Buddhist Social and Moral Education

The book is organized into five main chapters. Chapter I, “Pre-Buddhist India,” studies the political set-up, social order, economic order, and moral order of ancient India before the rise of Buddhism, including the mahājanapadas, social hierarchy, household life, towns, transport, Vedic religious groups, and the erosion of moral values. Chapter II, “The Buddha,” presents the appearance of the Buddha, the Great Renunciation, perfect enlightenment, the first sermon, the preaching of the Dhamma, the formation of the Order of Monks and Nuns, the Mahāparinibbāna, and a description of the Tipiṭakas. Chapter III, “The System of Education,” compares the pre-Buddhist system of general education with the Buddhist educational system, Buddhist monasteries as educational institutions, higher learning, Buddhist universities, Nālandā, and Taxila. Chapter IV, “Social Education under Buddhism,” examines Buddhist social order, the division of society, laymen and laywomen, monks and nuns, principles of solidarity and upliftment, the state and social welfare, social ideals, contents of social education, and techniques of social education. Chapter V, “Moral Education as Depicted in Pāli Tipiṭaka,” analyzes Vedic and Buddhist moral education, Buddhist morality, the first, second, and third levels of Buddhist morality, the ultimate aim of Buddhist morality, Nibbāna, the content and methods of moral education, and the relation between Buddhist morality and modern humanity.