The Formation of Habits and Teaching Morality : หน้า 129/164

Suzanne Jeffrey which will lead to destructive thoughts and eventually into darkness. So, as we can see, different habits lead to different lives. All of our habits come from our early training. “How do we define habits and how are they formed? When we hear, see, taste, feel, and touch something repeatedly, and we think, act and speak repeatedly: If we are encouraged to do it and repeat it, then it becomes a habit. A habit is formed if, when we don’t do something, we miss it. If, in fact, we don’t do something and become frustrated because we are not doing it, then it is a habit. Habits, of course, can be good or bad. So repetitive actions that we do = Habits. Students develop habits from home. But before we try to correct our student’s habits, we need to correct our own. And, in correcting our own habits, we should use the Eightfold Noble Path to do it. The encouragement to do this comes internally, through meditation (both our own, and through a short meditation before class) and externally, from other people. “Meditation teaches us and our students to find internal support. Anyone who practices meditation finds it easier to see the problems and issues that they need to address. Meditation is ultimately a ‘re-charge’ and finally becomes a good habit. “Teaching morality is usually not successful. You cannot teach with just words because they do not work. Generosity, charity, and compassion need to be taught through words in conjunction with activities. Your students must clearly understand that there is a connection between good and bad actions. And that connection is what kamma is: Action with intention. “In the past, mothers used to take their children to offer food to the monks. Now, that culture is lost. If the culture is lost, how do we teach it? At home, the duty of the children included supporting the parents through sickness, illness, and old age. And that was not just duty, but charity and compassion with love. “Teaching these values through activities, as well as learning the eightfold noble path, is the way to help the students develop morality throughout their lives. But teachers have to practice these as well. The teachers have to get along collegially and encourage each other. Doing this is a habit. Academic education is also built on habit as well as supporting one another in this endeavor. Good deeds receive good results. And how do we organize activities that will encourage the right view? We make those activities: Students may think negatively if we don’t encourage them to think positively. If WE don’t do it, then everything that we have learned yesterday and today would be like throwing 128