In plain words
Today we need an education that deals with the bond between man and man. Mere acquaintance with books is not education. Today's students run after marks but do not strive for remarks. Truly, the schools and colleges that were the dwellings of Sarasvatī have today become the dwellings of Lakṣmī. Money for admission, money for a pass. That is why our hearts are falling sick. When such conditions are driven away and the learning of the Ātma is cultivated, the prosperity of society and the wealth and strength of the country will grow twice over.
education is not just aquiring knowledge but putting in practice. So we must change education so that it can be brought into experience and into practice in daily life. In ‘vidyā’, ‘vit’ is light and ‘ya’ is ‘that which’: that which gives us light and removes Ajñāna is vidyā. Today, the more learned a student becomes, the more ignorant he becomes. Humility is the mark of learning. Equanimity is the mark of the wise. The blending of these two is the culture of Bhārata. This very culture has been sung through age after age, in world upon world, by millions of voices. In My view there are many who have the right qualities, pure and steady qualities. But unfortunately parents at home and teachers at school are leading them astray. In daily life they give children too much freedom and lead them astray. Man needs freedom, but too much freedom spoils the mind. So,
the end of education is character the end of culture is perfection the end of wisdom is freedom
we must recognise this. If teachers train innocent students who know nothing in the right way, they will grow into strong and divine people of good qualities and good conduct. If the parents who order their son home by six o'clock sit in the club till twelve, what training can there be? If parents and teachers, who must act responsibly and give a lead, behave like this, they cannot bring Bhārata any renown. Teachers and parents must step forward, show the ideal and shape their children. A history lesson can be taught from a book. Sums can be worked on the board and shown. But the drill teacher says 1, 2, 3, 4, does it himself, and has the students do it the same way.
Men forget the fear of sin and the love of God and are becoming beasts. Man is losing the confidence he ought to have. Yet man needs contentment. Without confidence, where is contentment? Where is the spirit of sacrifice? Where is realisation? That is why, for the mansion of life,
self confidence is the foundation self satisfaction is the wall self sacrifice is the roof self realisation is life itself.
Men must not lead their lives in eating, drinking, sleeping and dying.
Life is challange, meet it. Life is love, share it. Life is dream, realise it. Life is game, play it.
The young people of today are like divine fruits. There is sweet juice in them. Such holy fruits meet many obstacles. At such a time they must enquire what is good and what is bad, what to take and what to give up, and step forward and grasp it. For this we must take as our example the ideal of Rāma in the Rāmāyaṇa. As Rāma was going with His guru Viśvāmitra, a woman barred His way. Because Rāma was at a holy age, a young man, a fruit full of sweet juice, the woman barred His way. Rāma struck that woman down at once. When He had gone on again some distance, another woman barred His way; He taught her a lesson and united her with her husband. After He went to Mithilā a third woman came before Him. Rāma accepted that woman. He slew Tāṭakī, who was given to tamoguṇa, reformed Ahalyā, who was sunk in rajoguṇa, and accepted Sītā, who was rich in sāttvikaguṇa. This must be a holy ideal and a lesson for the young people of today. We must slay the tamoguṇa within ourselves. We must set the rajoguṇa on the right path. We must nourish the sāttvika nature. We must grasp that this very sāttvika nature is the essence of our life.