Jacques Delors, Chairman of the UNESCO International Commission on Education for the Twenty-first Century, said “humankind sees in education an indispensable asset in its attempt to attain the ideals of peace, freedom and social justice,” and that education is “one of the principal means available to foster a deeper and more harmonious form of human development and thereby to reduce poverty, exclusion, ignorance, oppression and war.” (Delors)
Buddhism, over 2500 years ago, already had the same ideals. Buddha carried out social reform to raise the living and spiritual standards of all by placing significant emphasis on education. Many suttas, including the Avatamsaka Sutta, had stated that “Of all offerings, the offering of dhamma is the highest.” (Avatamsaka Sutta, Volume 40, T10, p0845a) The dhamma is an important set of teachings because it helps individuals answer questions pertaining to life and death, and how to live this life on earth without being afflicted with sufferings. The dhamma teaches universal truth. Given that the dhamma is difficult to understand, Buddha has adopted innovative methods of instruction.
Today, Fo Guang Shan, a worldwide Chinese monastic order, is propounding the same education ideals through humanistic Buddhism. The founder of Fo Guang Shan, Venerable Master Hsing Yun, emphasizes education as a means to develop society, and to transmit the dhamma in practical form.
This paper will study the skillful means which Buddha and Venerable Master used, as well as the systems and the visions that they have developed. This paper will be divided into two parts. The first part studies the conditions and results of the system of instruction that Buddha adopted. The second part studies a modern adaptation of that system through humanistic Buddhism.
