-Dr Satish K Kapoor, a philosopher and spiritualist, from India.
‘I resolve to discard all the false values
And accept ever true ideals of life.’
-Yajurveda, I. 5
Stuffing the mind with information which does not get absorbed in life, or is useless otherwise, can make one literate but not happy or contented.
Life is to be lived; so education must prepare one for life. Education, to be complete, must teach how to recognise the limitlessness of one’s self, remain contented, and live righteously as an individual, and as a part of society.
Man being divine in nature, life too should be lived in a divine way. Life is not for eating, sleeping, making merry, or begetting children, but for attaining perfection by transcending animal instincts, in the process of cosmic evolution. There is more to life than earning money, acquiring power or indulging in sensory pleasures. As one can make or mar one’s life by good or bad deeds, one should lead a life of virtue, adhere to the laws of Being, and keep balance between mind and body, between thought, feelings and actions. So advises the Atharvaveda (10.2.6):
‘Give prominence to intellect over emotions
God has housed your emotional heart and your logical mind in one body.
Do not be swayed away by emotions, nor be carried away by mere logic.
Obtain inspiration from heart, but guidance from brain and go forward with steady steps.’
Education should instruct how to maintain equanimity, when passions sway the mind and the body; how to be a true karma-yogi who works hard without caring for the fruit of his actions, and how to take success and failure in its stride. Life brings surprises. So one should remain the witness, and observe persons and situations carefully. Says the Rigveda (8.45.23):
‘O man keep awake! Let not fools lure you or the cunning beguile you.’
It has been observed that the more educated a person the more serious or moron he appears to be. Education should graft in one, the sense of humour, so useful for dissolving stress.
Life being a web of relationships, it is the task of the educator to inculcate among students the values of love, respect, trust and gratitude. Says the Rigveda(10.191.2):
‘May we assemble and march forward with a common purpose.
May we confer together with open minds and work together harmoniously for common good.
May we pool our thoughts for integrated wisdom, and always work actuated by higher ideals.’
Human life is a part of cosmic life; so education should help one to develop a universal vision. Life does not end with disintegration of the physical body, as the soul is homunculus, man within man. Life is growth – expansion with diverse ramifications. Moral education can help students to learn that each living being has a purpose in the cosmic scheme. Each is accountable for his or her deeds. Misery befalls when one perceives oneself as body, and nothing more. Life becomes divine when one lives in soul-consciousness.
In present times, irreverent attitude is regarded by many young people as the hallmark of freedom. But freedom is not servitude to sensory pleasures. It is not fulfilling the dictates of the lower self, rejection of time-tested customs, non-observance of laws of the land or ignoring the voice of conscience. True freedom is inner liberation.
Modern education has failed to inculcate shraddha – shraddha for scriptures, parents, teachers and elders. Shraddha is the essence of divinity. The Rigveda ( shraddha sukta X.151) equates it with Truth which is God itself. To kindle the soul of pupils with the Highest Truth, teachers should be not only knowledgeable but have exemplary conduct. Students on their part should be worthy recipients of knowledge. They should have full control of the senses, and lead a disciplined life.
Education should not only inform but also transform, not just sharpen the mind but also lead one to the fountain of all knowledge. Spiritual orientation to life can help students to be pure in thought, word and deed. It can goad them to adopt a ‘giving attitude’, shed the grabbing-mindset, and neutralise the urge to become rich overnight even by resorting to foul means. A prayer in the Atharvaveda (7.115.2) says:
‘O God, keep away from me
That wealth which brings about my fall.
And results in defame,
Which entangles me
From all directions,
And withers me like a parasitic plant
That withers away the supporting tree.’
A spiritual paradigm to education is the need of hour. From worldly knowledge to self-knowledge is a quantum jump from ordinary awareness to cosmic awareness. Spirituality recognises the immanent principle of consciousness in existence, which, in turn, implies one’s unity with the universe, and with everything around. It provides a glimmer of the divine in primal elements, in plants, animals and humans. The supreme realisation of the Oneness of Reality, expressing Itself in many ways, can change one’s perceptions and outlook towards life. Self-love is transformed into love for all beings, passion into compassion, and malice into respect. Life’s rhythm remains unhampered if one has spiritual energy-reserves to absorb the shocks of day-to-day life.
Ennobling ideas can bring students out of their world of fantasy, de-addict their minds of racial, religious and other prejudices, and improve their mental health to face the challenges of change. Students need to understand that a life of purity strengthens the will; that prayer can do wonders in many ways; that the development of intuitive ability is as important as the development of the mind. To live is to feel for others. ‘The heart has its reasons which reason does not know’, wrote Pascal. Moral and spiritual education can make students sensitive to other people’s feelings and empathize with them.
Spiritual poverty has led to restlessness in the world today. Training in the observance of sapta-maryada, seven codes of conduct, namely, truth, non-violence, non-covetousness, noble company, hygiene, self control, and a quest for the divine, can uplift young minds morally, and turn them into instruments of social change. Educational curricula should be so prepared as provides an antidote to material and sensual values, acting like poison on impressionable minds.
Dr Satish K Kapoor, a former British Council Scholar, is a well-known author, educationist, historian, and spiritual columnist. He was Principal, Lyallpur Khalsa College and Registrar, DAV University, Jalandhar (Punjab). Widely travelled in India and abroad, Dr Kapoor has been profusely honoured by social, cultural and educational institutions of standing. He has lectured at Punjab Police Academy (Phillaur, Punjab), Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (Missouri), Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture ( Kolkata) Indian Institute of Technology ( Mumbai), and many colleges and universities.
infinityami50@gmail.com.