This book analyzes the murals and texts of the Dunhuang Grottoes, one of the most famous sites of cultural heritage on the Silk Road in Northwest China, from an educational perspective. The Dunhuang Grottoes are well-known in the world for their stunning beauty and magnificence, but the teaching of Dunhuang advocates a philosophical perspective that cosmos, nature, and humanity are an interconnected whole, and that all elements function interactively according to universal and relational principles of continuity, cause-and-effect, spiritual connection, and enlightenment. Xu Di and volume contributors highlight the moral education and ethics found throughout the Dunhuang with numerous stories of the personal journeys and growth of the Buddha and bodhisattvas, discussing and analyzing these teachings, and their possible implications for modern education systems throughout China and the world today.

Examines the connection between the Dunhuang grottoes and educational philosophy and pedagogy Identifies the educational themes and foci present in the grottoes' murals and texts Searches for insight to contemporary educational implementation and practices around the world

Autorentext

Xu Di is Professor in the Department of Education Foundations in the College of Education at the University of Hawai'i-M noa, USA.

Inhalt

1. Introduction.- 2. Dunhuang's Infinite Connections with Education.- 3. Dunhuang and Educational Philosophy.- 4. Lessons in Moral Education from Dunhuang Murals.- 5. The Philosophy of Aesthetic Education of Ch'an Buddhism: A New Interpretation on the Mandala Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch from Dunhuang.- 6. West Meets East - The Interplay of Unity and Diversity.- 7. Enlightenment from Body-Spirit Integration: Dunhuang's Buddhist Cultivation Pathways and Educational Applications.- 8. Dunhuang as a Model for EthnoSTEM Education.- 9. The Significance of the Dunhuang Mogao Frescos for Universal Education Today.- 10. An Examination of Dunhuang Education from Psychological Perspective: Heart, Soul, and Our Lives.- 11. Dunhuang and Contemporary Music Education.- 12. Dunhuang and Basic Education.- 13. Dunhuang Grottoes and Lifelong Learning.- 14. Harmonious Coexistence with Nature: Naturalistic Education in the Dunhuang Frescoes.