A BUDDHIST PHILOSPHY OF EDUCATION

ABSTRACT

How could one person encapsulate the entire Buddhist canon and history and its many different paths into one definitive statement on education? One could structure this in a host of different ways and part of the challenge in taking on a task such as this is to find a way in which thoughts can be marshalled into some semblance of order which makes sense to Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. I have chosen to identify two key concepts: citta which translates as ‘heart or mind’; and the four ‘divine abidings’ or mental states - the Brahma Viharas – which many Buddhists try to develop and which are a very important part of my own practice. These two concepts present one way, a ‘skilful means’, by which this large and difficult question can be addressed. There are, no doubt, many others.

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