Universal Education - Seeing the Big Vision

LAMA THUBTEN YESHE - THE BIG VISION

Interview with Connie Miller on Universal Education at Pomaia in 1982 (transcript from the video-tape. Abbreviations used: yk = "you know",   yu = "you understand"  UEP = Universal Education Project)

Connie Miller: Then perhaps we continue with questions on the Universal Education project.

Lama Yeshe: You need anything, you're welcome.

CM: Thank you. When many people first heard about the UEP and its purpose, they understood it to be for the purpose of formulating educational goals and methods for youth in FPMT centers and to generate a Mahayana-based education for center children and others. But since the conference last October and in light of His Holiness's contribution, it now seems that we can understand the purpose as being much broader than this. Can you enlighten this, can you tell us the goals of the UEP and in what way it is in fact universal?

LY: Mh. Well, first of all, I explain you first beginning UEP - we need new education for the world, because all the education is no longer up-to-date for the present intelligent people, yk. And present education produces world conflict and dissatisfaction for the new generation. So I believe this project is long time, I believe even 7-8 years start already, looking for somebody to take over. Somehow is too late, nobody is act. Then fortunately you accepted and told you that time, this is, the reason I call universal, it means something universal people understood, entire human reality. 
     
Now, now many people in the world don't understand totality of human reality, they don't understand their totality. They don't want to accept spirituality, yk, and when they do accept spirituality, they don't accept scientific reality. This conflict I can see in the Western world. Commonly this, according this, the corresponds, I determinate, there must be way to go middle way, and people educate both spiritual and, yk, what I mean, and both scientific, these two. And human being have to be, sort of capable to take care of themselves physically and mentally, to liberate from any kind of problem of physical or mind.

And so, what I mean is with education now, what you need is, I think, is, present stage, there are lot of intelligence and wisdom but presentation is too narrow and too, sort of dogmatic way present to student of the world. So they conflict each other. Reflect whatever is, dualistic reflection, not only dualistic but conflict reflect. I feel we should eliminate conflict situation by using words, by using terminology, yu, yu? Let's say I tell you, eg. we can teach entire Lam.Rim and something Tantra without using any terminology of Buddhist, I think, I can do. You can do it too.

Yu, so it doesn't have category, yk, sort of category. Instead of producing category self-pity imagination themselves, can have free, free from the category distinction, mh, self-pity identification, yu? Eliminate that situation, be free being, free universal living being, and completely understand own psychology of oneself, one's own physics, or oneself, yu? That's what I call Universal Education.

Then I told you, Buddhism, we have this quality, Universal Education in Buddhism, we do have. But I want you change clothes, cut these terminology, Buddhist words. Yk, don't using like nirvana, yu what I mean, which is Sanskrit religious word, and use just simple scientific language and which does not have any religious connotation, which does not have any, kind of belongs such category. Just explaining neutrally, isn't it? Something. Communicating?

CM: Very helpful.

LY: Because all concepts, I tell you, projection, because human being already projecting such way, narrow connotation. Yk, label already. This have to take out, to have new imagination, new broad view, by eliminating concept-words and clothes. Not sure, understand or no?

CM: Yes, Lama.

LY: That's what universal meaning. So now, I'm telling you, Universal Education doesn't means: "I'm Universal Education organization, I cannot be Buddhist nun." Wrong. Really. You are Buddhist nun, isn't it, by keeping Buddhist ethics. But you have universal understanding, aiming these things, you can plan, otherwise nobody can do, nobody can do. Then everybody says, "No, I can't do, you cannot do, because you are not universal, you. English cannot do, American cannot do, because Americans this way. Tibetans cannot do because Tibet is nowhere, Himalaya world, Shangri-la, nobody knows what is happening in the world." So nobody can do, isn't it? That is no question. 

But we have clean-clear vision, dimension, what we should be. Ok? Now, Universal Education student not requirement to become nun, not requirement to become monk. Can happen monk, can happen nun, can happen marriage, can have everybody, entire universal world is universal, world, education student. Hm. Clear?

CM: I think so, Lama.

LY: So what we have is, I feel, Buddhism, we have universal attitude and we have teachings to give universal reality. So these need to take shape and language and some kind of universal image, have to take, yu, and that is important. Then we can contribute. So this resource is our student, they understand, realistic point of view. I tell you, dedication comes from our student, you let them understanding.

That's why I told you, Universal Education is from children up to death-time, and after death, next life, next life. How to be educated? This has to be planned. Therefore I say, you have to start gradually, same time you have great project. Exercise, you should be slowly, you cannot only intellect. You should realistic start from somewhere, small way. Then I telling you, if something for the children, deep understanding of human being and same time, express somehow very simple language. And you produce A,B,C,D books, some extent contribute, the resource by the ... our student, and they listen. 

I think, slowly, slowly, they can do. So then, they can see benefit is, yk, I think this is quite a bit long distance, many generations sort of, finished for us, children education. We don't need now, we are too old already. But you have to think about new children, new baby, who not yet come out of mother's womb. Yes. And so we are, we think about, really think about with great concern. Don't think new children not come because nuclear disharmony, destroy - not true. Don't worry, new children come.

CM: Thank you, Lama.

LY: You're welcome.

CM: Specifically then, in the process of integrating the Dharma into Western education, then how can we try to be sure not to lose the essence of the Dharma?

LY: That you need good understanding, Dharma people, to work your education board. Right. Agree. Definitely. That need incredible sort of skill. Again I tell you one thing. When we say, when we make new education, that does not mean we give up old education totally. We use old education, but we take out in this old education the words which is, which makes dumb and closed, those things you take out - putting new shape. Communicating or not? Yes, and add more flavor, deeper understanding of human nature, yk. That's why Universal Education does not mean we give up mathematics education which Western offer, give up those things - no sense! That is not true. It has sense and value. 

Same thing, other Western education has value. But many need some kind of flavor, more totality, more deeper nature. Each subject has totality, method and wisdom contained as we described. Remember? We talk about Tantra, always two things to go, method and wisdom, isn't it? Every energy has method and wisdom go together. So the same thing you have to introduce into that situation scientifically, Ok? Ya. Then what other thing, that question, you finished your question?

CM: I finished my question.

LY:  All right. You're satisfied with your question? All right.

CM: Thank you very much.

LY: You are welcome, dear.

(end of the interview with Connie Miller)

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Lama Thubten Yeshe was born in Tibet in 1935. At the age of six, he entered Sera Monastic University in Tibet where he studied until 1959. As Lama Yeshe himself expressed it, "in that year the Chinese kindly told us that it was time to leave Tibet and meet the outside world."

Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa came together as teacher and disciple while in exile in India, and met their first Western students in 1965. Lama Yeshe immediately took a lively and profoundly intelligent interest in Western culture, and within ten years had begun to tour extensively and teach students in Australasia, Europe and North America. This network of students eventually became The Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT). Lama Yeshe's vision for "a new kind of universal education" was launched at a conference in Italy in 1982 attended by leading spiritual leaders, psychologists and educators, including HH The Dalai Lama, now Patron of the Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom. Following Lama Yeshe's early death in 1984, this vision is now being taken forward by his successor Lama Zopa, the Honorary President of the Foundation.

For more see: www.lamayeshe.com 
and more about Universal education:  www.essential-education.org