The Yin and Yang of Education
Originally published Dec. 19, 2019
Being an educator in the field of classical Chinese history, culture, and medicine, it is impossible for me to avoid a critical engagement with the topic of education spanning three areas: as envisioned in classical Chinese philosophy and politics, as practiced in various forms throughout the history of Chinese medicine, and as enacted today in both institutional and private educational settings. I have always loved teaching, from my first job teaching Latin and recorder in middle school to earn money for my first bicycle, to the educational component of my farming activities (teaching kids, farm interns, and random visitors about irrigating, milking goats, soap making etc), to my teaching career as a professor at community colleges, public and private universities, and small private schools in large lecture classes, small seminars, and retreats, and finally to my current writing, publishing, and mentoring. Because of my needs as a translator and writer to live a reclusive life on a small island with long stretches of totally uninterrupted quiet time, the bulk of my current teaching takes place by writing and by teaching via small online group conversations and in weekend seminars. Far have I come indeed from the days of teaching lecture classes on Chinese history in a university auditorium with several hundred students!
This rumination here is partly inspired by a blog by Jesse Stommel on “Critical Digital Pedagogy”, which was shared on a new Facebook group on “Humane Humanities.” This got me thinking more “critically” (in all senses of that wonderful word) about pedagogy as it pertains to my personal approach and past life experiences. In particular, my heart and spirit are still warmed by a deeply transformative retreat I got to lead, with the help of Brenda Hood and Lillian Pearl Bridges, on “The Transformative Power of Yin” this October, which was quite a change from most of my previous academic environments. No powerpoints, no structured lecture plans, no formal schedule with designated time slots for one expert after another to pass “down” their particular expertise. Instead we insisted on trusting in the “transformative power of Yin” and leaving space for transmission of who knows what, in free-flowing conversation interspersed with cooking, eating, swimming, laughing, resting, and breathing in the trees. The results were so deeply nurturing to all of us present that there is no doubt in my mind that I must make room for more of these experiences.
Since I cannot help thinking of everything in my life in terms of Yin and Yang these days, and make a conscious effort to cultivate Yin in everything I do, what would a more Yin teaching style look like, as opposed to one inspired by Yang? Of course, as with all pairs of Yin and Yang, the ideal is a dynamic equilibrium that navigates nimbly between these two poles. Here are just some pairs of Yin-Yang attributes that we might consider in this context, with the Yin aspect of the pair before the Yang aspect. As with so much of our modern culture, I feel that the teaching style advocated by our mainstream institutions, modeled in the media, and rewarded by our professional educational system advocates a Yang approach that could benefit greatly from some Yin counterbalancing.
Yin — Yang
Receptivity — Productivity
Obscurity — Clarity
Intuition — Rationality/Logic
Ancient wisdom — Cutting-edge research
Flexibility, “going with the flow” — Rigid schedule and structure
Ignorance, “Un-Knowing” — Knowledge, “knowing”
Art — Science
Creative chaos and unpredictable outcomes — Order and efficiency
Mutuality, equality — hierarchy
Community of learners — expert on a pedestal facing individual learners
Silence and stillness — Loud noise and activity
Void and space for wonder — Information
Questions — Facts
Circuitous wandering — stream-lined goal-oriented process
Heart connection — Brain download
…..
I think we all get the idea here of the type of educational environment that such an emphasis would create. I am not here to argue that we should replace our current Yang-oriented model of institutional medical education with the values on the Yin pole. I am merely wondering what a more balanced world might look like in this context.
Ultimately, the educational approach each of us chooses to embrace, envision, and strive for comes down to the purpose and intention of our educational enterprise. And as always, for this greater vision of medicine, the Chinese classics provide the best answer I can think of. I leave you with one of my favorite texts, the “Great Learning” 大學, composed shortly before the Han-dynasty medical classics and depicted in a beautiful piece of art that my former student Sunjae Lee gifted me after I taught this text in a classical Chinese lesson (for more on Sunjae’s art and other creative endeavors, see his website here.)
The Dao of the Great Learning lies in making bright virtue-power shine forth, in making the people intimately close (or “new”), in stopping only when you have reached the apex of goodness.
Only after you know when to stop will there be certainty. Only when there is certainty will there be calm. Only when there is calm will there be peace. Only when there is peace will there be critical reflection. Only when there is critical reflection will you be able to grasp. Things have their foundations and branches, affairs have their ends and beginnings. Knowing what comes first and what follows after brings you near the Dao!
大學之道，在明明德，在親民，在止於至善。
知止而后有定，定而后能靜，靜而后能安，安而后能慮，慮而后能得。物有本末，事有終始，知所先後，則近道矣。
When the ancients wanted to make their bright virtue-power shine forth, they first set in order their country. Wanting to set in order their country, they first brought their household into alignment. Wanting to bring their household into alignment, they first cultivated themselves. Wanting to cultivate themselves, they first set their hearts straight. Wanting to set their hearts straight, they first made their intention sincere. Wanting to make their intention sincere, they first perfected their knowledge. The perfection of knowledge lies in scrutinizing things.
古之欲明明德於天下者，先治其國；欲治其國者，先齊其家；欲齊其家者，先修其身；欲修其身者，先正其心；欲正其心者，先誠其意；欲誠其意者，先致其知，致知在格物。
Only after things are scrutinized is knowledge perfected. Only after knowledge is perfected is intention made sincere. Only after intention is sincere is the heart set straight. Only after the heart is set straight is the self cultivated. Only after the person is cultivate is the household in alignment. Only after the household is in alignment is the country set in order. Only after the country is in order is all Under Heaven in perfect balance.
From the Child of Heaven down to the common people, for each of them cultivating themselves is the foundation. To have the foundation in chaos and yet to have the branches in order, this is not possible! To have what should be profound be flimsy and what should be flimsy be profound, this has never happened! This is what is called “knowing the foundation”; this is what is called the apex of knowledge.
物格而後知至，知至而後意誠，意誠而後心正，心正而後身修，身修而後家齊，家齊而後國治，國治而後天下平。
自天子以至於庶人，壹是皆以修身為本。其本亂而末治者否矣，其所厚者薄，而其所薄者厚，未之有也！此謂知本，此謂知之至也。
