A Message from the Dalai Lama

At the end of the talk someone
from the audience asked the Dalai Lama,
"Why didn't you fight back against the Chinese?"
The Dalai Lama looked down, swung his feet
just a bit, then looked back up at us
and said with a gentle smile,

"Well, war is obsolete, you know. "

Then, after a few moments, his face grave, he said,
"Of course the mind can rationalize fighting back...
but the heart,
the heart would never understand.
Then you would be divided in yourself,
the heart and the mind,
and the war would be inside you."

He also said,

"Never give up
no matter what is going on.
Never give up.
Develop the heart.
Too much energy in your country
is spent developing the mind
instead of the heart.

Develop the heart.
Be compassionate.
Not just to your friends, but to everyone.
Be compassionate.

Work for peace in your heart
and in the world.
Work for peace,
and I say again,
Never give up,
no matter what is happening.
No matter what is going on around you.
Never give up!"

The Beauty of Cameron

This morning I had breakfast with Cameron Maddux, a friend of mine and a person with whom I taught at the Academy of Art for a couple of years. We talked for a long time about Imagine Learning and all of the wonderful things that are happening. He was and has been a deep believer in changing education. He has a young son, Sam, who is a beautiful sprite of a lad, full of creativity, energy, and curiosity. He worries about what will happen to Sam's light as he gets older and faces high school and more.

So as we were finishing our breakfast, he reached into his pocket and pulled money out of his wallet and handed it to me. At first I thought he was trying to pay for breakfast, but then I remembered he had already paid for breakfast! I realized in a flash he was giving me a donation to the cause!!! It was an overwhelming gesture of generosity, but moreso, belief in what we are doing. "This should cover a listening session," he said. I tried to give it back but he wouldn't hear of it. "I am passionate about what you are doing," he said.

Folks, this is the first donation to Imagine Learning! I believe in the purity of the seeds we plant in the world. As the person charged with holding the integrity of the seed of Imagine Learning, this first money could not have come from a purer intent or a more beautiful human being. It was a very moving moment.

This is the way money should flow in the world - through people's beliefs in the intentions of others and answering a calling inside to support those intentions. We thank you Cameron for your generosity and your wonderful belief in what we are doing.

I think I will go to the bank and open the flow!

A Listening Session in Deli, India

Many, many thanks to Imagine Learning team member Anne Stadler, who is traveling to Deli, India and as a part of her travels has arranged to lead a Listening Session at The Modern School when she is there in April. This expands our International effort and it will be exciting to read the student's answers to their questions and to see their thinking in the paintings. Thank you Anne!!!

The Importance of What is Not

We join thirty spokes
to the hub of a wheel.
yet it's the center hole
that drives the chariot.

We shape clay
to birth a vessel,
yet it's the hollow within
that makes it useful.

We chisel doors and windows
to construct a room,
yet it's the inner space
that makes it livable.

Thus do we
create what is
to use what is not.

I love this verse (11) from Lao Tzu in the Tao Te Ching. I read this book often, but in this case, it is so appropriate to what I have been working on. I am working on a presentation about why we need a whole new question in education; about why the old system has served its purpose; and that young people hold a Knowing within themselves that is filled with Wisdom.

The stanza that reads:

We chisel doors and windows
to construct a room,
yet it's the inner space
that makes it livable.

Is particularly significant to me because it says that we spend more time trying to build a space than focus on what is not in it... in other words, the inner life of a child is much more important than grades, policies, procedures, standards of learning, tests, desks, bells, and on and on. The inner life of a child is more important than money, and thus every child deserves to be in a setting that has been built for his or her inner life, no matter the cost.

Life becomes livable when we find the beauty of our inner life. This cannot be manipulated into students, forced upon them through external motivation, nor can it be feared into us by a system designed to determine for us whether or not we are a failure. Life becomes livable in a structure where love, compassion, light and abundance predominate. It's the hollow within the vessel that makes it useful and the hole in the wheel that drives the chariot.

For too long, we have been consumed with the structure and instead, should be pouring our attention into seeing what what is not.

Listening Session Paintings from The Center School

These are the two paintings that came out of the two groups from The Center School. Both contain wonderful stories. The first I call "Always More", which says it all right there, but notice how the group focused on the middle of the tree, ignoring the roots and the upper portions. Each branch is a branch of opportunity leading to a new learning experience. All of the splatters represent creativity that is raining down on everything. The building signifies the more industrial side of the experience, while the red sun dominates the picture with its vitality and liveliness. The clouds express such feelings as love and that even though things can go wrong their is another always another chance.



The second painting I have dubbed "Eye of the Beholder". It has been designed to represent several stories. Moving vertically from the bottom right, the drawing signifies coming into
the learning experience rather unformed and then as you emerge from it, you explode into the world. The top right stands for no matter what you do, you can always bring creativity into it. The top left has the words live, love and laugh, expressing values the experience would offer as well as a sense of being free. Finally, the eye is the wisdom gained from the experience.

Both are wonderful. Thanks to all of you for participating!

The President's Wishes for his Kids and ours

Even though his inauguration has a few days to go, President-elect Obama published a letter to his daughters in Parade Magazine entitled:

'What I Want for You — and Every Child in America'

By President-elect Barack Obama

Before I comment further, the humorist (and ex-PR guy) in me laughs at the fact that he is so busy the only way to communicate with his daughters is to write them a letter in Parade. Too funny... but it turns out the letter is meant for all of us. And what he wrote is beautiful:

"When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me-about how I'd make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came into my world with all your curiosity and mischief and those smiles that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day. And suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn't seem so important anymore. I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I realized that my own life wouldn't count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours. In the end, girls, that's why I ran for President: because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation.

I want all our children to go to schools worthy of their potential-schools that challenge them, inspire them, and instill in them a sense of wonder about the world around them...."

This is a beautiful sentiment and a totally worthy objective... he does not say he wants our students to go to schools where they become test literate, but schools that are worthy of young people's potential. He talks about inspiration and wonder. YES! I hope he will really listen to his own heart and call for a reprioritizing of our goals for young people. I hope he will listen to the young people that are his children and their friends and as a father, push to make the schools worthy of their potential.

That would be a beautiful intention. Imagine Learning that is filled with wonder, imagination, creativity, inspiration, excitement, challenge, exploration, and last but not least, compassion and love. I can!

I was in a meeting with the Compassion Action Network in Seattle this week and through our inspired conversation, I began to think about how if we asked the teachers and students whether compassion was built into the very structure -- the objectives, standards, policies and procedures of the school system -- we would hear a resounding "very little, if at all." Yet, it was exciting to think about beginning an effort to design a system where compassion and love were essential in its creation.

It would be a much different world for our children Monday through Friday. Go President Obama!

Center School Listening Session is Wonderful!

Today, we had a really engaging Listening Session in Seattle with 8 students from The Center School. Thanks to principal, Lisa Escobar who totally got what we were doing and did most of the leg work getting it set up. Ankober, Ann, Arielle, Claire, Hong, Isaiah, Lucas, and Riley gave some powerful and insightful answers. It was fun, their concept paintings were cool and I think a good time was had by all.

It takes a lot of courage and faith to walk in to a Listening Session without really knowing what is going to occur, but everyone jumped right in and did a wonderful job. In the next couple of days, I will post photos of the paintings and later, when all of the consent forms are in, photos of the session. WE THANK YOU ALL!!!

2000 Great!

I was musing today about all of the amazing adventures we have had during the past year. It truly was a significant start for Imagine Learning. None of it would have been possible without all of you. From the students at the Academy of Art University who have worked so enthusiastically, to my dearest friends in Seattle who gathered round the table for two days; from all of the Listening Session participants, to many new supporters around the world (especially you Josselyn); from Jean Marie helping shape the entire process and rounding up students all over Marin, to my incessant tweaks, worries and wonderment; and from Stella coming on board and making a huge change for the better to the Listening Session questions and contributing so deeply to the overall conceptual idea, to meeting the most progressive educators in New Zealand, I say thank you!

Thank full, great full to all of you. Have a Happy New Year!

The Center School in Seattle is set for Jan. 13

We are excited that our newest Listening Session is going to take place at the Center School in Seattle on January 13th. This will be our first domestic session outside of the Bay Area! So many thanks to school principal Lisa Escobar for her support and help in making this happen! Seattle here we come!

Is Jakarta Next?

Oh yeah! I just got off the phone with Aleima Soeparto and she has been lining up at least two Listening Sessions in Jakarta for after the first of the year. Thank you Aleima!!!!

For those of you who have not met her, she is a graduate of the Academy of Art and was one of my students. She works now as an account planner in Jakarta. She is an original, pioneering member of the Imagine Learning team.

So we are going to work together to discuss whether we will go there, or she will lead them herself. Aleima is a veteran of Listening Sessions, so she knows how they work. She also could be the first to test the Field Guide. Wow. Awesome. Wonderful!