主题英语角第59期：东方文化危机

[Nick]

主题英语角第59期：东方文化危机
Topic: Crisis of Eastern Culture

活动时间：2009年12月2日 周三晚19:30－21:30
活动地点：青年路（巡津街）516号盛达商务大厦 707室
昆明市第一人民医院往螺丝湾方向走200米路口处
公交车：乘59、63、90、98、107、109、112、117、161路车到巡津街站下

本次主题讨论的目的 Purpose of the topic for this time

探讨东方文化与智慧所面临的危机
To discuss the crisis facing eastern culture and its wisdom

关于主题的一些最初的想法 Some initial thoughts about the topic

There is much beauty and wisdom to be found in traditional eastern
culture, but easterners are rapidly losing much of its treasure in the
sweeping influence of modern western culture.

A Taiji master told me about his concern. He said that Taiji was
practiced by many young people in the past.It was not just for the
elders. But many young people today stop appreciating it,especially
young people in the east. So it becomes a big challenge to pass it on,
however much the elders still recognize its value and appreciate it.
The wisdom of Taiji is disappearing. So he was wondering how we can
attract today’s young people to its beauty and wisdom.

Calligraphy, traditional medicine and many other things from
traditional eastern culture are facing similar challenge today.

Can young people recognize the rich beauty and wisdom in traditional
eastern culture and pass it on?

与大家一起探讨的问题:
Opening question for big group:
Do you appreciate things like Taiji, Calligraphy or Chinese
traditional medicine? Why or why not?

Step by step questions for small group discussion:
1. What wisdom do you see in these things?
2. Could you give other examples of eastern wisdom？
3. Why do you think many young people stop appreciating things like
them?
4. Do you think it is important to reconstruct eastern wisdom? How or
why not?

——Nick

[Nick]

Yesterday’s discussion was a tough one. There are 5 of us. And it
seemed difficult for us to reach the concensus that there is a crisis,
for not all of us recognize the eastern wisdom as well as the fact
that we are losing them.

Some believed what is happening is the merge of different cultures. We
are not losing anything. We are learning from each other.

Some thought we should not bother too much keep things just for the
sake of keeping them. If it is useful，some people will see its value
and try their best to protect and promote it.

Indeed, it is hard for us to appreciate things we don’t understand.
Growing up in modern society, many of us don’t get to know enough
about traditional culture and its wisdom.

Many cultural practices, when passed down through generations, would
keep its formality, but lose its true meaning. Without true meaning,
learning of formality doesn’t make much sense. It becomes pointless.

My personal experience tells me that I need to be educated to
appreciate certain things. But good education doesn’t come easily.

The way I learned Chinese has deprived me of the ability to appreciate
language study. I was expected to write compositions without feelings
for it, without understanding. It became a task rather than expression
of feelings or observations. I read sample articles without knowing
why. It was years later when I was searching words to express my
feelings and understanding that I realized the purpose of my Chinese
studying. How I wish I had learned Chinese with this understanding.

Growing up in modern society, many of us are influenced by modern
western culture more than we realize.Modern technological advantages
have allowed modern culture to spread quickly and widely through all
kinds of media and means.

Unfortunately, the materialism that comes along with modern culture
often plays on people’s lower nature. Materialism manipulates people
into thinking they need things they do not have, and spending their
money on things they do not need, while others get richer and richer
as a result.

Sometimes I think we are a little too “well educated” about modern
culture and too busy pursuing it to have time for ancient wisdom.