Education Beyond "This Body"

    During the Living Chan workshop today, I was astounded to realize how much doors open up when one is not taking one's body to be oneself. In fact, there is so much in the universe that is ignored if I only focus on the body. During my walk home from Willowdale to Steeles, I thought about how the sense of wonder is too frequently ignored when education only focuses on feeding, clothing and 'advancing' one's own body and being over and above other beings. In fact, there is so much more to the universe than this, and it almost seems as though education is only preparing people to advance themselves over others. It's a survivalist mentality, and in a sense if a person is not mistaking themselves for this limited body (seeing the whole universe as their own experience), one does not have a limited life. It's a life that goes beyond one's personal resume, but it's hardly a confining or isolating life for that reason.
    Do the ideas of 'not taking the body to be me' contradict success ideals in the schools? For instance, if I choose not to limit myself to protecting and advancing 'this body's interests', does this mean I will simply do nothing in life? I argue that this would not be the case. I think, on the contrary, being too anxious about one's body tends to limit how one behaves in life. I remember years ago, I was taking two night courses and happened to go out to see a play one night. I was so preoccupied with my studies during the play that I could not fully be in that moment to enjoy it. And I found later that I really didn't need to be so obsessed with studying since I knew the material fairly well. By worrying about the future, I missed an opportunity to see the abundance of what is presented before me at every given moment. I think that similarly, when we limit our lives to personal advancement, we somehow impoverish ourselves and our possibilities to be and learn in the world.
     There is no actual way to truly determine what things 'advance' our bodies when the nature of competition in the world is constantly changing. I might think that computer programming is the way of the future, but if everyone thinks so, will I then have a job in it? Education might increase my likelihood of succeeding in this area, but there is no guarantee. The point is that it's sometimes better not to attach what I am learning and experiencing to a permanent body or livelihood. At best, I can say that the field or education can prepare me in certain ways, but it's important not to attach to the thought that I need to be a specific way in order to survive. After all, that in itself is just a thought.