In this participation-based course, students learn how best to have better lives and society based on the two principles and eight paths of the "Joyful Practice." If people are able to follow what makes them happy, what they really want to do and what they're really interested in, not only their lives will be dazzling, but they will also positively influence other people surrounded, and society will gradually change. We will plot out the path to that gentle revolution together.
The purpose of this course is for students to have both broad humane and social values, and to cultivate the ambition to contribute to the coming era.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1) reconnect to ourselves, others, nature, and society.
2)gain understandings through experience of the two principles: the pursuit of happiness and living in the now and the eight paths: body and mind, food and agriculture, nature, dialogue, travel, work, art, and prayer.
3) have chances to explore human ability in their own ways.
Reconnect, Personal Growth, Social Change, Joyful Practice, Follow your bliss, Gentle revolution, Ecology and Spirituality
Specialist skills | ✔ Intercultural skills | ✔ Communication skills | ✔ Critical thinking skills | ✔ Practical and/or problem-solving skills |
This is a participatory course, not one-sided knowledge transmission. Each week students will read in advance a certain portion from the textbook "Minna no tanoshii Shugyo" (Joyful Practice) and write mini reports, have dialogues based on them, and deepen their understandings through participatory workshops. Students will achieve deeper learning through participation, experience, and mutual interactions.
Course schedule | Required learning | |
---|---|---|
Class 1 | Overview of the Joyful Practice. Two principles: Follow your bliss.Mindfulness. Participating the workshop style lecture. | Reflections on experiences. Read the part for next class and write a mini report. |
Class 2 | Reflection of two principles: Follow your bliss. Mindfulness. Eight paths 1: Tuning of body, breath, and mind. | Reflections on experiences. Read the part for next class and write a mini report. |
Class 3 | Reflection of Eight paths 1: Tuning of body, breath, and mind. Eight paths 2: Food and Farming, | Reflections on experiences. Read the part for next class and write a mini report. |
Class 4 | Reflection of Eight paths 2: Food and Farming, Eight paths 3: Nature experience. | Reflections on experiences. Read the part for next class and write a mini report. |
Class 5 | Reflection of Eight paths 4: Having dialogues with diverse people. Eight paths 4: Having dialogues with diverse people by world cafe style. | Reflections on experiences. Read the part for next class and write a mini report. |
Class 6 | Eight paths 5: Journey to different world. Eight paths 6:Finishing tasks in front. | Reflections on experiences. Read the part for next class and write a mini report. |
Class 7 | Eight paths 7: Enjoy art playfully. Eight paths 8:prayer and appreciation | Reflections on the whole learnings. Write a final report. |
Class 8 | Reflection of whole process by world cafe style | Reflections on the whole process and apply it in daily lives. |
Nakano, Tamio. Joyful Practice. Tokyo:Shunju-sha; ISBN978-4-393-33338-9
None.
Active participation( Including home works):80%, Final report:20%
Interest in broad humanity and spirituality .Curiosity. Full commitment to all classes. Not to be late.