The Best Education for Children

The Best Education for Children

Date Posted:
August 2009

Rinpoche met with a nun to discuss the best way to educate children.

To educate children is extremely important. There are two places where children should be educated: one is at school, and the other is at home, by the parents. They should be educated in a good heart and tolerance, to have compassion, and be kind to others. These are the basic good qualities of human minds, so parents have a big responsibility.

Otherwise, without this education, it is like giving birth to the children to suffer. The children will have a life full of suffering, and they will also cause so much suffering, torture to their parents, and also to other people. They can cause other sentient beings so many problems with their untamed minds, without a good heart, and a sense of universal responsibility.

If the parents want their children to be kind to them, they have to teach them how to have a good heart. If the children have tolerance and compassion toward other beings, other beings will love them and help them. This way they will have a good heart, which makes them happy, and then from being happy, they will have more space in their mind to be kind to others, and this makes others happy.

The stronger influence out of parents or school is the parents, because that’s where they spend more time, and there, the way of teaching is by example. In school, you learn by the head but not by the heart.

What is needed is education for both parents and children in having a good heart.