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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.
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.
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.
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.