Eastern Philomphy and Hoüstic Education Yoshihani Nakagawa for the degree of Doetor of Philosopbig Department of Theory and PoUcy Studies in Education Ontario Insütute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto O Copyright by Yoshiharn Nakagawa 2ûûû National Library Blbl~)~nationale 1+1 ,cmada du Cam The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence aüowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distri'bute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microforni, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or elecîroic formats. la forme de microfiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur consewe la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor sub~bntialextracts from it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimes reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. University of Toronto 2000 Abdract This study explores a philosophicai foundation for holistic education from diverse perspectives of Eastern philosophy. While the holistic education movement has existed in North America since the late 1980s, my studies in fields of both holistic education and Eastern philosophy indicate that Eastern philosophy can signifimtly enlarge the scope of -holisticeducation. To grasp the fundamental structure of Eastem philosophy, I examine the remarkable ideas of some Eastern thinkers including Suzuki, Nishida, Hisamatsu, and Izutsu (Chapter 2). The essential structure of Eastern philosophy lies in the multidimensional understandings of reality. Based on these understandings. I introduce a framework of holistic education called the fie dimensions of realify (Chapter 3). which intends to integrate both Eastem and Western perspectives. in short, Dimemion I is the objective reality of individual beings. Dimension II is the social reality underlying the objective distinctions of individual beings. Dimension III is the cosrnic reality (nature, life, and the universe). Dimension IV is the infinite reality as the metaphysical ground of al1 beings. Dimension V is the universal reality in which the infinite reaiity manifests itself in dl dimensions. According to this model, holistic education is defined as an attempt to explore multidimensional rulity, nemely, to attain the profound depth of one's existence and thenby to recover the wholeness of ndity. From the viewpoint of this framework, 1 examine six orientations of contemporary holistic education (Chapter 4) and clarify that ecological and cosmological theories of holistic education nmain in the third dimension of the cosmic reality and lack insights into the deeper dimensions of reality with which Eastern philosophy is mostly concerned. Also, 1 compare the idea of interconnection in contemporary hol istic education with the idea of intepenetration in Buddhist philosophies to highlight the Eastem views of relationships (Chapter 5). Furthemore, 1 explore Eastem views of pedagogical concepts such as educational ah, nature, language, leaming, and development (Chapter 6). Finally, 1 explore the practical aspects of the multidimensional holistic education in the light of the Eastern ways of contemplation and art (Chapter 7). and the Eastem ways of action and compassion (Chapter 8). Acknowledgements There are several individuals whom I would Iike to thank for their encouragement and support dunng the development of this work. Special thanks to Rofessor Jack Miller for supervising this work. Also, special tbanks to Messor Clive Beck and Professor Vivian Darroch-Lozowski for valuable advice and comments. I wish to express my gratitude to Professor Atsuhiko Yoshida for reading the manuscript and making a number of suggestions. most of which I have been able to include in this work. I gratefully acknowledge helpful discussions with Susan Allen who has also ken helpful in editing this work. Finally, many thanks to the Rotary Foundation International and the Govemment of Canada Awards for their generous financial assistance. Table of Contents .. Abstract .......................................... ......................................... 11 Acknowledgements ..................................................................................... .. ...........iv Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................... 1 Towards an Eastern Philosophy of Holistic Education .................................... ......... I Towards a Reconstruction of Eastern Philosophy ................................................ 3 The Program of the Following Chapters ........................................... ...................5 Cbapter 2: The Structure of Eastern Philosophy .................................... .... ...................... 7 D .T . Suzuki's View of "Eastern Perspective" .................... .. .................................. 7 Nishida's Philosophy and Zen Buddhism ....................................................................9 Hisamatsu's Idea of "Eastern Nothingness" .............................. ................... .. ............ 13 Izutsu's Reconstruction of Eastern Philosophy ......................................................... 17 The Fundamental Structure of Eastern Philosophy ..................... .. ..................... 20 Chapter 3: A Multidimensional Theory of Holistic Education ................................. 28 The Five Dimensions of Reality ............................................................................ 28 From Substantialism to Relationalism ...................,.. ........................................ 32 The Pedagogy of Communication ......................................................................... 34 Fragmentation Through Communication ............................................................. 34 The Communicative Formation of Self-Identity .......... .....................*..**.....37 The Pedagogy of Communication- East and West ........................................... 42 The Politics of Communicative Education ................................ ..t.....t...... 45 The Pedagogy of Communion .......................................................................... 47 Various Concepts Regarding "Communion" ....... ... ...................................... 48 The Pedagogy of Communion- East and West .................... ... ....................... 53 The Eastern Self ....................................................................................................60 Chapter 4: Contemporary Holistic Education ................................................................ 67 From Fragmentation to Interconnectedness ..................... ...... .*..**..*.*.......**.*.**...** 67 Six Orientations of Contemporary Holistic Education ............................................... 69 Perennial Philosophy ........................................................................................ 69 Indigenous Worldview ........................................................ .........................72 Life Philosophy ..................... .. ...........................................................................74 Ecological Thougbt .............................................................................................. 76 Systems Theory ..................................................................................................80 Feminist Thought ................... ...... ............................................................. 84 Fundamental Ploblems of Conternporary Holistic Education ............................... 86 Eco-Spifitualism .............................................................. ............. ............ 87 Cosmos and Anti-Cosmos ..................................................................................... 9û The Transformation of the Self .............................................................................. 94 Chapter 5: Buddhist Views of Relationships ................... ................................... 99 The Relevant Teachings of the Buddha ..................................................................... 99 The Buddha's Rocess Philosophy ................... ............. .................................. 99 The Buddha's View of interdependence .............................................................. 101 The Dimension of Niwam .....................~.......................................................... 103 Madhyarnika Pûilosophy of Nagarjuna ............. ... ................................................ 105 Prajna-paramita Thought ................................................................................. 105 Nagarjuna's Philosophy .......... .... .................................................................... 108 Thne Dimensions of Dependent Co-arising ......................... ................... L 10 The Hua-yen Ontology ....................................................................................... 113 Hua-yen Buddhism ..................... ...... .. .. ..................................................... 113 The Fout Dharmadhatus .....................................*................................................1 17 Some Implications for the Philosophy of Holistic Education ........................... 122 Chapter