Two People Sitting: On the original nature of assessments.

Sasha Manu
7 min readMay 5, 2024

You seem to want instant insight, forgetting that the instant is always preceded by a long preparation. The fruit falls suddenly, but the ripening takes time.”
Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

We expect clarity from others yet are opaque to ourselves. Like an archer aiming a bow, no matter how carefully we ensure the arrows of our words are aimed true, once launched they are subject to winds from every direction.

And yet, given the richness of our inner lives and given the multitudes that we all contain, we yearn to be seen and understood by others. Even more so, we yearn to know what others know and to reliably check for their understanding.

This desire is justified and holds significant relevance in the field of education. We aim to impart our best advice to the youth in our society. Through education, we strive to provide students with the necessary skills to succeed individually and contribute to collective well-being. As such, on their learning journey, as we shepherd them from ignorance to awakening, we need to know that they know. We need them to show us their knowledge.

Venerable Bede writes that our lives are lived within a well-lit banquet hall…

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Sasha Manu

MA Buddhist Studies | BSc Physics | RYT200 | Newsletter @ apsis.substack.com | Personal Site @ sashamanu.com