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恆實師：佛陀是教育家，講法四十九年。他的教育著重從「心」開始，教人化煩惱，在印度平等教化不分階級，有教無類。中國唐朝記載，佛教的寺廟設有義務教學，以儒家思想、《三字經》、《百家姓》、《弟子規》等為啟蒙教材。中國的教育著重品德的修養。現在美國慢慢地接受中國傳統教育思想。我跟宣公上人學佛法已22年了，上人以傳統佛教高超的思想教導兒童。我對於上人的思想行為比較熟悉，所以就以上人的言行做為自己的榜樣。
西方教育一千年來完全由教會進行：神父教兒童《聖經》，把宗教觀念灌輸在腦海裡，一方面想讓他們信教。最初的哈佛、耶魯、波士頓大學都是神學院，由此得知天主教的學校教育很普遍，造就了很多英才。西方教育是把天地分開：天上有上帝；地上有人類，沒有「道德由內心流露」的教育思想；把天和地分得很清楚，人與人之間的關係變得沒規矩，是獨善。這種教育比較以名利為主，而中國傳統道德思想是不求名利，這與西方教育思想是有所不同。佛陀是教育家，佛教與教育相互配合，出家人教書也是一種修行。
在西方建立佛教傳統的教育思想，就從儒家的道德觀念開始，但面臨許多天主教的國家，有挑戰性。佛教講人類是大宇宙的一份子，人的身體由地、水、火、風四大假和合而成。人的軀體壞了，女的屬陰回大地，男的回太陽；濕的水歸於大海；風就歸於空，所以人類與大宇宙有關係。怎能說人類與宇宙是分隔開來的呢？談教育是要明白大道，履行大道，明白人在天地間的地位。另外佛教教育思想就是「眾生皆有佛性，皆堪作佛。」聖人是有為的；智慧是修來的——按照大道的道理去修行，人人都有份。宣公上人秉承傳統佛教思想，真正修行是為究竟解脫，了生脫死之大法。基本上是以品格修養為其開始。因此，上人主張「在道場就要有教室」：強調小學教育要著重「孝悌」。有關孝道的真實故事待會再詳述。
宣公上人在美國建立小學、中學、大學，目前畢業生中，有就讀史丹福大學修博士學位的、有的在麻省理工學院的、哈佛大學等都是從萬佛聖城的育良小學、培德中學畢業的。
1990年10月24日上人在法國巴黎聯合國教科文組織，發表說西方教育現在是破產了，人人為名利求學，是捨本逐末的教育；忘了做人與天地間的道理，是不明白道理的教育。為挽救已破產的教育，上人提倡「孝道」為小學的教育宗旨；中學要以「仁恕」為目的；大學以大慈悲為懷的教育。
1979年美國國慶日上人在萬佛聖城宣佈，願提供任何一個貧窮家庭的子弟到法界佛教大學接受免學費的教育，以回饋在美國這個國家的恩德。還有上人有特別的教育方式，名為「主觀智能推動力」。上人指定一種教材，如《論語》、《孟子》、《莊子》、《孝經》，上課前學生準備好一篇文章，以先由四眾弟子抽籤依序輪流上臺默寫，再講解內容。然後抽籤由一人講評，上人則做最後的結論。以此方式帶動「主觀智能推動力」，久而久之大家能體會背誦經典的好處，同時訓練口才，推動智能的經驗。
這樣的教育是否能挽救西方教育的破產？以個人任教於柏克萊加州大學神學院，授課對象是牧師、神父的培訓，我的經驗用這種教育方式，讓同學研讀、背誦英譯《論語》，由他們的宗教訓練的經驗背景來共同研究，很有意思。孔老夫子的思想是幾千年前講的，我們深入了《論語》課程，好像認識了它的智慧所在，所以上人這種「主觀智能推動力」的教育方式是很好的教育方法。最後講一個故事，在我教的課程中有「佛教與儒教的道德倫理觀」這門課，講孝道的。
有一位，從美國南部來的牧師名叫Richard（理察）的，他說：「我根本不知道會選這門課。我覺得我老頭很討厭；我眞的跟他合不來，已經五年沒跟他說過話。我絕不會給這個老頭打電話。奇怪！我怎麼會來上這門課？我自己也不知道。」不過他還是願意試試。我從<孝經>、《地藏菩薩本願經》、《盂蘭盆經》、〈二十四孝〉裡介紹幾則故事，課外活動安排到養老院。很可惜，Richard在養老院當神父，很尊重院內的老人，卻跟自己的爸爸合不來。另外一次安排到萬佛聖城，介紹育良小學、培德中學，女生部的學生背誦〈弟子規〉琅琅上口……。
這門課程的最後一堂課要交論文並上臺發表感想。輪到Richard上臺，他先嘆一口氣，說：「唉！奇怪，想不到昨晚我跟爸爸通電話了，我打從心裡說：『爸爸，我錯了！我應該孝順您。』」大家聽了都感動得掉淚。
所以上人在美國面對這些不同教育方式的挑戰，說「孝順是救國」的思想也沒錯，是人類遺傳下來的寶貝，是屬於人性根本的道理。
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Bhikshu Heng Sure: The Buddha was an
educator; he taught the Dharma for forty-nine years. His
teaching worked on the mind, helping people to transform
afflictions. He taught people of all classes in India. It is
recorded that in the Tang Dynasty, Buddhist monasteries set
up free schools providing education in the Confucian
tradition and teaching such texts as the Three Character
Classic, the Hundred Surnames, the Standards for Students to
young children. Chinese education has always emphasized
character development and virtue. Now the United States is
slowly beginning to accept traditional Chinese educational
values. Having studied the Buddha- dharma under the
Venerable Master Hua for twenty-two years, I saw how the
Master taught children the lofty values of the Buddha's
teachings. As I grew more familiar with the Master's ideas
and work, I decided to take him as my model.
For the past one thousand years, Western education has
basically been promoted by religious groups. Priests taught
children the Bible, instilling religious ideas into their
young minds, hoping they would grow up to be believers.
Harvard, Yale, and Boston University all began as Catholic
seminaries, which goes to show how popular Catholic
education was and how many talented individuals they
educated. However, Western education drew a clear division
between heaven and earth: God is in heaven, and people are
on earth. They did not embrace the concept of morality
arising from the inner mind. Since heaven and earth were
clearly separated, people had no sense of integrity and
became rather utilitarian. Such education focused on fame
and profit. Traditional Chinese morality, however, rejects
the pursuit of fame and profit. This is one major difference
between Chinese and Western educational philosophy. The
Buddha was an educator. Buddhism and education go hand in
hand. Monks and nuns find teaching to be one form of
practice.
The establishment of traditional Buddhist education in the
West may be based upon Confucian ideas of morality. However,
this may be a challenge in Catholic countries. Buddhism
teaches that human beings are one small part of the
universe. The human body is a temporary combination of the
four elements of earth, water, fire, and wind. When the body
decays, the female or yin part returns to the earth, the
male or yang part to the sun, the wet part to the ocean, and
the wind to space. Thus, human beings are connected to the
universe. How could they become separate? Education is the
quest to understand the Great Way, to walk the Great Way,
and to recognize the place of humanity in the universe.
The basic Buddhist teaching is that all living beings have
the potential to become Buddhas. Sagehood can be achieved;
wisdom can be cultivated. Everyone has a chance, provided he
or she practices the principles of the Great Way. The
Venerable Master Hua conveyed the orthodox Buddhist
doctrine: the basic purpose of cultivation is to attain
ultimate liberation from birth and death, and it begins with
character development. That's why the Venerable Master
advocated that every monastery must have a classroom. He
also emphasized the importance of filial respect in
elementary education. I will tell you a true story about
filiality later.
The Venerable Master established elementary and secondary
schools as well as a university. Among the graduates of
Instilling Goodness Elementary School and Developing Virtue
Secondary School are those working towards a Ph.D. at
Stanford University and studying at M.I.T. and Harvard.
At a lecture to UNESCO in Paris on October 24, 1990, the
Venerable Master declared that education is bankrupt in the
West. An education that encourages students to seek fame and
profit has neglected the fundamental to pursue the
superficial. An education that forgets man's place in the
universe is an unprincipled education. In order to rescue an
education gone bankrupt, the Venerable Master promoted
filial respect as the educational goal of elementary school,
humaneness and tolerance as the goals of secondary school,
and great compassion as the objective of the university.
On the American Independence Day in 1979, the Venerable
Master announced at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas that he
would provide any student in financial need with a
tuition-free education at Dharma Realm Buddhist University.
This was his way to thank this country for allowing him to
be here.
The Master had a special method of teaching called
"Developing Inherent Wisdom." The Master would specify a
given work, such as the Confucian Analects, the Mencius, the
Writings of Zhuang Zi, or the Classic of Filiality. Students
would review the assigned text before class, and the Master
would draw lots to see who would have to go up front to
write out the text from memory and then explain it. One
member from each of the four assemblies (monks, nuns,
laymen, and laywomen) would go up and explain, and then one
more person would be chosen to critique their explanations.
Finally, the Venerable Master would give an overall
conclusion. Gradually, the assembly realized the advantages
of memorizing Sutras and developed their speaking and
critical thinking skills in this class.
Would this educational approach be able to save Western
education from bankruptcy? While teaching at the Graduate
Theological Union of the University of California at
Berkeley, I experimented with this method. My students,
ministers and priests, studied and memorized the Confucian
Analects in English translation. Their background of
religious training made the experience especially
interesting. Although Confucius taught his ideas several
thousand years ago, we recognized his wisdom as we delved
into the Analects. Thus, I found the Master's method of
developing inherent wisdom to be an excellent approach.
To conclude, I would like to tell a story. One of the
classes I taught, "Ethical Concepts in Buddhism and
Confucianism," focused on filial piety. Richard, a minister
from the South, said, "I never thought I'd take this
course. I really don't get along with my dad. I haven't
talked to him for five years. I would never call him on the
phone. I don't know how I ended up in this class!" However,
he decided to stay in the class and try it out. I
introduced stories from the Classic of Filiality, the Sutra
of the Past Vows of Earth Store Bodhisattva, the Ullambana
Sutra, and the Twenty-four Paragons of Filiality. We also
made a fieldtrip to a senior center. Richard was a priest
in a senior center and showed great respect to the elderly.
What a pity he couldn't get along with his own father! The
class took a fieldtrip to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas,
where they visited Instilling Goodness Elementary School
and Developing Virtue Secondary School. The girls recited
Standards for Students from memory for them...
The last class of the semester, students had to hand in
their reports and share their insights with the rest of the
class. When it was Richard's turn to go up, he sighed and
said, "I'm surprised at myself by calling my dad on the
phone yesterday and telling him from my heart, "Dad, I was
wrong! I ought to respect and obey you." Some who heard him
were moved to tears.
Confronted with people of a different educational background
in the United States, the Venerable Master made no mistake
when he stated that filial respect can save the country.
This precious virtue of filial respect which we have
inherited is a fundamental principle of humanity.
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