Venerable Sir, how should a schoolchild incorporate the Noble Eightfold Path into his or her life?

Venerable Saṅkicca, Venerable Dabba Mallaputta, Venerable Nigrodha, Venerable Cullapanthaka, all became noble arahats at a young age when they were still children. So, we can’t say schoolchildren of today can’t practise the Noble Eightfold Path. The question is whether the parents and society would be a wise and virtuous friend to the child. When the practising of the Noble Eightfold Path is weakening in parents, children follow the example of their parents. So, first parents and teachers have to set an example for the child. Strengthening themselves in the Noble Eightfold Path, parents must teach their children about the fact of ‘suffering’ (dukkha) in terms of school education. What is it that’s referred to here as ‘suffering’? Teach the child about the poverty, the relative inferiority. “Son, look how people in society suffer. Having to do a job toiling in the scorching sun; having to do work putting their lives at risk; performing a job where they have to address everyone as sir or madam; taking up an employment that is unbefitting for them; being unemployed altogether; biding their time being a burden to their parents, to the country; ―what they all experience is suffering.” When one has a well-paid profession another works as a labourer because of causality. No disrespect is intended here at the revered-person who is a labourer. But compared to professions that enjoy higher comforts, he experiences ‘suffering.’ That we must admit.

Now when looking at society revered-children notice the phenomenon known as suffering, don’t you? In short, working for a pittance, thereby receiving less comforts, is the suffering in society apparent on the surface. Now children have to think what caused this suffering. What is the cause for this suffering? Being disobedient to parents; being unruly to teachers; not giving priority to education; giving your mind to outside matters when you ought to be focusing on education. Now schoolchildren see what suffering is, what the cause for suffering is. So, what should children be doing if they are to get rid of the suffering known as low income, least comforts people experience in society? Find the cause that gives rise to such suffering and root it out. That means, children should break the habits that cause suffering―such as being disobedient to parents and teachers, not giving priority to education, focusing your mind on outside matters in the time that is supposed to be spent on education. Having seen the phenomenon known as suffering (dukkha), having seen that the cause for suffering is the craving (tanhā) for things that weaken one’s education, revered-children, you had better get out of those wrong habits. The way to be rid of those wrong habits is the Noble Eightfold Path.

A child can develop in them the entire Noble Eightfold Path in just one thought that arises in them as: “I’m going to be obedient to my parents, my teachers.” The moment a child resolves, “Without craving for other outside matters I will strengthen myself in education,” the entire Noble Eightfold Path develops in them. If they resolved, “I won’t get angry. I won’t get angry with my siblings at home, or with my classmates. Nor will I squabble with them,” in that single thought they would develop the entire Noble Eightfold Path. The instant a child thinks, “I will be obedient to my mother and father,” reverence towards the triple-gem arises in that child. Having discerned the worthy qualities of the mother and father, to be obedient to those parents is a thing that comes under Right View. In the child who so thinks, a hateful or cruel thought about parents won’t arise; [they] let go of actions that are unwholesome. That means Right Thought is shaping up. When a thought arises, “I’m going to be obedient to my parents and teachers,” that child becomes a person who practises moral precepts―sīla. That means Right Speech, Right Bodily Action, Right Livelihood are developing. The moment a thought of being obedient to parents and teachers forms, the current unwholesome withers and the wholesome that is novel develops. That means Right Effort is growing. The instant the thought of being obedient to parents and teachers forms, that child becomes a person who escapes the unwholesome and recognizes the wholesome, by having discerned the wholesome from the unwholesome, by having identified the causes for the suffering and the comforts. That means Right Mindfulness is forming. Now that revered-child doesn’t have a wandering mind, a restless mind. When studying, cartoons don’t spring to mind. The mind doesn’t wander away to games. Their mind quietens and settles down to objects of attention like education, the value of education, not hurting the parents and teachers. That would be their Right Concentration.

In a single virtuous mind wrought in a revered-child: in the thought, “I will be obedient to parents and teachers” ―at that very moment the entire Noble Eightfold Path develops. That means just because the schoolchild doesn’t give alms, engage in meritorious activities or meditate, they won’t forfeit the protection afforded [to them] by the worldly Noble Eightfold Path. So, revered-parents, teachers, by being strategic, by being role-models, be skilful to let the Noble Eightfold Path strengthen in the schoolchild.

Suppose a revered-child, genuflecting on both knees and placing their palms and forehead on the ground, pays respect to the mother. Having paid respect that way, the child asks, “Mother, can you please teach me about the Noble Eightfold Path?”

Then the mother goes, “Now now, my dear, it’s only adults who learn those things. You’re still small.” Why, for the mother is unable to comprehend that in the very thought the kid had to kneel down and pay respect in such a way the meanings of the entire Noble Eightfold Path developed in them. Because of the unskilful mother, the skilfulness hidden in the child fails to surface.

Thus, revered-parents, teachers, with every righteous action a schoolchild performs, be skilful to point out to them the Noble Eightfold Path. When the child helps parents out with the household chores, speaks to grandma or grandpa in a loving manner, shows loving-kindness to some animal, coexists harmoniously with others, pleases parents and teachers, worships and pays respect to adults, teach the kid: “In this tiny act of yours, my dear, you’ve practised the entire Noble Eightfold Path.” It would [also] mean, due to the insight of the Dhamma you afforded to the child on that occasion, at that moment the meanings of the Noble Eightfold Path will have grown perfectly in you.

In the present day, some children practise the Noble Eightfold Path more than the parents and teachers. But the children are totally oblivious of it. The parents and teachers aren’t aware of it either. When a child acts righteously, just as how you commend them or assign them leadership responsibilities, suppose the revered-adults were skilful to explain to them the great path of the Dhamma hidden beneath that righteousness. Then, with the wholesome mind both adults and children uncover, by letting their respective past unwholesome karma-results ebb and wholesome qualities surface, just as children could go from strength to strength in their education, so too the adults could make the Noble Eightfold Path stronger and stronger through the child. But instead, when the Noble Eightfold Path is developing in that righteous child, if both parties are unaware of it, purely due to the weak state of the wholesome volition, children quite often forfeit a strong wholesome karma. Righteous acts pertaining to the Noble Eightfold Path, actions that bring in comforts to one’s life, occur frequently at the hands of children. But those children fail to recognize it. And simply as a result, the related volition never materializes. The tragic irony is although righteous actions occur through the child, for lack of ability to give rise to a strong volition children in society often spend their childhood squandering strong wholesome karma. For adults and the child both, to be well informed about the meanings of the entire Noble Eightfold Path hidden in a single virtuous mind forming in a child will be one of the best investments you make for your future.

Similarly, every minute a child causes pain and suffering to the parents, saying, “I won’t be obedient to my mother, father,” it is the meanings of the eightfold wrong path (micchā-magga) that develop in them. That means the child is accumulating karma-formations relevant for future suffering.

If you highlight to the child each of their righteous and unrighteous thoughts by laying them out strewn over the Noble Eightfold Path, that will be the greatest inheritance of the Dhamma that adults can give to children. If revered-you expect good from your child in the future, then, speak to them, explain to them, about nothing but the Noble Eightfold Path, which is the only path that yields mundane (lokiya) and supermundane (lokuttara) happiness.