PLANTING THE GOOD SEEDS OF DHAMMA: AN INITIAL STUDY ON SUNDAY DHAMMA SCHOOL (SDS) IN THAN HSIANG TEMPLE

Abstract

Buddhist education has an important role in nurturing the young talents of the Buddhist community. The Dhamma school or Dhamma class is an important platform for laypeople to learn the Buddha’s teachings towards the path of enlightenment. The Than Hsiang Sunday Dhamma School was selected as a case study to demonstrate the contribution of the amma class to individuals and the community. Based on the Four Convictions: “The Young to Learn; The Strong and Healthy to Serve; The Aged and Sick to be Cared for; and The Departed to Find Spiritual Destination,” Than Hsiang’s educational initiatives aim to nurture positive character traits in children and teenagers, foster harmonious parent-child relationships, and cultivate a sense of goodness. This paper will take an initial study of the running of the Sunday Dhamma School in Than Hsiang Temple, to explore the operation of a Sunday Dhamma School in a local Chinese Buddhist organisation in Malaysia through its objectives, curriculum, implementation, activities and members. The quality of dhamma classes relies on three important elements, namely the practitioners, the contents, and the targets. This paper employs a case-study approach, drawing on participatory observations and interviews with leaders, committee members, staff, teachers, and volunteers on their experience with the dhamma classes.  The study underscores the Dhamma class’s significant effort in planting good seeds among the Buddhist community, ensuring the preservation and growth of Buddhism in the region.