Direction of development
Explore and reflect on the patterns of life, so as to remodel and implement the life values
The context of contemporary human life and the learning environment are very different from those in the past. The current environment, whether it is for basic theoretical training or for professional skill development, consists of a large information flow, frequent interactions and information exchanges. However, this increasingly diverse thinking leads to more uncertainty when confronted with different directions, and also produces difficulties to make the right choice at significant and critical moments in life.
Besides, when facing all complicated situations of modern life, the body and the mind cannot settle down, which leads in its turn to all kinds of physical and mental illnesses. Even if the life span keeps increasing, the appearance of unhappiness has not dimished. Therefore, in order to put aside our obsession with the self, and find a way to get rid of all difficulties, we cannot but reflect on all dimensions of life, in order to confidently re-establish the values of existence.
Experience and apply living wisdom, and enhance mental and spiritual health
Man’s main purpose in life is to let life reach its perfection. From ancient times, Chan has been one of the ways that intellectuals use to penetrate into the nature of life. Although Chan can be traced back all the way to Indian Buddhism, in its long developing process, it combined Chinese cultural characteristics to perfectly complete the essence of Chinese Chan tradition, and further developed the East Asian Chan tradition in Japan. It became not only the popular known practice of cultivating life among the social elite, but through its characteristic of application in everyday life it was also accepted by the masses. Lately lots of Westerners have been attracted to learn and explore it in depth. Not only did they link the integration of interdisciplinary academic researches of Chan with psychology and life science, but many Europeans and Americans are also actively developing the concrete practice of Chan. The SLL, through its Chan approach, constructs a system which consists of practical personal experience and applications.
Chan is a rich cultural system, which includes not only the wisdom and art of life, but also enlightenment and full realization of the original human nature, and the basic ability to fully comprehend and experience life. The SLL starts with the Chan approach, beginning with the exploration of the individual body and mind, bringing students afterwards in contact with different cultures, with people in different situations, and with all dimensions of nature, so that all parties involved can reach harmonious coexistence.
In addition, in response to the aforementioned problem of physical and mental predicaments, and the issue of mental health, the SLL extends its research and practice methods to related areas. Referring to the explorations of spirituality both in the East and the West, it tries to realize a fusion of the Eastern and the Western philosophies into one single mental health system.
Experientially understand the dilemma of human relations, shaping new thinking on contemporary ethics
The process of civilization of human society is the process of shaping and constructing ethics. For a long time, as times changed and developed, many situations have emerged that were difficult to adjust to or that have hampered progress and they were all related to the ethical system that exists between man with himself, with others, with the environment, with the metaphysical world, and with the natural environment. Global warming and the financial crisis are the most obvious examples. People nowadays are confronted with these relations but they cannot effectively respond to them, which in turn leads to many conflicts, contradictions and limitations.
However, for the human society to work effectively, man has to face these relationships and reconcile himself with them. That is why, through the exploration of basic ethics and through the practice of ethics of conduct, the SLL strives to nurture experts with a forward-looking vision and with creativity. Through profound explorations of ethical issues in a modern perspective, students will eventually embody the core values of ethics in their everyday life and establish an ethical thinking that is relevant for modern times and that can be applied in a concrete way. At the same time, it is the SLL’s mission to fully cultivate these high abilities in these experts so that they can contribute to their country, their society and the world.