Education the Fourth Power and Kumarajiva; How we create the United Nations of Education
We started off with a wonderful blossoming of ideas. It became very clear that we are all budding Kumarajivas because the translation of ideas back and forth from English to Portuguese and back never became a problem – even when the instant translation was odd! We all deeply focused on the content of the ideas being expressed and this carried through the entire month. I can see now, Kumarajiva sitting around with fellow Buddhists in deep discussion – even though in this case we are sitting down all over the planet! What a wonderful experience this was! This newsletter is a synopsis of our discussion.
We learned about the very successful Makiguchi Garden Project in Brazil and about the state of education in different countries. We were able to establish that the whole world needs us to become great Kumarajivas of Soka Education. "It is wonderful to see that in Brazil volunteer educators have been able to bring the care and "itai doshin" we work to cultivate within the SGI, out into society through the school system. What a wonderful accomplishment!"
We said the needs of the state have been taken as paramount in education in the UK. While the authorities agree with these failings within the system, changes are continually piled upon changes but these serve only to reinforce the system. It is indeed a total systemic revamp which is required. This is why making education INTERNATIONAL is the right way to go. The reasoning behind the abusive system we currently subject our children to (and many teachers say they feel they are 'abusing' the children), is destroyed when we think internationally. In Brazil in general the four evil states of life is what drives Brazilian public schools. Our experience shows us that the emotions that come from these paths have systemic effects. We have managed to create a break but as we know in Buddhism, the difficulty is not to accept the teaching, but to maintain it. In the US we also have a youth culture oriented towards impermanence, families move a lot and so the skills of building community are not well grounded in our culture. This lack of community also breeds a great distance between teacher and student.
One is sharing and documenting our successes and beginning to build a "science" of what is Soka education. Confidence in value creating education is what we need. Confidence is the key to the work we do but so is the trust we build over time in our relationships with people. (To begin is easy, to continue, difficult.)
Toward a United Nations of Education (UN/Ed)
Sensei suggests the formation of a United Nations of Education that contributes to a true world-wide peace and harmonious cooperation among the peoples of the planet. We are still feeling the effects of a violent 20th century in which ideologies and economics created interpretations of humanity. These incomplete ideologies has resulted in the dehumanization and continuing destruction of our civilization. Now humankind needs spiritual support that is deeper, and is on a higher level than communism and capitalism.
Instead of education as organized by governments, in ministries or departments of education, we need to change the principles of education from "for the country" to "for the happiness of the individual that is, to live a contributive life." We understand that every individual reconstructs the world consistent with his/her culture. To change and perceive that an individual should make choices and also feel responsible for the worldwide consequences of those choices is the teaching we must now develop with respect, attention and love. We need to establish an independent institution that is not answerable to any government, which is directed toward peace and that it will be a force will be to create and generate a fortress of spirituality and peace in the hearts of the men. Building the UN/Ed will need the participation of everyone involved in the education process -- the professors and educators, parents and relatives who are teach in the home, pupils of all the levels and this will serve to bring into reality the respect for humanity in all fields of endeavor. Finally that there are three independent parts of government today: the legislative one, the executive and the judiciary one. Sensei feels we should create a fourth on – educational. Education plays the vital function of cultivating the individual human being. Moreover, it must assume the responsibility to teach each individual the absolute respect for the life. Even though UNESCO exists to encourage international cooperation in education, science and culture, because of the current structure of the UN, it is subject to the considerable influence of politics.
Why build a United Nations Education? The state of the child is lamentable. Education and life are devoted to economic growth. The consequence of this is Fake Prosperity, creating adults who are materialistic and corrupt, and since children are mirrors of society, the decline of discipline in schools and the destructive behaviour we see. Teachers, frustrated, are thinking about leaving. If nothing is done, we are looking at the fall of the whole school system. Ikeda Sensei says we should redirect for Human Growth. Instead of an explosion of knowledge we need to have an explosion of wisdom to use this knowledge for Human Growth.
What should the UN/Ed include?
Since Sensei says that a UN/Ed is our last and best asset we need to think about how to build this reality. He proposes an International Conference of Rectors of Universities, an International Teachers Association and a World Federation of Student Associations. We can start this by taking an interest in teachers and student associations around us. We can invite them to important or international conferences in our area that we attend. This is a very Makiguchi idea of course. Education should be of practical use to students. We can seek to unite the world's young people.
- To create a great alliance of lions such as the UN/Ed is the wish of Ikeda Sensei. We can start this new fourth power locally and nationally by encouraging the use of the Earth Charter and Universal Declaration of the Human Rights in school boards and schools. We could create our own local committees that rethink the education system in this same way as well and then go forward together. SEIN could help network this.
- A curriculum about human rights education, including the rights of the child. UNESCO points out that human rights must not only be boxed in curricula, but also experienced. We need to find a way to discuss world history that sheds light on the strengths, weaknesses and interdependence of human experience. This curriculum should be designed in a systemic or organic way for the whole child and the whole community in mind.
- Teaching human rights education needs value creating education to be effective.
- Finally, we should include proposals from the Columbia University speech by Ikeda Sensei namely: 1) Education for the Peace, in which the young people learn about the war cruelty and foolishness, to root the practice of the non-violence in the human society. 2) Environmental Education, 3) Education about development, focusing the attention in poverty matters and social justice. 4) Education on the Human Rights, to awake a conscience of human equality and dignity.
- Kumarajiva and his collaborative teaching/learning community be a great model for the UN/Ed. Global citizenship through dialogue skills, ecological integrity and community-building.
Soka Education Methodology
The Expedient Means chapter is the spine of the whole of humanist education, and the origin of the educational theory of the presidents: Makiguchi, Toda and Daisaku Ikeda. The Buddha emphasizes the replacement of three vehicles with the one vehicle. Learning, absorption and Bodhisattva (which we practice every day when we teach mathematics, language, science -- socialization, integration, and the desire to assimilate, live in mutual aid -- these ways of thinking and acting) are the three vehicles. We need to change this to the "desire help others become Buddhas with the aim of Happiness for all." Within this context of teaching-learning, there is the important transfer from educator/student to the educating process of unity of mentor and disciple. Our actual proof is the so united Department of Research and Development of Sciences of Education-DEPEDUC which is reshaping a new history of education in Brazil.
Depending on the age of the student, we believe the key to human rights education is allowing students to work, govern and make decisions within their classroom. The focus is always to refer each student back to his or her own development, rather than comparing with others. Also, we should use various personality inventories informally so students can perceive better their similarities and differences and make our classrooms interesting, creative and places of discernment.
Deep dialogue and Kumarajiva is what made Kumarajiva special and unique as a translator and teacher of the Lotus Sutra. This will be a critical component of SOKA Education and the UN/Ed.
Kumarajiva
Kumarajiva broke the barriers of language, culture and brought out a very important contribution to the world, the Lotus Sutra, in Chinese. "Although we make all preparations for the international exchange at university level, if we do not remove the barriers of language, nor expand exchanges, then these plans will remain as a utopia" Daisaku Ikeda – Education Proposal, pp 43 SEIN is proving to be a means of helping to remove these barriers of language and bringing different cultures closer. Listen to the heart of another, feel the heart of another. We are moving in the right direction. We are all about to become Kumarajivas who will be influencing our particular culture towards this UN of ED. What can we learn from Kumarajiva that will help make our influence (our employment of expedient means) most effective?
It starts with our own self-development. The concepts of respect, interrelatedness and repaying debts of gratitude that underly the cultures of Asia can enrich our students. Self-control and dignity are elements that our students desperately need.
Like him, we also have the opportunity to create a learning environment where everyone contributes. We must see things from eyes from within, from the inside/out instead of outside/in. We must use our Buddhist practice to be able see our culture from three very culturally based elements: "the universe/heavens, ""the land and its features" and "'embryo"...meaning everything that comes from a source, born of a birth cycle." Whichever land we are from, born of, teach in, these are underlying principles that WE, as educators must understand fully from the inside/out! From that place, when we come from such depths, we make the difference! Then can help teach our students to be the "footsteps" of change, for themselves, others and their countries and the world. The bonds of trust between teacher and student can then deepen and transform into a single master and disciple. Buddha to Buddha, I think it is this point that differentiates the Soka Educators.
Kumarajiva was like a Lotus Flower in the muddy swamp and for this reason he turned every situation around to the positive and had victory in his life. He then paid his debt of gratitude by translating the Lotus Sutra for the World. It is what Nichiren did as well. Kumarajiva, like Nichiren, contributed deeply to the development of the UN/Ed and human rights education. It was the dialogue/interaction between Kumarijiva and those who gathered around him that made his translation so valuable and rich. We need to transform our classrooms into those type of environments, where the knowledge, talents and personality of each student is respected, and genuinely engaged to create great results.
Professional Applications
What can we do locally and how can we connect to the global movement towards the dialogic civilization we are creating? We can emphasize in our own classrooms and school curricula the value and the need to move towards a global approach to education. And encourage students going into education to think and study about how to collaborate with others in the reformation of education. That society should support education for the development of human beings.
We need to continue to develop our ideas on these forums. "Our sharing of experiences and ideas that we have in SEIN, is what I often refer to when I am doubtful about expressing myself. I think 'Deep down this person (me) probably has great thoughts and knows how to create the future, just as my SEIN colleagues do.' The SEIN community we are developing enables me to confidently fulfill my role as an educator and a citizen, in my own way."
We will need to form an international and secular community within SEIN so all educators can feel the support of a community which understands the essence of education and why we are teachers. This will encourage people to struggle to interact humanistically with their schools, governments, children, parents, education authorities and natural daily challenges, and to live according to their own true selves. We need a training 'arm' of SEIN so that teachers, educators, school leaders; academics and so on can make pragmatic changes. We will also join hands and learn from others who share our goal around the world. It means having the confidence and sense of commitment to take the next step. We can learn from both the successes and failures. Some fear or are against global education. Sensei said that research shows that people exerted 100 percent effort in a one-on-one battle, and that as the number of people on a team increased, the individual effort of each participant decreased. Sensei said one-on-one effort/dialogue was his key to his historic victory in Kamata Chapter. Dialogue and unity of purpose.
On our website we should have a teachers exchange section and a chat room for teachers who want to discuss something on our website. Two people offered to help translate Japanese Soka Researchers/Educators articles into English and Portuguese. Student's global perspectives projects results can be included in a database under "Towards the UN of Education."
We need to intensify Makiguchi's "humanitarian competition," - the endeavor to achieve individual and social goals through invisible moral influence, rather than military force or naked economic power. To raise youthful global leaders who understand the value of "humanitarian competition" in many fields of society. We can discuss this new idea of competition with our students and bring our conclusions to our forums and then compile them on our website. We 'old ones' don't actually know what the children need to learn or how to teach it, so we have to teach them to find things out for themselves and to work together.
Use the SGI discussion meeting format in school and the community. We can encourage dialogue and intercultural dialogue in the classroom and in our SGI and neighborhoods. Many students are not used to working in groups and are very competitive in the wrong way. We can change this through the discussion meeting format.
How do WE become the change you want to see --- and create a better relationship with your "enemy." Not your problem student or your problem colleague – but the people who YOU have animosity towards, even if unconsciously. Here our SGI activities become the place to create this change and polish our lives. We can introduce more global perspectives in our own SGI discussion meetings. We can polish our ability to employ the right expedient mean at our discussion meetings.
We need to begin to change the fundamental structure in our method of teaching so that our methods enable sustainable learning. To establish some subjects for the future global citizen along with teacher training in sustainable education methods. Development is not just about having more but also about being more, our spiritual growth as individuals and as a community with shared values. Makiguchi pioneered the approach of teaching children by providing them with keys so they could unlock the treasure chest of knowledge by themselves. He wanted teachers to use the school environment to develop the social awareness of the pupils and create a micro-community to simulate the global society of humanitarian competition, which was his ultimate aim. This is Sensei's "wisdom to perceive the interconnectedness of all life and living". Such children are like an additional piece of wholeness completing the world jigsaw puzzle. This is guiding of the process of enabling "Hosshaku Kempon" in each student.
Keeping up with Sensei's Proposals
Sensei is local, national AND global. We need to be this as well if we seriously want to build this UN of Ed. Not just in our classrooms but in our own national education issues but also we need to become familiar with the international community. We need to be good teachers, good citizens and then also good global citizens. We have to think like Sensei, like Kumarajiva, like Nichiren, to have the same effect as they have. How can we gather our ideas for the United Nations of Education around Sensei's ever persistent call to action? The best way is through forums like this and immediate actions in our own communities. When a teacher makes a difference for the students, people will be interested in that teacher strategy and this is how Projeto Makiguchi grew in Brazil and is still making a difference in the society. We have to put together the experiences we are having around the world and make them part of a big proposal to United Nations volunteering ourselves to keep working on the successful projects. I think that is what Sensei expects from us. Let's move on and make this a great step to a peaceful and really humanistic world.
In the 2008 Peace Proposal, Sensei says - an international conference--organized by civil society and specifically dedicated to the theme of human rights education should be held. We could connect or stay abreast of this development.
Global Education Ideas In The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, Vol. 3, page 26-27 are passages in the discussion about the seven treasures and the treasure tower. "Ikeda: Practicing faith means to lead the most correct life. Acquiring wisdom means attaining the most profound understanding of human nature. The treasure tower exists in human life. To understand it in these terms is to see beyond our apparent differences and perceive the sanctity of life itself. The reason for this is that on the most essential level of life, there is not such thing as superior or inferior. Respect for the individual is the very soul of democracy. Democracy's success hinges on whether people can recognize the lives of all as equally sacred. Everything depends on this.
"Indifference in the face of the threat of nuclear weapons is the greatest enemy to peace..." The first step that all of us should take is the one to move the world towards the abolishment of nuclear weapon. We should work to put this in the constitution of each country. Richard Rhodes, author of The Making of the Atomic Bomb, said that what each of us can do, is to prevent brutality against children. This will effect and prevent the development and spread of these devastating weapons. If there was a UN of Education, we could share a collective knowledge and nurture generations of students at every level to become contributive global citizens. Although it takes time, young people raised with the understanding of the dignity of each life will naturally be able to develop programs that replenish the planet and abolish nuclear weapons. The story of Sadako and the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb and making Crane Origami for Hiroshima could be a simple way to begin.
http://www.sadako.org/
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