Musings on Japanese and Ryukyu Budo
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Musings on Japanese and Ryukyu Budo
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![]() The Caged Bird and the Open Door: A Japanese Parable of Freedom and Attachment Japan is a land rich with stories and parables that reflect its deep cultural and philosophical heritage. One such story, often told to illustrate themes of freedom and attachment, is the parable of "The Caged Bird and the Open Door." This tale has captivated the hearts and minds of many, providing timeless wisdom through its simple yet profound narrative. The Story of the Caged Bird The story, known in Japanese as "鳥籠と開いた扉" (Torikago to Aita Tobira), is as follows: Once upon a time, a man kept a beautiful bird in a cage. The bird was given the finest food and the most exquisite cage, reflecting the man's deep affection for it. However, one day, he decided to leave the cage door open, offering the bird the freedom to fly away whenever it wished. Despite the open door and the beckoning vast sky, the bird chose to stay inside the cage. It would often perch at the threshold, looking out at the world beyond but never venturing out. The man was puzzled and wondered why the bird did not embrace its freedom. The bird had become accustomed to the safety and comfort of the cage. The open sky, though full of possibilities, also represented uncertainty and danger. The bird's choice to remain in the cage, despite the open door, highlighted its attachment to the familiar and the secure, even at the cost of its freedom. Cultural Context and Philosophical Underpinnings This parable resonates deeply within Japanese culture, reflecting the interplay between attachment and freedom that is central to many Japanese philosophical traditions. Buddhism and Zen Philosophy: In Buddhism, particularly Zen, there is a strong emphasis on overcoming attachments and achieving inner freedom. The bird's reluctance to leave the cage symbolises the human tendency to cling to familiar comforts, even when they are limiting. This story serves as a reminder of the Buddhist teaching that true liberation comes from within, by letting go of attachments. Symbolism in Japanese Culture: Birds in Japanese culture often symbolise freedom and the human spirit. The open door of the cage represents opportunities and the potential for liberation. The parable encapsulates the tension between the security of the known and the allure of the unknown, a theme prevalent in many Japanese stories and teachings. Historical and Literary Origins While the exact origins of "The Caged Bird and the Open Door" are not definitively documented, it draws from a long tradition of Japanese parables and moral stories that have been passed down through generations. These stories often have roots in Buddhist and Zen teachings, which have been integral to Japanese culture for over a millennium. A Modern Reflection: "Rising Sun" The story also found a place in modern narratives, such as the 1993 film "Rising Sun," directed by Philip Kaufman and based on the novel by Michael Crichton. In the film, the parable is used to illustrate broader themes of cultural conflict and personal freedom. It serves as a metaphor for the characters' struggles with their own limitations and the choices they face in navigating different cultural landscapes. Conclusion "The Caged Bird and the Open Door" remains a poignant and thought-provoking story within Japanese culture. It speaks to the universal human experience of grappling with freedom and attachment, encouraging reflection on what it means to be truly free. As we ponder the bird's choice, we are invited to consider our own cages and open doors, and the choices we make between security and the vast possibilities that lie beyond. NB: The parable of "The Caged Bird and the Open Door" is often associated with both Japanese and Chinese cultural and philosophical traditions. While it is widely known in Japan, its roots can also be traced back to ancient Chinese philosophy, particularly Daoism and Buddhism, which have significantly influenced both Chinese and Japanese cultures. Chinese Origins In Chinese philosophy, stories and parables about birds and cages often appear in Daoist and Buddhist teachings. These stories typically illustrate themes of freedom, attachment, and the nature of reality. For instance, Daoist philosophy, with its emphasis on naturalness and freedom from societal constraints, often uses such imagery to convey its principles. Japanese Adaptation In Japan, these themes were absorbed and adapted through the influence of Buddhism, particularly Zen Buddhism, which was introduced from China. The story of the caged bird is thus a part of the broader cultural exchange between China and Japan, reflecting shared philosophical concepts.
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The famous meme contrasting equality and equity using crates and people watching a baseball game provides an effective illustration of equity as "equality of outcome." In this meme, each person stands on as many crates as needed to see over a fence and watch the game, regardless of their original height. This approach contrasts with equality, where everyone receives the same number of crates, irrespective of their height.
However, this visual metaphor has limitations that can obscure more nuanced understandings of equity. The depiction implies that equity relies on external aid (crates) to level the playing field, which suggests dependence on handouts. Furthermore, it assumes that the fence or barrier remains fixed and unchanged, focusing on distributing crates rather than addressing the barriers themselves. In real-world contexts, organisations often have different interpretations of equity, leading to varying policy approaches. Understanding these differing perspectives is crucial for decision-making because different sectors and cultural contexts may prioritise different aspects of equity, such as: 1. Redistributive Equity: Prioritising the reallocation of resources to under-served communities to ensure fair opportunities. 2. Procedural Equity: Making sure decision-making processes consider the voices and needs of marginalised groups. 3. Structural Equity: Dismantling systemic barriers that prevent people from accessing opportunities and achieving fair outcomes. Instead of simply providing crates, a more transformative approach to equity would involve rethinking the structures that restrict access to opportunities in the first place. This could be achieved by tearing down the fence or putting windows in it, metaphorically representing the removal of systemic barriers. In practical terms, this could mean advocating for policy changes that provide universal access to essential services like education and healthcare. In sum, while the meme offers an accessible introduction to the concept of equity, it's essential to grasp its nuances and consider alternative approaches for achieving long-term systemic change. Simplisitic solution rarely word to address deep rooted and complex issues. ![]() As my blog gains traction, I learn and sometimes need to make corrections. A friend recently read this blog on leadership and thought I was referencing them. That couldn’t be further from the truth. If you have read the blog and assumed it was about you, please know it wasn’t. Instead, it was based on my own experience and training in leadership. The trends I discuss are prevalent across many spheres of leadership and often go unchecked. While I have worked under leaders whose narcissism was damaging to many, both have passed away and writing about them would not serve a meaningful purpose. Their stories would warrant individual blogs rather than a collective reflection. Besides they were never interested in what people like me had to observe or share. No, what I write is informed by my shortcomings as much as by those I’ve observed or studied. If you see yourself in my writing, I hope you find it helpful and encouraging growth. Make no mistake: leadership is hard work. You will make mistakes (some people will always see what you as as mistakes - they are usually wrong), and every new leader faces a steep learning curve. It takes courage to lead and the wisdom to know when to step aside. From my experience, leadership requires vision and strong administrative skills, yet I have never seen one individual excel equally in both. The best organisations balance these needs by combining visionary and administrative leadership to guide growth and improvement. For instance, in a school setting, having a head and a deputy head allows one to focus on administration while the other drives the vision. Another observation worth noting is that most leaders excel in a particular niche. Once that area is addressed, they should have the courage and opportunity to move on or shift within the organisation. Unfortunately, many skilled leaders hold onto their positions past their “best by” date. This may stem from ego, but more often, it results from a lack of meaningful lateral opportunities within the organisation, forcing leaders to choose between leaving a place they care for or staying and stifling its progress. Organisations must address this issue to encourage fresh ideas in leadership while retaining talented and purposeful individuals. As I conclude my years of experience abroad, I share these reflections to support public and private sector leaders striving to improve their organisations. This is as much about my own need for growth as it is anything else. If YOU find it useful, then I am happy to have been a purposeful support. Some personal observations on areas where experience can matter and help. Comprehensive Understanding of the Organization. Leaders with significant experience are well-versed in organisational goals, strategic plans, and critical processes. This expertise enables them to make informed decisions that align with diverse standards and the varied needs of their teams and stakeholders. Insight into Challenges. Experienced leaders understand the intricacies of managing diverse teams, including navigating differences in skills, communication styles, and work approaches. They can build robust support systems and implement strategies that empower teams to thrive. Credibility and Trust. Team members tend to trust and respect leaders with practical, hands-on experience. This credibility fosters collaboration and involvement in new initiatives, especially in environments with diverse professional backgrounds. Stakeholder Relationships. Maintaining solid relationships with team members, clients, partners, and the broader community is invaluable. Consistent communication and alignment across different groups are crucial for effective leadership. Policy Implementation. Seasoned leaders translate policies into practical strategies, ensuring seamless adherence to local regulations and global standards while aligning with the organisation’s ethos. Vision and Strategy. Leaders who have advanced through various organizational levels have a strategic vision aligned with their needs. They can develop long-term plans that address dynamic workforces and rapidly changing landscapes. Crisis Management. The unpredictability of daily challenges requires leaders skilled in crisis management. Those with extensive experience are better equipped to handle emergencies and guide their teams and organisations in uncertain times. Narrow Perspective. Inexperienced leaders often prioritize initiatives or projects based on personal biases or limited viewpoints, sidelining equally essential objectives. They may structure workflows without clear evidence of necessity, overlooking the holistic needs of their teams. However, without being checked, such myopia can also become the Achilles heel of the experienced leader. Formation of Power Groups. Inexperienced leaders may surround themselves with small groups reinforcing narrow perspectives, creating an echo chamber that stifles constructive feedback and diverse ideas. This must be revised in the inclusive culture, which is crucial in organisations. Without going into details, an experienced leader who continues to utilise such strategies is, in my experience, usually insecure, incapable or simply a narcissist. Beware of this type of leader the most; they can often be disguised as sheep in wolf clothes! Last-Minute Decisions. Inexperienced leaders often make last-minute decisions that increase teams’ workloads due to a lack of planning or contingency measures. This absence of strategic foresight creates stress and disrupts productivity. Failure to Plan for Diversity. With sufficient experience, leaders often consider their teams’ cultural and professional diversity. Initiatives may need more flexibility, leaving some segments of the workforce marginalised. Action always speaks louder than words. Otherwise, people know you are check-boxing. Careerist Leaders. Some leaders are more focused on personal advancement than on the needs and well-being of their teams. They can implement decisions and policies that fail to acknowledge the full breadth of human experience, leading to dissatisfaction and disengagement. Challenges of Managing Teams. Managing teams can be challenging because individuals often focus on areas needing improvement rather than problem-solving. Navigating these tendencies requires a delicate balance while fostering a positive, proactive work environment. Closing Thoughts. Leaders who rule through secrecy and fear hinder progress and stifle the collaborative, inclusive atmosphere essential for organisations. Transparent communication, trust-building, and valuing diverse expertise are vital for effective leadership in any setting. As I mentioned at the outset, leadership is complex and not all who lead should be in a position to impact the lives of others powerfully. Sadly, many organisations promote such leaders but must support or check them when the red flags arrive. Likewise, organisations that genuinely care about those they lead often leave them untrained and carrying the weight of others whose leadership qualities should be better. YOUNG leaders must have an honest, supportive and realistic growth plan and expectations. To assume they came prepared for the job is to fail. Coming as I did from a grounding in the Ontario Public education system, I was quite surprised to see the variety of models of leadership employed at International schools. Specifically, I was initially taken aback at the explicit criticism often directed at Principals/Heads of School by the faculty. Indeed the questioning of decisions even after they had become policy and their belief in an ongoing agency to negotiate such policy was new to me. It made me rethink my accepted models of leadership. What follows in the coming weeks will be parts of an essay I wrote for Mike Fertig at the University of Bath as a few years back. As it is rather long, I shall post in segments. The first instalment sets the field with an academic overview of what do we mean by educational leadership?
As we prepare to enter the third decade of the the twenty-first century, many new agents are at play, creating a need to rethink traditional paradigms. Aging populations in first world nations progressively scrutinized public spending and especially publicly funded organizations. Increasingly, free markets economies through the forces of globalisation, have not only increased global trade but also increased the number of transient workers. Unprecedented access to information that the Internet has permitted has aided in the democratization of knowledge. Not surprisingly, as such forces interact, societies look to secure their future and, in particular, the future of their children. Education has become a central concern for nations and citizens as they seek to make sense of the global changes. New curricula, standards based assessment, and efficiency of spending has begun to enter the lexicon of educational debate. Arguably, no area has received greater interest than the field of educational leadership. After all, it is these very leaders who are to ensure children are prepared to become effective participants in the new global paradigm. Or are they? Are traditional educational leadership models outdated and no-longer effective in dealing with new forces and expectations at play within schools? Or are these traditional models tested and true and thus guarantee past success will continue? The central question thus is: what constitutes effective school leadership? While an exploration of all literature within this field is impossible, a healthy sampling reveals the existence of two main schools of thought in educational leadership: principle-centred and leadership-team centred. Through an exploration of the major tenets within each of these schools of thought, and an assessment of how these theories compared to actual practice, what emerges is they offer viable insights into the dilemmas and challenges leaders must address in serving and leading educational communities. Before we begin, it is necessary to identify some key terms. Those who are assigned the role of leading schools are known by various titles within private, public and international school sectors. For our purposes we shall call this central person the principal. Additionally confounding, is the idea of leadership. Again for our purposes, leadership entails those administrative, leadership and vision activities that enable schools to create effective learning environments. Lastly, the notion of ‘effective’ varies from society to society as well as between and within schools. What needs to be explored are those leadership attitudes, practices and formats that best suit the context of the school and lead to effective decisions and actions being undertaken. Thus, herein effective means effectiveness of leadership format. Finally while there are no actual educational schools of thought that define themselves as principal-centred and leadership team-centred, these are terms we shall use to embrace a wide spectrum of theories that share commonalities. Principal-centred theories are those that perceive the principal as the central agent leading a school towards increased effectiveness; team-centred theories are those that suggest the school is most effectively guided by the work and co-operation of teams with a shared agency and responsibility. |
James M. HatchInternational Educator who happens to be passionate about Chito Ryu Karate. Born in Ireland, educated in Canada, matured in Japan Archives
June 2024
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