Bodhi Vijjalaya: Alternative Education for Right-Career Building

and Right Living

i
Suwida Sangsehanat
i
College of Bodhi Vijjalaya, Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok, Thailand.

Paper presented at

Lay Buddhist Forum 2010

-Buddhism for a New generation-

September 30-October 04, 2010

Seoul, South Korea.

Suggested citation:

Suwida, Sangsehanat, (2010). “Bodhi Vijjalaya:

Alternative Education for Right-Career Building and
Right Living” in Lay Buddhist Forum 2010: Buddhism
for a New Generation, September 30 - October 04,
2010. (Buddhist Chongji Order, South Korea, 2010),
pages 58-70 (for English version) (or pages 71-79 for
Korean version).
 Bodhi Vijjalaya: Alternative Education for Right-Career Building
and Right Living

Suwida Sangsehanat, Dr.

College of Bodhi Vijjalaya, Srinakharinwirot University

ABSTRACT

This paper highlights the philosophy and practice of the alternative

education system offered at the College of Bodhi Vijjalaya of
Srinakharinwirot University, Thailand. The College, with its own philosophy
and alternative education system and approach, was initiated and
established in response to the findings on the dismal performance of the
standard conventional education system in its efficacy in advancing
humanity and developing human potential in the right way. There is the
finding that the standard conventional education system and approach
only produces labour to support the capitalist system but has not
developed the potential and qualities or values of human beings such as
human virtues for the advancement of humanity. Generations after
generations choose to build and earn their livelihood (careers,
occupations, businesses, etc) and act in an insensitive and mindless way
that leads to the destruction of nature, environment, and human
relationships with nature and with oneself. This gives rise to crises in
humanity (breakdown in the social fabric and ethical practices,
corruptions, vices etc) and the environment that we witness nowadays.
So, what career is right and how is it conducted correctly that could
harmonize the interaction of human beings with their environment? In this
connection, we elaborate further the “Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy”,
the philosophy that the King of Thailand introduced and promoted to the
Thai people to practice. This philosophy is grounded on two main factors,
right knowledge and right morality. This philosophy guides the Thai people
to build right livelihood, to develop and practice right living based on right
knowledge and morality. The paper also discusses what we should do as
Buddhists to direct or help the new generations to develop and build right
livelihood and right living. The paper finishes with a discussion on the
establishment of Bodhi Vijjalaya aimed at achieving this goal of developing
new generations to achieve right livelihood and right living through its
philosophy, education system, approach and practice. Bodhi Vijjalaya thus
serves to provide an alternative education to the conventional mainstream
education system. In advancing right livelihood and right living, the
College educates the new generations in various areas and aspects
related to holistic human development and advancement: to be connected
to nature; to be concerned about development in the rural area, to
actively participate in social and communal development; and to care for
the environment. The alternative education presents new paradigms and
introduces a fresh mindset to the old. The alternative education aims to
develop graduates who are innovative, self-confident and capable of
building a livelihood based not on urban migration, not on aggressive
exploitation of natural resources, not on selfish competition, but on
morality, sharing and caring. Morality is the foundation of the College’s
philosophy and mission. The alternative education system of the College is
still at an experimental or embryonic stage of development with its own
alternative curriculum that emphasises also the moral aspect and its
development in its delivery and presentation of every subject.
1) Education Situation in Thailand

International Labour Organization (ILO) reported that global

economic crisis had brought about the highest unemployment rate at 81
million in 2009. Ninety percent of the new work force is from developing
countries, including Thailand. Twenty-eight percent of this group or 152
million new labourers who are employed would not earn enough to get out
of poverty.1 One reason could be the rising cost of living. The younger
generation of Thais has been badly affected by this economic crisis. The
recent economic crisis that occurred in Thailand had its root in 1961 when
the first National Economic Development Plan was introduced and
implemented. Capitalist style of economic development speeded along so
rapidly ahead that it almost decimated the more moderate and human-
friendly traditional mode of development and life style.
There is the finding that the standard conventional education
system and approach in Thailand only produces labour to sustain the
capitalist system but has not developed the potential and qualities or
values of human beings such as human virtues for the advancement of
humanity. Generations after generations choose to build and earn their
livelihood (careers, occupations, businesses, etc) and act in an insensitive
and mindless way that leads to the destruction of nature, environment,
and human relationships with nature and with oneself. This gives rise to
the crises in humanity (breakdown in the social fabric and ethical
practices, corruptions, vices etc) and the environment that we witness
nowadays. One crisis after another, poverty, migration, environmental
degradation, economics and political problems followed. The crises
continue to prevail like a worsening vicious circle. Economic situation
worsens to such an extent that even the younger highly educated
graduates cannot find employment or make enough to rise above poverty
level of existence.
So, has our education system been rightly structured and directed
to develop human potential and skills in making right living? What career
is right and how is the livelihood conducted correctly that could bring
harmony in the interaction between human beings and their environment
and yet still could rise above the insensitive dictates of a capitalist
economic system that so dominates our world today?

2) “Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy”, Right Life and Right

Living.

The Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy has been developed and

advocated for the past three decades by His Majesty, King Bhumibol
Adulyadej based on HM's decades of accumulated experience in rural
development. After the economic crisis in 1997, His Majesty reiterated and
expanded on the philosophy in numerous public speeches he gave in 1997
and 1998. The philosophy stresses the Buddhist principle of the "middle

1
Matichon online, August 12, 2010, 10.45.18 a.m.
<http://www.matichon.co.th/news_detail.php?newsid=1281584607> accessed on
13/08/10
 path" as a guiding principle for people at all levels in pursuing their
livelihood. The emphasis of the philosophy is on the term, ‘sufficiency’.
According to His Majesty, ‘sufficiency’ means ‘moderation,
reasonableness, and immunity or sufficient protection from adverse
internal and external changes or crises. To achieve this, an application of
knowledge with due consideration and prudence is essential. In particular,
great care is needed in the utilization of theories and methodologies for
planning and implementation in every step. At the same time, it is
essential to strengthen the moral fibre of the nation, so that everyone,
particularly public officials, academics, businessmen at all levels, adheres
first and foremost to the principles of honesty and integrity. In addition, a
way of life based on patience, perseverance, diligence, wisdom and
prudence is indispensable to create balance and be able to cope
appropriately with critical challenges arising from extensive and rapid
socioeconomic, environmental, and cultural changes in the world.’
The Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy includes three elements:
moderation, reasonableness, and imunity; and requires two conditions for
the philosophy to work: knowledge and virtues. This philosophy is
grounded on two main factors, right knowledge and right morality.2

3) What should we do as Buddhists to Develop a New

Generation?

According to the Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy, the capitalist

way is certainly not the way to continue. The conventional education
system also has not produced graduates with the outlooks and values
described in the Sufficiency Economy. Many activities were organised to
promote the values of Sufficiency Economy among the youths. However
these lack coordination and sustained continuation so that the youths
were fired up for a while during the participation in these activities and
then the spirit cooled when the activities or events were completed.
Consumerist and capitalist life style continues as usual.
How can we develop a new society in which the new generation can
imbibe the rights values, learn and develop right attitudes, carve out their
own niche and enjoy right livelihood and right living as taught in Buddhist
teachings and the Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy?
Right education is a solution. There are many primary and
secondary schools now that adopt Buddhist teachings and teachings of the
Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy in their curricula and programs. There
are only two tertiary education institutions so far that focus on education
based on Buddhist teachings and the Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy.
One is Ubon Ratchathani University in north-eastern Thailand. The
University offers a program on sufficiency economy and applications of
Buddhist teachings. The Asoke Community collaborates with the
University in this program. As part of the program, a ‘self-sustaining
sufficiency community’ is established in the campus that supports the self-
sufficiency curriculum designed for the program. The program is quite
successful so far. About half of the students in the program are youths
from the Asoke community. Students join the program because of their
confidence that they can learn and succeed in establishing right living

2
<http://www.us-asean.org/Thailand/C95.pdf> accessed on 13/08/10.
from and within the Asoke community. The ‘self-sustaining sufficiency
community’, started in the campus about four years ago is now achieving
some degree of success in economic and community self-reliance as
indicated by the surpluses of products that they have produced and are
distributing to the academic community in the campus.
The second tertiary institution involved in bringing about
development of the youths through education and inculcation of values
based on Buddhist teachings and the Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy is
the College of Bodhi Vijjalaya of Srinakharinwirot University. The University
established a campus in Srakaew province to help bring better access of
the rural population to tertiary education, to provide a more suitable
alternative education programs for developing the rural youths and
training them in making wise and alternate choices in livelihood and living.
This program, started in 2001, is a collaboration among the University, the
Office of the Governor and Border Security, local government, non-
government and media organisations, and the private sector. This
program was initiated with the primary aim to help solve the economic
and environmental problems faced the community and its youths in the
province.
Srakaew Province lies in the eastern edge of the central region of
Thailand, bordering Cambodia. It is about 300 Km. from Bangkok. At
present this province is heavily dependent on the environmentally
unsustainable monocrop form of agriculture on the cultivation of a handful
of crops such as tapioca, sugar cane, rice, and eucalyptus trees. Monocrop
agriculture has been practiced here for more than three decades. This
practice has adversely degraded the environment and is now proving to
be unsustainable, ecologically and economically. Almost all parents in the
farming community encourage their children to choose alternative means
of earning livelihood as farming no longer provides sufficient incomes. The
younger generation too yearns to seek employment in the city after their
graduation and prefers urban city life. Urban migration results in the drain
of brain and labour out of the province and thus adversely affects the
development of the province. This problem is compounded by the fact that
the quality and standard of education in provincial or rural regions are
poorer by comparison to those in the cities. The youths in the province
therefore have lower rates of success in gaining entries into tertiary
education, particularly the state universities. Because of their lower
education level, the youths are either mostly unemployed or they get low
paying jobs in the cities if employed.
Therefore the alternative education program planned and offered
by College of Bodhi Vijjalaya is particularly significant and important in
rehabilitating the province, its community and youths. The College
provides the youths in the province better access to tertiary education. It
offers an education program catered to the needs of the community in
developing human potential (particularly of the youths), and in changing
the mindset from the old to the new to adopt the values and practice of
developing and attaining self-reliance through the Philosophy of
Sufficiency Economy and Buddhist teachings. In short, the program aims
to develop human potential through providing the means for the people to
acquire right knowledge, right living and livelihood, thus effecting social
transformation for the better in meeting the needs of the community and
country.
 Envir
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Image of Education
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and big Srakaew
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-
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Moder Good rs

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unemployment
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Low salary jobs,

4) Alternative education of College of Bodhi Vijjalaya

The introduction of alternative education at the Srakaew Campus of

the College of Bodhi Vijjalaya of Srinakharinwirot University is a relatively
new phenomenon in philosophy and practice in the development of Thai
tertiary education. Firstly, the College campus is established deep in the
heart of rural area, away from the city. It was set up with land resources
and funding from various sectors. Secondly, the undergraduate program,
B.A. in Socio-geographic Management, was designed specifically to meet
the needs of the community. The curriculum for the programme was
developed through mutual consultations and agreements among the local
people and the five collaborators mentioned above. ‘Socio-geographic
based development’, as used by His Majesty, is a term that refers to
holistic development based on consideration and integration of the
cultural, social and geographical aspects of each area. In 2009, the
College received its first batch of students. Enrolled in this four-year
programme are 46 students from Srakaew Province, all of them are
supported throughout the duration of the programme with funds from
various sources such as the Princess Sirinthorn Fund. These scholarships
are given to the students without conditions, only with the understanding
that they return to develop their communities upon their successful
graduation. The second intake of students for the program in 2010
consists of 23 students, 20 of whom are from Srakaew Province and the
other 3 from other provinces.
The philosophy of the College is “Growth in Wisdom; Cultivation in
humanity, harmony with nature, morality, and peace”.
The mission is “to create wisdom; integrate knowledge with
morality; to participate and network in learning; to promote good
relationship with neighbouring country; to raise awareness on harmony
with nature; to support multi-cultural development; to inculcate values of
morality and humanity as basis of community development; and to
maintain a sustainable and balanced development.”
The major subjects of this programme come under five categories
as follows.
a) Life and Nature category
b) Natural Agriculture category
 c) Community Knowledge Management category
d) Community Entrepreneurs category

e) Independent Study category

5) How does the College of Bodhi Vijjalaya implement

education on development of right career/livelihood based on
morality?

The College, with its own philosophy and alternative education

system and approach, was initiated and established in response to the
findings on the dismal performance of the standard conventional
education system in its efficacy in advancing humanity and developing
human potential in the right way.
Instructors are selected based on their awareness and
understanding of the spirit of community works and moral values.
Students are selected according to a set of criteria that include
considerations not only in academic performance but also other important
aspects such as their communal spirit , their understanding of the concept
of the Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy, and their understanding of the
environment and nature. Entrance examinations consist of written test,
practical test and aptitude test. Their academic performance is evaluated
based on written examinations. They are examined on their understanding
of nature, its resources and their correct use, agricultural knowledge such
as planting rice and various skills in practical test. They are also
interviewed during which their character, aptitudes and moral values are
assessed.
After they are accepted by the College, they are instructed and
trained in all major subjects, the contents of which are heavily oriented
towards right knowledge and moral values, the two pillars of the
Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy. Close instructor-student relationship is
important and is emphasised and promoted. Instructors act as second
parents to the students, help them develop right conduct and right
attitudes besides imparting to them right knowledge. Throughout their
college years, teachers are like their guardians, there to advise and return
them to the right path when the students go astray. This is a return to the
traditional Thai cultural values and roles of instructors (teachers) and
students. Teachers are not mere paid employees, and students are not
mere clients. Classes are not only in the campus, but also in the village,
surrounding forests, paddy fields and sufficiency economy centres.
Students are trained through actively participating, shouldering and
sharing responsibility in student activities, college activities, and
university activities. They are trained to develop analytical and problem-
solving skills through exercises in analysing situations and social
problems, and finding solutions. They develop practical skills through
joining and serving in community projects and activities such as building
clay house; creek forest management; training in ceramic and pottery
centres; community library management; alternative energy development
centres; GIS data base of Srakaew; community media centres; moral
training centres; the King’s rice mill; self-reliance learning centres; eco-
agriculture; and later in community entrepreneur training centre which will
 be formally opened in October 2011. They are trained in Buddhist
teachings to reduce their sense desire and temptations, develop patience
with hardships, and persevere in any endeavour undertaken. They are also
trained to be leaders in moral and sufficiency life style.
The programme in Ubon Ratchathani University is well supported by
the Asoke communities. The programme in the College of Bodhi Vijjalaya
is well supported by a wide network of government and non-government
agencies and organisations, and the local communities. The programmes
in both universities are similar in that they aim for similar goals – in
producing students who are trained in right knowledge and morality,
armed with vocational skills, and who are entrepreneurial and
independent thinkers with great self-confidence in carving out a niche of
their own in establishing right livelihood through right career. These
programmes offered by the two universities are experiments in alternative
education.

6) Concluding Remarks

The establishment of the College of Bodhi Vijjalaya is aimed at

achieving the goal of developing new generations to develop right
livelihood and right living through offering them specific programmes of
studies and training founded on Buddhist teachings and the Philosophy of
Sufficiency Economy. Bodhi Vijjalaya offers an alternative education to the
conventional mainstream education programmes. In advancing the values
of right livelihood and right living, the College educates the new
generations in various areas and aspects related to holistic human
development and advancement: to be connected to nature and to care
about the environment; to be concerned about rural area; and to actively
participate as a member in social and community development. The
alternative education presents new paradigms and introduces a fresh
mindset in approaches and goals in tertiary education. This alternative
education aims to develop graduates who will be innovative, self-confident
with the capability and competence to build a livelihood based not on
urban migration, not on aggressive exploitation of natural resources, not
on competitive selfishness, but on morality, sharing and caring. Morality is
the foundation of the philosophy and mission of the College. The
alternative education system of the College is still at an experimental or
embryonic stage of development with its own alternative curriculum that
emphasises also the moral aspect in its development, delivery and
presentation of every subject.

Reference

(Thai language)
Phra Mahachanok and the College of Bodhi Vijjalaya. In Innovative and
Change column, <http://swu60.swu.ac.th/home/Default.aspx?
tabid=3307&articleType=ArticleView&articleId=75> accessed on
13/08/10
Matichon online, August 12, 2010, 10.45.18 a.m.
<http://www.matichon.co.th/news_detail.php?
newsid=1281584607> accessed on 13/08/10

(English Language)
<http://www.us-asean.org/Thailand/C95.pdf> accessed on 13/08/10.

Bodhi Vijjalaya’s new students at Chanting Hall in Ongkharak Campus

the front gate of Srinakharinwirot of Srinakharinwirot University
Universiy

Bodhi Dhamma Discussion Activity Bodhi Dhamma Discussion Activity

Environmental Protection Centres Recycle Bank

Promotion

Handicraft Camp on Teacher’s Clay House Learning Centre in

 Day Srakaew campus

Composting to Produce Rich Learning to build floating garden

Organic Soil