Religious Studies & Practices
Course Mission:
As civilization progresses through science, the spiritual life should also progress. Being spiritually balanced will bring long term fortune and blessings to one. However, to enrich the spiritual life, one must put their effort into practicing the virtue and wisdom. In Buddhism there are numerous philosophical practices such as: kindness and compassion, joyfulness, practice of giving, benefiting living beings, understand true wisdom, selfishlessness, etc.; which youths today lack. Therefore, we offer Buddhism courses to benefit our students.
Course Description:
There will be two classes a week. The course level will be divided by grades. 7th grade Buddhism course will begin with basic introduction to Buddhism. 8th -12th grades will have beginning, intermediate, and advanced Buddhist courses such as: sutra studies, discussion, Questions & Answers, and daily practices. All students are required to participate in a 10 – 15 minute Meal Offering Ceremony and boarding students are also required to participate in an Evening Recitation Ceremony daily to promote an understanding of Buddhist ceremonies and practices.
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Course Materials and Content:
All Buddhist course materials will be provided by the school. The contents of the courses will introduce the Buddha, Dharma (teachings of the Buddha), Sangha (Buddhist practitioners), precepts (rules of Buddhism), retribution (cause and effect), and Buddhist stories.
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Course Goals:
Students will understand the principle of a proper person from Buddhism. Students will be taught responsibility through filial piety, respect for parents, teachers, and elders; they will also be taught to protect and preserve their pure bodies and innocent minds. Buddhist teachings establish strong problem solving skills which will be passed on to others. Lastly, our goal is to introduce a new perspective for the world today, have a different approach to help themselves and others, and also be useful for society with Buddhism as a guidance.
