Though Buddha had always tried to explain his principles intellectually but he usually avoided long discussions. Seeing the degeneration of faith he emphasizes experience and efforts. The consciousness of attachment and ill-will makes its impression. An impression may be of three kinds— action, speech and image respectively.
Corporeal actions are karma-sanskar, reasoning or thinking, whereas recognition and feelings are called image. One gets knowledge of external things by means of sensory organs. The miseries spread throughout the world are not providential. In fact, they are the result of the deeds of different people. Buddhism admitted three causes of Karma—Physical, Verbal and mental.
The mental gave birth to an idea, verbal expressed it and the physical side converted it into action. Buddha was a Bodhisatwa (i.e., a person who is desirous of getting Knowledge). He found the causes of suffering and means of removing them. Obtaining this knowledge he was titled ‘Buddha’. This knowledge is comprehended in four noble truths. Ignorance is the main cause of all misery.
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Concept of Reality:
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Budha explained the hollowness of the prevalent philosophical systems and emphasized the importance of the problem of liberation from misery. He kept silent on such questions. Is the world eternal? Is it non-eternal? Is it finite? Is it infinite? Is the body and self the same? Is the self different from body? Was the Tathagat reborn after death? Was he not born after death? Are re-birth and no rebirth both false? etc. Budha’s philosophy is pessimism.
He has taken the world as full of misery. But he also suggested the remedies of these miseries (thus optimist also). He criticised blind faith in the Vedas. He was of the views that the all worldly objects are momentary. Due to faith in the doctrine of karma he has not admitted the existence of God. Buddha’s teachings are most pragmatic; it is due to their pragmatic importance the Buddha has discussed the four great truths.
He explained it by giving a practical example, once he was sitting under a Sinsupa tree, Buddha took some of the leaves in his hand and asked his disciples, whether they are all leaves of the tree or there are more leaves? When they answered that there are more leaves.
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Buddha said,
“similarly it is definite that there is much more than whatever. I have told you.”
Buddha does not recognise the perpetuity of the soul. Soul is combination of five elements. Man is also the combination of mental and material states.
Concept of Values:
Buddha’s religion or ethics is based on faith. From the philosophical and moral point of view he has adopted a middle path. There are two limits which the aspirant should never approach. On the one hand sensual objects, interest in passions etc. and the other hand the habit of suppressing the self, which is painful and useless.
Buddha advocated middle path which opens the eyes and guides towards peace and insight, supreme wisdom and Nirvana. And this Golden mean is only the Eight fold path—Right vision, right resolve, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration—this stage has four stages—pure and detached thought creates unique happiness, bliss and peace are sensed, to become indifferent to the happiness of concentration, state of absolute peace i.e., Nirvana.
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The first seven laws guide one towards the perfection of concentration. Besides preaching the meditation on physical defects Buddha also stressed the adoption or friendliness towards everyone, sympathy towards the suffering. These were called ‘Brahma Vihara’. Non-violence requires both sympathy and friendliness.
Aims of Education:
Buddha considered the worldly miseries as a part of human nature. If a man understands this truth from the very beginning, he will not do any such thing which will cause hardship to him. Then he will conduct his life in such a way that he will develop himself physically, mentally, morally and spiritually.
Emancipation is the ultimate aim of education. Liberation from the cycle of birth and death is called emancipation i.e., Nirvana.
To escape from worldly affairs, one requires an appropriate will power. It is through a strong will power that one moves forward towards the path of salvation. According to Buddha the present life is due to a preceding one and the present life indicates the nature of a future life. The stream of present, past and future continues to flow uninterruptedly.
It suggests that one should not depend on fate. If teachers of today are able to inculcate in students the idea that they are the makers of their own destiny, the society will become full of such citizens who will not only help themselves but others also. Thus to remove the cause of miseries is an important aim of education. The real meaning of Nihilism is to attain salvation and thus ultimate aim of education is to get liberated from the miseries of the world.
Curriculum:
As Buddha stressed actions so curriculum of Buddhistic education includes practical activities. These practical activities include physical, intellectual, moral and social actions.
For achieving salvation, moral education, meditation and intelligence have been considered necessary. Although Buddha usually avoided long discussions, yet towards superstitions, orthodox views, useless rituals he had the approach of a modern scientist.
Training of senses was emphasised in Buddhistic education which helps in detachment, destruction of passions, end of miseries, achievement of mental peace, knowledge, wisdom and Nirvana.
Everything remains in this world for some time and then it meets its end in the same way as one wave goes and another takes its place and then another and this process is continued. By illusion we consider the continuity of sequence as permanent. In reality nothing is permanent; change is the law of nature, so the subject matter should be dynamic and according to the need of the time.
Thus he suggested social sciences, moral education, ethics, sciences etc. and co-curricular activities includes social service, welfare of all, community services, moral deeds, adoption of true vocation, use of non-violence and behaviour of the student should be according to the vows emphasised by Buddhistic thoughts.
Methods of Teaching:
Buddha’s philosophy is pragmatic as he stressed one’s experiences or actions or deeds. A sinner suffers from miseries in the world as a result of his own actions. Therefore in our centres of learning we should adopt the theory of karma and the teachers, parents and students should shape their life styles accordingly.
By adopting the eight ways i.e., the Ashtangik Marg, the ultimate aim of education may be achieved. By right insight one may keep oneself away from mundane affairs. Appropriate speech enables one to have self control. The sweetness of speech induces a person to behave properly with others to forsake violence in thought, word and deed, moral actions and moral behaviours and even invocations is necessary.
Apart from these one should initiate basic elements of knowledge i.e., right memory. To purify one’s conscience is also necessary for salvation.
Lord Buddha has suggested that there is one cause or the other for the origin of a thing. The student should try to find out the cause of their birth and miseries of life and should try to remove that cause. Lord Buddha has suggested a middle path i.e., the adoption of an attempt to co-ordinate atheism and theism. According to Nihilism all religions are purposeless. Nihilism may be achieved through intellect. Thus on the whole Buddha stressed practical activities to achieve the ultimate aim.