Working with the fundamental questions of life
*The working method will involve multiple pedagogies, such as phenomenon based learning.
LOVE
What is love?
What are the different faces of love?
If perfect love exists, what might that look like?
What is unconditional love in your opinion?
What are your experiences with love?
Is it good to only give love but not receive love?
How do we receive love?
If love is real, why does one fall out of love?
If there is a purpose to love, what might it be?
What do the major religions say about love? What do you think about it?
ROMANCE
Romance extends beyond red roses and pink clouds. It’s about attraction, wanting to be
with someone, appreciating commonalities and the differences with the other(s). The
experience can be powerful and overwhelming as well as subtle and gentle. What keeps it
alive is the aliveness in you and between you and others.
What attracts you in another person?
What do you find is attractive in yourself?
What qualities of yours, do you believe attract others to you?
Have you ever fallen in love? What was that like? How did you transform as a person?
If you have never fallen in love, would you want to?
What do you hope to find in love?
What would make being alone (more) comfortable than being in a romantic relationship?
What would activate your desire to engage in a long-term relationship?
What kind of romantic relationship interests you? How would an ideal romantic relationship
function in your mind? What makes it work? What role(s) would you play in it?
On the contrary, what kind of romantic relationship does *not* interest you, or even repels
you? Say more!
Which gender(s) do you feel romantically attracted to?
Do you like yourself? Do you love yourself? In what way? How might this “relationship
with your self” influence who you attract (or repel)?
Do you dislike yourself? How strong can this dislike be? In what way? How might this
“relationship with your self” influence who you attract (or repel)?
What kind of relationship do you have with yourself? How do you think this relates to the
kind of romantic relationship you are able to form with others?
If you’ve had less-than-good romantic relationships, what made it so?
SEXUALITY
Sexuality is a broad term referring to various things and might differ from person to
person. Core is you inner and personal experience, your sexual identity and your relating to
others in a sexual way. As sexuality is more than the act of sex, it might have different
characteristics and expressions for you.
What is sexuality for you? Is it only a physical thing for you?
When you think of sexuality, what are the feelings and emotions that surface immediately?
What are the messages you have received regarding sexuality from your parents? From
society? From your friends?
When did you discover your sexuality? How have you experimented with it?
If you had a sexual identity, how would you name and describe it?
Do you feel safe expressing your sexuality and your sexual identity?
What would need to change in the world for people to live and express their sexuality and
sexual identity?
Have you questioned or changed your sexual identity so far? What changes took place?
What was that like and how did it make you feel?
When and how do you feel sexual?
How do you experience the world relates to sexuality in general? How does that make
you feel?
How does your sexuality and your sexual identity fit into the world as it is now?
Do you experience your immediate environment as understanding and accepting when it
comes to sexuality and sexual identity?
Is it possible that sexuality might also be a feeling-thinking kind of thing?
Are you able to imagine that sexuality can be an expression of something profound and
dignified within you? If so, how so?
GENDER
Gender is the range of characteristics pertaining to and differentiating between
dualities like femininity and masculinity. Depending on the context, this may include
sex-based social structures (i.e. gender roles) and gender identity. Most cultures use a
gender binary, having two genders (boys/men and girls/women); those who exist
outside these groups may fall under the umbrella term non-binary.
When are you aware of your gender? And in what way?
When were you aware of your gender at first?
How would you say you identify in your gender? What is that like for you?
When are you aware of gender difference?
Did your gender identity change over time? In what way? And what was that like for
you?
What is your view on how society in general relate to gender?
What opinions do you hold on gender and gender identify yourself?
What would it be like for you if a close friend or family member would change their
gender identity?
Have you ever questioned your gender identity?
What were moments you experienced your assigned gender and gender you identify
with as uncomfortable?
Have you ever longed to be able to express your gender differently than that you
have thus far? What stops you from your expression?
LIFE’S TRANSITIONS
The big changes in life are similar across cultures: leaving childhood behind (for example, becoming aware of one’s developing identity intellectually, emotionally, physically, and socially), entering adulthood (for example, living on your own, or getting your first job or apprenticeship), committing to a long-term relationship (for example, marriage), moving to a different place or country, losing a loved one, separation-divorce, and more.
What has been some of the big changes in your life?
How has the big change(s) in your life impacted you?
How have you responded to the big change(s) in your life?
How have those you are close to responded to the big change(s) in their lives?
What have you learned from how others have responded to change?
What do you believe life is inviting you to become through these changes? What abilities shall be developed? What beliefs are being formed because of these change?
STRENGTHS & VIRTUES
What are your strengths and virtues?
How do you know you have these strengths and virtues?
How do you feel when you are using your strengths?
Which of your strengths would you like to develop (use) more often?
What kind of person do you aspire to become? Why?
What do you think about good and evil ?
Are good and evil just a fairy tale or is it real?
Is human nature fundamentally good or bad? Can both exist within the human being?
Must ethics be taught?
Must ethics be imposed?
Where does morality come from? Evolution? God? Both?
TRUTH & WISDOM
What is truth? How do we know?
If there was a purpose to truth, what might it be?
What are the different ways to live the truth?
What is wisdom? How do we know when we are wise?
How does wisdom differ from intelligence?
DEATH & DESTRUCTION
What are the root causes of war and destruction?
What are the root causes of hunger and shortage of food?
What are the root causes of the violation of human rights?
Is there good and evil in this world? How can we tell?
Can humans be both good and evil?
GOD
What is God?
Is your idea of God from your religion as well as from your experience?
Is God more than a person?
How do the major religions understand what God is?
How do the various religions cultivate a realisation of the reality of God?
How do the various religions explain why bad things happen on earth?
What is your own explanation?
How do open-minded scientists approach the question of God?
How do your understanding of God affect the way you live your life?
SPIRITUALITY & RELIGION
What is the human spirit? What is spirituality?
How does spirituality differ from religion?
Do we have a soul? How is it different from our limited sense of self?
Is the death of our body the end of who we are? How do we know?
Does reincarnation actually happen? How do we know? What evidence do we have?
How does science approach the question of spirituality, especially in quantum physics?
MEANING & PURPOSE
What is the meaning of life?
What have you heard others say that might be meaningful?
Can our lives have a purpose that is bigger than just surviving or doing well?
If your life had a bigger meaning, what do you think that might be?
Driven by The Question of “Who am I?”
For example:
What are my strengths and virtues?
What are my interests and passions?
What is my potential? How do I realise it?
Where is my life energy blocked?
What are the different aspects of my personality?
What is my relationship to my limited self (ego)?
What is my relationship to my higher self (Self)?
What is my belief and experience about love?
What is my belief and experience about the sense that Life is bigger than what it appears to be?
What is my purpose? What is my path in life?
What is my place in the world? How do I go about finding it?
What do I truly want?
What are my fears?
What arouses hatred in me?
What do I believe about as the root of evil in this world?
The Vision: That we may truly know who we are and be guided by our Self
For example:
Experience connection and communication with Self
Reliable connection to Self
Ability to communicate with Self
Experience Self in all aspects of life
Experience Life as dialogue with Self
Relating to the fragmented and limited aspects of self
Cultivate good, strong, and skillful will