Figure 5 System of Mind Battlefield
4.1 OBJECTIVES
4.2 DESIGN
(a) Concept development : Mind Battlefield System
The author integrated the concept of Buddhist Teachings as learned from Venerable Dattajivo Bhikku (2) in 1981, and the System Dynamic way of thinking as learned from Dr. Khalid Saeed (3) in 1982 . As shown in Figure 5 the mind system consists of two subsystems, with and without consciousness which provide positive and negative systems respectively. The limit of life expectancy maintains the system in balance.
Figure 5 System of Mind Battlefield
A quadrilateral form is graphically represented as an individual body while a circle is a mind located within the body. The left side of the body shows 6 sense-fields/doors : eye, ear, nose, tougue, body and mind sense-field while the right side represents the performance of speech and action by displaying emotion through facial expression . The upper and the lower parts show the administrative stations for evil and good armies respectively. Within the mind, there are a number of evil members namely greed, anger and delusion represented by different graphic symbols on a small scale while the larger ones with the same shapes represent the good members namely Dana/Tana to give ;Sila to observe the precepts; and Bhavana/Phavana to meditate which can diminish the power of greed, anger and delusion respectively. The symbol of consciousness is the small circle which is effective when existing at the center of mind.
Figure 7 Graphic Presentation of the game on screen
Average life expectancy in both subsystems of the mind battlefield is set as 75 years old. The game starts at a random so that the players can explore how to control defilement at different ages. The game finishs when the age reaches the life expectancy which means the death of life. The interaction between external and internal sense-fields is simulated randomly over time. When the battlefield is controlled by evil while consciousness is moving without direction, then a bad performance will result and there will be a decrease in life expectancy. To conquer evil, the player has still conciousness at the center of the body by pressing the C key and then decide which defilement member should be calm first by pressing the T or S or P keys until the words Tana , Sila and Phavana appear in the left corner of the screen. Then, the player presses the arrow keys to move the good army out to seize the defilement. This results in a good performance and an increase in life expectancy. The movement of the good army is effective only while consciousness is still at the center. The time shown on screen indicates how long consciousness is kept in the center.
(d) Computer Software
The computer software was written in Pascal for the personal computer by Mr. Thada Vitagsabootr, an electronic engineer.
4.3 DISCUSSION ON EXPERIMENT
In 1986 the course curriculum was implemented without the computer simulation game in rural areas. All trainees were local aged 11-15 years. From 1987-1989, the training programs were organized with computer simulation game at a temple in Bangkok. There were a total of 468 aged between 9-14 years from the first to the fifth batch of which 279 were boys and 189 were girls. 70 % of the trainees came from Bangkok while the rests came from other provinces throughout Thailand including both urban and rural areas. The majority of the trainees had good academic records and came from middle income families. The trainees paid for food and electronic equipment while the temple provided lodging and training facilities as well as monks in teaching meditation. Other volunteer teaching team were coordinated by the author and came from private and government sectors with different professional backgrounds according to the program requirements.
Although the trainees came from different family backgrounds and environments, the computer game topic was the most attractive feature for them. 50% of the Bangkok trainees were used to playing computer game available in the market and 10% were addicted while none of the rural trainees had any hands on experience. Five trainees from the same village in the northeast province told the author that they came from farming poor families; all of them were first grade students in school and one of them had to borrow money from her uncle for participation in the training program.
Before the computer game session, all the children had learned " To know oneself" through group dynamics. They were divided into groups of 5-6 persons and asked to write down their own goodness and the weakness and of other group members. This was after they had been together for a day. They subsequently reported to the group on what they had written and were required to discuss and compare their positive and negative views, firstly mentioning the goodness. Most of them said they felt happy when they were looked upon optimistically and disliked to be observed wrongly from external appearance.
During computer game session, everyone played joyfully and asked for more time to be provided. Initially, the trainees were instructed only on how to operate the machine and the rules of the game without content details. It was observed that all of them were very quick to control the machine even those having no experience before and their expectation were unanimously to have long life expectancy. Later they were asked to answer questions relating to the game content and to record the changes in facial expression on the screen and the age at the end of each play. This time they seemed to be more thoughtful and conscious than in the beginning. After a while they were told in detail about the mind mechanism and its effect on performance relating to the outcome of the previous session, " To know oneself". After the first computer game session everyone was asked to observe and record the changes in their own emotion and facial expression and give reasons throughout the day. It was noted by the teaching team that most of the children tried to be more generous in terms of sharing what they had, smiling and forgiving others' mistakes. This was particularly, noticeable in group work when compared to those groups trained without the computer game.
A session of fun with the electronic kit provided trainees with the opportunity to learn about the system and how it works by encouraging them to construct their own toys with the electronic circuit base. They learned by " doing" under the close supervision of electronic technicians. This resulted in a direct effect on the children's confidence, values and sense of responsibility. In addition, the closed system concept of the electronic circuit of which the children could learn without stress but with enthusiasm, enhanced the session of " To know cause and effect" and the mind system.
The trainees were asked to discuss the effects of the information about goodness and weakness which they had identified in the "To know oneself" session i.e they were asked to think about the effect of good and weak actions. Next the trainees were asked to think of the cause of goodness and weakness. Then the group discussion led to written work about the causual loop of the mind system which they played on the computer game.
4.4 IMPACT OF THE SIMULATION GAME
(a) Impact on training management
A good impact on training management was that little time was required for training the teaching team as well as for teaching the children during the training period . The teaching team were free to observe trainees' behavior more effectively. Moreover, the simulation game created a beautiful rhythm on organization in the program content and motivated the children to respond actively and think while learning .
(b) Impact on children's behavior
The enjoyment and knowledge concerning human behavior provided by simulation game rapidly developed the thinking skills of the children and the way that they observed their changing behavior patterns in the real world. This change in their attitudes meant they gave more value to respect, discipline and generosity which
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