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IGDVS Student/Faculty Workshop Summary

June 2009

1) Buddhism/Buddhist Studies: a strong consensus to move away from rote,


rules-based, surface, identity-belonging ‘religion’ to a more in-depth,
personally-chosen, existential, engaged (not in the social-justice sense, but
personally meaningful and alive). Schools should offer both a basic
college-level introd. course covering the essentials (philosophically and
practice-centered) and discussion that brought home the teachings to
contemporary thought, personal relevance, and the ability to carry on a
discourse with others (non-Buddhists) that was rational, open-minded,
non-dogmatic or fundamentalist. (MV)

 Desire to be able to explain CTTB experience to others without fear of


judgment (MG)

‐ One DVGS alumna noted that Buddhist studies with rote memorization
did not work for her; she appreciated DM Chih’s translation class – was a
turning point in her personal spirituality, an open forum to talk and
question. Several DVS alumni expressed they were glad they had World
Religions; they learned to respect other religions. . . Two DVGS alumna
said their Buddhist studies classes were good when they covered a lot of
material systematically; it was hard when teachers changed in middle of
year. Two of them said they found it hard to explain Buddhism to others. .
. .DVBS recent graduate – Intro Buddhism class was like a college class.
Suggests 90% formal college class format, and 10% connect practices with
rules that we have to follow – this part is lacking. We need better
connection between theory and practice. Need an Intro Buddhism course
that makes Buddhism come alive. It’s not alive if it’s only rules – unless
you understand why. . . . DVBS alumnus –had block schedule 3 hrs/day 3
days/week where History, English, Virtue/Ethics were integrated- very
good. With Asian Buddhist teachers, there was memorization, sutras,
esoteric stories – also learned a lot. But the most formative part was just
being here in this environment – go to ceremonies, eat in silence, meditate,
understand monastic life, live on campus and hold rules, - this created
habits, created a container for my protection, gave me space in the future
since I didn’t do things that would tie me up, I developed the habit of
thinking before taking action. Hard to form such a habit in college/work
when everything moves fast. Most of my intellectual development in

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Buddhism came after grad school (at BBM). There’s a huge opportunity
missed – we need more formal training in Buddhist terms, basic
Buddhist teachings – so we can explain them to others. . . . Develop
curriculum for Buddhist Studies, Ethics, Meditation to guarantee standard
of understanding (HY)

 There was a comment that the teaching of basic Buddhism was lacking
– that there needs to be a “Literacy in Buddhism Course” to teach the
basics. . . There were complaints about the inconsistency of the
curricula – especially Buddhist Studies. Having too many changes in
teachers confuses students,
What makes a Buddhist?
Does going to ceremonies make you a good Buddhist?
. . . There was an appreciation for a Buddhist studies class wherein the
teacher took only one line of a sutra and explored it in great depth for
the entire semester. . . There was also an appreciation for World
Religions as teaching religious tolerance. (JF)

 Two young women who had graduated about five or six years ago
talked about Buddhist studies. They mentioned wanting more
consistency in teachers, curriculum, and a variety of teaching methods
including critical discussion, stories, and memorization. They also
mentioned teaching Buddhism without proselytizing. . . A young
woman who graduated about four years ago and attends a small elite
liberal arts college on the east coast, said that she would have wanted
more discussion of “big ideas” in her Buddhism and other classes.
Questions like “Why do I exist?” “What is the purpose of my life?”
Rather her classes here emphasized memorization and instilling a kind
of fear of falling into the hells as expressed in the Sutra of the Past
Vows of Earth Store Bodhisattva. She would have liked more
philosophical and religious dialog in the schools. . .
. . . The alumni also expressed a strong interest in being able to
articulate their own religious/philosophical (usually Buddhist) beliefs
to others. From this I came up with two conclusions: 1) I need to add
more assignments involving speaking in my Buddhist Studies and
World Religions classes and 2) I need to add more expository and
persuasive writing assignments that enable the students to learn how
to better express their personal beliefs. I have some of this in my
classes already, but I think having more of this would be important for
the students. (HS)

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2) General Environment. The formative experience and learning
‘environment’ of CTTB was enhanced by the mix of lay/monastic,
young/old. Relationships between students and faculty were powerful
motivating influences; teachers much more than instructional resources;
they serve as friends, counselors, role-models. This ‘hidden curriculum’
that came across in the character, demeanor, lived-values of the teachers
was as or even more important than the course curriculum. Keeping a
balance between upgrading the curriculum to more AP-type quality and
time for more one-to-one and informal exchanges (over dinner, on the
sports field, outings, around the fireplace etc.) is vital. (MV)

 . . .Is mix of CTTB roles and functions negative or positive? . . . Should


domains be separated? CTTB - a “village that raises the child” . . . Long
term relationships with faculty important. . . Multidimensional CTTB
culture has its strengths. . . University teachers and peers who learn of our
graduates’ background express a profound respect (suggested that
students “undervalue” their DVS experience while going through it)
(MG)

 Some alumni felt the most formative experience of being at DVBS was the
environment: watching the monastics and beginning to understand what
they are doing, Eating in silence and attending ceremony every day, being
taught meditation. . . .Alumni valued the time for self-reflection and
having the opportunity to create a “container” for themselves so that,
when they leave they will not get caught up in inappropriate activity. . . It
was noted that “Liberation” was used as a term signifying graduation in
the boys school – this infers a feeling of oppression in school. The school
spirit needs elevation. (JF)

 DVGS alumna who came back to teach – I found our high schoolers have
an elevated level of self-awareness – questioned things more than most
college students would. . . .DVGS alumna –experienced a crisis of virtue
b/c of DVS, and ended up quitting a lucrative job doing PR because it was
“spin media” and not truthful (HY)

 Academics and social bonding (spirit) need to be balanced. The “hidden


curriculum” is relationships. . . One DVGS alumna said students
nowadays seem to care too much about national ranking of colleges, and
money-making potential of majors, rather than their own interests. . .
DVBS recent graduate: our students lack self-initiative and self-control,

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feel “in the place but not of the place” – have no wish to improve, no sense
of ownership (HY)

 Role of DVS and Society – a student explained that some graduates


experience a sense of liberation (free from bondage), and expressed a
desire for more to feel a “sense of loss.” (MG)

A) Dorm Life/Social Development:

 Some students mentioned being rather shocked at seeing the casual


engagement with drinking and the opposite sex in college parties. One
young man said that his experience in taking courses at Mendocino
College made them a little better prepared for such experiences. Another
young woman said that when she went to such a party for the first time,
she was with friends with similar values so they were not interested or
even tempted to engage in such behavior. When asked which students
had similar values, she said mostly conservative Christians.
 Several people made comments about this. One young man who
graduated two years ago was not interested in these things and had to
date still not attended such a party. In conclusion there was a suggestion
that it would be good if experienced Alumni could talk to our students
(juniors and seniors) about what to expect in this regard in college. This
would be more effective if done in a personal and rather informal way.
The young man, who graduated two years ago, said that he gotten a lot of
good advice about this from Nakula in the past.
 And a student who graduated 14 years ago mentioned how the dorm life
was so important to him, because he was taught how to adjust outside the
family. He had to extend the meaning of the family to include his dorm
brothers, teachers etc. (HS)

B) Identity Issues/Adjustment:

 Identity ‘crises’/issues were commonplace: ethnic, religious, dorm,


language, social, etc. Perhaps unavoidable, but could be addressed
better so as to make growth experiences instead of paralyzing isolating
events. For example, more open discussion and shared exchange
between students and teachers about how to act, deal with,
accommodate to ‘outside world.’ In this regard, a mentoring program
would be helpful between formers students and currents students.
(MV)

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 Dorm life – an absence of parent(s). . .Franklin – dorm life allows one to
see (develop) beyond family roles. . . CTTB - a “village that raises the
child” . . . “Early identity crisis” better prepares student for the “real
world”. . .Students can handle these early struggles as long as trusted
guidance is available. (MG)

 Alumni felt socially unprepared, and some suffered from identity


crises whilst at the school, and after leaving – support at this time
would be welcome. . . . . ….There is a need to build a strong personal
perspective before leaving the school – to know “why” they choose a
certain way of life different from the main stream. They would like to
know how to explain themselves to their peers without being
judgmental. The wish to belong is strong. (JF)

 A young woman who graduated about 8 or 9 years ago, talked


about how she was lost when she first entered college- a small
private college in California. She felt that she had lived a “very
sheltered” life at CTTB with her parents and siblings. She said it
was like having a dual identity: 1) the identity she created when
she went in college, which was based more on what others wanted
her to be and 2) her Asian identity at home in CTTB. In CTTB she
was more open and natural, whereas in college she was quiet and
shy. It took her nearly five or six years, when she was doing
graduate studies, for her to come to a coherent identity that was
based on who she really was, rather than the expectations of
home/CTTB or the culture in the small private college. She wasn’t
sure what suggestions she would make to address the problem that
she went through. The fact that most of her teachers in the Girls
School at that time were Asian made it problematic to come up
with some solution.
 A young man, who also graduated about 11 years ago, said his
experience of adjusting to college life was more of a personal
struggle rather than a cultural problem. He expressed that his inner
self is more prone to being hyper and humorous, whereas his
external self (the image he wants others to have of himself) was
more focused. He also mentioned not knowing how to talk to girls
at all when he first went to college.
 Another young man who graduated 2 years ago described what he
called going from a small rural Buddhist community that is
predominantly Asian to a small, private elite college on the East

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Coast that is 80% white. He ended up identifying more with foreign
students, than Americans (even though he is an American). The
City of 10,000 Buddhas (CTTB) is much more Asian than Asian-
Americans outside- in fact, they’re more Asian than any other
community. His first year was also difficult in relating to girls and
he was not sure how DVSS could resolve this problem. Although
he encountered very few Buddhists, he never felt isolated from the
college community.
 One striking characteristic of his experience in going to college was
how culturally illiterate he was. He never heard of New Found
Glory (who is New Found Glory?!). He was very much socially
integrated into Chinese culture and not so much American culture.
He suggested that the students at DVSS might have a little more
interaction with the outside community to help resolve this. He
was also critical of how many colleges self-segregate by race and he
felt students from DVSS probably contribute to this problem.
 Another young woman, who graduated a few years ago, had a
rather unique experience. She found that when she returned home
to Belgium at first when she went to a regular school, she felt
socially isolated as an Asian, but then later she went to an
international school, and felt comfortable there. She made friends
easily with students from other countries, but remained one of just
a few Asians.
 Another young man, who graduated about 14 years ago, said that
his 5-year experience at the school was good and he felt well
prepared academically when he went to college. However, he felt
under prepared socially, especially when dealing with the opposite
gender, other adults, and his professors. He mentioned the unique
background here at the City and how knowledgeable students
become about Buddhism.
 Some mentioned the identity crisis that occurs after they graduate
and attend college. Someone said that this identity crisis for them
began here at the City before college- due to the conflicts he/she
experience while here.
 The fact that some students were under prepared for social
relationships once they went to college was discussed. This was
especially the case in relation to the opposite gender.
 Another older alumni said we should look at some of the positive
aspects of going to our schools such as how unique the school is in
being vegetarian, in a Buddhist monastery, experiencing all the
ceremonies and interactions with monastics in robes with strong
moral values. (HS)

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 Identity Crisis – comfortably “Asian” in the City; a struggle
outside. . . The struggle upon leaving the City/Schools is
multifaceted and not simply limited to ethnicity. . . Students lack an
opportunity to develop individual identities (MG)

C) Discipline:

 Authority was not per se a problem (even with many rules) as long as
that authority was exercised with kindness, fairness, consistency, and
most importantly reasonable explanation for rules, policies, and
especially ‘punishment.’ Punishment should be consequential rather
than personal, not vindictive but instructive/corrective, based on
mutual understanding and that resulted in insight rather than
humiliation. In all cases, Buddhism (ceremonies, bowing, forced
participation, memorization of texts etc.) should never be used as
punishment. Arbitrary power trips, ‘because I said so’ type of
discipline produces resentment, rebellion, loss of respect, and long-
term bitterness. (MV)

 The “why” behind the rules, explanation rather than punishment


would be preferred – punishment results in anger, so is not very
effective – sometimes makes matters worse and does not build trust
between faculty and students. (JF)
 Do not send students to Buddha Hall as a punishment. . . . Just
imposing consequences for breaking rules is not as
helpful/meaningful as when a teacher takes time to counsel you. The
best thing about breaking rules is when a teacher becomes your
friend/life advisor (HY)

 Sending student to Buddha Hall for punishment not healthy. . . Strict


rules do have value, but need context – need to be explained and
justified. . . School needs to communicate changes to alumni. . . Culture
of student/teacher trust needs to be expanded. . . Avoid “shock and
awe” control. . . Try to empathize more with students’ state of mind. . .
There is a dorm student day student divide. (MG)

 A young man who graduated about thirteen years ago, said that the
school should try to build a “culture of trust” and rather than

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emphasizing punitive consequences for misbehavior, there should be
more positive reinforcement. Failure has to be seen as something to
learn from and not as something the students avoid at all costs for fear
of punishment. He also mentioned that students need to be included in
a collaborative effort to improve the school. In the past older students
like Franklyn Wu and Wayne Chen were looked up to, but now older
students to look at themselves as good role models for others. With
respect to technology, he felt that there should be more trust, rather
than assuming that students will be misbehaving. Once the teachers
and staff create the mind-set in which they are waiting to catch
students doing something wrong, then it is more likely that students
will misbehave- due to lack of trust. . . .The way punishment is
administered was talked about again. When one fails or makes a
mistake, they should not be shamed, but should be encouraged to
learn from the errors. Also explaining why something is wrong, rather
than just punishment, is very important. If students are punished
without a clear explanation they will not gain any further
understanding from the experience. (HS)

3) Academics/Teaching

 The curriculum could be strengthened by: more consistency both in


content and in continuity of teachers; more detailed attention to
academic counseling on where students have deficiencies esp. as they
enter Jr. and Sr. year; more training in critical thinking and writing
research papers (annotated, footnoted, ‘argued,’ etc.) (MV)

 Inconsistent staff and curriculum. . . Lack of research skills. . .Lack of


graduates who major in the Humanities. . . Lack of writing
competence. . . Desire for a greater focus on writing formal papers
High teacher turnover. . . Instructors who engage in multiple
modalities valued. . . Block scheduling and thematic classes praised. . .
Rote and narrative instruction a good mix (MG)

 There was an appreciation of block teaching where students had the


same teacher for several subjects which were integrated. There was
also an appreciation of one-on-one teaching.. . .Q’s group highlighted a
shortfall in academic preparedness – specifically in the area of
academic writing and research. It was suggested that MLA format be
taught and more analytical essays be assigned. Language acquisition
was cited as a possible reason for poor writing skills and a bias
towards the sciences and away from the humanities. . . .It was

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suggested that teachers develop different teaching styles to match the
abilities of the students ( rote, story telling, making information
relevant to students). . . Rote memorization not effective for non-
Chinese speaking students (they have not been trained that way) (JF)
 One recent DVBS alumnus said our students are weak in writing skills,
MLA citation, non-fiction research papers, analytical essays. . .
.Another alumnus commented that while he felt well prepared
academically, there is no consistency of quality from year to year.. . .
Another alumna commented that school has improved academically,
with more consistent faculty, from her time until now.. . . DVBS
alumnus said he felt our math/science were strong… . Another DVBS
alumnus said our classes could push students to be more self-aware of
their strengths. (HY

 There was also the mention by someone about how some of their
classes had quite a lot of students- 80 to a 100 students- and how
unprepared they were to ask questions or speak in such a large group
of students. Their idea was to see if students could gain some
experience in our school, speaking before larger groups of students
and teachers. . . One young woman who graduated 8 or 9 years ago
was rather surprised at the materialism of the present students. Some
girls had asked her for advice concerning colleges, and they seemed to
motivated to go to the school that could lead to getting a job that
would make the most money. . . There was a discussion about the
importance of having our students to more writing and research in the
11th and 12th grades especially. Many were not prepared for college
level writing. There is a need for students have further development of
their ability in both oral and writing communication. (HS)

A) Technology/Media

 As for whether the lack of media exposure made students less


critical, some felt so, others felt it depended on the person; most
students are not politically involved. (HY)

 The young man who graduated about ten years ago, who later
became a computer science major, talked about he was at a
disadvantage when compared to other students, because of his lack
of experience with computers. His classmates were very
sophisticated in doing things with the computer, whereas he had to
start from scratch in college. He felt that at the very least seniors in
the dorm should be allowed to have their own laptop computers

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and that there should be more trust of students by dorm
supervisors (especially seniors). . . . Lastly, it seems like our
students, especially in the Boys School, are at a disadvantage
technology-wise. It seems that by not allowing any personal
computers under any circumstances for juniors and seniors in the
dorm, is a little too restrictive. In this regard I think we also need to
have a semester course on computer literacy and ethics as was
suggested by Terri Nicholson five or six years ago. (HS)

4) Closing Reflections:

 Qualities alumni would like to see emphasized: Strong sense of


community balanced with development of individual identity (especially
for 11-12th graders who need a sense of who they are). . . No drugs,
smoking, gangs. . . Develop curriculum for Buddhist Studies, Ethics,
Meditation to guarantee standard of understanding. . . Develop moral
leaders who push the envelope, set an example. . . Keep it small, so a
student knows and respects everyone, even strangers (HY)

 Here are some ideal characteristcs of a students graduating from


DVB/GS:-

1. Have a sense of both community and individuality


2. Have a stable personal perspective
3. Be respectful (even after leaving school!)
4. Continue to avoid bad habits
5. Be grounded in knowledge from consistent curricula
6. Have a solid grounding in Buddhist studies
7. Become moral leaders
8. Become activists who “push the envelope”
9. Become pillars of society and fulfill the Venerable Master’s wish.

 There is a relatively new breed of students known as “TCK’S” Third


Culture Kids. Research has been done by sociologists and psychologists on
children who have spent much of there developmental years out of their home
country. Apparently they have some common traits:
1. They develop a global perspective
2. There become socially adaptable
3. They become intellectually flexible
4. They learn how to “think outside the box”
5. They can appreciate and reconcile different points of view

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They can also feel rootless and detached and suffer a cultural identity crisis. The
research documents addictive behaviours, troubled marriages and unstable careers.
It is important for students at DVB/GS schools to be supported in making sense of
their experiences both in their home country and in a Buddhist school in America so
they can create a strong sense of ‘This is who I am” in preparation for life after
school.

Obama’s Dream’s of My Father would be a good addition to the school’s libraries


(if we don’t already have it )as an example of someone who has been through many of
the feelings some of our students may have experienced.

In 1984, Dr. Ted Ward,( then a sociologist at Michigan State University), predicted
TCKs as “ the prototype citizens of the future”
More information on TCKs can be found at: (JF)

http://www.thinkbam.com/thinking/WebArticles/30TheNewFaceOfHope.
pdf

 I thought the small group format was extremely effective in getting the
students to open up in a way that was for me very moving and eye-
opening. In fact, I think next time- I hope we could do this every year or at
least every other year- I would even suggest dropping the final discussion
and just have each group of faculty members visit each of the three
groups. To do justice to the rich material that was generated in the small
groups, the larger discussion would need to be at least two hours or so
long- something that is not feasible or desireable.

 One of my major observations is that many changes have occurred in the


school in the last 15 years. Although the curriculum is better developed
and defined (due to the WASC process) it seems that the camaraderie that
existed in the middle or late 1990’s is not as strong. At least on the Boys
side, it seems older students were made to be more aware that they were
serving as good role models for the younger students. This could partially
be due to the fact that the school had fewer students then. And it could
also be because the teaching staff consisted of all monastics or devout
Buddhist volunteers at that time.

 One of the most interesting and talked about topics was the difficulties in
adapting from the very protective, Asian, and Buddhist environment of
the City of 10,000 Buddhas to the strikingly liberal environment of the
college campus, regardless of whether it’s a Princeton, UC or California
State college campus, or even a junior college. Of course, the transition to

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adulthood involves many adjustments and struggles as it is. However, I
repeatedly heard a similar expression of how in one way or another our
environment here is very sheltered when compared to the outside world.
This was pretty much agreed upon by both boys and girls as well as older
alumni and newer alumni. In this regard I have two observations. First,
the students who came from more stable family environments had an
easier time in making this adjustment. So the important role the family
plays in this cannot be underestimated. Secondly, there is a tremendous
opportunity for the DVA Alumni to help the students in this transition.
Whether it is having each senior (and perhaps) junior have an alumni
mentor, or have alumni mentors available to all students, or having
leadership retreats, or other similar strategies- the DVA Alumni would be
a great help in this.

 Another observation I have is that I could see that the importance of moral
virtue that we emphasize in our Mission Statement needs to be more
carefully developed and emphasized to our students (and teachers).
Naturally with the WASC process we have understandably been more
focused on academics, as that must meet a certain standard. I could see, at
least on the Boys School side, that we need to make a more concerted
effort to have all our teachers buy into the importance of these virtues in
the classroom- and not just focus solely on academic achievement. This
would mean something like what Dr. Ames and Dr. Rosemont suggested.
They mentioned having a training workshop to teach teachers the
meaning of the core virtues from a modern and dynamic Confucian
perspective as well as various strategies in bringing them to the classroom
(HS)

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