Study classics, learn from sages, and walk on the path of hope. Zhong Jicheng (August 15, 2009, 22:23:36) Often at night when all is quiet, I think about the current state of the world's decline, the corruption of people's hearts, and the increasingly severe chaos in nature and human society, which makes me worry so much that I can't sleep. In the morning, while reading the newspaper, I find that each day is worse than the last. As I read, I shake my head and sigh: How could the world deteriorate so quickly? There is even a one-on-one personalized tutoring service in Tianjin! Therefore, I feel even more the weight on my shoulders, and I hope to live longer to contribute more effort to actively promote good classic education.
In recent years, comrades engaged in classic education, especially those at the forefront of classic academies and private schools, seem to be increasingly focusing their efforts on young children, and even prenatal education. Everyone agrees that the earlier children receive classic education, the greater the possibility of becoming successful adults later in life.
In Malaysia, seeing the youth around me living in an increasingly unfavorable environment for their growth, in an education system oriented towards exams and advancement, detached from real-world experiences, where students are trained systematically day and night with only symbols and texts, passing techniques but not values, many students generally show severe symptoms of disliking study, spiritual emptiness, addiction to video games, aimlessly wasting time, leading to disharmony between parents and children, or even parents blaming each other, resulting in family breakdowns... Faced with such a tragic situation, how could we turn a blind eye or let them perish without help? Thus, my wife and I couldn't help but start a classic winter camp in Northeast China to explore ways to save these lost lambs. Over two years of practice, we have discovered that these children are still inherently kind-hearted and full of potential. As long as we help them find their life direction and understand the essence of classic education, they will take the initiative to strive, traveling thousands of miles from the hot equatorial region to the cold Northeast of China to participate in international classic classes. They study hard every day, hoping to redevelop their potential, become successful adults, and benefit the world. They deeply reflect and say: "With the heart set on the world, striving for self-improvement, living for the people, listening to and reading classics, its power is infinite"; and they express that it's hard to imagine themselves being able to study diligently. This is in stark contrast to their previous lives in school, where most of their time was spent sleeping, playing around, teasing others, playing cards, early romance, cheating on exams, being addicted to computers... "It's like heaven and earth!"
Of course, there is no denying that working with these older children is already a form of re-education or repair, which is far more difficult than prenatal classic education or early childhood classic education. Especially for teachers who work closely with them day and night, sometimes they really feel exhausted, both physically and mentally.
Looking at the historical development of the past few hundred years, it is enough to fully explain that progress without cultural foundation is deceptive progress, and what is called "progress" brings disasters to the world by humanity. In the past few hundred years, humans have plundered natural resources recklessly and greedily to satisfy their material desires. This is the most destructive period for nature in Earth's history. It has brought today's world to the brink of disaster. Countless ecologists point out that if we don't save the situation, within a hundred years, only 10% of the global population will remain, and countless animals and plants will go extinct due to the wastefulness of modern humans.
As the great scholar of Chinese studies, Master Nan Huaijin, said: "Today's world, thanks to the contributions of Western culture, has promoted the development of material civilization, greatly improving human living standards. On the surface, it can be said to be the happiest era in history; but people are busy competing for life, terrified of war's destruction, troubled by the endless sea of desires. From a spiritual perspective, it can also be said to be the most painful era in history. In this sharp contrast between developed material civilization and impoverished spiritual life, humanity is facing a new crisis. People overly believe in the omnipotence of science, thinking they can surpass the ancients, arbitrarily overturning traditions, severing the educational sources developed by countless sages over five thousand years."
Therefore, he urgently calls for people to "well develop, organize, and promote the essence of ancient and modern sages from all over the world to enrich our spiritual lives; promote the exchange and fusion of the essence of Eastern and Western cultures to eliminate future racial wars among humans, and enter the ideal realm of world unity."
Facing the fact that today's humanity has entered the most dangerous times, and in the context of thousands of years of human history filled with 'differential mindsets', the classic education cultural movement initiated by our respected Professor Wang Caigui in 1994 becomes even more historically significant. He advocates that all humanity use the most precious cultural heritage left by various ethnic groups, the classics of all fields, to cultivate the next generation, nurturing a new type of human with the broad vision and deep cultural heritage of sages, achieving harmony between man and nature, thus saving the world.
I have always admired Mr. Wei Shusheng, the contemporary educational reformer of China. He can use a few words to fully mobilize the self-awareness and enthusiasm of students. The students, with the spirit of masters, can manage their class well and help each other to study independently, achieving top exam results, making their class always the best in the school, even when Mr. Wei is away giving lectures for more than a hundred days in a year.
Mr. Wei's "governance through non-action" educational philosophy is encapsulated in his six-word mantra: "self-strengthening, nurturing people, teaching." He always uses the phrase from the "I Ching," "Heaven moves vigorously, the gentleman follows with unceasing self-strengthening," to encourage teachers to always place unceasing self-strengthening first. Correcting oneself before correcting others. Education must involve being educated; secondly, do a good job in "nurturing people," fully mobilizing the self-awareness and enthusiasm of students for mutual independent learning; and "teaching," he believes, is just a trivial skill, perhaps even unnecessary.
Mr. Wei Shusheng proved through ten years of personal experience that if he didn't teach anything from the textbook but focused on the ideological work and nurturing of the children, they could independently and easily excel in their studies through mutual assistance groups. He says: Practice has shown that modern textbooks underestimate children. Through self-study, eighty to ninety percent of the content can be learned, and teachers need only provide slight guidance, inspiration, and direction. He says: "Students educated by teachers become lazy." Moreover, he opposes calling classrooms "classrooms," implying that students should rely on teachers to "teach." He believes that the ancient term "study hall" is correct. Therefore, if we can incorporate and implement Mr. Wei's educational ideas into our classic education work for teenagers, wouldn't it be a good thing? If children learn self-management from a young age, they will be able to manage their homes well when they grow up, manage businesses well when they start careers, and eventually manage society and the country well. That would be a beautiful thing!
For many years, we have been exploring painfully: how can we inspire social responsibility and mission in today's pampered, elite new generation? Recalling the environmental education in the classic winter camp, someone once offered 300,000 yuan for a stone found by a farmer claiming it to be a treasure (picture), making the children truly realize that if we don't save the world, the end of the world will inevitably come, facing them and their descendants.
This realization inspires them to strive harder.
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