Compare the Brahmanical system of education with the

education system
introduced by the Buddha
There were many teachers in India. They came with new messages to the people. The
ways that they adopted were different each other. The method of Brahmanism was not open to all.
The Vedic religion believed the God who created the world. The man was created by God in four
divisions: Brhmaa, Katriya, Vaiya, and udra. Their system of education was open to the first
three classes but not fully. udras were left out. With regard to the full knowledge, even Katriya
and Vaiya were left out. Therefore, there was no full education open to all according to the
Brahmanical system. What they used for this system was theory of God creator, caste system, and
sva-dharma theory. According to Brahmanism, everyone has ones own duties (sva-dharma)
which is given by Gods will. Nobody can go beyond the duties of ones own caste. There were
few cases of going beyond the caste; they were some people who challenged Brahmanism. But,
for those who followed Brahmanism, they had to abide by the duties of their own castes. The
details are given in a book called the Laws of Manu. The roles of the teachers were given
according to Brahmanism.
Nevertheless, there are non-Brahmanical teachers like Jaina teachers. Jainism did not
accept the existence of God and creation but we dont know much detail. Many valuable books
belonging to Jainism were lost. Fortunately, for Buddhism, we have all the available sources. One
is the Siglovda Sutta (DN) that we can get the general education theory for the lay men. For the
education system of monks and nuns, we can find it in the Mahvagga and Cullavagga of the
Vinaya Piaka. According to it, there were two important teachers: uppajjhya and cariya. Under
them, there was pupil called antevsi one who lives close by the teacher. It was education mainly
religious and spiritual. With regard the secular education, Siglovda Sutta gives three relevant
directions out of six. They are duties regarding the parents and children; teachers and pupils; and
religious teachers and the laity. In those duties, there is no caste system and no sva-dharma theory.
Buddhism does not accept the sva-dharma theory. In the Aggaa Sutta (DN), It states
that how the system of asceticism arose. It is said that those who wanted to follow asceticism
rejected the sva-dharma theory and became ascetics. In the very beginning, Brahmins did not
accept any form of asceticism or meditation. It is in the later period that they started to accept the
value of asceticism and yoga meditation. But, in earlier period, they described a meditator under
the tree as a mad man. The most important religious practice for them was sacrifice. They
believed that they could go to the heaven by offering the sacrifices to please God. Even for the
worldly matters, sacrifices were important. When the king wanted to invade other regions, they
offered sacrifices to win the war. However, the non-Brahmanical religious teachers such as
Jainism and Buddhism did not believe in the value of sacrifices. The teachers of Indian
Materialism (crvaka or lokyata) rejected all the religious values; so also did not accept the caste
system.
In Short, Brahmanical system of education was based on the Varna theory (caste
system), Asrama theory (the four stages of life) and the Sva dharma theory (ones own duty or
function). But all these three was rejected by Buddhism and Buddhist education is open to all
caste. Anyone can reach even the highest stage (nibbna) if he follows the proper Buddhist path.
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