Dharma Education for Young Children

Dharma Education for Young Children

Date of Advice:
January 2017
Date Posted:
February 2018

Rinpoche wrote this card to a student who worked at one of the centers in a school which taught some Dharma education.

My most dear, most precious, most kind, wish-fulfilling one,
Your question reminded me of you, so I thought to send a few cards for you to enjoy. Of course, you don’t have to keep these cards; you can send them to other people. Maybe you can send some cards to those in the hell realm, to those people who died, your friends, or to those in the animal realm or in the sura and asura realms [god and demi-god realms.]

For a long time I heard that you are teaching at the school and that you teach with a very happy mind. Many teachers think they like their job, but it’s not making them happy; it’s just a job. But you do it from the heart to make the children happy, so it’s not only education. Seeing you would make the children happy, so thank you billions and billions of times.

I regard this school as very important. I was thinking to develop Dharma subjects to make many more books, so later when we want to start more schools, we will have more Dharma books to help with this. Maybe for children up to twelve years of age, having classes, having something to stabilize the mind is very, very beneficial. When Indian children are young, it’s a good time to understand the mind, karma, and how to stop creating the cause of suffering and create the cause of happiness instead.

I was thinking it’s very, very important for schools to give young children a Dharma education, so that they can create a Dharma life, not only to benefit themselves but to benefit all sentient beings. The big aim is that. If we can stop the cause of suffering and create the cause of happiness, that helps all sentient beings. Children need to understand that, as much as they can.

I hope to see you soon.

With much love and prayers …