Day 6 (Wyatt)

Myokei Shonin and the students
 Today, our group began the day making final preparations for our meeting with Myokei Caine-Barret Shonin, who is the current bishop of the Nichiren Shu Order of North America, as well as the first woman and person of mixed heritage to hold this position. Our time with Myokei Shonin was a delight, and she enlightened us on many things, from her life story to Buddhism. We discussed her incredible role in the Buddhist religion and how her African American and Japanese heritage affected her journey. Myokei left the class with a better understanding of the Buddhist religion and how important perseverance and independence are. 

Next up was our seminar on American exceptionalism and Chinese singularity. In my opinion, this was one of the most fascinating discussions we've had since it covered such niche concepts. American exceptionalism is the idea that America is different and inherently better than other countries. We discussed how American exceptionalism came to be and its effect on immigration to America, the American people, and foreign relations. Chinese singularity is very similar to American exceptionalism, except that it is more based on the idea that China is special in that there is no other place like it on the planet in terms of culture, variation in climate and terrain, and its creation.

After lunch, we had a relaxing afternoon watching Mao's Last Dancer, a true story about a Chinese-born ballet dancer (Li Cunxin) who's extraordinary journey through China and America resulted in an amazing story. We ended the day discussing the movie and its meanings, and how it related to our J-Term topics. Overall, today was filled to the brim with lasting memories and ended with a few more enlightened minds.

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