How do we proceed towards a change of perception, permeating society with the values of the global citizen? I believe it is through transformation of the educational system. Education shapes the foundations of a society; The educational system of a nation reflects the values of its people and shapes its future. In addition, it is the best place to introduce a new way of seeing the world. Children are the ones who change the world, and each new generation drags the previous ones towards tomorrow, for better or for worse.
If we want future generations to meet the challenges of society with courage, responsibility and compassion, the educational model must help children to cultivate these qualities within themselves. Humanity is inherently blissful and generous, we are all born with these virtues.
It is by losing sight of our inner brilliance that we begin to experience lack, insecurity and distrust, which leads to selfishness, aggression, greed, hostility and hatred. That is why my educational proposal emphasizes the importance of nurturing the inner aspect in our children. If we do, they will be able to preserve the loving and peaceful state with which they were born.
What do you want to be when you grow up? We have all been asked this question as children.
But what do we want to be? Happy? Full? Peaceful? Generous? Loving? Cheerful? What should our children study to be able to become these states of being?
Our typical childhood responses ("actress," "singer," "astronaut," "firefighter," "doctor") reflect the essential problem: fundamentally we believe that the most important thing is what we do and that our happiness depends on what we are doing.
This brings us once again to what sets us apart: those who choose "important" professions are valuable and those who do not, are not so significant. Again we are fueling discrimination, comparison, competitiveness and division.
In fact, our happiness depends on what we are being. What is our being? Our being is our consciousness, the vital force within us, the witness, our essence. It is what we find when we stop losing ourselves in our thoughts and we bring our attention to the present moment. In doing so, we soon experience the silence behind our thoughts. Just as the words on this page are surrounded by empty space, our thoughts reside in empty space. They are not the beginning and end of existence, they are simply noise that is occurring in a relatively small part of our nervous system.
When we become aware of the emptiness beyond thought, we discover the happiness, harmony, and vitality it holds. There resides the passion, the inspiration, the creativity, the generosity, the trust and the acceptance. And suddenly, we uncover what we were looking for: happiness and fulfillment.
This is a more compassionate space, since dwelling in our being instead of focusing on doing, enables us to see the essential being of others. And you know what? It is as beautiful, pristine, spontaneous and deep as our own.
Isha Judd is an Australian humanitarian spiritual teacher based in Latin America, author of “Love Has Wings” and “Why Walk When You Can Fly?”. Watch “Why Walk When You Can Fly?” on itunes. Her website is www.ishajudd.com. Watch more movies and inspiring videos at isha.tv
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