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Encouraging Younger Academics

I know for me personally the Culture Department helped me tremendously by allowing me to be real about my struggles with self-doubt as an academic and to challenge these and win over them with this practice. The graduate school, post-grad job search, tenure-track, even tenured track all seem wrought with so many challenges to one's sense of self. Many of my students who go on to graduate studies struggle. How can we best encourage them?

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Permalink Reply by erika on April 5, 2008 at 12:42am: ps. and how can we encourage each other?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Dave Streater on July 6, 2008 at 12:02am: As an "ex-academic" (somewhat, but maybe not completely, "ex"), I might have some thoughts for you...

"Unless you perceive the nature of your own life, Buddhist practice will become an endless painful austerity.", says Nichuren. Here, "Buddhist practice", as it applies to your students, might be identified with "graduate studies". at their current point in life. It seems like the goal should be to help them to understand their lives as best they can-- to decide where they want to go with their studies. It's important that they always remain, or become, open to changing that sense of "where they want to go", as their situation develops. Though you might feel that, in such a professional situation, you are unable to freely turn them on to Buddhism, you can of course chant daimoku for them. That is the starting point for encouraging them; then the right things will occur to you to say, to help them "perceive the nature of their own lives". You have such an important "mission" (...there's gotta be a better translation for "mission"...)-- your students are so fortunate!
And for encouraging each other, similarly, let's always start with Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.
BCDave; ▶ Reply to This

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