Nowadays, amidst the prevalence of utilitarianism and the clash of diverse values, people’s inner confusion has grown increasingly pronounced, leading to a rising to a yearning to explore the meaning of life. In response to this quest for significance, “spiritual cultivation” has become an indispensable core component of life education. After nearly three decades of development in Taiwan, the current curriculum framework for life education is built upon the “Three Fundamental Questions of Life,” forming a five-core competency structure. Within this framework, “spiritual cultivation” corresponds to the fundamental inquiry. “How should one live the life one ought to live?” It emphasizes the integration of knowledge and action, the cultivation of character, and the deep internalization of values.
This paper takes the Lotus Sutra as its core scripture, exploring its insights for spiritual cultivation practices in contemporary life education. The spiritual cultivation outlined in the Lotus Sutra not only involves the integration of an individual's inner values and the perfection of one's character, but also embodies a concrete process of transformation from “understanding” to “practice.” This cultivation direction aligns deeply with the Lotus Sutra “One Vehicle” and “The Practice of the Bodhisattva Path,” revealing a path of practice that evolves from self-awakening to enlightening others.
The research findings reveal that spiritual cultivation in the Lotus Sutra intersects with life education through three key dimensions: (1) The deepening values and dismantling self-attachment through ethical deliberation and the view of emptiness(śūnyatā); (2) The emphasizing the internalized practice of unity between knowledge and action, including the spirit of propagating the sutra exemplified in the “Dharma Preacher” and the comprehensive enactment of the Six Pāramitās;(3) The life educational significance of integrating vow and action, demonstrated through the exemplary practices of bodhisattvas, such as “The Chapter on the Universal Gate of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva” and “The Chapter on Bodhisattva Never Disparaging (Sadāparibhūta)”. These collectively articulate how spiritual cultivation can be effectively actualized in contemporary life education.
In summary, the Lotus Sutra not only provides a comprehensive framework for spiritual cultivation but also resonates with the principles emphasized in life education– namely, the unity of knowledge and action, the integration of character, and the internalization of values. As such, it serves as both the theoretical foundation and practical application for contemporary life education.
