void in the Buddhist education system. Though it is intended to be for researchers and students of Buddhist Studies, but I am optimistic that the book will also be of great interest to those who want a general survey of Buddhism and its ennobling beliefs. Dr. Ajit Kumar has explored extensively Buddhist educational learning and teaching techniques and its various components, along with its evolution, Buddhist Educational institutions, methodology , etc. in the context , and relevance, of modern education system. The last words of eternal wisdom of the Buddha were, 'Appo Deepo Bhava'. I do hope and believe that this book would rekindle the light of self-Enquiry, scientific temper and encourage the teachers to draw on the fascinating pedagogic devices of Buddhist education based on the transformative teachings of the Buddha.

Ideally, education is the principal tool of human growth, essential for transforming the unlettered child into a mature and responsible adult. Yet everywhere today, both in the developed world and the developing world, we can see that formal education is in serious trouble. Classroom instruction has become so routinized that children often consider school an exercise in patience rather than an adventure in learning. Even the brightest and most conscientious students easily become restless, and for many the only attractive escape routes lie along the dangerous roads of drugs, sexual experimentation, and outbursts of senseless violence. Teachers too find themselves in a dilemma, dissatisfied with the system which they serve but unable to see a meaningful alternative to it. Every historian agrees that modern life is characteristically faster tempo than centuries ago. Everything is required to move fast; things must be carried out in the shortest time possible. Almost no one on freeways and streets observes the speed limits; everyone wants to drive faster. However, expediency does not always provide modern people with intellectually and spiritually satisfying lives. To this fast-moving modern life, Buddhism suggests to focus more on human element of life. In other words, one should seek the mind, instead of following after events and material goods.

Today society in all over the world becomes rather abnormal, a phenomenon that has not been witnessed before either in the west or the east. As soon as we glance in to the mirror of history, it is our own image, our reflection, which stand sharply delineated the traces of history. Its pages unfolds the glory to us, telling us about what we were, what we are, what we will be. Its knowledge helps us to a discovery of the germinal seed out of which our future society takes birth. Whatever aspects of education that we choose to study, our viewpoint should be objective and it is the historical perfection that grants objectivity in studying about educational problems. It is this viewpoint that we are here embark upon a study of the Buddhist education in this modern times.

The education is a topic with the expansible and full creative characteristic and for human beings' matter forever. From the old days up to now, the human occurred on this earth, there was an education's appearance; and much great brains of people contribute their service to the store of knowledge. From realizing about the phenomena to investing the operative and the developing principle of the nature; so human beings themselves have related in to the conditioned phenomena to raise their wisdom and improve the individual and community living more and more perfectly. This becomes more promoted all human with every passing day that establish and develop the directions of the education and cultural more and more highly and completely.

When we were children we were taught by our elders to observe precepts like not to tell a lie, not to steal and not to do other sinful acts. As we grew up we understood more clearly and comprehensively what sinful acts included. We were also told that if we indulged in such immoral acts we would suffer endlessly in hell. What had great impact on us were the visuals over the doors of houses which graphically depicted horrible punishments given to those who committed such acts. We were so much afraid to see such visuals that our hairs would stand on their ends and we would make up our minds to shirk from such actions. Times have changed now. Neither do we have such fear-producing visuals over our doors nor do we as easily believe in yamadootas (Yama's messengers) giving punishments to us for our sinful acts. We don't have faith in such things. They have become anachronistic. We are no longer superstitious and we are now proud to have rational outlook.

People think why should they believe in such injunctions when they see people around them doing all sorts of immoral actions and living a comfortable life with pelf and power. They have a conflict within. Should they remain honest and poor or should they make money by hook or by crook and live a life of luxury, wearing good clothes, eating sumptuous food and giving good and expensive education to their children. All fear of suffering in the hell is gone. They have become fearless.

It is this crisis of faith that prompts young men and women who make up the top cadres of society such as bureaucrats, doctors, engineers, managers and politicians to amass wealth by any means. They conveniently forget their primary duty to serve society in their different capacities and make people's lives better. Rather they indulge in immoral actions to amass wealth not only for themselves but also for their several generations. They develop a great desire 'to have' rather than 'to be.' Seeing this tragic phenomenon in human life on a mass scale, Erich Fromm gives a sane advice not to neglect the 'to be' aspect of life and replace it by the 'to have' aspect of it. The important question is how to develop the 'to be' aspect of life in the present time when there is a crisis of faith. The 'to be' aspect of life can be developed through education.

To educate means 'to bring up (a child) so as to form habits, manners etc., to train intellectually and morally.' If education is geared to develop only the mental powers of a child, this education is not complete. It must develop his character, which means developing qualities like metta (loving kindness), karuna (compassion) mudita (sympathetic joy) and upekkha (equanimity). He must get rid of defilements such as greed, anger, pride and develop qualities such as non-greed, friendliness, humility, compassion etc. He must shun selfishness and develop altruism. Mahatma Gandhi rightly said that intellectual development without the simultaneous development of our conscience and heart is very sad and dangerous. Sad because our noble qualities are not developed and dangerous because we may create Frankensteins and take the world near a catastrophy. This sad aspect of the development of mental powers without the simultaneous development of character which includes conscience has been rued by great scientists themselves. Einstein knew what a cataclysmic catastrophy the atom bomb was going to cause to humanity. He therefore wrote a letter requesting the American President not to press for making the atom bomb. Learning a lesson from what a great disaster the dropping of an atom bomb could bring to humanity, the scientist who made the Hydrogen bomb said very feelingly in the meeting arranged for honouring him as the father of the Hydrogen bomb, " Do not call me the father of the hydrogen bomb. I am the father of two children."

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