Learning from traditional system of education

What is the tradition of mankind? At one level we all have our respective traditions. However, let’s try to visualize, understand, appreciate mankind’s tradition starting from the most ancient primitive human beings, our common forefathers, irrespective of our own traditions!

Immediately, we get divided into two fundamental traditions – one tradition is from Adam-Eve and Nara-Narayan and the other is Darwin’s evolution from creatures, apes. So, we may use our own logic and reasoning but let’s not just believe blindly, as Religions want us to do. It was because of Church’s insistence on belief and terrorizing of Galileo, that Royal Society for Science adopted its motto as “nuilus in verba” i.e., not to accept ‘authority/belief’ of Church and science grew in the West in opposition to belief-based idea of Religion.

And the result is that till today modern schooling and academia refuse to allow religions into schools, though Islam and Christianity teach their religions in some form. But the funny thing is that our politicians and intellectual administrators don’t allow us to study our own Vedic and Vedantic wisdom in our own country, while allowing “Minorities” to teach their religion that believes that My God and My Religion alone is True. This leads to fanaticism, conflicts, even terrorism because they teach that it our duty to convert others to My religion!

“Worldview of Oneness” is the traditional wisdom of all religions because it alone leads to the ideal of “Love for all”. Unfortunately, modern religions, preachers, politics of democracy divide societies! Academia must understand and teach this scientific universal idea and ideal of Oneness.

Education must establish us in self-development practices so that we may all learn to manage our mind and imbibe the spirit of selflessly working for good of all to experience once-again (Religion and Yoga) our Oneness with whole Creation from where we appeared as separate beings! This is the traditional idea and ideal of education.

In this intellectual educated era, academia must teach that the purpose of prayers, meditation, worship, etc. according to our respective religions is to expand our mind to see one Consciousness, God, Life, Spirit in all and so strive to serve God in man and in Creation!

We must learn and teach how our external thoughts-motives-actions can either expand our mind to oneness through ‘selflessness and righteousness’ or contract the mind through ‘selfishness and unrighteousness’. We must learn to be conscious that our selfish external choices and actions can lead us towards miseries while selflessness will lead to joy and bliss. We’re enjoyers and makers of our destiny heaven or hell, by our choices and actions every moment.

2. It was first Dara Shikoh, son of Aurangzeb and then Max Muller who translated the Vedantic wisdom and in 1893 it was Vivekananda who spoke in English to Western audiences in USA and established the worldview of Oneness and service of God in man, aka Karma Yogi. He was declared as our National Youth ideal in 1985. Students are asked to study his ideas for understanding and inspiration.

GOI Mission Karma Yogi and G20 vision of One World, Family, Future arises from this teaching. Our traditional purpose of education and growing-up is to establish us all in our respective Swadharma, commitment to our respective duties. Our tradition says that ultimately, we all have to ourselves feel one, realize oneness with that infinite omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, Consciousness aka Creator (God) who appears as Nature and Living-beings. Founders of all religions are those who have had direct realization and therefore, their words become our Scriptures and inspiration to be Righteous.

Except mankind who have a developed ‘mind-intellect’ to choose, all living-beings, jiva, jantu, pashu, animal – “jivaatman” automatically follow their respective swadharma! They have their own samskara and ways to learn. Thus, all creatures, except mankind, are in Rtm, rhythm, harmony, and committed to their Swadharma and don’t need any schoolteachers! From a holistic vision and perspective, the entire creation is also exactly as it should be, in perfect Rtm. Nothing is out of order for us to worry!

3. Reflections: Are people born equal with a clean slate without a second chance OR unequal in different circumstances based on their samskara, till they attain the ideal of Oneness? Why be good? What exactly is good? Why be Righteous?

While the Law of Cause-Effect applies to all creation, no one else, but we humans alone suffer joy or sorrow because we have freedom of choice every moment. We enjoy only if we follow Rtm, righteousness, Dharma, respective Swadharma, i.e., duties based on who we are, our status, work, vocation, and relationships, etc.

Therefore, we need to be educated and trained to first choose rightly, awaken Viveka-buddhi. Then we need to learn how to develop the ability to manage our mind, ‘motives, thoughts, words, choices, actions’ and ‘Direct’ them to Respond based on Win-Win and not React on win-lose! Viveka buddhi and Mind power enables us walk-the-talk towards Oneness with whole creation by more and more selflessness, righteousness, and commitment to Swadharma, till we experience love for all equally and feel Oneness with the whole Creation.

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