Visit to Japan (My Personal Reflection On Miyazawa

My Personal Reflection

With Yasuo Z. Miyazawa (founder of SEISA)  and  Vice President 

I cannot really describe the dynamic personality that your Excellency Miyazawa has from your very early childhood days. Reading through the lines, most of the concepts really fit into incidences that I have encountered in my life. I was brought up in a very humble parental background and at times I feel so low that I want to quit from pursuing life. However, your philosophy has the strength to pull up everyone and induce hopes and aspirations for better life.

We often say winners are not people who never fails but people who never quit. This is the core philosophy that I could draw from your excellent essays.  Keeping hope for a tiny work that we do in our daily life would ultimately led to an incredible success. I may be generalizing a bit but it is the fact that people fail to change negative aspect of life such as failure to positive. Your Excellency has a different approach towards change. The way you have accumulated success little by little over years is just amazing and incredible.

I was also reflecting upon how I should really walk the talk as you have mentioned. But starting from a very small is what your Excellency has inspired us to do. A small apartment room cram-school with two students has now become a renowned learning organization. For me, the origination of SEISA University has become a tool of inspiration and determination in my life. We cannot first think about attending perfection rather a means towards building greater self strength.  Bhutanese also have this bad tendency of considering someone lucky or unlucky. They lose the sense of optimism towards success.  “As you know, “luck” is heavily related to “effort”, “sense”, “timing” and “enthusiasm”. This line made me to think whether I should really rely upon luck or do things with hard work, diligence and perseverance.

The essays also touch upon many Buddhist values. The core promises of Seisa University such as do not discriminate, accept everyone and make friends are very much in line with Buddhist values and ethic. I can analyze your approach by bringing in the concept of “karma” which is the cause and effect. The concept of karma in Buddhism at times really isolates people from mainstream development. For instance, if a person is found mentally and physically challenged, simply we say it is because of his or her past deed and neglect them. Moreover, attitudinal barriers such as, considering persons with disability a burden and incompetent, environmental barriers such as unfavorable work place, public spaces and infrastructure act as an obstacle for persons with disabilities to engage with. But you have a very positive approach towards this category of people. You have provided platform for this category of people to explore and recognize their own potential towards making harmonious society.  I quote the great Buddhist master Milarepa, “If you lose all differentiation between yourselves and others. Fit to serve others you will be. And when in serving others you will be. Then shall you meet with me; and finding me, you shall attain Buddha hood” I unquote. I as a Buddhist should say that your Excellency has already cleared a clean pathway towards enlightenment.

Seisa practices a very unique teaching-learning process. One of the aspects of Seisa that I

really liked is students are kept free to pursue subject of their interest and that’s when children are able to achieve their dream goals. I am not blaming the education system of Bhutan but it is the fact that students are compelled to take up subjects which are irrelevant to their future job. Once a student is graduated, their skills and the actual requirement of the employment gets mismatched. So that’s the time when youth issues such as unemployment, drug, suicide and robbery ensue. I quote “don’t be a dictator, respect the children” is a strong message that needs to be shared in Bhutanese education system it benefits the future generations.

Last but not the least, by reading your essays you are truly a role model with all characteristics of a wise man. Your philosophical expression of historical personal event has induced hopes and aspirations in me and I am sure many more will be inspired too.  We can feel the bitterness that you have encountered while trying to achieve goals that has currently brought huge impact in all section of Japanese societies. Moreover, you have opened a new world to many young generations which I feel is so special. I felt so fortunate and privileged to visit Japan and it is all because of Seisa that I was able to explore world beyond my country; Bhutan. Seisa has given us so much of exposure and learnt so much of Japanese culture and tradition. People are extremely nice and welcoming up to the extent of our own parents and guardians. We have enjoyed every moment while in Seisa. So, I would like to thank you for providing such an enlightening opportunity for RTC group to visit Seisa and I hope Seisa would continue to support RTC-Seisa exchange program for all times to come.  And I pray may Seisa become even more epitome of what personifies a peaceful learning organization. Are-gato Gozai masu

Name: Yonten Phuntsho

Course: Bachelors of Arts in Sociology and Political science

Finally, my voices are going to be heard.

Ladies and gentle man,

Here comes the divine voices from the unheard creature living in the deep forested area of Royal Thimphu College; Ngabiphu; Thimphu Bhutan.

The freedom of speech and expression as guaranteed by the Constitution of Bhutan, I avail this provision to exercise my right for the betterment of the society through my critiques if there is necessity. More over, this blog will never bring you provoking and controversial issues that is going to harm the peaceful coexistence of the societies. I am just sharing some of the essays and my real life incidences.

Royal Thimphu College