Moving toward 2050 from Mountains and Forests: Scholars from Taiwan and Japan Join to Explore Spiritual Ecology for Future Education
The opening session of an international symposium on future education was not set before a projection screen, but along a mountain trail. On October 8 and 9, scholars and distinguished guests from Taiwan and Japan walked the Ling Jiou Mountain trails, starting from the ground beneath their feet before returning to Fu Cheng to explore education in 2050 through the perspectives of futurology, history, botany, and whales, revisiting the question of how our lives and education would be different if humanity held all life forms in esteem.
Jointly organized by the Preparatory Office for the University for Life and Peace (ULP) and National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), the "2026 Taiwan–Japan International Symposium on Spiritual Ecology" brought together Taiwanese and Japanese scholars, educators, and practitioners to explore new possibilities for symbiosis between humanity and all living beings.
Stepping into the Mountains Rather than the Conference Room
On the morning of October 8, symposium guests took to the Ling Jiou Mountain (LJM) ecological trails. Arriving at the Upper Monastery, they walked from the Gate of the Divine Eyes to the Tara Guanyin Square. A flock of eagles soared and circled in the skies, as if bidding welcome to visitors from afar. Shortly after, along the Arhat Trail, they encountered a young Reeves's muntjac, continuing the delightful surprises for everyone. The mountains of LJM became a most lively "ecological museum," allowing "spiritual ecology" to transcend being merely an abstract concept, and instead begin with drawing close to nature.
The afternoon opening ceremony began with the one-minute Peace Meditation, followed by a spiritual dance performance presented by dancer Sheng Jie. Matsuo Katsurahiro, Director of the Cultural Exchange Division of Hirado City, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan, represented Mayor Matsuo Aritsugu on his visit to Taiwan, expressing hopes to deepen friendship between Taiwan and Japan. Professor Huang Chao-hsi, Chair of the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering at National Ilan University, also shared his valuable experience in promoting digital learning.
A 2050 Retrospective: Reimagining the Future of Education
Meimei Song, Adjunct Associate Professor at NTU D-School, National Taiwan University, pointed out in her presentation titled "Future Perspectives on Education: Designing Education for 2050" that education is not about waiting for the future, but about creating it. Only by first seeing an ideal vision can we decide what actions to take today.
TienYu Shen, Acting Director of the Preparatory Office for the University for Life and Peace (ULP), explained the concept of spiritual ecological education through "The Boundless Circle," emphasizing that ecology is not merely a classification of knowledge, but a fundamental relationship of life. Future education should combine spiritual awakening, ecological education, and practical action to move towards harmonious symbiosis between humanity and nature.
JyhWei Shin, Professor of Medicine at National Cheng Kung University, discussed how a university for the future can gradually take shape. He believes there is no need to rush to build a university building; instead, the focus should be on creating the conditions for it to grow.
From Plant Healing to History: Exploring New Relationships with Life
The Day 2 agenda expanded to plant healing, marine culture, and history. Attending in a traditional kimono, Mitoko Kawachi, a member of the Committee for Regenerative Medicine of Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and Director of the Institute for Plant-Based Therapeutic Studies, explored the possibility of reconnecting with nature through plants, tea culture, and human physical and mental well-being.
Shigeo Nakazono, Director of the Island Museum (Shima no Yakata) in Ikitsuki, Hirado, Japan, discussed the relationship between humanity and the ocean through the history of whaling.
ChiaHsin Liu, Associate Professor jointly appointed in the Interdisciplinary Bachelor's Program and the Department of Chinese Literature at National Cheng Kung University, cited the journeys of Huangbo (Ōbaku) Buddhist monks to Japan during the early Qing Dynasty, pointing out that this history presents an alternative spiritual ecological narrative to Western frameworks, revealing the profound harmony between humanity and nature in East Asian culture
The Next Step in Ecological Education: From Knowledge to Lived Practice
Grand Master Hsin Tao, Founding Abbot of Ling Jiou Mountain (LJM), has long advocated that “Spirituality is Ecology, and Ecology is Spirituality,” emphasizing the symbiosis between humanity and nature. He believes that the solution to the ecological crisis lies not only in environmental protection, but fundamentally in transforming the human heart and our underlying attitudes toward life.
Venerable Xian Yue, Executive Director of the Museum of World Religions (MWR) Development Foundation and Supervising Director of the University for Life and Peace (ULP), stated that from the MWR's advocacy of "Love the Earth, Love Peace" to the establishment of the ULP, LJM has explored the practice of spiritual ecological education through international think tank conferences, five consecutive Winter Schools, and interdisciplinary experimental courses. Through international symposiums and forums, these accumulated achievements over the years have been transformed into a shared public agenda of global concern.
Spanning mountain trails, future education, botany, and the ocean, this series of discussions ultimately returned to humanity itself. The symposium illuminated a path for future education—one that returns to the very essence of life. Faced with the ecological crisis, the key is no longer merely asking "what we can do for the Earth," but reconstructing educational paradigms to reflect deeply on "how to live in symbiosis with all living beings." The spiritual seeds sown in the forests of Ling Jiou Mountain are blossoming into daily learning and practice, guiding generations toward a way of life that honors nature, embraces mutual flourishing, and ensures lasting sustainability.
Jointly organized by the Preparatory Office for the University for Life and Peace (ULP) and National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), the "2026 Taiwan–Japan International Symposium on Spiritual Ecology" brought together Taiwanese and Japanese scholars, educators, and practitioners to explore new possibilities for symbiosis between humanity and all living beings.
Stepping into the Mountains Rather than the Conference Room
On the morning of October 8, symposium guests took to the Ling Jiou Mountain (LJM) ecological trails. Arriving at the Upper Monastery, they walked from the Gate of the Divine Eyes to the Tara Guanyin Square. A flock of eagles soared and circled in the skies, as if bidding welcome to visitors from afar. Shortly after, along the Arhat Trail, they encountered a young Reeves's muntjac, continuing the delightful surprises for everyone. The mountains of LJM became a most lively "ecological museum," allowing "spiritual ecology" to transcend being merely an abstract concept, and instead begin with drawing close to nature.
The afternoon opening ceremony began with the one-minute Peace Meditation, followed by a spiritual dance performance presented by dancer Sheng Jie. Matsuo Katsurahiro, Director of the Cultural Exchange Division of Hirado City, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan, represented Mayor Matsuo Aritsugu on his visit to Taiwan, expressing hopes to deepen friendship between Taiwan and Japan. Professor Huang Chao-hsi, Chair of the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering at National Ilan University, also shared his valuable experience in promoting digital learning.
A 2050 Retrospective: Reimagining the Future of Education
Meimei Song, Adjunct Associate Professor at NTU D-School, National Taiwan University, pointed out in her presentation titled "Future Perspectives on Education: Designing Education for 2050" that education is not about waiting for the future, but about creating it. Only by first seeing an ideal vision can we decide what actions to take today.
TienYu Shen, Acting Director of the Preparatory Office for the University for Life and Peace (ULP), explained the concept of spiritual ecological education through "The Boundless Circle," emphasizing that ecology is not merely a classification of knowledge, but a fundamental relationship of life. Future education should combine spiritual awakening, ecological education, and practical action to move towards harmonious symbiosis between humanity and nature.
JyhWei Shin, Professor of Medicine at National Cheng Kung University, discussed how a university for the future can gradually take shape. He believes there is no need to rush to build a university building; instead, the focus should be on creating the conditions for it to grow.
From Plant Healing to History: Exploring New Relationships with Life
The Day 2 agenda expanded to plant healing, marine culture, and history. Attending in a traditional kimono, Mitoko Kawachi, a member of the Committee for Regenerative Medicine of Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and Director of the Institute for Plant-Based Therapeutic Studies, explored the possibility of reconnecting with nature through plants, tea culture, and human physical and mental well-being.
Shigeo Nakazono, Director of the Island Museum (Shima no Yakata) in Ikitsuki, Hirado, Japan, discussed the relationship between humanity and the ocean through the history of whaling.
ChiaHsin Liu, Associate Professor jointly appointed in the Interdisciplinary Bachelor's Program and the Department of Chinese Literature at National Cheng Kung University, cited the journeys of Huangbo (Ōbaku) Buddhist monks to Japan during the early Qing Dynasty, pointing out that this history presents an alternative spiritual ecological narrative to Western frameworks, revealing the profound harmony between humanity and nature in East Asian culture
The Next Step in Ecological Education: From Knowledge to Lived Practice
Grand Master Hsin Tao, Founding Abbot of Ling Jiou Mountain (LJM), has long advocated that “Spirituality is Ecology, and Ecology is Spirituality,” emphasizing the symbiosis between humanity and nature. He believes that the solution to the ecological crisis lies not only in environmental protection, but fundamentally in transforming the human heart and our underlying attitudes toward life.
Venerable Xian Yue, Executive Director of the Museum of World Religions (MWR) Development Foundation and Supervising Director of the University for Life and Peace (ULP), stated that from the MWR's advocacy of "Love the Earth, Love Peace" to the establishment of the ULP, LJM has explored the practice of spiritual ecological education through international think tank conferences, five consecutive Winter Schools, and interdisciplinary experimental courses. Through international symposiums and forums, these accumulated achievements over the years have been transformed into a shared public agenda of global concern.
Spanning mountain trails, future education, botany, and the ocean, this series of discussions ultimately returned to humanity itself. The symposium illuminated a path for future education—one that returns to the very essence of life. Faced with the ecological crisis, the key is no longer merely asking "what we can do for the Earth," but reconstructing educational paradigms to reflect deeply on "how to live in symbiosis with all living beings." The spiritual seeds sown in the forests of Ling Jiou Mountain are blossoming into daily learning and practice, guiding generations toward a way of life that honors nature, embraces mutual flourishing, and ensures lasting sustainability.