Prof John (Jack) Miller
University of Toronto
We live in a time of division, fragmentation, and conflict. The political divisions are so strong in the United States that politicians of one party demonise members of the opposing party. Conspiracy theories are developed to feed people’s anger. Anger and hatred are fuelled by social media, talk shows, and cable networks that appeal to a specific audience. There seems little effort to bring people together and to help us live more harmoniously. I believe that the education systems in many countries with their limited focus on developing skills so one competes in the global economy have contributed to these divisions. There has been little emphasis on education of the heart or nourishing student well-being which would help us to live together more equitably and harmoniously.
In this climate Jwalin Patel’s book Learning to Live Together Harmoniously deserves our attention. In the west, we can look at how India has given the world some of the most inspiring educational visionaries—Tagore, Gandhi, Krishnamurti, Sri Aurobindo, and most recently the Dalai Lama. Patel’s research focuses on schools connected to these visionaries and the teachers in these schools. One of the main strengths of the book is how Patel lets us hear how teachers in these schools work to create learning environments that are truly holistic and are helping students live together.
Teachers in these schools use dialogue and group work to help students work together. They also employ meditative activities such as birdwatching, nature appreciation, writing reflective poems, and breathing practices. Silence is valued and supported, not as a classroom management technique, but to slow down and listen more deeply. Silence also supports the appreciation of beauty which was emphasised by several teachers. Patel comments, “This appreciation of beauty around us leads to a very different way of living and being; I believe it moves students from an anthropocentric, extractive ways, to more humane, sustainable ways of living and being.” Awareness of beauty and its importance is not part of schooling in most countries and needs to become more central in teaching and learning since it can nourish students’ well-being.
The teachers’ comments in the book moved me. Here is one:
“The day I am close to my inner being there comes a different tone in the class. Finding and connecting with your own psychic being is the most important thing you can do as a class teacher.” In my work in teacher education, I ask students to do meditation so that they can connect to their “inner being” and teach from that place.
Here is what one student wrote reflecting on her meditation practice:
Through meditation I feel that I am being gently invited to observe the nature of my own humanity. Personally, I had been strongly moved and transformed through the beautiful nature of this spiritual practice. I had heard my voice and soul with amusement. I had slowly let my inner judge go away and be more in touch with the unspoken, the unseen, and the sacred part of myself. I had achieved a larger vision of myself and my reality, a vision that tenderly dilutes my fears, preconceptions, judgments and need for control. Because of meditation I had been able to transform my fear, anger, and resistance into joy, forgiveness, acceptance, and love. (Miller, 2014, p. 154)
Another quote from a teacher in Patel’s book:
The overall goal is to be kind, it’s my prayer that I will be kind in class, just help me to be kind.
What beautiful words and aspirations. The Dalai Lama talks about a religion of kindness and this teacher aspires to make kindness central to her teaching.
Teachers emphasised the importance of living their lives more harmoniously. They felt that more important than any teaching technique was living harmoniously as a way of life. Patel writes, “There was a constant sentiment that learning to live together harmoniously requires one to work consciously on oneself and all teachers shared an inner conviction to change themselves. In order to do so, teachers were frequently engaged in dialogues, sessions where they read spiritual texts, meditation, and regular and constant introspection/reflection.” The teachers saw their work as an ongoing process of awakening and being compassionate. As much as possible they were actualising holistic learning and an education of the heart. Reading the comments from these teachers, I would want my children in their classrooms.
A final strength of the books is that Patel presents his ideas and research in an open manner that encourages the reader to examine their own beliefs and explore their own ideas. In this way Patel asks the reader to participate in a conversation with the ideas presented in the text. I encourage the reader to engage the inspiring material in this book and participate in that conversation.