There have been several strong messages this past week from some very powerful people in the world. Anyone who comes to India is awestruck by the dire poverty and disease contrasted with the emerging modernization. When toddlers weave in and out of rush-hour traffic, barefooted with matted lice-covered hair begging, and old men sleeping in near freezing conditions wrapped only in a blanket on concrete, you have to wonder...what is the answer?
Oprah made a visit to Jaipur, India this past week for a literary conference. I watched several interviews with her on television. As she so simply put it, "The only thing that will make a difference is education for all."
Last night I had the pleasure to hear Dr. Robert Thurman speak at the Indian Cultural Center.
Dr. Thurman (father of actress Uma Thurman, who went to AES) is an American scholar of Buddhism at Columbia University. He is author of several books about Buddhism and one of the founders (with Richard Gere) of Tibet House in NY, which promotes the preservation of the Tibetan culture.
Education was also one of Dr. Thurman's main points last night. In the past decade researchers have discovered that our brain continually regenerates new brain neurons. So learning something new everyday, all throughout life, is the key to keeping our brain cells from dying. He went on to explain that Buddha (and I believe Christ) were not about "religions" but about teaching how to live one's life. Meditation, he explained, is NOT about emptying one's mind, but digging deeper into our souls to touch the commonality between all human beings.
One of my students, Janya, recently wrote an eloquent essay about the importance of education for girls in India.
"My continuing passion is to part a curtain, that invisible veil of indifference that fills between us and that blinds us to each others presence, each others wonder, each others human plight." by Eudora Welty
Oprah made a visit to Jaipur, India this past week for a literary conference. I watched several interviews with her on television. As she so simply put it, "The only thing that will make a difference is education for all."
Last night I had the pleasure to hear Dr. Robert Thurman speak at the Indian Cultural Center.
Education was also one of Dr. Thurman's main points last night. In the past decade researchers have discovered that our brain continually regenerates new brain neurons. So learning something new everyday, all throughout life, is the key to keeping our brain cells from dying. He went on to explain that Buddha (and I believe Christ) were not about "religions" but about teaching how to live one's life. Meditation, he explained, is NOT about emptying one's mind, but digging deeper into our souls to touch the commonality between all human beings.
One of my students, Janya, recently wrote an eloquent essay about the importance of education for girls in India.
Janya getting ready to sing the Indian National Anthem at the Republic Day assembly.
In her essay, Janya explained how in India if there is a choice to send a boy or a girl to school, most traditional families will send the boy for monetary reasons. She then documented the lives of a handful of successful India women. The difference...education. Nicely done, Janya!
And finally this week, a great friend who I haven't seen in 20 years, found me recently on Facebook. Linda passed along this quote:
"My continuing passion is to part a curtain, that invisible veil of indifference that fills between us and that blinds us to each others presence, each others wonder, each others human plight." by Eudora Welty
I am a teacher and I am proud to be one!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.