When I was growing up as a young boy and teen, not only did I feed spiritually on Buddhist sutras (discourses) and shastras (treatises) and a host of high calibre modern Buddhist writings, I also supplemented my diet with poetry and literature, particularly Chinese poetry of the Tang and Song Dynasties. When I look at my university students these days, I wonder how much of a spiritual diet are they getting at school? What about their teachers? Is all well with their souls?
My school teachers in Chinese and English literature inculcated in me a love for Wangwei and Su Dongpo, Hemingway and Shakespeare alike. Ancient history of the four great civilizations captured my attention: Mesopotamia; Egypt; India; and China. For me, India and China were fascinating beyond measure, coalescing well with my passion for Buddhist Studies and Asian philosophy in general. It was thrilling.
Life is by nature uncertain and liable to anguish. These pandemic times are a case in point. For many, there is pain and suffering not to be glibly whitewashed away by quack religion.
Broken dreams
like tea leaves in a cup
Deep sadness
colours the plains.
A patch of sky
shining with the rays
of dancing Sun
Sitting silently
Wangwei smiles
with me.
I do hope and pray that people in positions of power will one day realize we cannot afford to teach our young to make a living at the expense of forming their souls to make a life. The real disruptions facing us are not external and material. Our inner brokenness is already here, and it will get worse. Perhaps, if we have been more spiritually literate and soulfully formed, we would, as young and old alike, be far less susceptible to the erroneous false doctrines of money-making religious charlatans.
May our education system undergo a deep honest look at itself before it is too late. Soul formation and spiritual nourishment is not an auxiliary or supplement—it is fundamental and quintessential to any education. This will be good for both students and their stressed-out teachers.
