ABSTRACT

A study on  Buddhist  method  of  children  raising founded  In  Theravada  Buddhist  texts. had three objectives: (1) to study the theory of teaching the children, (2) to study the Buddhist ways for teaching the children, and (3) to apply the Buddhist ways for teaching the children  in the Thai society.

The findings of the study, it was found that

(1) Teaching means exhorting to realize into a habit. In the Western societies, there were many forms to teach children such as a democratic, an abandoned, a too protective form etc. Meanwhile, the Eastern societies, there were many forms to teach children: the use of power control, the taking care, and the indulgent love etc.  Moreover, there were two main theories taught the children: the engagement theory and the teaching and ethical cultivation theory. Teaching the children had five principles: giving the love, understanding, being a good model, being equal, and punishing appropriately. Besides, the methods of teaching had six types depending on the family environment: over love, unpleasing children, too indulgent, too anxious, ceremonious and middle way.

(2)  According to the Buddhist ways found in the Theravada Buddhist texts, the person who taught the  children must include four elements; 1) the qualifications, 2) the teaching styles, 3) the teaching methods and 4) the teaching strategies. The Buddhist ways for teaching the children originated from 4 sources consisting of 1) the Buddhist way that the Buddha applied in the period of the Bodhisattva, 2) the Buddhist way that the Buddha applied with Rahula, 3) the Buddhist way of the disciples in the Buddhist time, and 4) the Buddhist way of the  disciples after the Buddhist time. These could be summarized into two points: 1) the Buddha's teaching the children in varied educate the sons and daughters of the Buddha in various Jatakas focusing on the children as the moral tractable, trustworthy, benevolent, gratitude, ready people in living, and 2) the Buddhist disciples' teaching the children focusing on following the wish of their parents, the reward so that children knew the heart of life and adapted to accept the social change, the good examples for the comparison and teaching what is possible and responding to the real target.

(3) An application of Buddhist ways for teaching children in the Thai society now should use two Buddhist ways: the Buddhist way that the Buddha applied and the Buddhist way that the Buddhist disciples applied by adapting for five principles of teaching the children in the Thai society consisting of 1) the application of the principle of the Buddha's teaching the children in various Jatakas and the principle of love-giving, good model, and equality, and 2) ) the application of the principle of the Buddhist disciples' teaching the children and the principle of understanding and suitable punishment.

Besides, It should apply the Dhamma principles in the Buddhist ways  for teaching the children in three aspects: for the marriage, it should apply the principle of the truth (Sacca), loving-kindness (Metta), gratitude (Katannukatavedi), and six directions (Disa), for the behavior in the society, it should apply the principle of the qualities of a good friend (Kalyanamitta-dhamma), the respect (Garava-dhamma), the humility (Apacayana-dhamma), and having the good friend, and for the consumption of technology media, it should apply the principle of the analytical thinking (Yonisomanasikara), the heedfulness (Appamada-dhamma), and the balanced livelihood (Samajivita).

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