HINDU REFLECTIONS ON APPROPRIATE EDUCATION THAT CONNECTS US WITH
THE WHOLE LIFE
[Compilation of E-mails sent on the Subject by N.R. Srinivasan for
a Discourse at Sri Ganesha Temple, August, 2021]
TRUE EDUCATION CONNECTS US WITH THE WHOLE LIFE
Educating the whole person beyond core academics that is gaining
momentum has its origin in The Gurukula System of Vedic Culture of India.
“There are two types of education: education for a living and
education for life. When we study in college, striving to become a doctor,
lawyer, or engineer, this is education for a living. On the other hand,
education for life requires an understanding of the essential principles of
spirituality or Yoga. The real goal of education is not to create people who
can understand only the language of machines. The main purpose of education
should be to impart a culture of the heart – a culture based on enduring
values. Living in spirituality through Yoga practice is like the one who knows
how to swim, for him, frolicking in the ocean waves is a delightful experience,
but one who is unable to swim will quickly drown. We could develop an attitude
to accept anything that comes to us happily.”--Maa Amritaamyi Devi
How can one open the door of Truth? Sri Ramakrishna told the secret
to his disciples:
"The key to this room has to be turned the reverse way."
Worldly means are of no avail to one who wants to attain the knowledge of God.
Knowledge is of two kinds: ''lower" or secular and "higher" or
spiritual. Secular knowledge pertains to the world; all book learning and even
scriptural knowledge fall into this category. Higher or spiritual knowledge
opens the door of Truth. When a person attains this knowledge through spiritual
pursuits, he or she transcends the realm of ignorance, or Maya, and become free
forever.
In this context, please go through the advices of Maa Amrutamayi
Devi and Vamadeva Shastri David Frawley, an Eastern Vedic Approach and the
Modern Western Holistic Approach.
EASTERN VEDIC GURUKULA APPROACH
THE YOGA OF EDUCATION BY DAVID FRAWLEY
Education should be a Yoga, otherwise it is not training our Inner
Being and higher intelligence but only addressing our outer personality and the
external world with their transient and shifting desires.
Every aspect of education in traditional India was regarded as a
form of Yoga, and some are preserved today. This extended to art, music, dance,
architecture, mathematics, astronomy, literature, poetry, drama, medicine,
exercise and martial arts, psychology, logic and philosophy.
What made these into paths of Yoga? They were all based upon
cultivating the power of awareness, attention, original thought and inward
creativity, uniting us with the whole of life rather than just creating a
formula or routine. Followed yogic disciplines, dharma values and meditation in
the learning process. Aimed at original insight, not just conditioned
reactions.
This Yoga of education must be revived today if we are to master
our technology, bring peace to the world and connect to the greater Self-aware
universe. It is not just what we learn but how we learn, so that our learning
process is endless and ever expanding even beyond death.
If we merely take in information, learn how to operate equipment,
or use the media without a deeper Self-awareness, we will remain caught in
outer shadows and reflections, in which our internal
well-springs of consciousness and light cannot manifest.
Let your learning whatever your age be a path of Yoga! To do this
see whatever you are studying as a path of Self-knowledge and Self-realization
without boundaries, not merely something on the outside.
FROM INTERNET TO INNER-NET OF MAA AMRUTAMAYI DEVI
“We live in the age of the Internet. Wherever we go on the planet,
we need to have the Internet. But, along with a connection to the Internet, we
also need to rediscover our ‘Inner-net’ connection. Spirituality teaches
us how to manage both our internal and external worlds.
Humanity is at a crossroads. At present, mankind lives solely
depending on science and technology. However, in light of our current
situation, we should at least try to incorporate spiritual thinking, as
well.
Spirituality is also a science — it is a valid branch of knowledge
that cannot be ignored. The scientific community is researching the physical
world in an attempt to discover the secrets of the universe. In reality,
spiritual scriptures recount the experiences of those who performed intense
inner inquiry in order to unfold the same secrets. When we try to view
spirituality through mathematics, physics and logic alone, we may fail to grasp
its subtleties. We need to approach it with the faith of a child, and with the
wonder that shines in a child’s mind and eyes. Renowned scientists of the past
viewed the universe and its subtleties with awe and wonderment. Their research
had the inquisitiveness and faith of an innocent child. In fact, many past and
present eminent scientists acknowledged spirituality towards the end of their
lives. But, by then it was too late--Amma Amritamayi Devi”
WESTERN HOLISTIC EDUCATION
The holistic education concept—the philosophy of educating the
whole person, beyond core academics— based on Ancient Hindu Thoughts,
is gaining steam in learning circles as schools struggle to improve student
outcomes. Many organizations are realizing that students need more than just a
strong foundation in a core curriculum, they also need to be supported by a
community and to develop a compassionate understanding of the world around
them. Perhaps, the combined studies of American school education taught by
academic teachers and Hindu Sunday School Education taught by Gurus in Baal
Vihaar and Vedic Heritage Classes may meet the needs of real Holistic Education
that may be called Education Yoga that combines spiritual and temporal
(secular) education. Yoga means unite.--maintenance, emotional and spiritual
needs to lead a wholesome life.
Holistic education is a comprehensive approach to teaching where
educators seek to address the emotional, social, ethical, and academic needs of
students in an integrated learning format. Emphasis is placed on positive
school environments and providing whole-child supports (services that support
academic and nonacademic needs, also known as wrap-around supports) to
students.
Students are taught to reflect on their actions and how they
impact the global and local community, as well as how to learn from the
community around them. Teachers often engage students in projects that apply
critical-thinking skills toward solving real-world problems.
Holistic education is a relatively new movement developed in the
1980s to counteract the existing US learning structure that was perceived as
mechanistic, according to Education Corner. However, the theory of educating
based on a person’s entire experience has roots in ancient Vedic concepts of
instruction, including those of Greek and native indigenous cultures, and has
increased in prevalence over the past century. Several different approaches
based on whole-person education gained steam in the 20th century, including
Maria Montessori’s self-motivated growth philosophy and Rudolf Steiner and Emil
Molt’s Waldorf experiential learning technique.
The goal of holistic education is to cultivate a developing
child’s physical, emotional, moral, psychological, and spiritual attributes.
Serving the whole child means providing opportunities that are personalized to
a child’s skills and feelings. Lessons are conducted in a safe, supportive
environment that allows students to utilize their individual strengths.
Teachers must be prepared to nurture students with varying educational levels
and learning capabilities. While holistic education is guided by one overarching
philosophy, teachers may employ a number of methods and strategies to create a
holistic learning culture. Yoga Darshan employs ETM (Education Through Music)
for teaching both secular and spiritual aspects of Yoga. Please recall the recent HUA Webinar
of Dr. Kanniks Kannikeswaran who shared his insights on ‘Yog Darshan' -
his new musical creation explores the history of Yoga through music and
literary works spanning the length and breadth of India.
TEACHING STRATEGIES
Strong Student-Teacher Relationships: When teachers are able to form strong bonds with students,
performance and engagement is positively impacted. At-risk students have a
higher chance of success when they feel safe and nurtured. Teachers can foster
strong relationships by responding to students’ strengths and needs and by
acting in a culturally sensitive manner. Allowing students to help develop
classroom rules and take on leadership roles helps encourage trust and
communication among students and enhances their motivation to succeed.
Encouraging Self-Confidence: Students need to believe that
they belong at school and have the ability to succeed. Teachers can help build
self-confidence by providing multiple opportunities for students to digest
structured information and communicate their understanding in a variety of
ways. Teachers must recognize students’ unique strengths and treat all students
equally. Student motivation can be enhanced by making sure that lessons are
relevant to students’ lives and focus on realistic issues.
Incorporating Emotional Reflection: As a teacher, it’s not always easy to look beyond academic
performance to nurture the mental and emotional well-being of a child. To
encourage emotional reflection in daily routines, teachers might provide
moments for students to reflect, contemplate, or meditate. Lessons to teach
empathy could focus on effective listening and observation techniques or
literature that presents varying perspectives on social issues.
Benefits of Holistic Education
Holistic education is based on a learning philosophy that brings a
number of benefits to students, teachers, schools, and communities. Students
are empowered to improve their educational outcomes and gain the life skills
necessary to take on a successful professional career.
Improved Academic Achievement: Holistic education can
improve the academic achievements of all children, regardless of background and
circumstances, by catering to individual learning styles and providing a
supportive learning environment. Children’s brain capacities are increased when
they feel physically and emotionally safe and connected to others, according to
the Learning Policy Institute.
Being: In a supportive environment,
where social and emotional learning is emphasized along with academics, students
have a better chance of emerging with self-awareness, confidence, and a sense
of social responsibility.
Increased Problem-Solving Ability: Students who are tasked with solving real-world problems that
exist in their communities emerge with strong critical-thinking skills. These
hands-on projects give students skills that will apply to their adult careers,
such as how to gather, analyze, and report data and how to collaborate with
others.
Reduced Impact of Inequities: By emphasizing integrated learning
concepts, the whole-child approach to education has been shown to reduce the
psychological impact of issues such as violence, abuse, or poverty on academic
achievement, according to the Learning Policy Institute.
In recent times, Maria Montessori, founder of the Montessori
movement, felt that people underwent a spiritual development that best occurred
within a nurturing environment. The origins of holistic education can be traced
to ancient concepts of instruction that emphasized the whole person rather than
an individual segment of the person’s experience. As only two examples, earlier
our ancient sages in Gurukula and later ancient Greek philosophers conceived of
the world as a single whole. Holistic education is rooted in experiential learning and centers education on
the relationships that people create with each other, including teacher student
relationship. MNU says the powerful Gayatri mantra is employed
for initiation into Vedic studentship-upanayane viniyogah that we
will discuss soon in detail. Also, the most popular mantra “sahanavavatu”
says: ”May He protect us both together; may He nourish us both together; may we
work conjointly with great energy; may our study be vigorous and effective; may
we not mutually dispute or hate any; Let there be peace in me, in my
environment and in the forces that act on me”. Students started education with
these objectives as initiated by their Gurus. True to its name, holistic
education places an emphasis like the Veda mantra on the whole growth of a
learner instead of emphasizing only specific parts of the human experience. 20th century therefore saw several approaches to holistic
education, and current holistic education is their outcome.
Swami Vivekananda Thoughts on Education
It is one of the evils of. . .
civilization that we are after intellectual education alone and take no care of
the heart. It only makes man ten times more selfish, and that will be our
destruction. . .Intellect can never become inspired; only the heart when it is
enlightened, becomes inspired.
An intellectual, heartless man can never become an inspired man .
. . Intellect has been cultured, with the result that hundreds of sciences have
been discovered, and their effect has been that the few have made slaves of the
many – that is all the good that has been done.
Artificial wants have been created; and every poor man, whether he
has money or not, desires to have those wants satisfied; and when he cannot, he
struggles, and dies in the struggle. This is the result. The way to solve the
problem of misery is not through the intellect but through the heart. If all
this vast amount of effort had been spent in making men purer, gentler, more
forbearing, this world would have a thousand-fold more happiness than it has
today.
Sāṅkhya and Yoga Darśanas are just
two of the countless fascinating parts of indigenous Bhāratīya education
system, which was destroyed by colonizers. We must put an effort to decolonize
our minds to regain the lost glory, without depending on mainstream educational
institutes and the governments, as they seem to have the vested interest to
keep Hindus colonized. Therefore, we need to promote the knowledge of true
Bhāratīya history, that is narrated by insiders; the true practitioners of
Dhārmic traditions.-HUA
http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2011/09/hindu-education-system-through-ages.html
ON ṢAṬ-DARŚANAS (षट्-दर्शन), AND MORE
Posted on May
25, 2021 by Kaushal Varshney
To show the relevance
of Ṣaṭ-darśanas in modern science and
on why we need to promote the knowledge of true Bhāratīya history, that is
narrated by insiders.
Destruction of the
indigenous education system and 200 years of colonial education have have been
taught to hate their culture, traditions, and values. It is
surprising that the Dhārmic culture and traditions of Bhārata are still
surviving - but thanks to the efforts of many social reformers, modern sages,
honest academicians, organizations, and recent initiatives like the Hindu University
of America, they are still practiced.
The idea of religion was
mapped and forced on most Indians’ minds by colonial education, which is an
outsider’s perspective. Most Indians identify the Dhārmic traditions, such as
Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism, as religion. The reality is that all
indigenous traditions of Bhārata have a common theme and quest for one truth.
Quoted in the Rig Veda (I.164.46) which states this common theme that has
multiple perspectives; "Ekam sat
vipraha bahudā vadanti", meaning; There is one truth, the wise
give it many different names. This Vedic quote states the universal Dhārmic
principle, which is the heart of the pluralistic and accommodative nature of
all ancient Bhārtiya Darśanas, which were core to the indigenous education
system.
Darśanas, which literally mean ‘perspective’, are systems of Indian
philosophy, which have been the core of the Vedic education system. There are
six Darśanas, which were propounded by six sages as their founding teachers.
These Darśanas do not compete with each other, nor are they mutually exclusive
as they have some overlap, which is the pursuit of the one truth and goal.
The highest goal of human
pursuit is to completely eliminate three kinds of misery–or Duḥkha –which are known as Ādhyātmika (caused by one’s own
body and mind), Ādhibhautika (caused by others being),
and Ādhidaivika (caused by natural calamities). The six
Darśanas guide humans to perform Puruṣārthas, which are the efforts to achieve the highest goal. There are
four Puruṣārthas - Dharma (right conduct), Artha (earning
wealth), Kāmā (fulfilling physical and mental desires),
and Mokṣa (liberation from all
misery). Liberation, Mokṣa, is one of the main topics of the six Darśanas, which addresses a different topic as follows:
Sāṅkhya: Founded by great sage
Kapila, Sāṅkhya Darśana addresses the distinction between Puruṣa (consciousness)
and Prakriti (nature).
Yoga: Codified by great sage Patañjali, Yoga Darśana addresses the
control of the mind that enables this distinction described by Sāṅkhya Darśana.
Nyāya: Authored by sage Gautama, Nyāya Darśana describes methods of
investigating the truth (reality), and discussion of proof.
Vaiśeṣika: Developed by sage Kaṇāda, Vaiśeṣika Darśana discusses substances
and entities found in the universe, atomic theory with a discussion of proof.
Pūrva Mimānsa (also known as Dakṣiṇa Mimansa): Composed by sage
Jaimini, Purva Mimānsa discusses the interpretation of Vedas and associated
rituals.
Vedānta (also known as Uttara Mimansa or Brahma
Sūtras): Authored by sage Bādarāyaṇa, Vedānta discusses the nature of Brahman (also known as God).
All ancient Bhāratīya
scriptures from various Dhārmic traditions (also known as Saṃpradāyas) discuss the common theme
of these six Darśanas, but their emphasis has been on a specific topic. All
these Saṃpradāyas arose with the advent of specific sages, or
Gurus, or Āchāryas, like Śaṅkarācharya, Mahāvīra, Buddha, Rāmānuja, Chaitanya, Mādhavācārya, Guru Nanak, Guru Gobind Singh, or
Svāmīnārāyaṇa. They all affirmed the
same ancient truth about life and God and described it from their own
perspective, with emphasis on a different aspect, just as all the six
fundamental Darśanas do. Founders of all Saṃpradāyas made adjustments in
their teachings to suit the specific times and social settings, and thus
restored balance where they saw imbalance. These great sages appeared in
different times and places, and inspired millions, simplified and codified
great spiritual and scientific knowledge for easier assimilation, application,
and practice. Common people were deeply inspired by these great āchāryas and
began to practice and preserve these specific teachings, giving rise to these
great Saṃpradāyas, which all had a common goal of eliminating
human misery by using Puruṣārtha.
One of the modern
perspectives proposed is the Unified Field Theory, which resembles Sāṅkhya Darśana. For 100 years, modern science has revealed
that our physical universe, or cosmos, is structured in layers of creation.
These layers are explored in four distinct parts: Classical Mechanics: the
study of macroscopic objects, which can be seen and felt. Quantum Mechanics:
the study of atom and subatomic particles, which we cannot see. Quantum Field
Theory: deeper than the atom, atomic nucleus, and sub-nuclear particles.
Unified Field Theories: the most recent discovery of the deepest layer.
The Unified Field Theories
(also known as Superstring Theories) reveal the fundamental unit of life, by
showing that the basis of the cosmos or universe is a single universal field of
intelligence. This single entity is the fountainhead of all the laws of nature
and order displayed throughout the universe. Sāṅkhya and Yoga Darśanas have explained in greater detail thousands of years ago, and
have been part of the Bhāratīya indigenous education system. As stated
earlier, Yoga Darśana describes the control of the mind to enable the
distinction between Puruṣa (consciousness) and Prakriti (nature), whereas proponents of
Unified Field Theories propose that the human mind and consciousness are
structured in layers parallel to the structure of the universe. It clarifies
further that at the surface levels the mind is active, thinking and chaotic.
But deep within, there are quieter and quieter levels of the mind. These are
the more powerful levels of the thinking process. Modern science is just
beginning to re-discover the theories proposed by ancient Bhāratīya Darśanas.
According to modern
science, the human body is made up of matter, and the consciousness inside the
body originates from this matter. There are other spiritual theories around the
world that the consciousness (also referred to as the soul) is a separate
entity, driving the function of the mind (thoughts, emotion, and ego). Sāṅkhya and Yoga agree with
the second perspective, and in addition, they offer that there is an internal
body (made up of non-matter), which is called the subtle body. This distinction
is important, and the first step is to differentiate between the “brain” and
the “mind”. The brain is part of the gross body (physical, made up of matter),
whereas the mind (Chitta) is part of the subtle body. Sāṅkhya Darśana discusses this distinction in great detail.
Let’s take a high-level
look at the Sāṅkhya Darśana, which is the final goal of both Yoga Darśana, and the modern Unified Field Theories.
The gross body (physical or
external that we can see and feel) is composed of:
- Five external sense
organs (skin, eyes, ears, tongue, and nose),
- Five external motor
organs (hands, legs, tongue, genitals, and excretory organs)
- The brain, which
coordinates the ten organs
There are many other
supporting organs, such as the lungs, heart, etc. But for the purpose of
mapping to the subtle body we are limiting to the ten main organs that we can
see and feel.
The subtle body (invisible
or internal) is composed of:
- The five subtle sense
organs (touch, see, hear, taste, and smell)
- The five subtle motor
organs (grasp, move, speech, procreate, and excretion)
- The Chitta, which is
composed of Buddhi, Ahaṃkāra, and Manas.
The subtle body is
non-perishable, and therefore continues after the physical body has perished.
The key aspect of Sāṅkhya, where the Unified Field Theories appear to begin scratching
the surface, is the Chitta. Let’s briefly examine its
components:
- Buddhi (intellect):
for judgment and decision-making
- Ahaṃkāra (ego): helps in
self-awareness, the idea of “me” or “I”
- Manas (desire &
impulse): coordinates sense and motor organs.
Thus Sāṅkhya differentiates between
the brain and the mind (Chitta), and proposes the concept of the subtle body,
which is non-perishable, and it only dissolves into primordial elements of the
Prakriti (nature) when the creation cycle ends (big crunch), or when a human
(Yogi) attains liberation (Mokṣa).
The consciousness (Ātma or
Soul) is one of the three elements of Cosmos:
1.
Prakriti (Nature): Three
elements (sattva, rajas, and tamas), and two categories:
a. Physical (Apara): all visible matter (living bodies) and
energies known to science
b. Subtle
(Para or spiritual): All invisible matter, and subtle bodies. Modern science is
currently calling it dark matter and dark energy
2.
Puruṣas (individual souls,
consciousness): Distinct from nature, therefore eternal and survives the
creation cycles. Infinite numbers, one for each living being; but needs nature
to gain knowledge.
3.
Paramātma or Īśvara (Supreme Soul or God): Similar to
individual souls, but unlike individual souls, God does not need nature (matter
and senses) to know anything.
Sāṅkhya Darśana proposes that everything that we observe in
this universe is an interaction of these three fundamental elements. This
interaction is eternal (Sanātana), therefore there is no beginning or end. It
is only the Prakriti (nature) element that goes through cycles of creation (big
bang) and destruction (big crunch). In this creation cycle, God is not
considered the “creator” of matter or souls, rather God is an agent of
transformation that makes use of the always-existing matter (Prakriti), and the
always-existing souls (Puruṣas).
In conclusion, Sāṅkhya and Yoga Darśanas are just two of the countless fascinating
parts of indigenous Bhāratīya education system, which was destroyed by
colonizers. We must put an effort to decolonize our minds to regain the lost
glory, without depending on mainstream educational institutes and the
governments, as they seem to have the vested interest to keep Hindus colonized.
Therefore we need to promote the knowledge of true Bhāratīya history, that is
narrated by insiders; the true practitioners of Dhārmic traditions.
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