The Methods of Dhamma Teaching at Pubbāruṁ Pariyatṭi Monastery Loikaw, Kayah State in Myanmar
The Methods of Dhamma Teaching at
Pubbāruṁ Pariyatṭi Monastery Loikaw, Kayah State in Myanmar
Researcher:
Ven. Viveka
Part -1
Myanmar
is one of the most famous Buddhist countries around the world in which over
eighty-seven percent of the population are Buddhist so that majority of people
learn the teaching of the Buddha from starting in primary school. According to
the Myanmar tradition, every teenager has made to ceremony of the novice in the
Buddhist Order and twenty passage to adulthood is to spend at least 15 days or
one rain season as a monk. One who ordains can learn many useful tools and gain
knowledge of Tipitaka (three baskets) in both Pali and Myanmar languages. They
practice meditation, learn to arrange flowers, organize ceremonies, spread the
Buddha’s teaching (Dhamma) and other awesome activities such as alms collection
and maintenance of the monastery, etc. The purpose of learning and training is
to cultivate the mind, to propagate the Buddha of Dhamma to the whole nation
and the world, especially effecting a harmonious society. Moreover, Myanmar is
well known for its traditional, architectural designs and cultural heritages.
Thus, besides spreading Buddha’s Dhamma teaching, as well as Myanmar people try
to maintain and protect their traditional cultures.
Our
ancestor left cultural traditions for us what are customs and consuetude. It is
important that the next generation maintains and preserves them. Additionally,
the next generation needs to foster and advance cultural traditions of their
country to the world. Realizing the importance of education in growing nation
and its contribution to developing wealth, improving civilization, and
strengthening democracy, the Myanmar Government has to continue to spend
substantially to its education system. To building a wealthy and a super-power
nation, Myanmar needs the educated person who can bring his talent and the
knowledge. The education is very essential for the development country where
had been with good education and there had become wealthy citizen. Therefore,
there is no development without education, and it’s everyone’s commitment.
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” [1] “Paññā Lokasmi Pajjoto”
[2] that means; “wisdom is the light of the world.” Really, the
general public can see the many countries with the education are the
development on the world. Therefore, The Myanmar government has supported to an
opportunity for Myanmar citizen to attend schools, colleges, universities, and
the Pathamapyan (PTP) (held to test one’s knowledge of Buddhist scriptures)
examinations have always been conducted by the government.
The
education is also the importance for every country as well as the teaching
methods are significant for the scholars. If someone constructs a building, at
the first, someone must make the good foundation then the building will be last
for a long time thus the state education system should have the good teaching
methods for successful and developed of schooling. Every educational
development country has good teaching method so that the countries are bright
in the educational field. For example, United State of America, United Kingdom,
Japan and so on. “University of Oxford Tops the Times Higher Education World
University Rankings 2018” [3] after reading this article, the researcher thinks about the
education of Oxford university position and then the researcher understand that
Oxford university teaching method is very good so that the university is top
university in the world. Likewise, in Myanmar, Pubbāruṁ Pariyatṭi monastery
(PPYM) readies to have very good teaching method that is a strong education
system has long been seen as the standard pre-requisite of overall national
progress for both developed and developing nations.
The
Pubbāruṁ Pariyatṭi monastery which is the main monastery, has many
sub-monasteries for teaching technique to a traditional in Myanmar that was
supported for building of knowledgeable society. Each country has own education
policy and own teaching method as the Pubbāruṁ Pariyatṭi has it. The Myanmar
government monastic education is very interesting style that is the examination-orientated
method. The students who are condemned to repeat the same syllabuses until,
have passed. However, these could not turn their backs on the
examination-orientated method of study and instead pursue the study of “great
texts”, because the majority of the monasteries are not teaching those texts
any more so on the many students chose the good result and the excellent
teaching method.
The
motto of Pubbāruṁ Pariyatṭi monastery is for the students;
“The literature which is not memorized yet is a
strong difficulty.
Even though memorize that is very difficult not
to forget.
It is also very difficult to distinguish.
Someone who cross that three difficulties, is the
wise man.” [4]
This
motto, that is the Pubbāruṁ Pariyatṭi’s students to talking at the two times
(morning and night) in daily for motivation, means; the first step, to get the
literature, the second step, not to forget to getting literature and the third
step’ to analyze for getting the literature that is the likely to the research
methodology what need to be the necessary for the learner. It is why every
Buddhist monk and people should know this good teaching method that use to
teach widely as the sub-monasteries.
Therefore, it is necessary to describe the
teaching method for the future generation because if the future generation
comprehend the teaching method, they will be bright in Buddhist literature. Not
only it is but also if the researcher describes the teaching method every
Buddhist monastery and university’s teacher and professor will understand how
to teach the Buddha’s teaching. Moreover, nobody describes this Pubbāruṁ
Pariyatṭi monastery teaching method that is also the researcher will describe
the teaching method. And then, the researcher hopes that after reading the
research, every Buddhist monk, nun and lay people will comprehend the teaching
of Buddha in the clear style as well as the next generation have to know this
teaching method that is the priceless as a diamond so the researcher reveals
for this teaching method.
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[1] Strauss, Valerie, “Nelson Mandela on the power of
education”, Journal of The Washington Post, Vol.1 (2013):
Retrieved on 14 September 2018, https://www. washingtonpost.com.
[2] Chulamongkut Phra,
“Emblem”, Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, (2012):
Retrieved on September 2018, https://www.mcu.ac.th.com.
[3] O Callaghan,
Craig, “University of Oxford Tops the Times Higher Education”, Top
Universities, (2017): Retrieved on September 2018, Resource:
https://www.topuniversities.com.
[4] Gunapīya,
Venerable, Agghamahāpandhita, The basic of Pariyatṭi, tr.
By Viveka, (Loikaw, Myanmar: Pubbāruṁ monastery Press, 1976), p .2.
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