Tuesday, February 15th, 2011
The Chakma boys with the volunteers
During our stay at the Alice Project as volunteers, we had the chance to visit the school in Bodhgaya. It was an unforgettable experience!
The school lies deep in the countryside of Bihar, an unexpected green and flourishing land. The nearby villages are small groups of houses made by mud. The only sounds that one can hear outside the walls of the school are the cries of the animals, the lapping of water in the wells and the occasional chatting of women in the fields. The immersion in such a context takes us, western people, back in time and reminds us of a forgotten peace. Surely the distance to the so called civilization (8km from Bodhgaya) and the lack of connections can give some troubles to those, like us, who are used to being able to get anything they need. Every difficulty can though be overcome with a bit of planning. Moreover, coming in contact with such an essential way of life helps us thinking about what our actual needs are and it makes us rediscover our connection with Nature.
The Awakening Special Universal Education School stands in this context – and only 8km away from the place where Buddha attained enlightenment. The school was open in 1998 and since then it has offered free education to 220 children from the nearby villages. In 2000 a new project started, in order to help some boys of Chakma ethnicity, who now live in the school. For financial reasons, the school had to close in 2009, but it was opened again, thanks to the kindness of the sponsors and the will power of the resident students (for further information about the school in Bihar and the Chakma students http://aliceproject.org/index.php?sec=projects&pag=chakmas ).
According to us, the 40 students who now live at the school are a living example: the result of years of struggles, of trust in an alternative education paradigm and of the generosity of the financial backers becomes tangible in them.
They all come from extremely poor farmer families. Most of them have no documents nor recognition from the Indian Government. Some of them don’t even know when they were born. They arrived at the school in December 2009, having almost no scholastic knowledge; before learning all the daily routines, they had to learn Hindi.
During our stay, in February 2011, we found a “family” that can almost entirely manage itself. They can communicate in English, they study in Hindi, they take care of all the practical duties of the school. Two boys, who were previously studying as monks, guide the daily prayers, at 6am and 6pm. The Puja sessions are followed by Karma Yoga: they grow vegetables for their meals, they cook and they clean the school, divided into groups which shift weekly.
The inner research that Alice’s method asks them to do developed in them an incredible sensitivity, beside concentration and mnemonic skills which allow them to study and to apply proficuously to every activity. In just over one year they achieved an extraordinary awareness about their mind and their emotions, on top of the acquisition of many notions. We were mostly struck by their purity and sensitivity, which are hard to be found in teenagers in our side of the world.
Before leaving, we asked them to reply to some questions, to use them as a cue in order to upgrade the website. After reading their answers, we felt we couldn’t sum them up. We copy them literally, not to modify the boys’ original voice.
1) You have been living at the school for a year. What do you think of the time you have spent here?
We think that the time that we have spent here was really wonderful. Since we came, we have been staying like a big family. There is always love, happiness, peace, kindness, entertainment and no way to feel boredom. We are surprised that we have been here for a year. It seemed that the time passed very fast. All the time that we spent here was very precious for us because we secured a lots of lessons and worthy knowledge which we could not obtain in our villages. So, we can say that we spent our time here very successfully.
2) What do your families think about you being students at the Alice Project?
Our families are extremely pleased with us, of being students at the Alice Project. We have already explained them about the methods of the Alice Project’s teachings and the experiences that we have made (practiced) here. Moreover in our State we are called a very low caste. Sometimes problems arise to get admission in the Government schools and we have not available yearly income to study in Government schools, se we are like burdens for our parents and now they are free from loading the burdens. Their load came at the Alice Project. Now, we expect that they must be thinking for our good future in Alice Project.
3) What was the strangest thing in your new life at the school? And the most difficult one?
We think still now we didn’t find any strangest thing at the school. Everything is fine (wonderful) and praise worthy (admirable). We are existing and considering the school as our house and this village (Sijua) as our villages. Perhaps the only strangest and difficult thing for us is that it is our first time to studying at the outside school. And often we discuss in friendly conversation that we dream our families. We miss them very much. Since childhood we grew up on the lap of our parents. The love they make is like nectar for us. So, attachment is the only strangest thing we ever found at the school.
4) What do you think about the arrival of Chakma girls at the Alice Project? Would you prefer them to come here in Bodhgaya? (15 Chakma girls will soon be integrated in the school in Sarnath. Some of them are these boys’ sisters. The others come from the same villages.)
We are very happy by hearing that soon Chakma girls are arriving at the school. The most superiority is that they are our sisters and many years later they got an opportunity to come grouply and large in number to study in outside school. In another sponsor’s school there is one or more than one student who get a chance to study. They are very few. The goodness of this school is very essential for our Chakma people. And they are coming to receive the path which will brighten their future in future generation. And in future, many people can learn something about the righteous method of Alice Project schools.
Yes! We prefer them to be here in Bodhgaya. In these days whatever we have learnt or improved we can share and teach them to follow the righteous way to study and to live properly. And later we can spread our attitude and attributes over our community for the welfare of our society.
5) What can you tell us about the relationship among you?
It is said that “unity is strength”, so we are strength because we are united.
Our relationship (friendship) commenced with love, kindness and joyful conversation among us. Since we came here we have been staying like we are the sons of one family and brothers each other, considering Valentino-ji (bau) as our holy parent. Now it became very strong and we cannot forget each other. Recently, one month ago, one of our friend went to his village due to treat his malady. He explained that he felt solitude without us, even with his happy family and missed us very much. “There was no interest (curiosity) without you” he said to us. It happens so because to work, live and study together increases the relationship among the people.
The Chakma boys with Valentino
6) What do you think of the spiritual practices at the school? Were they important to you before?
We think that we are luckier than our parents. People of our state are very curious to visit here in Bodhgaya, specially to see the place where Buddha attained enlightenment. But they don’t have time to visit and always busy with their works.
We are studying and practicing religion. These are the greatest things that we are making here and these are very needful for us. We are practicing the truthful way to be free from suffering, which we did not have practiced in our state. Whatever we are making here, all the lessons are useful for our tradition as symbols of Buddhism. We feel we are practicing and receiving the best paths to be succeded in our lives.
Yes! They were very important for us before. But we had not got good teachers to practice religion there. We were self interested in practicing spirituality. We were like barbarians. And now we come to know that “as we seed so shall we reap”, so we will continue work for human beings.
7) Two of your schoolmates have the opportunity to attend an art course (A/N two students, who have been studying at the school for many years, showed a natural talent in art; they are privately sponsored to attend a Tanka school, where they learn to paint with the original Tibetan technique). Are there other activities, beside the school ones, which you would be interested in studying?
Actually the thing is that our elder brothers are learning art course. They have good opportunity to learn art. They have very skills in art. But now we don’t have any definite aim, which we like to do. Now our activities are what we like to do. Those are: achieving good knowledge during school hours, studying properly, practicing Dharma and always attaining the prayers. This is the activities which now we would like to do. In the future perhaps we would also like to do other activities, but not now. Our activities are only staying in friendship and attaining good knowledge.
8 ) What would you like to do when you will finish the school?
Whatever we have achieved good knowledge from this school (Alice Project) – like the holy teaching of Dalai Lama, Karmapa, other Rinpoche and the philosophy of Valentino Giacomin as our father – from all those holy teaching we have attained good things which are very important and help in our lives to free from Samsara. Those holy teaching after finishing the school we want to apportion them to the people to free from Samsara and we want to assist Alice Project as volunteers. This Alice Project is our new beginning of life, that’s why we want to assist this school as volunteers. This is our aim, to assist Alice Project.
9) Are there things that you need and that you don’t get at the school?
The things that we need like monthly we are getting them, like soap, copy, pen, etc. We want these things properly, which are necessary for us. We want only good teaching, studying, etc. The sponsors who are sending money for us, we hope that they will continue their kindness for the Chakma boys. If someone wants to offer something for us, it’s their kindness and will. We all think that you are our consecration mothers and fathers. We want only their kindness and their consecration blessing. That’s enough for us and our blessings are also with you. Those who are helping us, we are very much grateful and thankful to them.
10) What is the most important thing you have learnt during this year?
When we arrived here in Alice Project we were almost ignorant. In this year we have attained many holy teachings and we have achieved them, those important things which are very essential for our lives. Now we have improved a lot. Before we didn’t know about the holy teachings. Now we know something. That’s why we all thank to Valentino Giacomin as our father. If he didn’t come to us, than we were not here at the Alice Project in this present moment. The most important thing is we have attained many holy teachings and we have taken beneficial from those important things, which are very helpful for our lives.
Claudia, Giulia, Ilaria
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