Volume-XII, Issue-II, March 2026 |
একুশ শতকের সমাজে বৌদ্ধ শিক্ষার প্রাসঙ্গিকতা শ্বেতা চ্যাটার্জী, স্টেট এডেড কলেজ টিচার, পরিবেশ বিদ্যা বিভাগ, উমেশ চন্দ্র কলেজ, কলকাতা, পশ্চিমবঙ্গ, ভারত |
Received: 29.01.2026 | Accepted: 05.03.2026 | Published Online: 31.03.2026 | Page No: | ||||
DOI: 10.29032/ijhsss.vol.12.issue.02W. | |||||||
The Relevance of Buddhist Teachings in Twenty-First Century Society Sweta Chatterjee, State-Aided College Teacher (SACT), Department of Environmental Studies, Umesh Chandra College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India | ||
ABSTRACT | ||
Buddhist Education is one of the oldest and greatest system among all other Indian Education Systems. Buddhist education system laid stress on knowledge, disciplines and development of life. As Buddhists were a religious sect, all educational activities were run inside Sangha, a place where all learners used to live to acquire knowledge. This education system procured theoretical as well as practical knowledge system. Before starting their education all Shramanas (learners) who were termed as Bikshu or Bikshuni, have to attain Pabbajjā, a procedure same as Upanayana in Vedic Education system. The next stage of education was Upasampada in which the shramanas had to perform strictest dutied of life. Buddhist religious script the Tripitaka played an important role in the curriculum of Buddhist education system. There were three 'pitakas' the first of which is the Sutta Pitaka, consisting of Goutam Buddha's discourses and seremons. The second was the Vinaya Pitaka consisting of instructions for Shramanas and Bikshus and the third was the Abhidhamma Pitaka that highlights Buddhist philosophy and psychology. In the lower level of education system three R's were taught viz. Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. But in higher studies Religion, Philosophy, War studies and Vedas were included. Vocational education was also a part of Buddhist education system. Females were also allowed to receive Buddhist education. students came to study at universities of Nalanda, Vikramshila, Ballabhi, Jagaddal, Sompur, Varanasi, Sarnath, Odontapuri, Mithila, Ujjain and Kanchipuram not only from India but from many foreign countries. Buddhist Education System was really a modern education system which speaks about the fulfilment of life and Nirvana was the ultimate aim in this education system. | ||
Keywords: Buddhist Education, Relevance, 21st century, Eightfold Path, Nirvāṇa |