2. The Student-Teacher Relationship

Meditation

Meditation for Beginners

 

2. The Student-Teacher Relationship

 

 

A student’s responsibilities to his teacher

 

The second important factor influencing social development is the quality of the relationship teachers have with their students. One of the hardest tasks for a student is to find a teacher who will give the necessary encouragement to bring their studies to fruition. The Buddha taught in the Singalovada Sutta that successful studies are established on the base of reciprocal duties that a student practices towards his teacher and that a teacher practices towards their student. The quality of relationship between teacher and student is measured in terms of fulfillment of reciprocal responsibilities-collectively referred to as the southern quarter [dakkhinadisa].

 

A student’s responsibilities to his teacher

 

 

By obedience to the teachings or an eagerness to learn

 

If a student funds a teacher that they think they can learn something from, they should should show their responsibility to them by:

 

1.  Rising to receive the teacher when the teacher enters the room: Such respectful behaviour will be difficult to achieve if the parents have never taught their children the value of respect. The reality in the present day is that most students have little respect for their teacher and will be more ready to tease their teachers than to stand up to receive them;

 

2. By serving their teacher: Students should help their teachers by serving them in things that facilitate the teachers’ convenience. If the students are to learn more from a teacher than the theory, they need to serve the teacher as an apprentice to learn the real ‘tricks of the trade’;

 

3. By obedience to the teachings or an eagerness to learn;

 

4. By personal service: the student should be willing to serve their teacher personally even in things that are not directly concerned with their apprenticeship;

 

5. By attentively and respectfully learning the arts and sciences.

 

 

By attentively and respectfully learning the arts and sciences.

 

A teacher’s responsibilities to his students

 

It is the teacher’s job to consolidate the positive values a child has together with instilling the vocational skills a child will need to become financially independent in their adult life. It is fair to say that teachers will only be able to achieve success in their duties upon the foundation of morality already laid down by the parents. Supposing parents have not taught their children the difference between good and bad behaviours-if there are just one or two such children in a class, the teacher can probably  cope-but what if the whole class is like that? The reality is that the whole class often has received no moral training at the hands of their parents and consequently, the teachers have to struggle and do the best they can in the circumstances. The teacher’s job is already a hard on e when the parents have not done their part in bringing up the children-but if the teachers too, don’t have a clear idea of their own responsibilities, the children will come to adulthood with no idea of respect for humanity. The teacher should practice the following five duties towards their pupil, by making sure:

 

 

A teacher’s responsibilities to his students

 

1. The student is well-trained: (note there is no mention that the teacher should have to take responsibility for teaching the child the difference between right and wrong): however, if the teacher thinks, “I don’t care about the student any more,” or “This student deserves to remain dumb,” because of the accumulation of the teachers’ neglect, eventually the dumb illiterate ex-students will become the selfsame mob that lead to the downfall of the country;

 

2. That the student is taught in a such a way that he understands and remembers well what he has learned;

 

3. That the student is thoroughly instructed in the lore of every art without holding knowledge back;

4. To give praise to the student which raises his esteem amongst his peers;

 

5. That the student’s security and safety in every quarter is ensured, (i.e. towards parents, wife, children, employees, friends and spiritual mentors) while pointing out the loopholes and weaknesses present in any body of knowledge.

 

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