THE VISION, February 2024, Vol 91, Issue 5:
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Beloved Readers,
Our educational system must remain integral to our collective progress, register a perceptible impact on our cultural environment, renew its commitment to living values and regain its exalted relevance as an avenue for character-building. Today, what our learning community expects is an environment that inspires self-confidence, invigorates thoughtful discussions, ignites a passion for learning, induces one to think big and dream high, introduces new approaches to problem-solving and invigilates any wrong-doing without being judgemental. Indeed, it is an exciting challenge!
This month’s issue of THE VISION touches upon various aspects of education.
— EDITOR
AS WE SCROLL DOWN...
- ‘The Aim Of Education’ — as explained Beloved Papa Swami Ramdas is to enable us to strike a balance between the head and heart. It should help us fill our intellect with wisdom and at the same time make the heart responsive to the feelings of compassion, forgiveness and kindness towards all.
- ‘Swami Vivekananda’s Vision On Education’ — was that it must infuse inspiration to have life-building, man-making, character-making assimilation of ideas and not merely be limited to accumulating facts.
- ‘Education For Expansion’ — of the head and heart — intellect and humaneness — should be cultivated simultaneously.
- ‘Words Of Luminaries’ — on education.
- ‘Editor Answer’ — why human values are to be given importance along with academic excellence.
- ‘Dear Children’ — carries an incident in which a teacher clarifies that a school, unlike a business, cannot control its raw material. In spite of this, teachers do their best to bring out the latent potential in their students.
- ‘Learning From The School Of Life’ — that we need to keenly observe His manifestation around us, and perceive the guidance we are receiving from everything.
- ‘Homage To Luminaries’ — reminds us that saints are embodiments of God Himself. So, as far as possible, as aspirants, we need to revere them, listen intently to their words of advice, and strive to practice them in our day-to-day lives.
- ‘Year-End Programmes 2023’ — were indeed a feast of Satsang.
- ‘In Memoriam’
- ‘Anandashram News’:
- ‘35th Mahasamadhi Day Of Pujya Mataji Krishnabai’
- ‘Book In Focus’: GLIMPSES OF DIVINE VISION.
- ‘Thought For The Month’
- ‘Download THE VISION’ in PDF format and the Audio Book.
THE AIM OF EDUCATION
By Swami Ramdas
Education is an important factor in the evolution of human life. It helps us to regulate our lives and make ourselves useful to our fellow-beings. The purpose of schools and colleges should be to impart education not merely for the development of the intellect, but also for the enlargement of the heart.
Ramdas may quote here a famous line from the teachings of Swami Vivekananda. He says, “Education is the unfoldment of the perfection which is already in man.” Life should unfold itself for revealing its inherent glory through the cultivation of the highest virtues that elevate it, through the right kind of education and culture. While the intellect is filled with true wisdom, the heart must respond to the finest feelings of compassion, forgiveness and kindness towards all beings in the world. The heart should be our guide, and intellect should fulfil the ideals which the heart sets before us.
Education should enable us to live for the good of others. All the God-given gifts should be utilised for the service of the needy and the distressed. This is the one great purpose with which we are born as human beings.
SWAMI VIVEKANANDA’S VISION ON EDUCATION
Swami Vivekananda firmly believed that education is something more than merely passing examinations and getting some employment. He said: “What is education? Is it book-learning? No. Is it diverse knowledge? Not even that. The training by which the current and expression of will are brought under control and become fruitful is called education.” He further said: “To me the very essence of education is concentration of mind, not collecting facts. If I had to do my education over again and had any voice in the matter, I would not study facts at all. I would develop the power of concentration and detachment, and then with a perfect instrument I could collect facts at will.”
So, education, if it has to be complete and worthwhile, must train the students in values of cultural and spiritual dimensions. It must train the mind and strengthen the will power of the students. It must transmit the power and infuse inspiration to have ‘life-building, man-making, character-making assimilation of ideas’ through which ‘character is formed, strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded, and one can stand on one’s own feet.’
Source: https://srkvtech.org/
EDUCATION FOR EXPANSION
Education — A Decisive Factor For The Overall Development Of An Individual
The word education, derived from the Latin word ‘educare’, means to bring up. It is meant to bring to the forefront the latent knowledge and potentialities as well as kinship within each person. Education encourages questioning, exploration, and critical thinking. Thus, education is an important factor in the evolution of human life. In fact, education begins right from our very birth and it never actually stops until we die.
Education awards us with two types of wisdom: one is on the material plane and the other on the spiritual plane. The role of material knowledge touches and kindles creativity and helps to improve the standard of living. At the same time, spiritual knowledge ensures humaneness at every stage of its journey. In other words, education should impart knowledge not merely for the development of the intellect, but also for the expansion of the heart.
Though the present education is delivered to everyone uniformly in a prescribed manner, assimilation varies from person to person. When we closely analyse this, we realise this is because of the inherent aptitude, taste, temperament, preferences of each individual. Based on these factors, the process of acquiring knowledge and developing the powers of reasoning and judgment are kindled in an individual.
It is important to remember that education is for the blossoming of the head and heart, and therefore intellect and humaneness should be cultivated simultaneously. It is a means to better oneself; and also, to create a better world around. UNESCO has therefore charted the 4 pillars of education, which are designed to provide a comprehensive framework for education that goes beyond the mere acquisition of knowledge and base for one’s career. It seeks to address the broader needs of individuals and society.
Four Pillars of Education:
Our current educational system mostly focuses on the first two pillars — learning to know and learning to do. But the third and fourth pillars — learning to live together and learning to be — are greatly relevant today as we live in a fast-changing world, often torn apart between cultural conflicts among people and communities.
The first two pillars are centred around the individual — ‘me’. Whereas the other two pillars — learning to live together and learning to be — focus on a sense of togetherness — ‘we’ — through interconnectedness, interdependence and interrelatedness.
Integration Of All The Four Pillars:
Her skill and training — the products of the first two pillars: learning to know and learning to do — instilled the confidence in her to manoeuvre the aircraft dexterously.
Her equipoise and concern for the welfare of the passengers — the results of the last two pillars: learning to live together and learning to be — helped her tide over the trying circumstances.
Thus, we can conclude that for education to become a transformative force in various dimensions of life, aspects like creativity and humaneness also need to be given due importance.
WORDS OF LUMINARIES
“Learning gives creativity, creativity leads to thinking,
thinking provides knowledge, knowledge makes you great.”
— Dr. Abdul Kalam
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“Education is the kindling of a flame, not filling of a vessel.”
— Socrates
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“Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.”
— Albert Einstein
EDITOR ANSWERS
Question: We all know that academic excellence plays a vital role in ensuring success in life. Nowadays we hear that human values are also to be given importance. Is it necessary?
Answer: Yes, it is believed that education is the foundation for a career. When we hear about values, it is treated as an independent factor.
It is true that education is a means to bring out the potentialities lying dormant in us. At the same time, we should know that we are what we are purely because of the bounteous contributions of our co-creations. When we realise this, we try to develop a loving relationship with all, which is termed as moral, social and ethical values. Even the process of building a career is founded on everything provided by our co-creations — field of employment, the know-how, materials, etc. This makes it clear that we need the support of our co-creations at every step in our life. So, when we try to balance our welfare through career with the right relationship with co-creations, life becomes peaceful and prosperous. Hence, integration of values with academics is a must. That alone can ensure that values become our second nature.
DEAR CHILDREN
Mr. Vollmer, an executive of the company producing the famous blueberry ice-cream was addressing a gathering of 290 teachers, when he said, “If I ran my business the way you people operate your schools, I wouldn’t be in business very long!” He continued to look down upon teachers in his 90-minute speech.
As soon as he finished, a teacher’s hand shot up, she said, “We are told, sir, that you manage a company that makes good ice cream. When you are standing on your receiving dock and you see an inferior shipment of blueberries arrive, what do you do?”
He replied, “I send them back.”
She instantly added, “That’s right! We can never send back our blueberries. We take them big, small, rich, poor, gifted, exceptional, abused, frightened, confident, homeless, rude, and brilliant. We take them all! Every one! And that, Mr. Vollmer, is why it’s not a business. It’s a school!” This statement was an eye-opener. He also learnt that schools reflect the attitudes, beliefs and health of the communities they serve.
LEARNING FROM THE SCHOOL OF LIFE
Unveiling The Inherent Human Values From Frequently Used Articles
“Who really desires to enter the path of self-control for the attainment of God, should keep his eyes wide open and keenly observe around him the outstanding and unique natural capacities manifest both in the animal and human kingdoms. Behold signs of unerring guidance from the mysterious workings of nature.” — Swami Ramdas
Every object used by us on a daily basis is a gift from HIM because it is He who has revealed Himself in various objects through His chosen instruments. Besides, the qualities of the Creator are inherent in the Creation and therefore let us explore what each object conveys through its existence.
Here are a couple of examples:
HOMAGE TO LUMINARIES
Saints are embodiments of God Himself. So, as far as possible, as aspirants, we need to revere them, listen intently to their words of advice, and strive to act up to them. This month, we pay our respects to Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Sri Gondavalekar Maharaj:
YEAR-END PROGRAMMES 2023
The year-end programmes in Anandashram, which were held from the 23rd to the 31st of December 2023, went off blissfully by the grace of Beloved Papa. A good number of devotees from different parts of the country and a few from abroad joyfully participated in the sessions.
Gita Jayanti:
The 23rd of December 2023, being the Gita Jayanti day, made us realise that Mother Gita will enter into us only when we try to connect the exhortations of the Shlokas with our daily life. Based upon the following topics, Shlokas were selected:
- Move from stress to serenity: Chapter 2, Shlokas 14 & 15
- Realise the truth of interconnectedness and interdependence: Chapter 3, Shloka 11
- Strive for excellence in everything: Chapter 2, Shloka 50
- Bring spirituality into our daily life: Chapter 7, Shloka 9; Chapter 10, Shloka 22 and Chapter 13, Shloka 7
- Achieve harmony at home, workplace and friend-circle: Chapter 13, Shlokas 27 & 28; Chapter 12, Shlokas 3 & 4; Chapter 5, Shloka 25, Chapter 17, Shlokas 14, 15 and 16.
- Maintain equanimity: Chapter 2, Shloka 48.
Satsang Sessions:
Apart from Ram Nam and Bhajans, Satsang sessions were held every day based on Beloved Papa’s thought-provoking words on various aspects of Sadhana. The base text for the sessions was the book, WITH MY MASTER.
A few points that were touched upon during the sessions are reproduced below:
- Always try to remember His assurance that Yoga and Kshema would be bestowed upon those who rely on Him, exclusively. Ram Nam helps in reminding ourselves of this aspect.
- Nama is chanted to remember Him. Remembrance is to connect ourselves with Him, which will gradually enable us to move from ‘me’ to ‘we’.
- While living in or visiting an Ashram, the entire time should be fruitfully utilised only for remembering God and not for carrying on with our usual thinking pattern.
- Though devotees express their keenness to realise Him, still their commitment to take the plunge seems to be lacking.
- When we are subjected to sufferings and diseases, we should avoid identifying with it totally and take it as a part of life’s journey provided by Him.
- Ram’s will should be felt in all activities during our waking state and not limited to our labelled spiritual practices alone. Papa throws light on this matter thus:
“His will is that after tea Ramdas should go to the carpenter’s shed and see the work that is going on, then come over to Panchavati, take a short stroll and then sit in the chair and await the evening mail.” - Importance of Sannyas Day made us realise that it is for us, the spiritual children of Beloved Papa and Pujya Mataji, that the Ashram was set-up, else they would have continued with their itinerant life as carefree children of God. Therefore, we should try to do our best to derive the fullest benefit from our association with the Ashram.
Then, by receiving Mantra initiation from Beloved Papa, all of us renewed our commitment to hold on to the holy and all-powerful Ram Nam.
Take-Home Message:
Beloved Papa said: “In this world-play, there is one Power at work, there is one Consciousness that witnesses all its movements, one Intelligence that guides and controls all affairs — in fact, one Spiritual Radiance which is flooding the entire Earth. This power and radiance is God, and His will ever triumphs.”
- Power stands for the Life Force (L);
- Primordial Intelligence (I) is responsible for creature comforts that make life comfortable;
- Consciousness (C) enlivens everything.
IN MEMORIAM
Smt Radha Reddy (aged 78), an ardent devotee of the Ashram from London was called by Beloved Papa on the 8th of January 2024 after a prolonged illness. We pray for Beloved Papa’s blessings on the dear departed soul for eternal rest and peace at HIS holy feet.
ANANDASHRAM NEWS
15,500-CRORE NAMA JAPA YAGNA FOR WORLD PEACE:
The total Japa received in the fourth round of the 15500-Crore Nama Japa Yagna For World Peace in the month of December 2023 is 200 crores, chanted by 153516 devotees. The grand total of the Japa done so far in this round now stands at 1410 crores.
***
SESSIONS WITH CHILDREN AT ANAND KUTIR IN ANANDASHRAM:
In the month of December, 6 interactive sessions were held with children at Anand Kutir, in which 277 students participated.
Some of the points shared by the children were that they would:
- be useful to others and not get involved in bad things;
- make friends with everyone in class regardless of caste and creed;
- not use harsh words with anyone and would love Nature;
- try to hear, speak, and learn good things.
35TH MAHASAMADHI DAY OF PUJYA MATAJI KRISHNABAI
On 16th of February 2024, we observe Pujya Mataji’s 35th Mahasamadhi Day.
Pujya Mataji was the personification of Universal Love and Service as well as Guru-Seva. May this day be instrumental in reminding us to live up to these ideals.
BOOK IN FOCUS
'GLIMPSES OF DIVINE VISION'
This compilation of Beloved Papa’s teachings sheds light on the hints necessary to tackle daily problems and aids us in moving towards the awareness of His presence within.
Available in English, Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam.
THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH
“Education should enable us to live for the good of others
by making us shed our selfish tendencies.”
— Swami Ramdas
DOWNLOAD THE VISION
Devotees can download the PDF version or the audio book this issue of THE VISION by clicking on the relevant links.
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