1NC

Link
 Link: Cap
Capitalism is immoral by promoting greed and self-interest, creating further suffering.
Sivaraksa 2 (Sulak, one of the fathers of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), “Economic Aspects of Social and
Environmental Violence from a Buddhist Perspective,” Muse)//RM

However, let us now turn to Buddhism and profit. Capitalism may be an efficient and rational socioeconomic system, but its morality is highly dubious. To put it less

charitably, the morality of capitalism is conspicuous by its absence. The so-called triumph of capitalism in the late
twentieth century in fact exploded the moral world, removing all moral (and increasingly legal) restraints to the accumulation of profits. Unlike (neoliberal)

capitalism, Buddhism respects and upholds the primary of all sentient beings – not of noncorporeal corporations.
capitalism in that it does not make a virtue out of self-interest, greed, and self-
Also, Buddhism critically differs from

aggrandizement – out of the masters’ vile maxims. Unfortunately, the masters’ vile maxims are gaining ascendancy in, for example, educational
institutions and the mass media. The logic is simple: The more the guardians of the brutal system, the more stable it will be. Buddhism denounces

and renounces greed, because it is seen as leading one down the perfidious road of aggression and hatred – in a

word, of suffering. Greed can never lead to satisfaction, individually or collectively. Thus Buddhism seeks to
how to be content with changing oneself – that is, self-cultivation – and emphasizes the importance of
caring about, promoting, and benefiting from one another’s well-being. Whereas capitalism treats a person as
only half-human the economic dimension (e.g., greed, hatred, and selfishness) is cultivated to the exclusion of other considerations – Buddhism approaches a
human person holistically. The mind and heart must be cultivated, and diversity must be nourished in social relations and in human relations with nature. A human
person is an “interbeing.”
 Link: Government
Governments promotes greed, conflict, and delusion. The three root causes of
suffering.
Gary Snyder 1961 Journal for the Protection of All Beings Gary Snyder (born May 8, 1930) is an American man of letters. Perhaps best
known as a poet (often associated with the Beat Generation and the San Francisco Renaissance), he is also an essayist, lecturer, and
environmental activist with anarchoprimitivist leanings. He has been described as the "poet laureate of Deep Ecology".[2] Snyder is a winner of
a Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and the American Book Award. His work, in his various roles, reflects an immersion in both Buddhist spirituality and
nature. Snyder has translated literature into English from ancient Chinese and modern Japanese. Snyder was an academic at the University of
California, Davis and a member of the California Arts Council. https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/gary-snyder-buddhist-anarchism

No one today can afford to be innocent, or indulge himself [oneself] in ignorance of the nature of
contemporary governments, politics and social orders. The national polities of the modern world
maintain their existence by deliberately fostered craving and fear : monstrous protection rackets. The
“free world” has become economically dependent on a fantastic system of stimulation of greed
which cannot be fulfilled, sexual desire which cannot be satiated and hatred which has no outlet except against oneself, the
persons one is supposed to love, or the revolutionary aspirations of pitiful, poverty-stricken marginal societies like Cuba or Vietnam. The
conditions of the Cold War have turned all modern societies — Communist included — into vicious distorters
of man’s [one’s] true potential. They create populations of “preta” — hungry ghosts, with giant appetites and throats no bigger than
needles. The soil, the forests and all animal life are being consumed by these cancerous collectivities;
the air and water of the planet is being fouled by them.
 Link: Western Culture
1) Western, consumer culture only reestablishes a goal to narcissistic relations
and as a result creates the ego.
Steve Hall, Simon Winlow, and Craig Ancrum 2008 Criminal Identities and Consumer Culture: Crime, Exclusion and the New
Culture of Narcissm
https://books.google.com/books/about/Criminal_Identities_and_Consumer_Culture.html?id=wYPaAAAAMAAJ&source=kp_book_description

Entry into the Symbolic Order should follow if the mirror stage and the Oedipal complex are successfully negotiated (see Lacan 2006: 75 – 81;
Evans 1996; Žižek 2006a). In the mirror stage, a
sense of self more complex than the proto-self and the narcissistic ego begins to
emerge in the developing ability to distinguish the self from others, which commences a
lifelong quest to return to the stage of primary narcissism where this differentiation did not exist. There is always
an urge to regress pulling against the subject as it matures and joins the social order, where the salutary understanding that it is not the only
self in the world dawns upon it and the super-ego develops alongside the more reflective ego to regulate the individual’s social conduct. This
goal of returning to the primary narcissistic relation is impossible, but a simulation of the goal
is possible in the formation of the imago or ideal ego (not to be with the ego ideal), the fanatsised image
of the self that becomes the imaginary essence of identity and allows the subject to reduce
real and symbolic differences to the difference between imaginary identities. We might suspect that
consumer culture, recirculating the subject endlessly in a simulated journey back to what promises to be a primary narcissistic relation, is
geared to the maintenance of the imago as a primary yet flexible means of identification. This allows the self’s split ego to continue to imagine
its difference, and this crate its self-identity, against the imaginary differences of others, preventing complete entry into the Symbolic Order
and drawing energy from the subject as it incessantly repeats its attempts to achieve its impossible goal; consumer
culture is, in
other words, a supplier of a procession of imago models that promise to recognize and reflect the
self in a primary narcissistic relation, yet, ultimately, are unable to keep their promises.

2) Western culture has been built off of the suffering and oppression of minorities
in order to expand the power of White individuals and only seeks to continue
capitalistic competition and the idea of the ego. This only expands further
suffering.
 Impacts
Ego is the root cause of further suffering and destructive behavior.
Zsolnai 11 - professor and director of the Business Ethics Center at the Corvinus University of Budapest (Laszlo, “Ethical Principles and
Economic Transformation – A Buddhist Approach,” p. vi)//BB

The Buddhist analysis of ego-centricism may be explained in relation to a number of doctrinal strands. The roots of unwholesome
motivation are greed, aggression, and delusion; and non-greed, non-aggression and non-delusion are the roots of wholesome
motivation. Of these, as mentioned earlier, what is referred to as delusion is basically an existential confusion about the

usage of conventional terms like the “self” and “ego”. What we call the ego instincts in
Buddhism is one of the forms of craving. The three forms of craving are the craving for
sensuous gratification, craving for egotistic pursuits and the craving for self-annihilation. The craving for
egotistical pursuits has its deeper spring in the dogma of personal immortality. This is the belief in an ego entity
independent of the physical and the mental processes that constitute life. The ego illusion (atta-ditthi) may also be related to an

annihilationist belief, where the ego-entity is associated with the mental and physical processes that are assumed to come to an end at death.
Such annihilationist views may be closely related to hedonistic and materialistic lifestyles,
destructive behavior and even suicide. The Buddhist middle path accepts only the processes of physical and mental phenomena, which
continually arise and disappear. This process, which is referred to as dependent origination, provides the basis for understanding the nature of the human-social-

Human traits
nature matrix within which we live. The ego illusion is not merely an intellectual construction, but is fed by deeper affective processes.

like acquisitiveness, excessive possessiveness, the urge to hoard and acquire things more than
needed, the impulse to outdo other, envy, and jealousy are reciprocally linked to the belief in an
ego. Beliefs influence desires and desires influence beliefs. Some of the social, economic and political structures that people build collectively may turn out to be
more subtle expressions of their ego, while other human creations may be expression caring and sharing. Apart from the tendency to construct a pure ego and the
related expressions of excessive craving, there are also more subtle conceits(mana) which are only transcended at a later stage on the path to liberation from
suffering. The Buddha in fact mentions twenty forms of wrong personality beliefs (de Silva, 1992b, 119-27).

Our economic market cultivates more desire for materialistic values – Destroys value
to life.
Zsolnai 7 (Laszlo Zsolnai is a professor of business ethics and director of the Business Ethics Center [1] at Corvinus University of Budapest,
Society and Economy , Vol. 29, No. 2, SUSTAINABILITY AND SUFFICIENCY: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN A BUDDHIST PERSPECTIVE (August
2007), pp. 145-153, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41472078) //RM

The prospect theory developed by Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky uncovers the basic empirical features of the value function of decision-
makers. The central finding of prospect theory is that the value function is concave for gains and convex for losses (Kahneman - Tversky 1979).
A salient characteristic of people's attitudes to changes is that losses loom larger than gains. "The
aggravation that one
experiences in losing a sum of money appears to be greater than the pleasure associated with
gaining the same amount. Indeed, most people find symmetric bets of the form (. x , 0.50; -x, 0.50) distinctively unattractive.
Moreover, the aversiveness of symmetrically fair bets generally increases with the size of the stake. That is, if* >y > 0, then (y, 0.50; -y, 0.50) is
preferred to (jc, 0.50; -x, 0.50)" {ibid.: 279). The
main statement of prospect theory is that the value function
is steeper for losses than for gains. This means that decision-makers are more sensitive to
losses than to gains. Experiments show that the ratio of the slopes in the domains of losses and gains, the "loss aversion coefficient",
might be estimated as about 2 : 1 (Tversky - Kahneman 1992). Since humans (and other sentient beings) display loss sensitivity, it does make
sense trying to reduce losses for oneself and for others rather than trying to increase gains for them. Losses should not be interpreted only in
monetary terms or applied only to humans. The capability of experiencing losses, i.e., suffering, is universal in the realm of both natural and
human kingdoms. Modern Western economics cultivates desires. People are encouraged to develop
new desires for things to acquire and for activities to do. The profit motive of companies
requires creating more demand. But psychological research shows that materialistic value orientation
undermines well-being. "People who are highly focused on materialistic values have lower
personal well-being and psychological health than those who believe that materialistic
pursuits are relatively unimportant. These relationships have been documented in samples of people ranging from the
wealthy to the poor, from teenagers to the elderly, and from Australians to South Koreans." These studies document that " strong
materialistic values are associated with a pervasive undermining of people's well-being, from
low life satisfaction and happiness, to depression and anxiety, to physical problems such as headaches, and to personality
disorders, narcissism, and antisocial behavior" (Kasser 2002: 22)
 Alternative
The alt is promoting mindfulness and Buddhist teachings in education.
Mindfulness make individuals ready to rebel against harmful ideology and social
organizations.
Gary Snyder 1961 Journal for the Protection of All Beings Gary Snyder (born May 8, 1930) is an American man of letters. Perhaps best
known as a poet (often associated with the Beat Generation and the San Francisco Renaissance), he is also an essayist, lecturer, and
environmental activist with anarchoprimitivist leanings. He has been described as the "poet laureate of Deep Ecology".[2] Snyder is a winner of
a Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and the American Book Award. His work, in his various roles, reflects an immersion in both Buddhist spirituality and
nature. Snyder has translated literature into English from ancient Chinese and modern Japanese. Snyder was an academic at the University of
California, Davis and a member of the California Arts Council. https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/gary-snyder-buddhist-anarchism

There is nothing in human nature or the requirements of human social organization which intrinsically requires that
a culture be contradictory, repressive and productive of violent and frustrated personalities. Recent
findings in anthropology and psychology make this more and more evident. One can prove it for himself by taking a good look
at his [one’s] own nature through meditation. Once a person has this much faith and insight, he [the person]
must be led to a deep concern with the need for radical social change through a variety of hopefully non-
violent means. The joyous and voluntary poverty of Buddhism becomes a positive force. The traditional harmlessness and refusal to
take life in any form has nation-shaking implications. The practice of meditation, for which one needs only “the ground beneath
one’s feet,” wipes out mountains of junk being pumped into the mind by the mass media and supermarket
universities. The belief in a serene and generous fulfillment of natural loving desires destroys ideologies
which blind, maim and repress — and points the way to a kind of community which would amaze “moralists” and transform armies
of men who are fighters because they cannot be lovers. Avatamsaka (Kegon) Buddhist philosophy sees the world as a vast interrelated network
in which all objects and creatures are necessary and illuminated. From one standpoint, governments, wars, or all that we consider “evil”
are uncompromisingly contained in this totalistic realm. The hawk, the swoop and the hare are one. From the
“human” standpoint we cannot live in those terms unless all beings see with the same enlightened eye. The Bodhisattva lives by the sufferer’s
standard, and he must be effective in aiding those who suffer. The
mercy of the West has been social revolution;
the mercy of the East has been individual insight into the basic self /void. We need both.

Mindfulness is necessary in order to promote the four dhammas which are necessary
to halt capitalism.
Sivaraksa 2 (Sulak, one of the fathers of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), “Economic Aspects of Social and
Environmental Violence from a Buddhist Perspective,” Muse)//RM

Moreover, in a time of moral emergency like now, the Buddhist teaching of the Four Wheels may serve as useful antidotes to the detrimental
values of capitalism. As a cart moves steadily on four wheels, likewise human
development should rest – and this point cannot
be overemphasized – on the four dhammas, namely, sharing, pleasant speech, constructive action, and
equality. 1. One must share (dana) what one has with others – be it goods, wealth, knowledge, time, labor, and so
forth. Capitalism, on the other hand, upholds the dictum “all for myself and nothing for other People,” in Adam Smith’s telling phrase. Powerful
transnational corporations control the access to essential commodities such as food, drugs and technology. Yes, they are all made available to
us – for a high sum, of course. To a large extent, dana is still practiced in most village cultures. We should
strengthen the concept
of dana (sharing) and spread it to counteract the invasion of materialism and the ethos of
competition by sharing, by leading less commercialized lifestyles. 2. Pleasant Speech (piyavaca) not only
refers to polite talk but also to speaking truthfully and sincerely. Its basis assumption is that everyone is
equal. On the contrary, consumerism or the culture of capitalism, which will be dealt with in greater detail below, posits that less
commercialized lifestyles are inferior. People must be deceived to consume goods and services that they do not really need in the name of
3. Constructive Action (atthacarya) means working for one another’s benefit. Here
“high standard of living.”
again it is antithetical to the dynamics of the corporation. A corporation does not work to benefit its employees or
the town or city it is situated in. Rather, it is only geared toward enriching the large shareholders. For instance, it seems that every time a
corporation “downsizes,” the price of its shares would skyrocket. Thereby new rules must be promulgated whereby investors who have high
stakes in the well-being of their localities are rewarded. 4. And finally Equality (samanattata) means that Buddhism does
not recognize classes or castes, does not encourage one group to dominate or exploit the other. The global economy,
however, creates a small caste of “winners” and mass hordes of “losers.” The winners take all and their
actions are deemed perfectly legitimate under the banner of “free trade” and “free competition.” Hence, we urgently require “fair
trade” not free trade. In Buddhism one is taught to be aware of the three root causes of suffering:
greed, hatred, and delusion – the very things that capitalism promotes. They are great barriers to openness,
compassion, and responsibility – in short, to the Buddhist conception of freedom, which is threefold. First, all people should
be free from insecurities and dangers that threaten their existence, such as poverty, disease famine, and others.
Second is social freedom. All people should be free from human oppression and exploitation; such a state presupposes tolerance,
solidarity, and benevolence. And lastly is the freedom of the inner life. This means the freedom from
mental suffering, from impurities of the mind that propel people to commit all kinds of evils. To achieve such states, the
practicing of dama (sharing or generosity), sila (moral precepts), and bhavana (mindfulness) is essential.

Mindfulness allows us to shed the ego - this creates a realization of our unity with all
living things
Snauwaert 9 - Associate Professor of Educational Theory and Social Foundations of Education; Chair of the Department of Foundations of
Education, University of Toledo (Dale, “The Ethics and Ontology of Cosmopolitanism: Education for a Shared Humanity,” Current Issues in
Comparative Education 12.1, Directory of Open Access Journals)//BB

Cosmopolitans assert the existence of a duty of moral consideration to all human beings
on the basis of a shared humanity. What is universal in, and definitive of, cosmopolitanism is the presupposition of the
shared inherent dignity of humanity. As Martha Nussbaum states: [Human good can] be objective in the sense that it is justifiable by
reference to reasons that do not derive merely from local traditions and practices, but rather from features of humanness that lie beneath
all local traditions and are there to be seen whether or not they are in fact recognized in local traditions. (Perry, 1998, p. 68) If a shared
humanity is presupposed, and if humanity is understood to possess an equal inherent value and dignity, then a shared humanity possesses
a fundamental moral value. If the fundamental moral value of humanity is acknowledged, then a universal duty of moral consideration
follows, for to deny moral consideration to any human being is to ignore (not recognize) their intrinsic value, and thereby, to violate their
dignity. The duty of moral consideration in turn morally requires nations and peoples to conduct their relations in accordance with ethical
principles that properly instantiate the intrinsic value and dignity of a shared humanity. If valid, the fundamental aims of the education of
citizens should be based upon this imperative. In order to further explicate this cosmopolitanism perspective, the philosophy of one of
history’s greatest cosmopolitans, Mohandas K. Gandhi, is explored below. Reflections on Gandhi’s Cosmopolitan Philosophy While most
commentators focus on Gandhi’s conception and advocacy of nonviolence, it is generally recognized that his core philosophical beliefs
regarding the essential unity of humanity and the universal applicability of nonviolence as a moral and political ideal places Gandhi in the
cosmopolitan tradition as broadly understood (Iyer, [1973] 1983; Kumar Giri, 2006). At the core of Gandhi’s philosophy are the
interdependent values of Satya (Truth) and Ahimsa (nonviolence). Gandhi’s approach to nonviolent social transformation, Satyagraha, is
the actualization in action of these two values (Bondurant, 1965; Iyer, [1973] 1983; Naess, 1974). Gandhi’s Satya is multifaceted. Its most
fundamental meaning pertains to Truth as self-realization. Satya is derived from sat, Being. Truth is Being; realizing in full awareness one’s
authentic Being. Truth, in this sense, is the primary goal of life. Gandhi writes:¶ What I want to achieve . . . is self-realization . . . I live and
move and have my being in pursuit of that goal. All that I do by way of speaking and writing, and all my ventures in the political field are
directed to this same end. (Naess 1974, p. 35) Self-realization, for Gandhi, requires “shedding the ego,” ”reducing
one self to zero” (cited in Naess 1974, p. 37). The ego per se is not the real self; it is a fabrication. This egoic
self must be transcended. As the egoic self loosens and one becomes increasingly self-
aware, one deepens the realization of one’s authentic being, and that being is experienced
as unified with humanity and all living things. Scholars normally understand human identity in terms of personality, which is a
socially constructed self-concept constituted by a complex network of identifications and object relations. This construction is what we
normally refer to as the ego or self-identity. Our egoic self-identity is literally a construction, based upon psychological identifications
(Almaas, 1986a, 1986b; Batchelor, 1983). From this perspective, the
ego is a socially constructed entity,
ultimately a fabrication of the discursive formations of culture; from this point of view, the self is
exclusively egoic. This perspective has its origins in the claim that consciousness is solely intentional: the claim that consciousness is always
consciousness of some object. From this presupposition, the socially constructed, discursive nature of the self is inferred. If consciousness
is solely intentional, then the self is a construction, and, if the self is a construction, then it is always discursive – a prediscursive self cannot
exist. It can be argued, however, that intentionality itself presupposes pre-intentional awareness. A distinction can be made between
intentional consciousness and awareness. Intentional consciousness presupposes awareness that is always implicit in intentional
consciousness. If intentional consciousness does not presuppose a pre-intentional awareness, if there is only consciousness of, then there
is always a knower-known duality, and that duality leads to an infinite regress. To be conscious of an object X, one has to be conscious of
one’s consciousness of X, and one would have to be conscious of one’s consciousness of one’s consciousness of X, and one would have to
be conscious of one’s consciousness of one’s consciousness of one’s consciousness of X . . . ad infinitum-reductio ad absurdum. Therefore,
there must be implicit in intentional consciousness a level of awareness that is pre-
intentional, pre-discursive, and non-positional (Forman, 1999). To be conscious of anything presupposes pre-intentional
self-awareness, and being pre-intentional, awareness must be in turn pre-discursive and non-positional (Almaas, 1986a, 1986b; Aurobindo,
1989, 2001; Batchelor, 1983; Buber, 1970; Forman, 1999; Fromm, 1976). When the ego is shed, a pre-discursive,
nonpositional self-awareness is revealed. One can be reflexively aware of one’s consciousness. Gandhi held that
pre-discursive self-awareness, the core of our being, is unified and interdependent with all living
things. He writes: “I believe in the essential unity of man and, for that matter, of all that lives (Naess 1974, p. 43).” In an ontological
sense, Gandhi maintains that Satya, Truth, is selfrealization, a realization of one’s self-awareness as essentially unified with and thereby
existing in solidarity with all human beings and with all living things. Pre-discursive self-awareness is experienced as non-positional, and,
being non-positional, it is unbounded; it exists as a field of awareness that is interconnected with all sentient beings. This state is an
experience and is only known experientially. Therefore, the assertion of a shared humanity is based upon a common level of being. Human
intentional consciousness is expressed in a vast plurality of cultural expressions; implicit within this plurality, existing as its ground, is a
shared level of awareness of being that unites us. From the perspective of ontological Truth, nonviolence follows from the unity and
interdependence of humanity and life; violence damages all forms of life, including one’s self. Nonviolence uplifts all. Gandhi writes:¶ I do
not believe . . . that an individual may gain spiritually and those who surround him suffer. I believe in advaita (non-duality), I believe in the
essential unity of man and, for that matter, of all that lives. Therefore, I believe that if one man gains spiritually, the whole world gains with
him and, if one man falls, the whole world falls to that extent. (Naess 1974, p. 43)¶ In this experience, one becomes aware of the
interrelated and interdependent nature of being. On an existential level, there exists a fundamental interconnection between one’s self
and other beings. As Buber suggests, “we live in the currents of universal reciprocity (Buber, 1970, p. 67).” From the perspective of this
experience—and this is a direct experience—to harm the other is to harm one’s self. From the perspective of existential interconnection,
nonviolence, the essence of morality, rests upon an awareness of our fundamental interconnection.
 Framing
Buddhism in the west is homogenized to become a horrifying mix with Western
culture. This Buddhism is fundamentally different and only promotes ideas of the ego
and deters people from the movement.
Lama Jampa Thaye November 9 2018 https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/diluted-buddhism/ Lama Jampa Thaye is a teacher of the Sakya and
Karma Kagyu traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. He has been teaching for over 30 years and is the spiritual director of the Dechen organisation of
Buddhist Centres.

In today’s Western society, where the dominant cultural systems are failing to provide explanations for life’s philosophical questions, a space
has opened up that Buddhism is uniquely suited to address. It
is crucial, however, that the temptation to assimilate
Buddhism to the ruling ideologies of our age—scientism, ideological fanaticism, and a
ruthless self-absorption masquerading as spirituality—be resisted. Such temptations lead to
what we might term “fake Buddhism.” Though this has many features, perhaps the most significant is its determination
(knowingly or in ignorance) to sever the necessary connection among ethics, meditation, and wisdom—
the three trainings that comprise the backbone of all Buddhist traditions. Either a free-floating
meditation detached entirely from the other two trainings is formulated or ethics and wisdom are corrupted by spurious notions such as “crazy
wisdom.” Whichever the severance may be, the ground is thus created for the scandals that have plagued Buddhism in recent years and caused
disillusionment for many. Unfortunately, the simultaneous disappointment all too frequently becomes resentment, and, whereas
disappointment can be the first step to wisdom, resentment brings only disaster. It is a great tragedy that nowadays many people’s
connection with Buddhism bears all the tell-tale signs of a journey from credulous enthusiasm to
resentment. Maybe in some cases it’s because they have embraced a phantom—a version of Buddhism
that would be unrecognizable to any of our Buddhist predecessors , not to mention the Asian people who
still make up the bulk of practicing Buddhists—and one, sadly, that cannot benefit them in any profound manner. One need only glance at the
concerns and assumptions of vocal “Buddhists” in the West to sense that these are two very
different worlds, and to wonder what “Buddhism” it might be that most Westerners have embraced. In fact, the answer is clear.
They have embraced a Buddhism largely of their own projections , albeit in some cases with some skilful
prompting by the kind of Asian or Western teachers who are active in the spiritual marketplace. It is a Buddhism shorn of anything
objectionable to the upscale inhabitants of London, Santa Monica, and Manhattan. It’s
a Buddhism in which the moral
seriousness of traditional Buddhism, a seriousness grounded in respect for others, has been
amputated. In its place has been grafted the license of absolute autonomy to the self , for whom
individual choice is the only arbiter of good and evil. In short, rather than abandoning self-centredness (and the other
powerful gods of our age) and turning instead to Buddhism, we have found, or so we think, a religion that
can accommodate them.

Modern Buddhist education is important in order to eliminate misconceptions

regarding the ideals and promote the ideals in a more accessible method. The
dialogue of the K fits under this very idea and works to prevent the elimination of
Buddhism in the West.
Thubten Chodron 1988 Thubten Chodron, born Cheryl Greene, is an American Tibetan Buddhist nun, author, teacher, and the founder
and abbess of Sravasti Abbey, the only Tibetan Buddhist training monastery for Western nuns and monks in the United States. Chodron is a
central figure in the reinstatement of the Bhikshuni ordination of women. https://dharmafriendship.org/vtc-the-need-for-modern-buddhist-
education/
In Asian Buddhist communities, both in Asia and abroad, an increasing number of people who have been raised in nominally Buddhist homes
have come to regard Buddhism as mere superstition and turn to other religions. Upon talking with these people, their misconceptions
about Buddhism are evident. Again, this is due to a lack of modern Buddhist education. Buddhism has
never been an evangelical religion, nor should it become one. However, clear explanation of the Buddha’s teachings should be made available
it is desirable for this to be made
to people who are interested. The Buddha showed the path to happiness, and
accessible to others, so that they can benefit from it. This is the duty and responsibility of Buddhists who
have compassion for others. In what ways can Buddhist education be made relevant to people today? First, if oral teachings were
given in the language with which people are most familiar, the language in which they are educated, then they could understand the meaning
better. Colloquial language communicates much better to lay people than does classical language. For scholars and serious practitioners,
knowledge of Pali, Sanskrit, and ancient Chinese is necessary, but for the general public and young people who are used to television colloquial
language and everyday examples are more suitable. One university student told me that he was reluctant to come to talk with me because he
feared that I would use many Pali words and he would not understand! I wonder how many others there are who avoid going to teachings or
reading books because they cannot understand the language well. Secondly, it is essential that Buddhist principles be clearly and logically
explained. Today’s youth is well-educated. They have knowledge of science, philosophy, psychology, and so forth. Not satisfied with hearing
only the story of Buddha’s life and the Jataka tales and thereby generating faith, they now want to know how the doctrine of selflessness
relates to quantum physics and how Buddha’s teachings on patience can be integrated into modern psychology. Young people who have a
modern secular education will not believe in rebirth just because Buddha said so. They want to understand the logical proof for it and to know
current examples of people who have memories of their previous lives. Young people are often queried by their classmates and colleagues
about Buddhist theory and practice. Why is paper money burned for the deceased? What is the use of praying to a statue? If Buddha was just a
man, how can he save us? In which galaxy of our universe is the Western Pure Land located? If the youth do not received a good Buddhist
education so that they know what is Buddhist practice and what is not, if they do not understand the purpose and meaning of chanting and
rituals, if they do not understand well exactly what the Triple Gem is and how taking refuge benefits oneself, then they become full of doubts
and may eventually abandon Buddhism for another religion. Or, they may become tempted to criticize and denigrate other religions in an effort
to defend their own. Both of these unfortunate reactions could be avoided by directly dealing with these issues through education. If
Buddhism is explained clearly and logically, people will naturally see its validity and
worthiness, and they will be able to answer questions posed to them. In the past, Buddhist philosophical education was reserved for the
monks and nuns, with the role of the laity being to have faith and make offerings to the monastic community. However, with the rise in the
literacy rate and standard of education, the laity wants to and is more capable of taking responsibility for the practice and spread of Buddhism.
People have more time and ability to study the Dharma in a weekly series of teachings, to engage in a daily meditation and chanting practice at
their homes, and to attend week-end retreats. They can teach Sunday school classes for children and prepare educational materials about
Buddhism. It would be suitable for modern Buddhist education to reflect this increasing capability and changing role of the lay devotees.
Thirdly, Buddha’s
doctrine becomes extremely clear in the minds of the youth when it is explained explicitly
in relationship to modern, twentieth century lifestyle and problems. In this way the profound meaning of the Buddha’s
teachings is directly made relevant to current situations, and the people easily see the value of practicing the Dharma. Teachers can explain
how to live according to ethical values in corporate business, how to practice patience in international politics, and how to develop detachment
in discotheques. They can answer questions such as: how can one be compassionate towards people who try to take advantage of us? How can
Dharma practice improve relationships with our family and colleagues? What is the value of becoming a monk or nun in the twentieth century?
Should Buddhists become more involved in projects to benefit society, such as operating schools, hospitals, drug counseling centers and old age
homes? How can meditation prevent stress? One way to make the teachings relevant to contemporary society is by using stories and examples
of current situations during teaching sessions. Another is by having discussion groups where people share their experiences and consider how
to solve daily life difficulties by employing Dharma methods. Fourth, Buddhism can be explained by using a variety of media. Traditionally,
education was done by the disciple listening to the teacher in a strict teaching situation, or by children mimicking their parents actions. But now
videos, television, radio, comic books, weekly articles in the city newspaper, theater, and modern music are viable media for people to learn
about the Dharma and to express what they have learned. If these media are used more, then young people will feel that Buddhism fits into
their modern culture. I was very impressed when one teenage Buddhist society sang Buddhist songs that their members had written in modern
lyrics to the accompaniment of guitar music. The songs created a wonderful atmosphere of faith in the Buddha and spiritual friendship among
the devotees. Theater provides a way to use humor in teaching Buddhism, and comic books (for the youngsters) and videos easily catch
people’s attention. Fifth, it
is beneficial for explanations of Buddhist theory and practice to be made available to
the public in general. The purpose is not to be evangelical, but to avoid misconceptions arising in non-
Buddhists’ minds about Buddhism and to give interested people an opportunity to learn
about the Dharma without getting involved in rituals and devotional practices. Here Buddhism is explained in a more
academic way, without people feeling obliged to call themselves Buddhists or adopt Buddhist practices.
To this effect, public talks could be given in libraries and auditoriums, as well as courses on comparative religion or philosophy could be taught
in universities and adult education courses. Lastly, inter-religious dialogue is extremely valuable, especially in multi-
religious societies. In our rapidly-shrinking world, people need to respect, and not antagonistically criticize, other religions. This can be
achieved only by knowing about other belief systems and emphasizing the common, uniting points. It is important not only that religions be
harmonious among themselves, but also that leaders of all religions present a united front in encouraging world peace and better living
conditions. This would truly be an inspiring example of openness and tolerance for all peoples of the world. In short, conventional Buddhism is
at a critical juncture. The path to liberation and enlightenment that the Buddha described from his own experience is a timeless one.
Compassion and wisdom, the essence of the doctrine, are always needed to make our lives
meaningful and beneficial to others. However, if we neglect to express these principles in a form that is easily understood by
the people of today, then we are denying them access to the beauty of the teachings. Having huge temples and elaborate statues will not
guarantee the continuation of the doctrine in the minds and actions of people. Performing rituals which few understand while neglecting to
give advice suitable to people’s mentality and problems is not sufficient to ensure that people actually benefit from the Dharma. For people to
touch the real meaning of the Dharma and to enrich their lives through Buddhism, education that is relative to their modern culture, lifestyle
and language is necessary. To provide this is the responsibility and the joy of those of us who ourselves cherish having met the precious
doctrine of the Buddha.

Buddhist education is necessary in order to promote intellectual and moral behavior.

Kotapitiye Rahula January 9 2015 Buddhist Studies as a Discipline and its Role in the Education B.A. Hons. (Peredeniya), M.A. (Peradeniya),
PhD (Peradeniya) Director, Postgraduate Institute of Pali and Buddhist Studies, University of Kelaniya, Anunāyaka, Supreme Sangha Council of
the Kotte Chapter of Siyam Mahā Nikaya, Sri Lankahttps://www.sjp.ac.lk/news/buddhist-studies-as-a-discipline-and-its-role-in-the-education/

Buddhist education aims at a personality transformation into a highest form of humanity

through ethical, intellectual and spiritual perfection. These three faculties of perfection of human life undoubtedly lead a man
through mundane happiness to supra mundane happiness, which is the highest achievement we all are equally looking for. Therefore, the
Buddhist education is grounded on the primary psychological need of all living beings. AIMS OF BUDDHIST EDUCATION The goal of
Buddhist education is to attain wisdom. In Sanskrit, the language of ancient India, the Buddhist wisdom was called
Anuttara-Samyak-Sambhodi meaning the perfect ultimate wisdom. The Buddha taught us that the main objective of our practice was to achieve
this ultimate wisdom. The chief aim of Buddhist education is all round development of child’s personality. This includes his physical, mental,
moral and intellectual development. The other aims of Buddhist Education are to make a free man, a wise,
intelligent, moral, non-violent & secular man [individual]. Buddhist Education was wide open and available to the
people of all walks of life. The system of Buddhist education aimed at regaining our intrinsic nature. It also
teaches absolute equality which stemmed from Buddha‘s recognition that all sentient beings possess this innate wisdom and
nature. Buddha‘s teaching helps us to realize that innate, perfect, ultimate wisdom .With wisdom, we can then solve all our
problems and turn suffering into happiness. In the Buddhist era, religion was given top priority and education was
imparted through it. The chief aim of education was propagation of religion and inculcation of religious feelings and education served as a
mean to achieve liberation or nirvana. Preparation for life, there was a provision for imparting wordily and practical knowledge along with
religious education so that when the students entered normal life they may be able to earn their livelihood.

As a result, the ROTB is to prefer the debater who best brings Buddhist discourse in
the form of education to continue the survival of Buddhist belief. The K does not use
the ROTB to win for the ego, instead as a mechanism for attempting to ensure the
survival of Buddhism.