REPORT ON SATSANG MEETING - 12th February 2011

Creativity & Revolution’

What is Education? ‘Challenging our Cultural Filters’

REPORT ON OUR DAY OF REFLECTION

We met in Satsang on Saturday 12th February at the Friends Meeting House in Wloverhampton. In many ways this Day of Reflection was different, not least in our use of music, movement and our choice of topic.

We began the day with some movement to music to balance our energy fields. This was led by Angela, who reminded us that we are Body- Psyche and Spirit. So often we can over-intellectualise the spiritual journey   and  fail to recognise the importance of the body. Angela led us in some gentle 'Tai Chi like' body movements to release and balance our energy.

Our day involved us in  reflecting  on  the  many challenges facing our world. It is a world where change is occurring at an unprecedented rate. Therefore we  can  tend to take much for granted and remain unaware of the cultural filters that colour our view of the world and of hitherto acceptable ‘truths’.  We focused one of the critical foundations of our views on our world i.e.  formal Education and particularly the concept of Universal Education.  Education, which really only became universal in the past 150 years  is  thus a relatively recent event in our human history and has, to some extent, become a  ‘Sacred Cow’ .  It has become over-politicised in the West and , in general, not been subjected to real scrutiny and challenge.

So our Day of Reflection was designed  to use the theme of Education to begin to critically examine the influences and filters of this and other Sacred Cows on our lives and how these influence our concept, practice and experience of Spirituality.    

Many would contend that we are all responsible as Co- Creators to cherish, maintain and improve Creation at all levels of Body – Mind and Spirit.   So our Day was designed , in 2 halves , to have a balance of  INPUT, PERSONAL REFLECTION and Group Sharing.

Part 1  Setting the Scene -  OUR CREATIVITY BEING BLOCKED

Pink Floyd :    We opened with a short Video from Pink Floyd - 'We don't need no Education'

Is Education merely like many other things we either learn and/or accept in life  merely  ‘ Another Brick in the Wall that blocks Creativity ?

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TED TALK from Sir Ken Robinson (  Is Education Killing Creativity ? What BRICK WALLS is it Building ?)     We then watched a fascinating video from Sir Ken Robinson. It challenged much of the received wisdom of current Educational Systems and how these stiffled children's creativity. When this finished we had time for personal reflection , guided and informed by some questions/. These were :

HOW DO I RESPOND TO THE POINTS KEN Made ?

WHAT 1 THING STRUCK ME ?

IF EDUCATION IS PLAYING A PART IN STIFFLING CREATIVITY , HOW DOES THIS IMPACT ON MY VIEW OF SELF – WORLD – CREATION at Body-Mind – Spirit Levels ?

There then followed a very interesting period of sharing  followed by another short clip about  Education  of Girls in INDIA . This stressed the  importance of Education and opportunity and highlighted how in  so many aspects of life and in many parts of the world we can be in danger of stifling up to 50% of our human creativity , particularly as regards young girls

LUNCH

Over lunch we shared in Satsang about the 1st half and about our lives.

Part 2   Bring on a Revolution in Creativity

ONCE AGAIN, Angela led us in an Energy Balancing Movement

In our 2nd main Video Clip Ken Robinson talked  about how  Education's  failure to properly nourish and nurture our children was a block on human creativity and a waste of human resources. . However, as we listened  carefully, it became obvious thany of his points could  be applied to ALL stages and aspects of our own life. Our ability to flourish, expand and grow creatively does NOT cease when we finish formal schooling. It carries on throughout life .

TIME FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION :- 20-30 minutes

Our reflection time was informed by the following questions that rose out of the points made in the video.

What are my passions? What was or  are my dreams.? 
and in the light of a qupotation by Abraham Licoln, 'ARE OUR DOGMAS of ‘the quiet past’ adequate for our Stormy Present ?'
What dogmas require challenging  in OUR lives ?' of Life, Politics, Religion, etc

These were challenging questions and ones  that require a lot of reflection. Our sharing was varied and deep. In many ways it raised more questions than it answered. However, that is healthy as it is only by asking the 'big' questions can we hope to gain meaningful responses.