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awareness of 
peace issues is known as `Inner 
Peace Education' 
(IPE). It is a form of education that 
helps us know 
ourselves better and know how to 
manage life 
properly. As a result, it is the key 
success factor 
behind the world peace that we are 
striving for. 
Provision of IPE is not as 
straightforward as 
conventional curriculum content. 
However, as 
compared with usual spiritual 
provisions in school, 
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it has the advantage of not being 
based on belief or 
faith — but rather experience and 
evidence. It is 
based on practical knowledge. It's 
applied 
knowledge that offers each person 
an individual 
approach to true happiness 
regardless of race, 
nationality, religion, culture or 
occupation. It is 
knowledge that can form a firm 
foundation to any 
other form of academic knowledge 
to guarantee 
that the applications of that 
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knowledge are for 
peace. It is self-education that you 
can start upon 
anytime, anywhere (for as long as 
you are still a 
human being!) — and can be 
practised throughout 
the day alongside our regular daily 
activities in 
order to increase our efficiency 
and effectiveness. 
It maximises the efficiency of our 
time management, 
rather than being a burden on our 
time — if a certain 
period of time each day is 
allocated to it. It needs 
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no formal classroom, and demands 
no tuition fees 
either! 
However, more than conventional 
education, it 
demands time, concentration, 
perseverance, 
tolerance and goodwill. These are 
qualities which 
are too easily eroded away by 
materialism. It is only 
students who are determined and 
motivated who 
can succeed in their studies of IPE. 
IPE is not yet 
The Manual of Peace 
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in Action 
The Manual of Peace in Action 11 
widespread because the value and 
benefits of it are 
not yet widely known. 
Furthermore, because it is 
evaluated on the basis of inner 
experience, it is 
difficult to measure success in 
empirical terms. 
Nonetheless, great opportunities 
exist for 
pioneering work in IPE. There's 
already a great deal 
of expertise in this field, with an 
emerging group 
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of people who realize their lack of 
knowledge 
concerning peace and who are 
willing to learn. If 
we can overcome the obstacles that 
prevent us from 
realizing the real nature of peace 
and avoid the 
influences of segregation and bias 
which are so 
easily instilled by race, nationality 
and religion —
through interactive communication 
we can really 
start to understand peace from the 
inside out. Thus 
although IPE is derived from 
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Buddhist values, it 
emphasizes key human qualities 
that transcend 
cultural differences. It is 
something that should be 
a part of every child's education 
from their earliest 
years.The idea of IPE is that the 
attitudes it instils, 
will not be erased by 
circumstances. It will remain 
in a child's character, shaping him 
to be reasonable 
rather than emotional when 
making decisions, 
instilling a sense of responsibility 
toward himself, 
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his nearest and dearest, his 
economy, society and 
the environment. To be studied, 
IPE concepts need 
to be translated into learning 
activities by teachers 
or parents. By intensive study of 
advanced IPE, 
young people can understand 
themselves better 
and have a clearer sense of purpose 
in life. 
Youngsters, parents and teachers 
alike like to 
participate actively in peace 
education projects as 
participants and organizers and 
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also form an active 
network of peace volunteers 
throughout Thailand 
down to the present day, 
generation by generation 
through word-of-mouth. It is 
important that before 
becoming organizers and teachers 
of such programs 
that they first understand peace 
and means of nonviolent 
conflict resolution themselves —
under this 
proviso, the organizers can even be 
older children 
organizing activities for their 
younger fellows. 
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During the history of the `Path of 
Progress' Ethics 
Quiz Contest, the scale of 
participation has grown 
from one person to a small team 
then a larger and 
larger one. Over the last thirty 
years, the lives of 
total of over twenty million young 
people in 
Thailand have been touched by the 
IPE curriculum 
— and this can have made no 
small contribution to 
peace in the world community —
helping children 
to open up their hearts to listen to 
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the teacher inside 
and understand the reality of life 
and the world —
healing differences, celebrating 
similarities and 
promoting world peace through 
inner peace. 
PATH OF PROGRESS ETHICS 
QUIZ CONTEST 
The main learning activity for 
implementing IPE 
amongst young people is the 
so-called `Path of 
Progress' Ethics Quiz Contest 
which has been held 
nationwide every year in Thailand 
since 1982. The 
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aim of the project is to bring 
children's ethical 
development to higher levels 
resulting in positive 
behavioral changes in a way that is 
relevant to those 
Teachers' round of the `Path of 
Progress'. Teachers must 
become familiar with IPE materials 
& issues before being 
able to communicate peace values 
before being able to 
communicate them effectively to 
their students. 
12 A Manual of Peace: 38 Steps 
towards Enlightened Living 
of all nationalities, races and 
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religions. The `Path of 
Progress' shares the same 
curriculum of the Thirty-
Eight Blessings of Life described 
in this Manual of 
Peace. The number of participants 
started with 382 
in 1982 and rose in 2002 to four 
million from 13,000 
educational institutes — ranging 
from 
kindergartens, universities, police 
and military 
colleges — students and teachers 
alike from all over 
Thailand. The winners of the 
contest receive plaques 
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of distinction from H.M. the King 
of Thailand and 
representatives of many 
international organizations. 
Besides honorary plaques, winners 
are 
granted scholarships and 
certificates for their 
success in each category. 
Case Histories of Schools 
Participating in the Path 
of Progress IPE Scheme 
Suteetorn Kindergarten, Nakorn 
Prathom, Thailand. 
"We find that the teachings of the 
`Path of 
Progress' programme eminently 
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suitable to the 
curriculum at our school. The 
`Path of Progress' 
program helps students realize the 
value of 
morality. Students can also adapt 
these morals 
to practice in their daily lives. The 
Home of Peace 
program (see p.16) focuses more 
on the practices 
of the learners, so students can 
really practice 
what they have learned. This is the 
reason why 
both programs are so beneficial for 
our school. 
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At the beginning, we taught the 
Manual of Peace 
to small groups of students. As 
years went by, 
more students got interested, so we 
had to 
change the workshop format into 
assemblies. 
We had such an assembly each day 
for the 
students from first to sixth grade. 
Furthermore, 
our school has many activities that 
are involved 
with morals and ethics. For 
example, the school 
will let the students meditate along 
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to an audio 
cassette of meditation instruction. 
The students 
usually attend Buddhist services 
and practise 
meditation afterwards. Later, the 
students have 
their own group discussions to 
analyze and 
comment about how they can 
improve their 
virtues. 
Kindergarten infants, do not join 
the assembly, 
but they will have a homeroom 
teacher. Most of 
the time, the teacher focuses on 
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meditation 
practice. The teaching for them 
makes heavier 
use of illustrations to overcome 
their reading 
difficulties. Also, they seem to 
enjoy looking at 
the pictures too. 
We once had a boy named 
Pruchya. He had 
received an `Olympic' gold medal 
for winning a 
math contest. In all his interviews, 
Pruchya said 
that he always wishes to be a 
virtuous person 
rather than being merely a smart 
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one. From 
listening to his interview, it made 
us really proud 
to see that he had lived up to our 
ideals of a good 
student. 
In my opinion too, to be a virtuous 
child is 
more important than to be an 
intelligent one 
because at least virtuous people 
can co-exist 
peacefully in the world. If a person 
is endowed 
with self-discipline, they have the 
potential to 
develop intelligence and have a 
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successful 
future. When the youth have 
morality in their 
hearts, they can differentiate what 
is right or 
wrong. They have awareness of the 
consequences of every action they 
do. Therefore 
they perform good deeds for the 
benefit of 
themselves, society and the 
world." 
Headmistress 
Interreligious participation in the 
`Path of Progress'. 
Christians, Buddhists & Moslems 
take the teachers' round of 
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