I watched a few documentaries about the benefits of meditation and how prolonged meditation can change the brain.(I don't rememmber all the docs,but one was I think Dan reporting from Dharamsala,India) I was thinking about this idea that if we make it compulsory for schools to have meditation classes(read:buddhist compassionate meditation),could we reduce crime and increase empathy and tolerance? I don't know how reliable these findings are,but surely it can't hurt to try out?They say many compassionate meditators are so kind that they are even empathetic to their enemies. My view is that in today's world people are constantly becoming more unempathetic and disrespectful towards others.I wonder what will happen if children are made to practice compassionate/empathetic meditation from a very early age. So ,what are your views?
I just saw a TV news piece the other day about some schools in Australia and the USA that have introduced meditation sessions into the daily curriculum. The teachers from both countries report that the students are calmer and more willing to learn, that disruptive behaviour had reduced, that instances of bullying and fights had reduced, and that self-esteem and confidence had increased in formally shy and withdrawn children. Of course, this is all totally subjective. I won’t believe any of that without seeing some more rigorous scientific assessment. But even if only some of those benefits turn out to be true, then this is something that should be widely investigated and implemented IMO.
