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LIVING DHAMMA
Daham Pasal: Long overdue transformation
 Sri Lanka, despite its relatively small geographical size and the
number of Dhammaputris and Dhammaputras, when compared with other
traditionally Buddhist countries such as Thailand and Myanmar is able to
boast of having the most number of daham pasals. The Island is literary
studded with thousands of daham pasals of varying standards of
infrastructure, facilities, capacities and quality of teaching. Some of
the older daham pasals have been in existence for well over several
centuries. Although the majority of them are of a lesser vintage and are
concentrated in the cities and major towns, nevertheless they have been
established since several decades. A sprinkling of modest damma pasals
are also found in the rural villages.
Prescribed
However, sadly, there is much to be desired in conducting these daham
pasals. Generally what is taught in daham pasals is also taught in
schools as part of the prescribed school curriculum under Religious
Studies or Buddhism. Often the books used in daham pasals are the same
as those used in the regular schools. The difference is that students
have to appear for a prescribed examination in the formal school system
whereas daham pasals are not beholden to a compulsory qualifying
examination. While on this point, it must be highlighted that, many
parents regard the daham pasal as a, "free and convenient tuition
class", for their child's examination in regular school. This thinking
and attitude is in tandem with the Sri Lankan mentality of having a
system of tuition-class education to ensure that students excel in the
prescribed governmental examinations.
Motivation
The motive and motivation of enrolling a child into daham pasal is
consequently premised on a narrow objective of doing well in the
prescribed examination. This fundamental flaw in the mindset of parents,
which naturally influences their child's attitude, has to be addressed
in the interest of grooming morally and ethically upright future
generations. Indeed, daham pasals should be respected for its intrinsic
importance in grooming the younger generation to be ingrained with a
strong moral and ethical fibre and not just as a convenient refresher
classes for the prescribed school examination.
Another serious drawback pertaining to daham pasals is their
unsatisfactory state. Most of them are poorly equipped. Many are in fact
in a woeful state of repair. In terms of facilities, they are
sub-standard and are far from being conducive learning environments.
More important still, they are very much wanting in respect to
curriculum development and pedagogy, that is, teaching methods and
techniques. The majority of daham pasals have hardly changed their
curriculum and pedagogy since their formation. Year in and year out the
same routine is followed in managing and conducting the daham pasal and
the same lessons are taught in the same old routinized fashion.
Attitude
The general attitude of stakeholders of daham pasals, who are usually
the chief prelates of temples or their nominated disciple monks, is to
conduct the daham pasal along traditional norms and not to incorporate
any new teaching elements or methods. As such no interest is given to
critical matters as improvement of curriculum content and teaching
pedagogy. The laissez faire attitude gives the impression that the daham
pasal is being conducted just for the sake of having one in the vihara.
This entrenched conservative mindset should be replaced with an open,
pro-active progressive thinking and attitude. Admittedly, habits die
hard. Entrenched habits are that much harder to remove, and to be
replaced by innovative measures unless directed top-down by an
unchallenged higher authority.
Purely by way of illustrating some of the glaring shortcomings in
daham pasals, let us glimpse through a typical curriculum. The day
commences with a Buddha Puja at usually 8.00 am where all the children
participate. Some variation in the arrangement and observation of the
Buddha Puja may occur from vihara to vihara. This is not an issue or a
matter of major concern. However, a meaningful format and systematic
procedure is recommended in order to optimise the meaning and purpose of
the religious practice.
Completed
Once the Buddha Puja is completed, all the children enter the shrine
room to recite the Daily Vandana Gatha. Aside from the shortcoming in
the way the gathas are recited as outlined in my preceding article, it
most certainly does not make sense for the younger children to be
crammed up along with the older students through a sermon by a monk for
an additional half an hour or so after the recitation.
Aside from the inconducive setting for the children to listen
attentively to the monk's sermon, in terms of pedagogy, it is wrong to
teach a group of students whose ages range from six to sixteen. It is
plainly unrealistic to expect the sermon to capture and retain the
interest and understanding of students representing such a wide range of
intellectual capability and learning experience. Not only are the little
ones incapable of fully understanding the sermon, they are incapable of
being attentive. They simply want to get out of the shrine room and
breathe some fresh air!
Grasp
Usually the sermon is targeted for the teenagers and therefore
pitched well above the grasp of the younger children. If the sermon is
directed towards the younger children, the senior grade students simply
become bored. Being senior they would have probably heard the same
sermon several times over the years they attended daham pasal. This is
exactly what happens for example on the eve of an auspicious Poya Day,
such as Poson. The monk would give a sermon on the meaning and
significance of Poson and of its historical backdrop which the older
students have already heard several times over the years.
After the sermon, it is assembly time. All the children including the
little ones assemble in rows under the scorching sun. Here the monk in
charge of the daham pasal and the principal who is a lay person would
make their weekly announcements of forthcoming events and about major
religious festivals in the vihara etc. In addition, senior students are
encouraged to come forward and speak on some subject of interest to the
daham pasal or the Buddha Dhamma in general.
Proceedings
The younger children find the proceedings of the assembly well above
their heads. They are restless and have hardly any traction with the
proceedings of the assembly. Standing in the scorching sun saps them out
physically and quite naturally of their interest and attention span.
Furthermore, when they get to their respective classrooms, virtually
half of the day has gone. This substantial time could have been put into
more meaningful, effective and enjoyable learning experience for the
young ones by providing a more appropriate curriculum and pedagogically
appropriate for the younger students after Vandana Gatha. |
