Mottoes and Axioms of Schools That
Follow the Original Teachings of Christianity
Carlos Cardoso Aveline
Living with voluntary simplicity, the Amish avoid
modern cities and prefer traditional means of transportation
Amish communities
follow the Anabaptist ideals of primitive Christianity.
Having as their source of inspiration the teachings of
the New Testament and the Acts of the Apostles, the Amish adopted the principle
of voluntary simplicity. They are radical in the non-violence, reject the use
of cars, leave aside advanced technology and keep away from blind consumerism.
Most forms of attachment to personal comfort are shunned by them. They live
away from materialistic cities and practice solidary forms of economy.
A clean life and a pure heart are priorities for the
Amish. Without losing the focus of their central goals, they have an open mind.
There are no professional priests among them. No theological bureaucracy. They
prefer the original teaching. They are the most traditional among the Mennonite
groups, and try to preserve the spirit of the best elements in Christian
teachings, while cultivating humbleness. It is easy to see that their way of life
deserves a respectful study from the theosophical point of view. The
ecologically correct society of the Amish, their cooperative economy and their
cult of modesty are examples to be followed in the civilization of the future.
However, life is seldom easy for those who seek for a
noble goal. Obtaining anything of great value requires a large amount of effort.
The ideal of building a correct life needs an iron determination and firm
detachment, because one needs to challenge the organized ignorance of human communities.
The history of the Amish is made of heroism and
sacrifice. For a long time they were persecuted, tortured and assassinated in
Europe. The campaign against them was organized by the predominant forms of
Christianity, which were associated to the power of the State.
We see this testimony in a chronicle of the
persecutions against the first Anabaptists:
“Many were tormented day and night with unheard-of
tricks and cunning. Monks and priests came with smooth words, and scholars of
Scripture with false teaching; they insulted and threatened, stormed and
abused, with lies and horrible blasphemy. But this did not make the faithful
lose heart. Some of those who suffered such cruel imprisonment sang songs of
praise to their God because they were full of joy. Some did the same when taken
from prison to the place of execution. They sang joyfully, their voices ringing
out as if they were going to meet the bridegroom as a wedding. (…) From the
shedding of such innocent blood, Christians arose everywhere. The number of [Anabaptist] believers increased in all
those places…” [1]
During
the 18th and 19th centuries, the Amish and other Mennonite groups - Anabaptists
- found
places to live in peace, mainly in the United States. Although they make no
proselytism, or perhaps because of this, their communities flourished. They now
can educate their children in accordance with their traditional philosophy of
love for Life.
Mottoes of Amish Schools, on the Art of Living
“The interiors of Amish schools”, says an anonymous
Amish, “are frequently decorated with drawings and mottoes made by the
children”. They contain valid lessons for adult persons of any religion or
philosophy.
These are some examples of mottoes collected from
Amish schools in Pennsylvania:
* I am only me, but I’m still someone.
* I cannot do everything, but I can do something.
* Just because I cannot do everything does not give me
the right to do nothing.
* It is my duty to do what I can and I must never say
I can’t until I try, then if at first I don’t succeed I must try again.
* Remember when you talk you only repeat what you
already know; but if you listen you may learn something.
* Let us pray not for lighter burdens, but for
stronger backs.
* The longer you put off doing a job, the harder it
becomes.
* Do not rush over your work in school or at home.
* Naturally, you
will always try to do your best, but do not feel sad or discouraged if you
cannot make a perfect score.
* Even though our minds may work slower than some
children’s, let us bear in mind that it is only a blessing that they work at
all.
* Start each day with a fresh beginning; as if this
whole world was made anew.
* School is a good place to get along with other
people; this will help you when you grow up.
* We are known by our actual deeds and not by what we
boast that we can do.
* Be contented, and do not worry or try to catch up
with the world’s uneasiness and speed.
* Never, never be afraid to do what is right, even if
all the others are doing what is wrong.
* Do not count the mistakes of your parents or
teacher; rather, help them along in life’s strife, and your own will become
sweeter.
* People who are always in a hurry, seemingly, get
very little satisfaction out of life.
* A person who lives only for himself never knows the
real joys of life.
* You can be pleasant without talking a lot. Think
twice before you speak once.
* Singing [religious songs] is a pleasant pastime,
good exercise for the lungs and a nice way of giving praise to God. [2]
“God”, in theosophy, is the universal law of justice,
or one’s own spiritual immortal soul. The singing of religious songs is a
Western variant of the Eastern mantras.
The philosophy of the Amish contains central elements
of the art of living taught by classical philosophy. Its study is useful for
theosophists of a sincere heart, as long as they are open to an intercultural
approach and to the comparative observation of different traditions.
The fraternal
use of silence as a means of communication, the absence of hurry, the art of
teaching by example and the practical respect for the rhythms of nature are
basic principles in the life of the Amish, which remain widely unspoken. They
constitute sources of inspiration for Western society.
Every citizen of good will can see lessons in and
learn from the different aspects of life. He knows he shares the essence of
every tradition whose goal is the practical search of universal truth. In any
time or place, the student of esoteric philosophy lives according to the
principle of non-violence, as much as he can, and is a companion to all who -
like the Amish - place the search for wisdom above personal comfort.
NOTES:
[1] From the book “Amish Roots, a Treasury of History,
Wisdom, and Lore”, edited by John A. Hostetler, The Johns Hopkins University Press,
Baltimore and London, 1989, 319 pp., see p. 20.
[2] “Amish Roots, a Treasury of History, Wisdom, and
Lore”, edited by John A. Hostetler, see pp. 220-221.
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On 14 September 2016, after examining the
state of the esoteric movement worldwide, a group of students decided to found
the Independent Lodge of Theosophists.
Two of the priorities adopted by the ILT
are learning from the past and building a better future.
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