<<April 1, 2006>>
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John A. Karkala, Ph.D.
Prof. Emeritus, Comparative Literature
Associate: Columbia Univ. Seminars
Shakespeare, South Asia
State University of New York
100 Bennett Ave, 4E
New York, NY 10033
212-928-9485
jakarkala@aol.com


Dear John:

(1) Many thanks for your msg (ATTACHMENT I) in response to my following list distribution;

(03/27/06)-B Jon Eger's essay "The Amman Declaration"
http://makeashorterlink.com/?N2CC12EDC

Rainbow Bridge Across the Pacific:
http://makeashorterlink.com/?N1DF223EC

This is Section 1 in Chapter 3 of my following book draft;

"Electronic Global University System and Services"
http://makeashorterlink.com/?E62612919

Pls note its last slide on “Mathematical Expression of Religions and Cultures.”  It may be called “Utsumi’s Equation” in comparison to Einstein’s E=mc2 — my big joke!!

ATTACHMENT I

From: <Jakarkala@aol.com>
Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2006 11:19:57 EST
To: <utsumi@columbia.edu>
Subject: Re: [gu-new] (03/27/06)-B Jon Eger's essay "The Amman Declaration"

Dear Takashi:
 
         I read with much interest John Eger's essay on "Amman Declaration".
I was concerned with the attempt to bulldoze South West Asian Studies at most Universities since 1960
 
         During 50's and 60's there were serious attempts made to read and teach Great Books of Asia, as a counter part to Great Books of Europe and America.  At Columbia U it was called Oriental Humanities, under leading lights of Jacques Barzun, Lion al Trilling, and Theodore de Bary.  Great Books in Arabic (including north Africa), Persian, Sanskrit, Pali and other major Indian Languages, and China and Japan. Standardized teaching texts were prepared in training teacher seminars were held with much publicity.  This arose out of the unique program UNESCO  started "Major Program for the mutual appreciation of Values and Cultures of East and West, 1956
 
        Since then  Great books of the world were introduced at colleges and universities and in State Universities. But the programs  almost evaporated in most places because of strategists opposing the program. Starving funds for these programs, scheduling the classes at odd hours that student can't register, putting non-qualified staff to teaching, rather debunking the idea of studying 'pagan literature' etc.  During Vietnam war, the legislators argued as "waste of funds" and cut programs and departments.  Students demanded 'relevance'  to black literature, women's literature at the exclusion of African and Asian  Middle Eastern studies.
 
          With the result, by the 80's and 90's at many universities there are huge library resources in these areas, but not faculty hired, no courses offered,  going backward to pre-1960 days calling for "traditional curriculum!"  This was going like one step forward and three steps backward.   
 
          Another mind set that hampers such global attitude in a globalizing world  are  primary concepts of  True or False logic, or contrary concepts, cantankerous dualistic thought patterns.  My baloney is true and your baloney is false. Mono-theistic theology solidified tribal thinking for global action.  What Iknaton IV wanted under monotheism was the example of Sun that shines in Mesopotamia, Assyria, Canaan, and Egypt is one but called in different names.  That Concept did not flourish then nor is it flourishing now. We have three divinities siting on top of three theological pyramids. They are killing each other for the sake of their own particular pyramids, cdemonizing the other,  calling others as gentiles, pagans, and khafirs.
 
         But outside Semitic thought patterns that pervade the three religious traditions, we find different thought patterns.  Unity in diversity, or lotus imagery, or circle and the center, not pyramidic imageries,  or Truth or divinity is one Perceptions are many (Upanishads), There are many ways at looking at a mountain not simply  one and the only '"true way" (Tao Teh Ching). In India and China this basic accommodative theology is the primary pattern of thought.   
 
          Such unitive patterns of thoughts or primary concepts are not missing in Semitic Traditions of three great religions:  The Voice in the burning bush says" I was know to other people at other times by other names." Gospel writer John reports Jesus as: There are many mansions in my Father's house.  And the Voice in the  Koran says in two Surahs: Leave the people of other regions to the Lord;  the Lord has sent prophets to other nations and appointed ways of life to them.    But these ideas are not emphasized. The extreme right in Judaism or in Christianity or in Islam are no other than terrorists.  All three are religons of peace and worship a compassionate God, or pretend to do so..
 
: .      For globalizing world what we need is  an accommodative pattern of thought.  Tribal concepts need to be smoothed over to become global concepts.  UN and UNESCO has come halfway recognizing this evolving fact.  The Global University System can reinforce this pattern of thought, or changing bricks of our thinking to build a world of Vergilian "e pluribus Unum" printed on US quarters,  and not the argument that you come under my tribal pyramid to be "civilized."   What we are doing in Asia  is civilizing the civilized with brute force.