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As One Suzuka Community as a place to learn, one after another from overseas

In September, we have a number of people coming from overseas to study at the Suzuka Community.

Alex and Antje from Switzerland (front left) ↓

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From Korea, Say-ri, Geum-sang & Dong-ha with their son Seomg-yeol, Jung-ah and their two children Yeo-jung and Yeo-min (from left to right in the photo) ↓

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Alex, Antje and Say-ri are "As One Style Practice Program" students

Gum-sang, Dong-ha and Jung-ah are coming to Japan to study as ScienZ Academy students.

The children have started living at Cherish, a voluntary daycare center during the day, with other children from the community, under the watchful eyes of the grandparents, brothers and sisters.

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In this issue, we asked these two from Switzerland to report on what it was like for them to come to Suzuka and what kind of time they are spending there.

Alex

After attending the As One Seminar, I felt lifted up in the world and fulfilled in myself. When I travelled from Suzuka to Switzerland last June after just 10 days of stay in Suzuka, I felt like I was leaving home. Then I knew I wanted to come back, for a longer time.

In August I went to the course to get to know the society. Since then I wonder how can we create a society where no one has to do anything, where everyone acts freely and which is harmonious at the same time. A society in which people enjoy giving each other a fulfilled life. I want to learn here to become a person who can do that.

For me, many things are new and interesting here like the food, the weather, the language, it's a different kind of sleeping here, the art of living together etc. I enjoy doing things together with the other people here, eating together, learning Japanese, working, sitting together in the living room and of course the meetings where you can say anything and hear anything.

I try to investigate, observe, while working and everywhere. It's interesting to see where it succeeds and where it doesn't. And why not? And to look at that together in the meetings. I don't want to hold anything back, to say everything that is inside me and look at it together. I hope that in this way I will come closer and closer to reality, get to know reality. I feel good, I feel more and more at home, even if my inner self is not yet calm.

I often think about the harmonious society, the future society. And how do you realise it? I see the academy students every day and sometimes I wonder if I can become an academy student too. I have a return ticket to Switzerland in three months, but I have the feeling that I actually want to stay here, learn Japanese well and realise paradise for all people by doing research together with these people here. Because I have no doubt that together it is possible.


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Antje

I have been in Suzuka for about 3 weeks now and am taking part in the practice program. In Switzerland, I have been living in a eco-village for a long time. I want to find out what human life means and participate in a society where everyone can live happily. 3 years ago Ono-San came to Switzerland and I started attending the As One courses. I enjoyed it very much to look from zero again. It feels so gentle and I realised that I want to explore more in this way. The desire became stronger to go to Suzuka one day and see how people live together there. What does the As One style look like? When I arrived with Alex, I was surprised that we were participating in the practice program. I think I rather wanted to look from the outside. Now I am in the middle of getting to know myself. I realised that I can't enjoy it if I don't know and understand anything. With my thinking that I have to understand...it becomes difficult. Then I tried to get to know everything and to familiarise myself with things. I quickly realised that I can do that every day. And now? How is it now? It doesn't matter how much I know or understand. Am I now looking, asking, listening? Forming relationships with different people is very exciting. As soon as I fix an idea or thought in my head, e.g. I can't do that or I don't understand anything, something in the connection from me falters. I feel disconnected. I have the opportunity here to look at all the everyday things. Why do I want to do this work? What is behind the joy of having achieved something? I have a picture of myself, but what am I really like? I am looking forward to looking and examining in the meetings and trying things out again and again.
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