Here's rather a sweet poem I found, for use in my advising tutorial. (I think what I'll do is ask students to tell of an experiences corresponding to each of the three wondrous lines of the second stanza.)
I am a student
I am a student.
I have been a student as long as I remember.
And it is a pleasure to be a student.
It is a pleasure to learn that I don't know.
It is a pleasure to learn that I already know.
It is a pleasure to learn that I was mistaken.
It is a joy to learn from Great Masters.
It is a joy to learn by sharing what I learnt.
It is a joy to learn how to be what I am.
I seek to learn about the world around me.
I seek to learn about what I actually am.
I seek to learn how to be a proper human being.
Clouds show me the nature of my world.
Rivers show me the nature of myself.
Babies show me how to be more human.
I am a student.
I will be a student as long as I live.
And it is a pleasure to be a student.
I am a student
I am a student.
I have been a student as long as I remember.
And it is a pleasure to be a student.
It is a pleasure to learn that I don't know.
It is a pleasure to learn that I already know.
It is a pleasure to learn that I was mistaken.
It is a joy to learn from Great Masters.
It is a joy to learn by sharing what I learnt.
It is a joy to learn how to be what I am.
I seek to learn about the world around me.
I seek to learn about what I actually am.
I seek to learn how to be a proper human being.
Clouds show me the nature of my world.
Rivers show me the nature of myself.
Babies show me how to be more human.
I am a student.
I will be a student as long as I live.
And it is a pleasure to be a student.
Gangtok,
18th January 2003
[Different parts of this stand out for different people. I'm all about the second stanza. For my friend G it was "Rivers show me the nature of myself," for my Advising Tutorial students it was "Babies show me how to be more human," for my friend L it was "I seek to learn how to be a proper human being."]
