What's The Right Education For A Right Society

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prominently in the list of virtues but there are other aspects that are more

important which, unfortunately, receive far less attention. Today, we would

like to focus on one of these.Swami often reminds us that a human being is a

composite of the body [that is gross], the Mind [that is subtle], and the Atma

[that is primordial and the source/cause of everything, including Creation].

Education, Swami says, must therefore address all these three aspects of a

human being. If it fails to, then the education imparted would not be balanced,

and lack of balance in a human being can cause not only a lot of problems to the

individual concerned, but indeed to Society as a whole. Thus, in Swami's

University, everything is done according to the philosophy of what is called

Integral Education. Integral Education means nursing in balanced proportions,

the body, the Mind and also the Heart. If there is such a balance, then the

student blossoms as a person of character. Thus it is that

Swami often says that the end of education must be character. Time there was,

when teachers and parents took character moulding very seriously. Indeed, this

was true in all societies. In India of course, there is a strong tradition in

this respect to which Swami often calls attention. In England, the great public

schools were supposed to train students to become leaders with character. In

America, there is the shining example of George Washington who as a boy dared

to tell the truth, unmindful of the punishment he might receive. There is also

the inspiring example of Abraham Lincoln, to whom Swami often makes a

reference. Things have changed dramatically after World War II. Many factors

have contributed to this almost abrupt change, and we need not go into all the

painful details; in any case they are well known. But this much can be said;

almost everywhere, education has become a business. One might give all kinds of

socio-economic reasons for this phenomenon but

the question remains: If character development is considered irrelevant in the

scheme of education, then where does it leave Society, especially in this age

of Science and Technology? Few bother about this; even if some do, they brush

aside concerns and join the rat race. Parents may say money is important;

educational establishments may say money is important; graduates also may say

money is important. But there is something far more important and that is

morality. If parents, educationists and Society all abandon moral values, then

what would happen to humanity? Science and technology are awesome tools and if

humans use them without compunction, then Society and indeed the environment

can get into all kinds of problems; in fact, this is already happening. Just to

give an example, in the UK, they wanted to pass a bill prohibiting the screening

of TV ads promoting fast foods and soft

drinks during children's programs, because they were considered harmful to

children. Parents and health authorities were deeply worried by the alarming

rise in child obesity and juvenile diabetes; hence the idea for such a ban. But

the big corporations fought the idea of the ban tooth and nail. The point here

is that the corporations peddling these items couldn't care less about the

damage to Society; market share is all that matters to them. One can multiply

this example many, many times. Wherever we look, it is the educated who are

disturbing Society in umpteen ways, ranging from generating computer viruses to

inventing all kinds of weapons that promote conflict and violence, not to

mention unwanted gadgets that fuel unnecessary and sometimes dangerous desires.

All this has happened in fifty short years.These days, there is a lot of

corporate fraud and people say it is all because people have lost a sense of

values. To correct the situation, more laws are being

passed. However, if there is no individual character, then Society as a whole

would lack character, which means that frauds would go on and even multiply. In

turn, one would have to increase the police force, appoint more judges and so

on. Society has to pay for all this. But even if Society does this, what is the

guarantee that the result would be favourable? After all, policemen and judges

without character would compound the problem! How can one suddenly expect

judges and policemen to be very honest, when they too have come through the

same, 'de-hydrated' educational system?Yes, as one educationist in the West

lamented, today's universities produce clever devils! Many years ago,

addressing the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Victor

Weisskopf, a professor in MIT declared, 'Knowledge without compassion is

inhuman while compassion without knowledge is ineffective.' In its own way, the

world secretly realises this but caught up as it is in the rat

race, it makes every effort to ignore the writing on the wall. Indeed, and it is

only in Swami's Institute that instruction in worldly knowledge is beautifully

blended with basic human values. That is what makes Swami's University so

important. The question is often asked: 'OK, students in Swami's Institutes get

a good grounding in values and all that; but does it work in the wide world out

there. Where is the proof?.' Dear Subscriber, there is ample proof and be

assured we would write about that in later Sunday mails. Meanwhile, we pray

that Swami's Grace be showered on you and your family, and that you may

continuously enjoy Bliss. Jai Sai RamWith Love and Regards,"Heart2Heart"

(Sharing with Sai Love)Ram ChuganiKobe, Japanrgcjp

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