misunderstood or what they had failed to compre-
hend on their own. In this traditional Buddhist edu-
cation system, students had ample opportunity for
self-learning through the use of COMMENTARIAL LIT-
ERATURE, glossaries, and other learning resources.
Not surprisingly, the traditional monastic curricu-
lum focused on Buddhist themes and was heavily re-
ligious in nature, but it covered other subjects as well.
In Sri Lanka, a twelfth-century royal decree banned the
study of “poetry, drama, and such other base subjects.”
However, monastic educational institutions—the
Pirivenas—continued to provide a well-rounded edu-
cation. The curriculum of the fifteenth-century
Pirivena included a mastery of several languages (Sin-
hala, Pali, Sanskrit, Prakrit, and Tamil), plus the study
of the Pali canon, MAHAYANAphilosophical texts, In-
dian philosophy, mathematics, architecture, astron-
omy, medicine, and astrology. Language learning was
always a significant component of Buddhist education
for two reasons: Any South and Southeast Asian Bud-
dhist community needed knowledge of Pali in order
to acquire knowledge of Buddhist scriptures, and for
the Buddhist missionary, learning languages other than
one’s own was useful in disseminating Buddhism in
various countries.
Although the traditional Buddhist curriculum in-
cluded training on morals and etiquette, it did not pro-
vide the knowledge and skills necessary for the more
complex lifestyle of modern times. Though certain
subjects, such as medicine and astrology, were covered,
monastic education ultimately failed to provide stu-
dents with a broader education in science and tech-
nology, which became a requirement of modern
secular society.
See also:Monasticism
Bibliography
Education in Ceylon: A Centenary Volume,3 vols. Colombo, Sri
Lanka: Ministry of Education, 1969.
Guruge, Ananda W. P. “Education.” In Encyclopaedia of Bud-
dhism,vol. 5, ed. W. G. Weeraratne. Colombo, Sri Lanka:
Department of Buddhist Affairs, 1991.
Guruge, Ananda W. P. The Miracle of Instruction: Further Facets
of Buddhism.Singapore: Samadhi Buddhist Society, 1992.
Jayasekera, U. D. Early History of Education in Ceylon: From Ear-
liest Times up to Mahasena.Colombo, Sri Lanka: Depart-
ment of Cultural Affairs, 1969.
MAHINDADEEGALLEEIGHTFOLD PATH. SeePathEMPTINESS. SeeS ́unyata(Emptiness)ENGAGED BUDDHISMEngaged Buddhism or socially engaged Buddhism is a
relatively new Buddhist movement that emphasizes so-
cial service and nonviolent activism. Since the mid-
twentieth century Buddhist organizations in Asia and
the West have drawn upon traditional teachings and
practices—such as the PRECEPTS against harming,
stealing, and lying; the virtues of kindness and com-
passion; the principles of selflessness and interdepen-
dence; the vow to save all beings; and practices of
MEDITATIONand skillful means—to protect humans
and other beings from injury and suffering. Their con-
cerns include stopping war, promoting human rights,
ministering to the victims of disease and disaster, and
safeguarding the natural environment.
Two engaged Buddhists have won the Nobel Prize
for peace: Bstan ‘dzin rgya mtsho (pronounced Ten-
zin Gyatso), the fourteenth DALAILAMAof Tibet, was
awarded the prize in 1989, and Aung San Suu Kyi, the
opposition leader in Burma (Myanmar), won it in- Other leaders of the movement are the Viet-
namese monk and poet, THICHNHATHANH, who
coined the term engaged Buddhismin the 1960s; the
late Indian untouchable activist and statesman, B. R.
AMBEDKAR; the Thai activist and writer, Sulak
Sivaraksa; the Taiwanese nun who founded hospitals
and international relief missions, Ven. Shih Cheng-
yen; and American teachers Robert Aitken, Joanna
Macy, Bernard Glassman, John Daido Loori, Joan Hal-
ifax, and Paula Green.
Engaged Buddhist organizations have appeared
throughout the world. South and Southeast Asia are
home to the International Network of Engaged Bud-
dhists, based in Thailand; the Trilokya Bauddha Ma-
hasan ̇gha Sahayaka Gana, which serves Dalit (low-caste)
communities in India; the Dhammayietra peace walk
movement in Cambodia, founded by Ven. Maha
Ghosananda; and the Sarvodaya Shramadana rural de-
velopment movement, which serves more than eleven
thousand villages in Sri Lanka.
East Asia hosts a number of local organizations,
such as the Buddhist Coalition for Economic Justice
EIGHTFOLDPATH