Global Philosophy Forum at Haverford College, Global Dialogue Institute

Consciousness, Connectivity, and Quest for the Unified Filed of Global Wisdom, Science and Spirituality: Making Sense of Our Great Evolutionary Shift Imagining a Transformed World Thriving in Sustainable Economic Justice

Jason Kunen presenting the opening words for the Forum, introducing Dr. Ashok Gangadean

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTdvjylXHyU&feature=youtu.be

Keynote Speakers who presented:

Dr. Ashok Gangadean

Dr. Peter Brown

Laurence Brahm, Esq.

Global Citizenship and Deep Dialogue in Education

© Jason Kunen 2014

In our global age, with the vast plurality of worldviews and cultures coming into contact with each other, is it not necessary for cross-cultural and inter-faith dialogue, coupled with a sensitivity that appreciates diversity, to be prevalent in society?  Such a skill would require learning the art and ethics of deep dialogue, that is, ways of inquiring into the framework and worldview of the Other without violating it in order to engender real appreciation and empathy.  We need to drastically evolve our current ways of being and living in the world if we are to face the crises of our time.  The presence of conflict, political upheaval, and the question of our sustainability requires new and innovative ways to educate the younger generations.

There is a need for a radical shift in the way in which we structure our learning institutions.  Philosophers addressing this matter, whether in the Western approach as in Plato’s Academy from the Greek tradition, or the Eastern mindset for example in Confucianism, have discerned that we must develop students’ capacities in all areas of life, and help them to connect on a deep level with themselves and others.  They should be well-versed not only intellectually, which is what our schools have emphasized, but should have also cultivated their physical, artistic, intuitive, spiritual, philosophical, and emotional sides as well.  Students need to be able to apply the knowledge they have learned, and also understand the how, why, and when behind this process.  Furthermore, is not the mark of a global citizen and student of wisdom realizing that all people can connect on a deep, genuine level when encountered from the ground of the human experience?  For all forms of life are deeply interconnected and mutually interdependent, and, as many of our wisdom teachers have shown, there is unity in diversity, and multiplicity in oneness.

The difficulty lies is giving people the tools and creating an environment where people can learn to cross worlds.  In other words, how can we dilate our minds in order to appreciate and understand a way of life different from our own?  People can begin to realize a deep interconnectedness by seeing that we are all sentient beings that face common problems both outwardly in society, and existentially, and that these problems can addressed more mindfully and reasonably if we learn how to unite in an authentic manner that does not eliminate difference, but celebrates it.  Uniting to face the dilemmas of the human condition, and seeing that cultures across the globe have been trying to address such issues, we mature to non-violent and more integral ways of dealing with the fragmentation of  inter-religious, cross-cultural, and philosophical conflicts and polar splits as we see in our current situation.

If one were to create an intellectually safe environment with the right teacher that allows students to engage in deep ontological self-reflection and dialogue with other worlds, he or she can reevaluate one’s own framework to develop the process of becoming a global citizen.  Learning to conduct our minds with a global vision allows us to promote harmony and compassion for all beings and the ecology, for we come to a deeper understand the vast relationships, on both a personal and worldwide level, that constitute our being.  This need to promote and facilitate an awakening of a holistic mind and to pave the way towards global unity can be accomplished through innovative pedagogies, awareness of how we are conducting our minds, mindfulness practices, and deep dialogue, among other practices that can be woven into the curriculum.

Related Articles and Videos:

On the Problems of our Age, Interconnectedness and Activism

Humanizing the Humanities: The Relevance of the Humanities in Education

Changing Education Paradigms, by Sir Ken Robinson

On Philosophy for Children, by Dr. Thomas Jackson

((Global Education)) by Dr. Ashok Gangadean

Thoughts on the Meaning of Life – Latest post

((Philosophy)) is a ((Path of Happiness))

Courtesy of http://www.mrroaming.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/DSC01880-2.jpg

Courtesy of http://wallpaperswide9.blogspot.com/2013/05/lord-buddha-hd-wallpapers.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I recently saw a play called Philosophy for Gangsters, where it was suggested that philosophy and happiness have nothing to do with each other.  After hearing this, I thought for some time about this topic.  Does philosophy lead to happiness?  Is there a connection?

Philosophy is the “love of Sophia,” meaning wisdom  Let us inquire into these two terms.  ((Wisdom)) may perhaps best be suggested as understanding the nature of ((Reality)), in other words, seeing the truth of ((what is)) in the moment.  Love, not /exclusive/ or /possessive love/, but ((real love)) seems to be a ((total absorption)) with something, such that no /divisions/ or /separateness/ exists between one and the other.

We may not necessarily even be speaking of romantic love, but ((love)) in general.  Imagine for example, the martial artist who becomes absorbed in his or her practice, or the athlete that loses his sense of self on the field such that there is just movement, or the musician who is lost in the music.  A sense of /self/ disappears, and there is only ((action)).  The kind of love which we speak is unconditional; there is no separation between /one/ and the /other/ on any level, but a complete and total ((union)).

((Philosophy)) therefore would mean a ((total absorption and understanding into what is)), i.e., ((the nature of reality)).

Through ((wisdom and love)), we break through the /illusion of separation/.  ((Seeing)) that there is no /separation/ is already the flowering of ((love)).  Thus, ((wisdom-and-love)), ((truth-and-compassion)), are interconnected and co-arise.

As we said in previous articles, an “I” appears to exist because of memories and sensations.  However, if we look closely with sensitivity and awareness, we can see that it is thought that creates a thinker.  The narrative we tell ourselves everyday is an illusion, perpetuated by thought in order to preserve a sense of continuity.  This separation between the thinker and the thought, the experiencer and the experienced, creates conflict and divisions within us.

Since thought operates only in the past and projects the future, there is a conflict between what should be (according to thought), and what is.  This /self/, the /ego/, projects all kinds of labels, categories, divisions, and judgments on reality and experience.  As we can never escape from the present, from what is, we lead a double life: experiencing what is, and what we think should be according to our desires, thoughts, conditionings, and memories.

In order to define itself, thought creates labels, judgments, and all kinds of divisions.  This causes us to objectify all experience, people, relationships, language, and reality, and view as /other/ anything which does not fit our own definition.  The /ego/ operates in an /I—It/ technology of mind.  ((Wisdom-and-love)), brought to Life through ((Living Philosophy)), creates a shift from /I—It/ to ((I==Thou)), whereby objectifying habits are dropped, and there is insight in the ((Sacredness)) and ((Interrelatedness)) of all things.

Without any /divisions/ or /separateness/, there is no inward conflict, for conflict can only exist between /one/ and an /other/.  Without conflict, there is not only ((clarity)), but ((order)).  In this sense, ((order)) is not forced, disciplined, or adherence to some moral law, but is a natural spontaneity that is in itself ((ethical, creative, and harmonious)).  For the one who embodies ((love-and-wisdom)), he or she would not even consider /violence/ or /actions/ that would harm others, for they are ((aware)) of the ((interconnectedness of all things)).  Order seemingly brings about virtue and goodness then, and these give rise also to harmony.  Of course, we must keep in mind that these ((qualities)) such as order, virtue, wisdom, love, etc., do not arise in a linear or cause-and-effect manner, but also ((co-arise)) together, and are ((interrelated)).

Therefore, if there is no /self/ in conflict or that is /divided/, but simply the ((manifestation)) and ((action)) of these ((qualities)), would this not be happiness?  For the very /pursuit/ of happiness obstructs its flowering, because there is a pursuer and the pursued.  But without that conflict, and just the ((total absorption and flowing into what is)), ((the present moment)), there is bliss.

Thus, ((Philosophy)), not intellectual jargon, debates, and complex theories, but real ((Living Wisdom)) is the key to ((Happiness)) and ((Human Flourishing)).  This ((meditative intelligence)), the ((understanding and awareness)) of ((what is)) is ((Living Philosophy)).  ((Philosophy)), therefore, is a ((Way of Liberation)).  It is not a path “towards” happiness, as that would create a division between the path and a goal, but rather, ((Philosophy)) is a ((Path of Happiness)).

Related Articles:

The Game of Life – Don’t Take it Personally

On the Nature of Happiness

Making the Ordinary Extraordinary

When Life Falls Apart

On Uncertainty

Link to my book – Meditations on Zen and Martial Arts Philosophy

Link to my other essays – http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=1837756

Navigating the Mazeway: Fulfilling our Best Possibilities As Individuals and As a Society, by Tony Parrotto

The Mazeway Project

That Which Is, by Martha Randolph and Elizabeth Campbell

A Call to ((Action)): On The Problems of our Age – We are as we mind – Interconnectedness

Everywhere we turn nowadays it seems there is another crisis on the horizon, a crumbling of an outdated system, or some other major predicament that we are unsure of how to address.  We have incompetent leaders fueled by lust for power, greed, and promoting their own agendas, the gap between the rich and poor continues to increase, the environment continues to be subject to our negligence, more and more families are struggling financially, the majority of companies and entrepreneurs have no coherent or moral vision of ways to use their money to help others, we have a failing economy, an antiquated educational system, a breakdown in meaningful dialogue and communication, an unstable job market, and more conflicts and wars on both a local and a global scale.  These are just a few examples of the issues we face today.

These are the great issues of our time, the crises of our era, the problems of our world.  But what do we mean when we say phrases like that?  Don’t they imply that the problems are somehow “out there”?  It suggests, doesn’t it, that we the people are subject to these unfortunate circumstances, and have to learn to survive and cope with such a world, as if we are victims of others’ actions?  But are these issues really separate from us?  It would be an odd thing, wouldn’t it, to say that these are society’s problems or the world’s problems, yet somehow the world or society does not include myself?  Now if everyone were to have this mentality, then what is left?  Isn’t society is constituted by the vast network of relationships between you and me, the environment, and our neighbors across the street and across the globe?  Therefore, if we wish to solve these issues, the first thing we must address is our own psychological process, for each and every one of us played a role in creating these dilemmas.

I am not blaming or trying to make anyone feel guilty, but we must understand that we are not separate from the world, from these issues.  Think, if we are living a life of competition, greed, anger, violence, objectification, apathy, ignorance, envy, hatred, and self-centeredness, could the world be any different?  The world is a projection of ourselves; we are as we mind.  The way in which we conduct our mind, that is, our way of minding in the world, is the world.  So, if we want any hope of creating a coherent and moral vision of how we can creatively respond to these issues, we will have to pay very close attention to the way we are conducting our minds.

Now, if you believe this is our human nature and we cannot change but through another, or you believe we cannot change how we conduct our mind, or you have any answer to this question without truly seeing any of this for yourself, then there is no communication between us.  If you wish to live a life of competition, misery, violence, suffering and the rest of it…it is your life, not mine.  But for those of us truly interested to see if there is a different way we can conduct our mind, who are open to the possibility that perhaps we can understand our psychological process and thereby change ourselves, then let us inquire together regarding this connection between ourselves and the world.

Firstly, we should recognize the fact that when we attribute the problems of our world to some external factor, we are deferring our responsibility to another.  When we do that, we separate ourselves from the problem.  This leads to apathy and inaction, because now you believe that someone else is tasked with the mission of solving such problems.  We turn to our leaders to solve wars, end poverty, change education, and the like, yet we ourselves in our own lives continue to be violent, greedy, and surrender the responsibility of educating our children to another.  First and foremost, we must recognize that we ourselves are responsible for these problems, but instead of feeling guilty and powerless, we must also see that we also have the power to become aware of this way of minding and change it.  While this realization may be distressing at first, it is also very empowering.

By ((transforming)) our /ego-centric and self-centered/ mindset and ((evolving)) to a way of ((minding)) that is guided by compassion, love, wisdom, intelligence, understanding, dialogue, and free of fear, we affect the network of relationships around us.  This doesn’t mean one goes out to convert others or impose one’s ideas on another, that is still violence.  Do you see why it is violent?  You cannot accept the way I am living, my views or religion or whatever else, and you believe you are right, that you have the “truth”; so you impose your ideas in an attempt to make me a copier of your beliefs, a second-hand, mechanical human being living on your words.  No, the change that happens to others when you are free of fear and transform your way of minding is different.  Others feel your presence is safe and loving.  If they are at all open and aware, they will begin to feel as though you are different, and it may spark something in them.

If we care at all about these issues, and are serious about being open and changing ourselves to make the world a more peaceful, compassionate place for ourselves and future generations, then we must start with becoming aware of ourselves, our psychological process.  For more on this, I recommend reading my previous posts:

On Relationships:

https://jasonkunen.wordpress.com/2013/10/29/on-relationships-encountering-others-in-the-moment/

and On Psychological Freedom:

https://jasonkunen.wordpress.com/2013/11/20/on-freedom-reaction-vs-response/

This awareness of ourselves and our reactions must extend to our relationships with others, not be confined to a cave in the mountains.  Society is the vast network of relationships, and how we conduct our mind affects our relationships thereby affecting the society.  Therefore, solving the problems in our world means addressing them within ourselves.  If we know how to look at the violence, anger, loneliness, suffering, pain, and the rest of it within ourselves, without judging or condemning it, but observing to understand it, then we can begin to understand others and work to solve these great issues.  Once we realize that we have a responsibility to humankind, to the planet, and to ourselves, we take the first step towards ((transformation)) through ((Self-knowledge)).

I also recommend reading the book Navigating the Mazeway: Fulfilling our Best Possibilities As Individuals and As a Society, by my good friend and colleague Tony Parrotto.  His valuable work and accessible terminology has influenced my own ideas and language.  A link to the book and the his website, The Mazeway Project are below:

Link to the Mazeway Project website: http://mazeway.org

Link to the book, Navigating the Mazeway:

http://www.amazon.com/Navigating-Mazeway-Fulfilling-Possibilities-Individuals/dp/0874260701

My teacher, Ashok Gangadean, has also been instrumental in shaping my ideas, and I have included a video of him speaking below.  His website is: http://awakeningmind.org

Related links:

Global Philosophy, talk by Ashok Gangadean:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODCfj0rV6DY

Changing Education Paradigms, by Sir Ken Robinson:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U

On Philosophy for Children, by Thomas Jackson:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNX_SvkrzjA

Listen to yourself and find answers, by Jiddu Krishnamurti:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VWnf9OBpQA

On Destiny, Meaning, Purpose and Fear Part 1:

https://jasonkunen.wordpress.com/2013/11/06/on-destiny-meaning-purpose-and-fear-part-1/

Part 2: https://jasonkunen.wordpress.com/2013/11/13/on-destiny-meaning-purpose-and-fear-part-2/

On Education: https://jasonkunen.wordpress.com/2013/10/14/reflection-on-education-10142013/

On Dialogue and Education:

https://jasonkunen.wordpress.com/2013/10/17/reflections-on-dialogue-and-education-10162013/

Link to my book, Meditations on Zen and Martial Arts Philosophy:

http://www.amazon.com/Meditations-Zen-Martial-Arts-Philosophy/dp/1105797317

Reflections on Dialogue and Education

© Jason Kunen 2013

In this global and technological world, our children are being exposed to cultures, worldviews, and perspectives from around the globe, and have the opportunity to transform the way they experience reality.  However, despite the advantages of globalization, we must also face its obstacles.  Multiplicity, while potentially enriching our view of reality, can also breed conflict and disunity when not soundly integrated into one’s own conceptual framework or viewed from the common ground of human experience.

From the standpoint of the ego, one feels knowledgeable having learned about different conceptions of life, but it is crucial to consider how these forms of living are integrated in a coherent manner into one’s own way of being in the world.  Philosophers and religious traditions from around the globe have been advocating that to truly change our world and progress on the path towards peace and unity, we will have to change the way in which we are conducting our minds and shift towards a different kind of consciousness, one driven by compassion and wisdom.

Through awakening our meditative intelligence and becoming critically reflective, we can move to a new stage of human development that is characterized by wisdom and compassion.  After studying various traditions and with many teachers, in addition to my own insight and experience, this means realizing that the plurality of mental frameworks and worldviews, in fact, share a fundamental common ground.  Developing our awareness to understand that vastly different forms of life are deeply interwoven will allow us to unite as a powerful force to tackle the problems of our age.  This unity is not to be misconstrued in an anthropocentric sense, but rather in the sense that we have a responsibility to ourselves, others, and the world, regardless of ego-based discriminations like race, religion, gender, nationality, age, and other such distinctions.

With the vast plurality of worldviews and cultures in nearly all areas of life, it is necessary for cross-cultural and inter-faith dialogue, coupled with a sensitivity that appreciates diversity, to be prevalent in society.  Education, therefore, must now address the philosophical issues relevant to our time, and return to the ground of concrete reality and real-life experience, rather than merely fixating on theory and textbook knowledge.  It is quite common that many school curriculums emphasize intellectual cultivation and abstract ideas far removed from students’ lives and psychological development.  Education has become nothing but tools for examinations and preparing students for the next stage of schooling, rather than cultivating their abilities and providing them with skills they can apply in their lives.  Intellectual cultivation is merely one side of education, but most others tend to be overlooked or neglected.

Growing as a student is not only about acquiring knowledge, but learning how to interact with people and how to consider how others make sense of the world.  Such a skill requires learning the art and ethics of dialogue, but not in the sense of typical conversation, but a way of inquiring into the framework of the other without violating it in order to engender real appreciation and empathy.

Reflections on Education (10/14/2013)

There is a need for a radical shift in the way in which we structure our learning institutions.  Philosophers addressing this matter, whether in the Western approach as in Plato’s Academy from the Greek tradition, or the Eastern mindset for example in Confucianism, have discerned that we must train the students in all areas of life and help them to connect on a deep level with themselves and others.  They should be well-versed not only intellectually, but should have cultivated their physical, artistic, intuitive, spiritual, philosophical, and emotional sides as well.  The foundation of intelligence and wisdom is having a holistic, meditative, and critically reflective mind, whereby one can not only apply knowledge, but can simultaneously understand the how, why, and when behind this process.  Furthermore, the mark of a global citizen and student of wisdom is realizing that all people can connect on a deep, genuine level when encountered from the ground of ontology, for all forms of life are deeply interconnected as our wisdom teachers have shown.

The real key is giving people the tools and creating an environment where people can learn to cross worlds.  In other words, how can we dilate our minds in order to appreciate and understand a way of life different from our own?  People can begin to realize a deep interconnectedness by seeing that we are all sentient beings and face common problems both in society and existentially, and that these problems can be overcome if we learn how to unite in an authentic manner that does not eliminate difference, but celebrates it.  Uniting to face the dilemmas of the human condition, and seeing that cultures across the globe have been trying to address such issues, inter-religious, cross-cultural, and philosophical dialogue would no longer be fragmented and filled with polar splits as we see in our current situation.

If one were to create an environment that allows students to engage in deep ontological self-reflection and dialogue with other worlds, he or she can reevaluate one’s own framework of mind to become a global citizen.  Learning to conduct our minds in this manner allows us to promote harmony and compassion for all beings, for we come to understand the vast relationships, on both a personal and cosmic level, that constitute our being.

Introduction

Hello Friends!  Welcome to this ((Dia-blog))!

This website is designed to give readers insight into Global Philosophy and Ethics, the work of great thinkers, and encouragement to understand oneself and the world around us.

This is not a typical blog where I write my opinions and you read them.  We are having a Dialogue together on the great issues of our time.  We are inquiring whether there is a profoundly different approach to encountering and living life that is not violent, judgmental, or filled with all kinds of suffering.  I hope that as you read these posts, you inquire into yourself and have a Dialogue with the text.

Philosophy, martial arts, ethics, spiritual guidance in the modern age, and meditation, are just a few of the topics we shall look at together.  The most important thing I ask is not to agree or disagree, nor like or dislike anything said here, but to read it mindfully and consider for oneself if it has any merit.  Do not take anything on my authority or anyone else’s, but examine it for yourself to determine if these ideas cohere with your own experience.  This is a journey we are taking together.

Posts may include excerpts from essays, day-to-day thoughts, and quotations from authors.