I'm writing to you from McLeod Ganj, home to many Tibetan refugees, including the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government in Exile. I just signed up with Volunteer Tibet to teach English - I start tomorrow. I have to say I'm pretty freaked out about it, as I haven't taught in some years now. Plus they don't seem very organized or equipped in terms of texbooks or lesson plans, and I don't get a classroom, so I've got to just find a place somewhere. The director is giving me a tour of the town before class tomorrow and I'll use the opportunity to try and find some activity books and stuff... We'll see how it goes.
In terms of my question from before, i.e. why Brahman created the phenomenal world, I think this passage from the "Song of Creation" in the Rig Veda gives the most honest answer I've ever seen in any religious text:
Who knows in truth? Who can tell us whence and how arose this universe? The gods are later than its beginning: who knows therefore whence comes this creation? / Only that god who sees in highest heaven: he only knows whence came this universe, and whether it was made or uncreated. He only knows, or perhaps he knows not. (Rig Veda X.129, translated by Juan Mascaro)
"Or perhaps he knows not"?? Wow. And the Vedas are supposed to be 'shruti,' i.e. that which is heard, directly from God. Pretty humble religion when even God professes ignorance. Maybe the answer is something we just can never know, or have to make up for ourselves...
Next up in religious studies: Tibetan Buddhism!
By the way: Some activist kids gave me some flyers calling on people to boycott Google this Valentine's Day, due to their recent agreement with the Chinese government to censor their own search results in China for terms like 'human rights,' 'democracy,' 'Tibet,' 'Tiananmen,' Dalai Lama,' etc. Unfortunately this blog is owned by Google, so I'm already breaking the boycott, but it's to spread the word, so it's okay right? I hope so...
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
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3 comments:
Hi Dan, I think it's cool using google to complain about itself, keep it up.I need to put the Rig Veda on my reading list, I like a philosophy that questions its' own answers. Are you going to be teaching just monks or other people too?Post some pictures if you can, I found a blog with some but they weren't great. I hope you have a hat....Do the monks still sell art to support themselves? If so, you should pick some up before you leave
I like what your'e doing big guy!
Love Mom
hmm, i didn't say anything about monks! but there sure are a lot of them here, and i'd like to try teaching them if my first class works out.
i'll put some pics up in my next post if i can. i do have a hat! not sure if you really want to read the rig veda, it's LONG and mostly unphilosophical. i may pick up some monk art.
thanks for the words of support, i'm super nervous about my first class tomorrow! i didn't start today after all, which was just fine with me. instead i've been gathering materials like crazy, so i should be okay. love ya!
Hey guys,
Just thought I'd set your mind at ease - my first two classes went smoothly, as far as was possible given the situation. The students are all at vastly different levels - a few don't even know the alphabet or how to write, and a couple are semi-fluent and can write complete sentences. So I've been playing a lot of games so far. Not sure how I'm going to create a real lesson plan here, but games are fun and the students are happy at the end of class, so I guess it's working out. About 10 students showed up both days, not all the same ones. They're all Tibetan women of different ages who work at a handicraft store, except two who are from Bhutan. They're super sweet and shy. We're holding the class in their workshop. Anyway, just wanted to let you know that everything is working out! Bye for now...
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