Eternal India Encyclopedia

Eternal India encyclopedia

EDUCATION

an end? Why should it cease with him and not produce a further and more evolved form which will be as different from man, as man is different from the animal kingdom or the animal from the plant. Sri Aurobindo calls this subsequent form the 'SUPERMIND'. In the last chapters of "The Life Divine" Sri Aurobindo deals with the Triple Transformation (Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental) and the advent of a race of supramental beings. Education will embrace all knowl- edge. Men and nations will be regarded as souls and group souls which will realise spiritually, mentally, materially', their greatest, largest, richest and deepest possibilities in inner life of all and their outer manifestations.

The right kind of education is concerned with individual free- dom; but this freedom comes with self-knowledge. It is the function of education to help the child to discover hindrances and to achieve freedom. For this to happen, the size of the school should be small. A large and flourishing school, with all its show and success may turn out efficient bank-clerks, super salesmen, technically perfect engi- neers and industrialists. But if they are not 'integrated' individuals the school is a failure as a true education centre. Those who really love their own children and other children about them can start a school even around the corner or in their own home, if they are earnest, without waiting for necessary means. Such a school has to run initially on the basis of self-sacrifice. If the teacher has the flame of interest, the school will prosper It is of utmost impor- tance that all teachers in such a school must do voluntary work with a common mission. The head of such a school should not be domineer- ing, but should treat teachers as equals with him. The whole staff should meet often to talk over the various programmes and plans of development, retaining the concept of small-sized classes for effec- tive individual guidance which is necessary for intelligent individual freedom. Equal distribution of work is vital for success because it does not over-burden any teacher and does not result in complaints or con- fusion. The right kind of education should also help each student to „ discover what he is most interested in and provide a conducive envi- ronment for its development. Today, instead of being the most hon- oured occupation, education (teaching) is considered slightly, as most teachers are fixed in the routine of imparting information. A true educator points the way to wisdom and truth. The true teacher is inwardly rich and seeks no power of material wealth. He does not use teaching as a means of acquiring status or authority. He is therefore free from control; of government of compul- sions of society. Such teachers will have a primary place of respect in an enlightened civilization, for true culture of an abiding nature, is founded, not on engineers and technicians, but on the educators.

J. KRISHNAMURTHY

The Rishi Valley Schools founded by J. Krishnamurthy (1895-1986), the world-renowned Theosophist-Philoso- pher-Educationist in different parts of the world are well-known for their uniqueness. Among them, the one at Ma- danpally is the most famous. Krishnamurthy observed that modem education is making individuals into thoughtless entities. Merely to educate people to be wonderful engineers, bril-

liant scientists, capable executives, able workmen, will never bring the oppressors and the oppressed together. The present system of education has never prevented mass-murder in the name of one's country or God. Many of us seem to think that by teaching every human being to read and write, we shall solve our human problems. But this idea has proved to be wrong. The so-called educated are not peace-loving integrated people and they too are responsible for the confusion and misery of the world. The man who knows how to split the bomb, but has no love in his heart is a monster. Who should control education then? Government control is a calamity. There is no hope of peace and order in the world as long as education is the handmaid of the state or even organised religion. Conditioning of the child's mind to fit a particular ideology, whether political or religious, breeds enmity between man and man. Ideals have no place in education for they prevent the comprehension of the present. The divisive spirit of nationalism is spreading like fire all over the world. Nationalism breeds war. It can never bring about world unity. In a competitive society, we cannot have brotherhood; and no reform, no dictatorship, no educational method can bring it about. Military discipline is not conducive to freedom of thought which should be the real purpose of education. The function of education is to create human beings who are integrated and therefore intelligent. Intelligence is not mere information. It is the capacity to perceive the essential - the what is and to awaken this capacity in oneself and in others is education. Conventional education makes independent thinking extremely difficult. "Conformity leads to mediocrity." The highest function of education is to bring about an integrated individual who is capable of dealing with life as a whole. Integration can take place in a person only when there is great simplicity. We must become simple in our inward life and in our outward needs.

SRI SATHYA SAIBABA

Satyanarayan Raju, the fourth son of ' his parents was born in Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, in 1926. Even during his school days, he performed miracles j producing sugar candy, vibhuti, images of gods etc. By the age of 14, he felt the urge to renounce his mundane life to carry on the Mission for which he felt

i he was born. After settling down at the age of 21 in Prasanthinilayam he deeply J meditated on evolving a scheme of education for the country and the world which would save it from the crisis of values plaguing society. BAL VIKAS : In accordance with the famous psychological finding, 'catch them young', Satyanarayana, who by then had grown into a mystic miracle man, formed a simple scheme of education consisting of bhajans, songs, prayers, stories and other activities for children of the tender age group of 3-8 years.