Age of Imitation

erma-bombeck1Confucius said, “Study your history and you may define your future.”


It is like the case of insects: if they gather on an ox, they do not fly more than a few paces; but if they stick to a swift horse, they can chase the wind and pursue the sun, simply because of the superiority of what they cleave to. So students should always choose carefully where they will stay and always go with good people. Then eventually they can cut off  error and bias, approach balance and right and hear true words.” – Zen Lessons, The Art of Leadership



How does one become ‘ultimate’? How do we find that superiority to cleave to? Perhaps we might think of what a superior or ultimate education for all looks like? I’ve been thinking about ‘education reform’ for many years. Doing research, talking to teachers and looking at the most important curriculum that is being skipped over or entirely left out. A curriculum that would bring enormous change to the world we live in.

Our education should reflect only ‘the best of its kind’? Isn’t our species, as thinking beings, moral obligation to make it so? Education of this kind will heal the planet and its inhabitants; create well being, joy and harmony. This is what I want. Lofty thoughts? Perhaps. Perhaps not. You may say, ‘How the heck can we do that’?

Education reform begins with our government officials creating a consistent mandatory curriculum foundation throughout our nation based on the ‘human body system’. 

The foundation I speak to is a part of history we left behind and did not ‘imitate’.  Why did we ignore our ancient scholars? They believed to ‘Know Thyself’ was important enough to carve the message in stone, (imagine the time it took to carve one letter),  This message was carved over the mythical tomb of Apollo. These ancient sages surmised that to ‘Know Thyself’ creates a rippling effect. They believed:



Education World says:

“The human body is the most fascinating and fantastic machine in existence. No one understands all of its many mysteries, and no single source can do justice to its many parts.”

How can our society know so little about how our bodies work in the 21st Century? Well, it is understandable when our National Science Standards curriculum’s focus is:


The first 14 words sum up the reason why we know so little about the human body system. “To address the critical issues of U.S. competitiveness and to better prepare the workforce,”

Imagine what a different world this would be if we were not focusing on ‘preparing a workforce’. What if we understood how to optimally maintain our bodies? Pursuing optimum well-being would change industries. Understanding how to optimally maintain our bodies would eliminate poisons in the world. Our diets would be different. How we live would be in harmony with all life. Isn’t this what we want?

Changing our focus in education will shake fortunes and will be fought ‘tooth and nail’! For once we understand ourselves (as supreme and ultimate beings) we will not want what is being shoved down our throats.

A teacher friend writes:



Happy non-imitation trails!