Three�Intuitive Education Lessons
Practical examples of conventional topics that are becoming spiritual.
John Bickart, Ph.D.
bickart.org
up next … quotes
Overview��
Telling, I became a teacher.
Listening, I became a student.
Thanking, I became a friend.
Overview��
“Everyone hears what you say.
Friends listen to what you say. � Best friends listen to what you don't say."
up next … words
Overview��
Plasee raed tihs aluod and ntoe the seepd at wihch you poreced. A hamun bnieg lokos mroe for cnotxet and wolhe wrdos tahn for ecaxt sllpneig. Yuor inceiblre mnid mstoly lkoos for the fsirt and lsat ltretes of a wrod. Yuong cilhrden wtcah for eevn brodaer ctenoxutal cleus. Trefheore, mkae srue taht you aenttd to btoh the wlohe and its prats. |
Overview�� “It is very simple to be happy; but it is very difficult to be simple.” - Rabindranath Tagore
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Head | Heart |
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*(Nisbett, 2003)
Overview�� “It is very simple to be happy; but it is very difficult to be simple.” - Rabindranath Tagore
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Head | Heart |
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*(Nisbett, 2003)
Left Brain
Overview�� “It is very simple to be happy; but it is very difficult to be simple.” - Rabindranath Tagore
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Head | Heart |
Left Brain | Right Brain |
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*(Nisbett, 2003)
Overview�� “It is very simple to be happy; but it is very difficult to be simple.” - Rabindranath Tagore
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Head | Heart |
Left Brain | Right Brain |
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*(Nisbett, 2003)
Intuitive
Overview�� “It is very simple to be happy; but it is very difficult to be simple.” - Rabindranath Tagore
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Head | Heart |
Left Brain | Right Brain |
Analytic | Intuitive |
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*(Nisbett, 2003)
Overview�� “It is very simple to be happy; but it is very difficult to be simple.” - Rabindranath Tagore
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Head | Heart |
Left Brain | Right Brain |
Analytic | Intuitive |
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*(Nisbett, 2003)
Adult
Child
Overview�� “It is very simple to be happy; but it is very difficult to be simple.” - Rabindranath Tagore
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Head | Heart |
Left Brain | Right Brain |
Analytic | Intuitive |
Adult | Child |
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*(Nisbett, 2003)
Moderns
Ancients
Overview�� “It is very simple to be happy; but it is very difficult to be simple.” - Rabindranath Tagore
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Head | Heart |
Left Brain | Right Brain |
Analytic | Intuitive |
Adult | Child |
Moderns | Ancients |
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*(Nisbett, 2003)
Overview�� “It is very simple to be happy; but it is very difficult to be simple.” - Rabindranath Tagore
| |
Head | Heart |
Left Brain | Right Brain |
Analytic | Intuitive |
Adult | Child |
Moderns | Ancients |
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*(Nisbett, 2003)
West
East
Overview�� “It is very simple to be happy; but it is very difficult to be simple.” - Rabindranath Tagore
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Head | Heart |
Left Brain | Right Brain |
Analytic | Intuitive |
Adult | Child |
Moderns | Ancients |
West �(current N. America & W. Europe)* | East�(current Asia)* |
*(Nisbett, 2003)
Overview�� “For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” – Christ (Luke 6:45)
analyzing, articulating, solving, being logistical, planning, being right, quick to respond, intensity, heaviness, seriousness, “stop that or else”, “you’re wrong”, “don’t even tell me your way”, “because I said so”. �
intuiting, observing, connecting, feeling, pausing, centering, touching, empathizing, eye contact, slow to respond, keep it light, playful, humorous, “let’s go another way”, “I see what you’re feeling”, “do you think that will work?”.
Head
vs
Heart
Overview�� “See the false as false - the true as true. Look into your heart." - Buddha
analyzing, articulating, solving, being logistical, planning, being right, quick to respond, intensity, heaviness, seriousness, “stop that or else”, “you’re wrong”, “don’t even tell me your way”, “because I said so”. �
intuiting, observing, connecting, feeling, pausing, centering, touching, empathizing, eye contact, slow to respond, keep it light, playful, humorous, “let’s go another way”, “I see what you’re feeling”, “do you think that will work?”.
up next … citations
Overview�� “The only reward of virtue is virtue; the only way to have a friend is to be one ..." - Emerson
Overview�� “The heart has its reasons in which reason cannot understand." - Blaise Pascal
Some Things ?Coming? to Education:
up next … literature
Lesson #1 – Telling Stories
(Literature)
up next … legends
Before: Choose Good over Evil … ��Two Wolves
An old Cherokee was teaching his grandson about life. �"A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy. �"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. �One is evil, the other is good. �The same fight is going on inside you – �and inside every other person, too." �The grandson thought about it for a minute �and then asked his grandfather, �"Which wolf will win?" �The old Cherokee simply replied, �"The one you feed." ��- an Ancient Cherokee Legend
Lesson #1 – Telling Stories (Literature)� Don’t You Just Love Whitman��"Words that are strictly true seem to be paradoxical." (Tzu, 2012/circa 500 BC, Verse 78)
Lesson #1 – Telling Stories
(Literature)
Two Wolves II
Two wolves live �inside of me. �One is trapped �the other free. �The two of them �just want to be. ��They fight sometimes. �Now good, now bad. �The trapped one wants �what the other had. �I feel this fight �when I am sad.��Grandpa said, �“Watch who you feed. �He will win. �He’ll take the lead.” �I hope some day �that both are freed. �
- John Bickart 2011, inspired by an Ancient Cherokee Legend
After: Beyond Good & Evil to Inclusion …
More Before & Afters
Lesson #1 – Telling Stories (Literature)� Don’t You Just Love Whitman��"Words that are strictly true seem to be paradoxical." (Tzu, 2012/circa 500 BC, Verse 78)
Lesson #1 – Telling Stories
(Literature)
Before:
Everything is Separate
Everything is Random
The Observer does not matter
We are Machines
The World is Unchanging
After:
Look for Connection
Look for Meaning and Intention
Aim for Relationship by Observing
We Affect Everything around us
There is Potential for Change
up next … science
�� Lesson #2 – Reading the Book of Nature � (Science)� �
Observation vs Analysis
Make an (O/A) sheet.
up next … 3 bowls
�� Lesson #2 – Reading the Book of Nature � (Science)� �
Before:
3 Bowls
After:
3 Bowls
Start from the Heart
up next … social studies
� Lesson #3 – Other People’s Stories � (Social Studies)�
‘Primitive’ Languages: Case in point - The Hopi
Before:
picture a candle between two reflectors …
The Hopi world view� always knew:
Quantum physics has only recently started to realize the complementarity of particles and waves.
The Hopi on Particles versus Waves
p. 85, Whorf, B. L., & Carroll, J. B. (1964). Language, thought, and reality: selected writings of Benjamin Lee Whorf. Cambridge, Mass.: M.I.T. Press.
� Lesson #3 – Other People’s Stories � (Social Studies)�
“Only then, will you transcend tense
To fully be here now.
Only then, no harm
will the universe proffer
nor you to her,
for you will be
not you but she
and both – the universal Great Integrity.
- Lao Tzu (Tao Te Ching, Verse 13 Identity)
After:
� Lesson #3 – Other People’s Stories
(Social Studies)�
� Lesson #3 – Other People’s Stories � (Social Studies)�
Activity: �
� Conclusion��
“When you come to a fork in the road, �take it.”
– Yogi Berra
�Thank You!
up next … hemisphericity
Sample Brain Hemisphericity Inventory
(excerpted from the CA Dept. of Ed.)
Which Side Are You On? Just 6 questions …
(Keep track of your “As” or “Bs”.)
Sample Brain Hemisphericity Inventory
(excerpted from the CA Dept. of Ed.)
1.
A. At home, my room has organized drawer and closets. I even try to organize other things around the house.�
B. At home, I like the "lived-in" look. I clean as I see a need and when I have the time.
Sample Brain Hemisphericity Inventory
(excerpted from the CA Dept. of Ed.)
2.� A. My desk is usually clean and has everything in place. �� B. I leave my work out on my desk so I can work as I am inspired by ideas.
Sample Brain Hemisphericity Inventory
(excerpted from the CA Dept. of Ed.)
B. I like creating new methods.
Sample Brain Hemisphericity Inventory
(excerpted from the CA Dept. of Ed.)
4.
A. I follow directions carefully when I build a model, make a craft, etc. �� B. I like to build a model my way, making my own creation.
Sample Brain Hemisphericity Inventory
(excerpted from the CA Dept. of Ed.)
5.
A. I complete one project at a time.� � B. I like to start many different projects, but do not like to finish them.
Sample Brain Hemisphericity Inventory
(excerpted from the CA Dept. of Ed.)
6. When I am asked to write a report on a subject, I........ � � A. research information, then outline and organize my writing. �� B. work in my own self-inspired direction.
Sample Brain Hemisphericity Inventory
(excerpted from the CA Dept. of Ed.)
How did you do? ��“A”s were left brain and “B”s were right brain. �(not definitively)
#2 The Man of Medicine �and the Girl
A man of medicine who was dedicated to helping and healing people came upon a little girl in the forest who had hurt herself. She had brushed her leg against a poison plant and it had already started to become infected. The good doctor quickly took charge. As he examined her leg, he comforted the little girl saying, “I do not know about this poisonous plant, so be patient while I try many possible medicines to see which one will heal you.” Surprised at this, the little girl asked the doctor, “Why not just ask the Forest Spirit? He knows every plant and herb and their uses.” The doctor recoiled as one who has tasted something bitter. Seeing the problem, the little girl offered the advice, “Why then good doctor, shall I ask the Forest Spirit for you? He is quite close and is already telling me that this herb beneath our feet will heal me. After all, is it not better to know what to do than to try in vain?”
�WHY KEEP TRYING�WHEN YOU CAN KNOW�
- Bickart, J. (2020). Bickart’s Just-in-Time Fables (Vol. 1). Asheville, NC: Red Shirt Interactive Group.
#97 The First Rider
Once, a very clever monkey was watching a herd of horses. He admired the way they could run over hills and valleys with the swiftness of the wind. One day, he went to the wise leader of the troop of monkeys and asked if he might try to ride these beautiful horses. The leader admitted that it sounded like fun, so the monkey made friends with the horses and asked for a ride. As it turned out, the horses were more than happy to oblige. Delirious with excitement, the monkey tried to choose between a stunning white horse and a gorgeous brown one. Unable to decide, he tried to ride both at once! But alas, upon trying to execute this unlikely undertaking, the monkey’s legs spread so far apart that he fell instantly and was left in the dust. The monkey went crying to his leader and asked what went wrong. His leader simply said, “My little friend, you have only one butt, so you need to put it on only one horse.”
THE DIVIDED SELF GOES NOWHERE
- Bickart, J. (2020). Bickart’s Just-in-Time Fables (Vol. 2). Asheville, NC: Red Shirt Interactive Group.
#91 The Traveling Puppeteer
A renowned master puppeteer made a wonderful puppet theater. He took it from town to town as a traveling show. When it arrived in the big town square, children from the smaller villages came to see it. During the show the master puppeteer held ropes that were above the puppets. He was behind a curtain, so the children could not see him; but they could see the puppets. The story was about a brave and beautiful woman riding a white horse. She was searching for a magical tree that could transform her into a princess and show her where to go to find her very own castle in her very own kingdom. Over and over she rode through the same path past the same trees without finding the magical tree. As she repeated her search, the woods started to become familiar and her life became routine. By and by a sadness befell her and she lay down to sleep.
The village children watched the puppet show with great intensity. They wanted to help the beautiful woman to become a princess. Suddenly, the master puppeteer appeared. He pulled back the curtain to let the children see his hands and arms and the ropes he held from above to allow the puppets to move. He spoke to the children, “Do you want to help the brave woman?” “YES!”, the children shouted as if in one, single voice. “Well, look here,” and he pointed to a tree that she had passed over and over, “She cannot tell that this is the magical tree! You can see it is magical if you look from up here, but she is only looking from down on the ground. If you want to help her, you must wake her up and show her that she has to look from above. Tell her to climb the ropes and come join me. This is how to make all of her dreams come true!”
BREAK ROUTINE BY LOOKING FROM ABOVE
- Bickart, J. (2020). Bickart’s Just-in-Time Fables (Vol. 2). Asheville, NC: Red Shirt Interactive Group.
#100 The First Three Lessons
A farmer truly loved his three sons. He raised them by teaching many morals, always imparting a lesson to go with each of their chores on the farm. One might have thought that they would follow in the father’s footsteps, at least that is what the father supposed. But the first son wanted to move away. “That is not right – you should stay here on the family farm,” said the father. But the son planned to leave anyway. This was inconceivable to the father, but what could he do? So, the father gave his blessing. The second son stayed, but instead of becoming a farmer, he became a writer. The father tried to show him that it is only right that he should farm. The father used every argument he had to prove his point. But seeing the son’s love of writing, he ultimately wished him well and sent him off to his new life with all of the love he could give. The third son came to his father and announced that the family farm should become a school. This was utterly unthinkable to the father. He tried in vain to reason with his son, then he tried in vain to reason with himself. Finally, though this seemed all wrong to the father, he supported his son with all of his heart and became the school’s first teacher.
TO WAKE UP …
INSTEAD OF TRYING TO BE RIGHT, TRY COMPASSION
- Bickart, J. (2020). Bickart’s Just-in-Time Fables (Vol. 2). Asheville, NC: Red Shirt Interactive Group.
#121 The Old Badger and the French Hen
An old badger was pouring his usual bowl of coffee to go sit for his morning routine by the edge of the garden, nestled between the servant’s quarters and the stables. He had invited his friend, a French hen, who also enjoyed life’s little pleasures. He had his kitchen prepare some of her favorites: a wonderfully crusty baguette with butter and strawberry jam, pain au chocolate, and a perfectly ripe, sliced peach with crème fraîche. “The morning sun promises a delightful hour,” observed the badger.” “I quite agree,” rejoined the hen, “I do believe it is bringing out the full fragrance of the privet blossoms.”
Unbeknownst to the consumers, their morning gathering was also joined by a host of little spiritual beings. Here were the actual chefs. Here were the ones responsible for the feast of tastes and smells. Here were the workers that grew the fruits and flowers, encouraged the wind and the sun and the dew, supported the cooks in the kitchen and the servants in their quarters, and made the morning itself possible. They watched with great satisfaction that their labors had not gone unnoticed. But what about them - the beings behind the scenes? As the little ones relished the morning repast, they enjoyed a hearty laugh, gently making fun of the old badger and the French hen. “And when will they appreciate us? Yes, we are little, yet all of our little deeds basically run all of nature!”
DO NOT MISS OUT ON LIFE’S LITTLE PLEASURES
- Bickart, J. (2020). Bickart’s Just-in-Time Fables (Vol. 3). Asheville, NC: Red Shirt Interactive Group.
#123 The Oven and the Radio
An inquisitive young boy named Marshall walked through the woods to his Grandma’s house. As he entered, she greeted him with a big hug, announcing that a fresh batch of cookies were about to come out of the oven! Marshall practically shook with anticipation as he sat in Grandma’s warm kitchen and listened to her old music, on her old radio. Looking around at the radio and the oven and the wallpaper, Marshall innocently observed, “Grandma, everything in your house is old.” “Well, I guess that’s right,” laughed Grandma, “including me!” Just then, the little bell on the stove rang and Grandma took the cookies out of the oven. She put two on a plate for Marshall, then poured a glass of milk. Biting into the soft, warm cookie, Marshall got a dreamy look in his eye, as if he were contemplating a far-off land. “Grandma,” he asked in a sing song voice, “where do IDEAS come from?” Grandma paused to consider the question, then answered, “Well, that is certainly a good question. I don’t rightly know. But I guess some ideas come from putting two and two together.” “What does that mean?” probed Marshall. “Well,” began his Grandma, “if I asked you how much two plus two is and you answered ‘four’, then I would say that you got that idea from inside your head. It would be kind of like the oven. You put the two and two into your head like I put the raw cookies into the oven. Then you cooked up the answer ‘four’, like I baked the cookies.” “I see,” said Marshall with his eyes darting around as if he were preparing an extremely complex interrogation, “but what about if I got a new idea that I never thought about before? Like this morning … I suddenly got the idea to visit you! And somehow, I was already thinking you might have cookies! Do all of those ideas come from inside my head like the cookies in the oven?” “Well, my word, you DO ask good questions!” admired his Grandma, “I guess those ideas are different. I suppose that ovens only give back what you put in.” Grandma fell silent for a moment, then suddenly burst out with an inspired thought, “Perhaps fresh ideas that just appear in your mind are like the songs on the radio! Maybe those ideas come floating in on waves from outside of you.” “I see, Grandma!” exclaimed Marshall grabbing another full measure of cookies, milk, and satisfaction, “sometimes I’m an oven, and sometimes I’m a radio!”
Marshall went home satisfied, at least for the present. But Grandma was left pondering what would inevitably be the next question on a subsequent visit, namely, “And where were those ideas before they were received in my radio?”
WHERE DO INTUITIONS COME FROM?
- Bickart, J. (2020). Bickart’s Just-in-Time Fables (Vol. 3). Asheville, NC: Red Shirt Interactive Group.
#106 The Three Muskrats Trilogy
Long, long ago, before anyone wrote words, there were three muskrats. They played all day, every day. They were great friends. They lived in a cave next to a wide river below a ring of trees that lay below a cliff. The citadel you see in the illustration was not built yet. It is in the next story, “The Three Muskrats II”. Their favorite game was listening to stories that gnomes would tell them. Gnomes are the spiritual elemental beings that live in the rocks. All three muskrats could see and hear the gnomes.
One day, one of the three muskrats started to write symbols on the wall of the cave. He said he was writing the story of the three muskrats. The other two muskrats did not read the symbols, just the one muskrat. All of a sudden, a gnome came to tell a story. The muskrat who wrote symbols could no longer see the gnome. The gnome started the story, but only the other two muskrats could hear him. The one who learned to write, lost the ability to see and hear the gnome.
As the years went by, the two friends kept telling the third muskrat that the gnome was visiting. They told him the stories, too, but the third muskrat started to have trouble believing them, for he could no longer see or hear spiritual beings.
IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE WHAT YOU CANNOT SEE
The Three Muskrats I
As thousands of years passed by, a citadel was built on the cliffs above the ring of trees above the river. Three new muskrats were born in a cave. They became very great friends, as did their ancestors. Also, like the one ancestor who lost the ability to see and hear the gnomes, all three of these muskrats had no idea that the gnomes were in the rocks of the cave. The gnomes wanted to tell them stories, but the muskrats could not see nor hear them.
One day, one of the three muskrats started to become aware of a story. He did not hear words in his ears, he imagined the story in his mind. As he told the other two muskrats the story, he began to see the gnome who was telling the story. He got very excited and told the other two muskrats all about the gnome, so that they might see him, too. But, try as he might, the other two muskrats could not see or hear the gnome.
As the years went by, the two friends kept telling the third muskrat that they were not aware of any gnome. They told him that they had trouble believing that he could see or hear spiritual beings.
SOMETIMES THE MAJORITY RULES OUT POSSIBILITIES
The Three Muskrats II
A short time passed. Even though the one muskrat kept saying that he could see the gnome and the other two had trouble believing him, the three muskrats remained very great friends.
One day, the one muskrat said that the gnome had come to tell a story. The gnome said that the story was for all three friends. It was a most beautiful and exciting story. So, all three sat, while the one who could see and hear the gnome related the story. It was a tale of how the muskrats’ ancestors used to be able to genuinely see and hear the gnomes. It explained that the gnomes wanted to tell the muskrats all of the secrets of nature, but to hear the stories, the muskrats would have to want to see and hear them.
So, being very great friends, all three muskrats acted as if
they were one, and made a wish. They closed their eyes and wished with all their hearts that they could believe in and learn from the gnomes. And lo and behold, all three opened their eyes and there in the cave was a gnome sitting right in front of them. The gnome was so happy to be seen, that he called elemental beings of the water and plants and air and fire to come to celebrate. In addition to the gladness of being seen, the elementals brought very great and valuable gifts to the three muskrats. The gifts were secret tricks of how to gather food and swim in the water and fly in the air and play with fire. Never again did the three muskrats doubt each other.
ONE FOR ALL AND ALL FOR ONE
- Bickart, J. (2020). Bickart’s Just-in-Time Fables (Vol. 3). Asheville, NC: Red Shirt Interactive Group.
The Three Muskrats III