Dear Folks,
I used to wonder even now how on earth school + college education alone would help someone to be successful and or joy in LIFE. I used to wonder how cruelly creativity is nipped in the bud in schools in India by ‘rote’ based learning. However things are changing becos’ ‘change is the ONLY constant’, isn’t it?
Ravi: A wintery evening to you Shri. GRK. Hot Bhajji’s and steaming Tea awaits us as we speak. Today’s topic is something closer to your heart; I wish we have taken up this much earlier. I’m referring to Education. Tell me, isn’t too much emphasis been given to Education notably schooling where we often find that there is a race for ‘marks’ for more marks, tests-and-mundane-retests, to basically test what one does not know!
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GRK: Hah Ha! It however does not occur in Western Society, my friend. We have a myopic view on Education. ‘Education’ does NOT merely mean schooling in civic virtues and social behavior. It also does not mean conditioning rather molding of students to a set pattern of thought and value. It is also not indoctrination of an ideology, politics, thought pattern or a religion.
Also, Education is NOT only learning of skills and crafts. It does NOT merely mean information gathering. Thus cramming and repetition have a very little place in a true education.
Ravi: Then you mean that the ‘degrees’ have no meaning? Shri. GRK, these days, parents in India, especially the middle-class, are ready to sacrifice anything for their wards being ‘educated’ and get Engineering or a medicine degree. What does a true education mean?
GRK: Ravi, true Education means a process of ‘self awakening’. This is possible when only there is self- awareness on the part of students. In other words, education is a kindling process, and self enabling process and also an ennobling process. True education must kindle the RIGHT brain of human beings. It must elevate man, the biological brute, to a level of human, then humane and later even divine levels. Thus acculturation of man is the sumnum-bonum of education. Here acculturation does not mean just learning of table manners and socially accepted behavior patterns. In true education competitive & acquiring ability occupies secondary place, while developing RIGHT brain is primarily emphasized.
Ravi: You mean, Real education is taming of the man into a humane individual in brain and spirit!
GRK: Haven’t you already? Didn’t you wife or kids say so? Self- awareness and Self enlightenment is the highest goal of all true education. This education alone can lead man from darkness to light, from passive inaction to restlessly dynamic action and from ignorance to discretion nay wisdom. Discretion is the soul of education. Then only man can understand his life and his true relationship with fellow beings, nature and Almighty fully.
Ravi: Having said that, isn’t dissent and non-conformity a part-and-parcel of education?
GRK: Indeed. The truest education is based on the values of creativity, dissent, non-conformity and dynamism. A real education is possible when only a student is allowed to be creative, to think for himself, even if this thinking differs from all known thought patterns and behavior. It even may differ from all established values and institutions. Thus it is based on dissent and non conformity –an opportunity to differ and non-conform to all known thought patterns of behavior, and institutionalized values. Then only a real “flowering” or blossoming of an individual into his full-fledged personality is possible. Then only dynamic and enlightened individuals could be created and thereby dynamic society too.
Ravi: If it’s so, then, what we need at present is not conditioning, but de-conditioning, not schooling but de-schooling of brains under the name of education. We cannot impart discipline, in the sense of mechanical conformity, to the children under the name of education and through coercion and fear. The fear-generated-discipline is not a true one and cannot last long any system; especially education, based on fear and coercion cannot bring enlightenment, peace and harmony to the mankind.
GRK: Well said. Hence we need a creative education which alone can bring the total revolution on this earth. This means molding of individuals into human beings with basic human values, such as honesty, truthfulness, non-violence and above all the great concern to fellow beings. Thus only we could produce less selfish, less greedy, less possessive, less aggressive, less cunning and less brutal human beings out of our schools and colleges.
Ravi: I’m sure that’s the way forward in India, with educational reforms being done step by step. Activity based education is being promoted, "marks" making way for 'grades', more RIGHT brain activities as well. As I said earlier, the world is in safe hands, if these children are allowed to THINK by themselves.
Folks, Anandashram is calling me/us again and the retreat awaits us. Awesome sharing sessions and many self-realisation beckons us. I FELT these are awesome learning for the seeker. If any of you are interested in attending the annual ‘satsang’(nay retreat) at Anandashram in English, it’s between 30th Dec-1st Jan. In Thamizh, it’s during 26-28th Jan. Contact www.anandashram.org for more details and your accommodation requirements. One of THE holiest places I have seen so far, this place is a ‘holy-land’ sans Gods and Goddesses, Godman or God-women, mundane and meaningless rituals.
Signing off having understood that my post-graduation degree obtained is just a grain of sand. Lots to learn and get ‘educated’. Thank you Shri. GRK for this humble learning. Anandashram is one such place for this kind of education or culturing. Thank you Almighty.
Love
Ravichander Venkatraman
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