LETTERS FROM TO VALENTINO

Letters from and to Valentino

Ciao Odorico.
                      Grazie per la tua generosita’. Ripareremo il tetto e i bambini torneranno a fare yoga e recitare mantra, sperando nella clemenza del prossimo ciclone. I danni avrebbero potuto essere molto piu’ seri, vista la potenza del vento. L’insegnante di yoga ha invitato gli studenti a recitare mantra e preghiere per tutta la durata del ciclone. Credo che le preghiere abbiano pacificato il dio della pioggia e del vento che ha risparmiato altre strutture fragili della scuola e, soprattutto, non ha ferito alcun studente.
I bambini delle elementari erano nelle aule piu’ a rschio (con tetto di paglia). Se un albero fosse caduto su un’aula, chissa’ che cosa sarebbe accaduto.
Insomma, la nostra buona stella continua a proteggerci.
Ho letto il tuo blog. Lo usero’ per i prossimi corsi di aggiornamento, ammesso che le suore siano ancora presenti.
Grazie per l’invito a visitare la famiglia del tuo amico. Me l’avevi gia’ fatto questo invito, quando mi trovavo in uno stato psicologico non molto, come dire?, equilibrato. Terro’ presente anche questa “via di fuga” dal quotidiano e dai problemi…
Grazie e un abbraccio
Valentino

Ps. Se hai tempo, dai un’occhiata ai contenuti del blog nelle nostre pagine web e anche a quelli del nuovo progetto  bodhgayanews.org Ti segnalo, in particolare, una notizia e un commento, che ti invio…

 The Times of India

Hopes float on ’school on boat’

Binay Singh, TNN, Apr 21, 2010, 05.08am IST
VARANASI: Here comes a floating school for the children of the boatmen. In a novel gesture, a local social organisation and some enterprising people have launched two ’schools on boats’ for providing informal education to the children of the economically backward community who could not enroll in schools. In the first step, 62 boys and girls are being provided informal education on two boats at the Rajghat.
These children row the boats amid chants, but their chants have a unique connotation. Their every movement is filled with a purpose. For them, it is a way to education. “Humko angrezi ka A B C D yaad ho gaya hai (I have learnt alphabets),” says Gunja, a 12-year-old girl from the boatmen community. Govind (17), who has never been to school, is also busy learning English so that he can interact with foreign tourists.
 
“In Varanasi, the Ganga River is a way of life, especially for the thousands of boatmen and their families who depend on the river for sustenance. Through this initiative, we are trying to develop an interest in learning in these children as well as their parents, who consider sending their wards to school a waste of time,” a volunteer of the Vishal Bharat Sansthan (VBS), the social organization spearheading the campaign, told TOI.
The ‘classes’ are held on two medium-sized boats. The children assemble at the ghat at 4.30pm, even before the arrival of their teachers. They then take their seats on the two boats and the class begins with a prayer. Govind and his brother Abhishek (eldest of the lot) take the charge of rowing the boats. The class continues till 6.30pm. Schooling on floating boats is also a fun activity for these children, who are skilled in swimming.
It is only the eldest boys among them who row the boats during the two-hour floating classes in the afternoon. A boatman, Gurucharan Sahani, has voluntarily provided two boats for the purpose. The teachers come from Banaras Hindu University (BHU), government offices and those from VBS provide their services free of cost.

Comment

Interview with a Bodhgaya tourist.

By Sanje Kumar

Georje is a friend of the Bodhgaya people. He is a retired journalist and teacher. He uses to visit the holy city every year. “For twenty five years I’ve come to Bodhgaya to pray at the Holy Stupa and interact with local people. I like to talk with teachers, social workers, educationists, and religious people in order to discuss the way to improve the quality of life of the common men and women. It seems that the benefits of tourism are not reaching the villages surrounding Bodhgaya, but end up in the pockets of a few businessmen and religious merchants. In fact, every year I witness a degeneration of the physical and social environment. In spite all the money that is spent on literacy, Education by the Government and the NGO, it seems that we are far from reaching positive results.’

“Let’s talk about Education. Did you read the news related to the so called Varanasi boat-schools? What do you think?”

“No, let me read the news…”

We show the article of Times of India.

Georje laughs heartily.

“This is nothing new. In all the world the schools became a show, a circus where everybody make experiments, tries funny methods… then they write a book and they have the arrogance to claim exceptional results. The field of education is full of sycophants and self-proclaimed gurus who claim to have found the solution to the problems of the Universe. I remember an American research made by a famous psychologist in a Junior and Senior High School. The famous psychologist (‘Emotional Intelligence’, now is the common way to talk about it!) received huge amounts of money for a practical experiment against teasing and bullying among the students. He brought his assistants, professors, peons and whatever he could, included cameramen and journalists, inside the school. He worked for months with the students to prove that his method was working. And, of course, it worked! How can the students not to change their habitual behavior in front of an army of strangers who are monitoring them and filming them? The students gave the expected answers to the researchers. They stopped teasing and bullying, according to the… script. The researchers shouted “Eureka! our method is working” and they left the school happy and satisfied, ready to write one or more books about their findings and success. The sponsors were satisfied too. Can you see the naivety of all this? Of course the thieves will stop stealing if they are surrounded by police! If you know that a famous psychologist is making a research about your bad behavior, don’t you try to show your better face and hide your shadow, at least till the experiment is finish? Who likes to be described as violent? Who likes that his/her school is painted in a negative way?  Recently, in the newspaper there was an article of the sexual perversion of the founder of the Legion of Christ, Fr. Marcial Maciel, who abused several young seminarists. He abused the children for decades, in spite two commissions of inquiring promoted by the Vatican against the priest. When the victims were asked by the commission about the sexual violence, the boys vehemently denied it.

Why? They justified their behavior in this way, “We felt that our Religious Order was under attack and we felt proud to defend it!”

This to prove my point related to experiment, researches and new methods. I want to say that we must be very careful before claiming victory in the field of education.

I have knowledge of parents who were proud with teachers and neighbors because they were convinced that their two children were absolutely exceptional and positive. The hidden thought behind their enthusiasm was, “My children are good because they have wonderful parents who gave them extraordinary education!”

But those parents claimed victory too soon. In fact, to their horror, they discovered that their adorable children were both involved in trafficking drugs!

The whole Universe collapsed burying them under shame.

But it was their mistake. We cannot claim success too early. The field of education is minefield. When you are sure that you’ve reached your target, suddenly something happens that makes you postpone the… celebrations.

It will take decades to test an Educational method and its vision. It is ridiculous to write books to teach parents what and how to do, only on the basis of few years of research and experiments.  But the so called academic scholars and professors are in a hurry. If they do not write their “scientific” papers, how on earth they can proceed in their career? If they do not “prove” that they have invented something new, different, how can they be famous, being invited for lectures, conferences, and interviews to make their living? We could say that for the most part these new revolutionary methods are flops. I repeat, if you are a serious researcher in the field of education you will not claim any final result till you are hundred per cent sure that your method:

Works in short term

Works in medium term

Works in the long term (30,50 years after the results are still there)

It can be repeated in other places

It can be repeated in the conditions of normal life.

What do you mean, “It can be repeated in the conditions of normal life?” 

I will answer with an example. Five years ago I was invited to visit a kindergarten in California. I was told that it was a pilot school where the kids were learning wisdom and kindness. I went there. It was an amazing place surrounded by secular trees, in the middle of the forest, in one of the most expensive places in the State. There were about 20 children attended by 5/6 teachers, plus other members of the staff. The school was five stars standard. The lady principal was enthusiastic of the results. According to her the children were successfully learning kindness while following the standard curriculum. “I will spread our method all over the world!” said the principal, convinced that she discovered the method for eternal happiness. I thought about Indian kindergarten where 50 or 60 children are packed in one room, without any comfort and didactic material, with only one teacher. I imagine the principal teaching how to be kind and compassionate to village children who did not have biscuits, chocolate, porridge, jam, milk for breakfast, and do not have even the pencil to write… This is what I mean that a method, to be successful, must be repeated in the conditions of normal life. If the principal can have the same results in a normal Indian kindergarten, in the summer season, where there is no electricity, water, toilettes… then she can claim success. Otherwise she is only cheating herself and the people. 

Did you meet the principal again?

No, but I know that she fulfilled her dream to spread … happiness around the world. In fact, she became an International teachers’ trainer!

See, there is no difference between the news of “Boat schools” and the VIP kindergarten. Both are … Maya. Illusion. Let me call them with this Indian well known word. We could call “folk schools” or “folk education”. Just funny experiments for the press…Like the School-boat. Can you imagine 60 children on the boats trying to write and read? Two hours up and down on the polluted Ganga to learn English because they need to communicate with the tourists! Those children do not need learn English from BHU professor, because they already speak fluent English. They have learned it, not floating on the Ganga, but talking with the tourists and interacting with them. They have learned practically, not in an extremely artificial and humorous way, up and down on the Ganga’s waves. It is true, they do not know how to write English, but they will never learn it sitting on the boat! To learn how to write and read English and Hindi they need an appropriate place, with appropriate didactic material and trained teachers. Only a serious, formal school can offer all this. Those children have the right to receive this serious and professional education. Otherwise we are again spoiling them, like many NGOs are doing in Bodhgaya.

Can you elaborate the last statement?

Look how some local NGO are trying to get funds from foreigners. They paint Indian children as beggars and the local Governmental Institutions as inefficient, unable to give a good education useful to succeed in their life. On the name of good education, those NGOs ask for money and support from foreigners. Very few foreigner sponsors, actually, take the time to check the titles and professionalism of the so called social workers who “Want to improve the quality of education for the poor children of Bodhgaya”. How do they will do this? Do they have the qualification to do this? Which kind of methodology will they apply to recuperate the poor children and increase their Intelligence Quotient to make them able to compete with the rich children? If they do not have a proper building, trained teachers, audio-video material, science laboratory… how can they have a chance to escape poverty and illiteracy, as they claim in their booklets? See here an example taken from the internet. A local NGO is asking for money in this way. They show the photo of two poor girls and they write literally:

“These two girls represent the many other girls and boys in Bihar who want to go to school but can not. To enable a child of the poorest castes to attend school and learn to read and write requires funds. (…. Name of the NGO) serve children of families who cannot afford to pay the school fees. By becoming a school sponsor, you will enable young girls and boys get an education that will give them a chance to escape poverty and illiteracy for a happier and more productive life.” 

The Government is spending a huge amount of money for the education of girls. Everything is free for them. They even have free lunch, uniform, bicycle, and pocket money. What the NGO writes is a pure lie to extort money to the foreigners who are also indirectly responsible for the corruption and degeneration of ethics and values of Bodhgaya society.

 

What do you suggest?

I do not have the wisdom to find solutions to the problems of the modern society. India has the resources to invent a new model of education. Maybe, the Government should put more energy to train the teachers of its schools, because they are receiving a huge amount of money. The western sponsors should be more careful with their donations. Often they end up sponsoring corruption and dishonesty on the skin of the poor children who are used as tools to get money and economical profit. Just check how the river of money coming from sponsors is used in Bodhgaya. Only a small amount is used for charity. What is the final result of this river of money arriving to the Bodhgaya NGO? We can still see poverty and pollution everywhere. Still the poor children remain poor and cannot compete with the rich children. Very few succeed to find a better life, as all the NGO promise in their advertisements. I would say to anyone who has the good heart to help the poor of Bodhgaya: “Do not act out of your emotions. Use your rational mind to understand the situation and discern between honest and dishonest people. If you are unable to do this, do not act; do not be kind and compassionate without wisdom! The beggars in Bodhgaya are increasing because of your …good heart.”

Caro Valentino,

sono Odorico.

Ti ringrazio della considerazione in cui tieni il mio blog, se intendi usarlo per i corsi di aggiornamento delle suore che  operano nella tua scuola.

Lunedì 10 maggio 2010 

sapienza cristiana, sapienza orientale

Sapienza cristiana e sapienza indiana in questo s’incontrano: la spiritualità è unione e comunione-yoga- con la Via, la Verità, la Vita: la conoscenza ne è una partecipazione integrale, già in questa vita.
La via, la verità, la vita è in noi stessi la nostra intimità più propria, l’autentico sé o atman, e al contempo in sé ci comprende , quale Logos, Verbo, Dharma,- in un rapporto di immanenza reciproca tra un’infinità interiore e un’ infinità esteriore- “il castello” di Teresa d’Avila e della Chandogya,- che manifestano il Brahman – Dio Padre- che è trascendente- l’agricoltore della Vite di cui in Cristo siamo i tralci eppure “tutto in tutti( Paolo, Corinzi)
“Conosciti in me, conoscimi in te”, Tat tvam asi ” Questo sei tu”.
Tale via, verità e vita, è in noi stessi una consapevolezza originaria, alla cui rivelazione profonda dobbiamo risvegliarci, di cui, in una sequela ,occorre aumentare in noi la presenza mentale illuminante- lo Spirito quale “interior magister”. Tale sequela è uno svuotamento del nostro Ego nei suoi attaccamenti, una rinuncia a ogni ” possesso geloso”,( Filippesi), il cui esito è il conseguimento della pace della equidistanza interiore- in cui si decanta la singolarità del nome divino di cui siamo espressione, che è il volto che ci fa assumere la vocazione della nostra capacità di amare a Sua immagine e somiglianza
” Se qualcuno vuol venire dietro a me, rinneghi se stesso, prenda la sua croce ogni giorno e mi segua. Chi vorrà salvare la propria vita la perderà, ma chi perderà la propria vita per me, la salverà”( Luca, 9, 23-24)
In tal senso la kenosi è la verità intradivina che si rivela nelle sapienze orientali.
Ma non resta, forse, quale differenza cristiana,- è la domanda residua- che cosa significhi il dimorare in Dio, in quanto dimorare nel suo amore? Da esso inabitati, per farci come Egli amore, dal momento che siamo comandati ad amarci l’un l’altro come egli ci ha amato, e ci ama,fino alla fine ( Giovanni, 13.34, 15.12, 13.1)- “anzi alla morte di croce”- per amore gratuito del nostro nemico?
O in Prajapati, nella Yagina, non c’è la stessa estasi d’amore dell’Agnello sgozzato fin dalla fondazione del mondo?

Pubblicato da odorico a 09.17 0 commenti

Io  credo di potere esservi fecondo in quanto posso situarmi ove s’incontrano realmente cristianesimo e sapienza indiana , in ragione di un ascolto reale della reale Parola dei testi del cristianesimo messa a confronto almeno con le vulgate più attendibili di buddismo e  induismo,

Cerco di evitare di abbracciare l’induismo o il buddismo in ragione di una recezione e di un rifiuto di versioni del Cristianesimo che non sono all altezza della verità della Parola che vi è incarnata, come tanti induisti o buddisti occidentali, pur di grande altezza di ingegno  quali Achaan Sumedo , o di  permanere nella ritrosia di farmi anche buddista o hindu, per gli  accreditamenti più fantasmatici. della loro sapienza. Per  farmi intendere meglio prima che  cali per me il silenzio definitivo,, secondo me non è incompatibile essere di duplice e triplice fede , perchè Cristo, il Verbo,  non si è manifestato solo incarnandosi in Gesù,

Se è vero,- Giovanni, lettera prima, cui farò costante riferimento, che “Chi confessa che Gesù è il figlio di Dio/ Dio dimora in lui e lui in Dio,” secondo la rivelazione e l’umanizzazione del Logos in Gesù di Nazaret, – accettando che lo spirito abita la carne e che anima la polvere sino a farle risorgere a vita eterna,-,  è altresì vero che è comunque in Dio, – mediante un Cristo sconosciuto a chi crede alla sua manifestazione in Gesù o a chi è uomo terrestre, e non d’altri mondi,-, chinque ama l un l’altro di amore vero- di gratuita donazione reciproca disinteressata- e pratica la giustizia, poichè

” chiunque pratica la giustizia è nato da Dio”,

” e chiunque ama è stato generato da Dio e conosce Dio”.

Ubi charitas est vera, Deus ibi est.

In tal senso le beatitudini cristiane e l ottuplice sentiero buddista o le varie marg e yoga hindu  possono adempiersi nella stessa pienezza di vita non mondana, se non si incorre nei reciproci travisamenti – i principali dei quali  mi sembrano che siano, rispetto al buddismo, la credenza che assicuri già in questa vita la beatitudine del risveglio perchè assicurerebbe nel samadhi uno stato permanente di non sofferenza indifferente e irresponsabile, la quieta vuota di un adualismo perpetuo, rispetto al cristianesimo, invece, la credenza che la vita buona sia una vita di  obbedienza  legalistica a dei comandamenti impostici, in ragione dell’attesa interessata di un frutto salvifico, o per timore di un castigo, mentre vi si  insegna,  piuttosto, che non vale a essere in Dio il timor di Dio ” perchè chi teme non è giunto a pienezza d’amore” e la vera obbedienza può avvenire  solo per amore, se si acquisisce lo stesso “sentire” che fu  in Gesù Cristo- Lettera ai Filippesi-, amandoci l un l’altro come egli ci ha amato dello stesso Amore che il Padre aveva per lui, in lui facendoci dono di se stesso.

 Questo volevo scriverti, fintanto che trovo parole. e gioia nella sofferenza più  dolorosa per la sorte del mio amico indiano.

Oggi era sconvolto perchè è stato derubato delle 2.000 rupie che gli occorrevano per i vestiti nuovi dei suoi bambini , nella concomitanza di un marriage party e della puja  rituale.

Nemmeno il mio invio riparatore di un importo minimo di  euro è bastato a  calmargli la mente.

Che cosa ho da darti in cambio, si doleva, se non i miei principi?

Puoi darmi di essermi amico, gli ho ribadito..

Che tu sai, per me è infinitamente (tanto) di più di ciò che per lui vale il mio contante. 

  Caro Valentino, in oltre se  la notizia e il commento cui ti riferivi  sono i testi concernenti la ” floating school”, condivido tutto il sarcasmo dell’ opinionista, e il suo appello a una carità ragionevole e saggia, di meno la sua confidenza indiana nella  virtuosità  intrinseca e nella necessità imprescindibile di apparati tecnologici. educativi

I miei studenti, ad esempio, se una volta che è stata a loro concessa viene tolta la multimedialità,  per ragioni indipendenti dalla volontà del loro insegnante,  gli si rivoltano contro ancora più aggressivamente, senza alcuna grata memoria,  appena si torna a libro e gessetto.

Caro Valentino,  tutto quello che in precedenza ho scritto è vero, infatti, se si tiene ben presente ciò che scrisse il grande teologo ortodosso Pavel Florenskij: ” Si, la vita è fatta in modo che si può dare qualcosa al mondo solo pagandone poi il fio con sofferenze e persecuzioni. E più il dono è disinteressato, più crudeli sono le persecuzioni, e dure le sofferenze”.

Love

Odorico

 

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