709. Education

There are two aspects to education: 1) the practice, 2) the intention.

For example, when the father educates his son and tells him that it is forbidden to steal, the child hears about a practice. Afterward, the child asks about the intention in the matter, meaning why it is forbidden to steal, since he likes his friend’s object and he wants to have it, but his father prevents him from stealing. At that time, the child asks, “Tell me, why is it forbidden to steal?”

If the child’s mind is still not sufficiently developed, his father tells him that there is the police, and they catch thieves and put them in jail. So the child asks, “What is jail?”

Then he is told that there he cannot speak to whomever he wants, eat what he wants, or play where he wants, but he is limited in every way, and it is very painful. Therefore, although he will enjoy it if he steals the object, the pleasure is not worth it compared to the suffering he will feel when he is placed in jail…