Buddhism As An Education - DharmaFlower.Net

Buddhism As An EducationBy Master Chin KungChapter OneThe Cause Of Our Chaotic WorldToday's societies in Taiwan and elsewhere in the world are ratherabnormal, a phenomenon that has not been witnessed before either inthe West or the East. Some Westerners have predicted that the end ofthe world will occur in 1999 and that Christ will return to earth forJudgment Day. Easterners have also predicted impending disastersthat are similar to those predictions in the West, the only differencebeing the time frame, which is some twenty years later. Some of theseare ancient prophecies, which we should not place too muchimportance on. However, if we view our environment objectively, wewill realize that this world is really in danger.Environmental pollution has become a serious problem and nowhumankind has finally begun to understand the need for protectingour environment. However, the problem of mental or spiritualpollution is many times more serious than that of the environment.This is the source of worldly ills that not many people realize. TheChinese have a saying, "Education is most essential to establish anation, train its leaders and its people." For centuries, the Chinesehave always believed in the primacy of education, which is consideredthe foundation for a peaceful and prosperous society. It provides thesolution to a myriad of social ills and leads the way to changing one'ssuffering into happiness. Education has a strong impact on the nationand its people. Moreover, elementary school is the foundation, thebasic building block in an educational system.1