Seek Educare Instead Of Just Education

15 May 2000, Summer Course 2000, Brindavan

Published English.

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Vidya nama narasya rupamadhikam pracchannaguptam dhanam Vidya bhogakari yasah sukhakari Vidya bandhujano videsa gamane, vidya gurunam guruh Vidya rajasu pujyate na hi dhanm, vidya vihinah pasuh.

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Embodiments of Love! You have no idea of the anguish your parents feel if you are backward in your studies. In the same way, , the mother of this land, will feel very sad if you do not make progress in the fields of morality and spirituality.

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. One’s mother and motherland are greater than the very Heavens.

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Students must firmly resolve to spare the motherland of from the pain and the agony caused by spiritual backwardness.

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In the past, several committees were appointed to suggest various reforms in our educational system. However, the recommendations of these committees were not implemented. Under the circumstances, youth must follow the examples set by noble elders. After deep enquiry, of yore discovered sacred Truths, abided by them and derived Bliss therefrom, which they then shared with others. Students must emulate the glorious example of our ancients and not be content with learning by rote; mere bookish knowledge is of little value.

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What is ? The word Education, especially as used today, is related to bookish knowledge. It is derived from the root word .

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What is ? It is that type of learning that brings out the purity latent in the Heart, confers Bliss, and allows one to spread joy and happiness among others. Education is associated with knowledge pertaining to the ephemeral world, and can at best lead only to worldly pleasure that is invariably transient. , on the other hand, confers inward Bliss, which is eternal in nature.

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Here is a silver tumbler. Besidesthis, there are other objects here like the spoon, the plate etc., also made of silver. The metal silver has been used to make all these objects. Silver can be used to make other objects as well. Further, one can convert a silver plate into a silver tumbler and so forth. In this example, silver is fundamental and the objects made of it are secondary. Likewise, there is a Fundamental Knowledge, which is the fountainhead of all other forms of knowledge. Called , this Fundamental Knowledge is latent in the Heart. It is the Knowledge of the Self.

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Our ancients said, "" meaning that is synonymous with power.

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Acquiring confers the power of wisdom. You must try to comprehend the tremendous power that lies behind the Knowledge of the Self and not waste your life by merely hankering after worldly knowledge all the time.

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The Real Purpose of Education There are of highly educated people in this country. But what is it they have contributed to the world and to human welfare? In what way are they helping the community? In no way at all! Instead, they are totally preoccupied with the pursuit of their own selfish interests; no one works for the benefit of the community. This should not be; you should work for the welfare of Society. You should be guided by three cardinal principles:

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Sarve loka hite ratsh Sarve samudita gunaih Sarve jnana sampannah

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You must work hard and incessantly to promote the welfare of the community. You are a part of society, and your individual welfare is intimately tied up with the welfare of society as a whole. Hence, you must study not for making money but for the sake of serving society. Unfortunately, these days education has been reduced to business, greedy business in fact. What you have received from society must be returned back to society, and in greater measure. You are able to study because of the infrastructure provided by society. Having been benefited thus, is it proper to forget what you have received and focus only on making money? To do so would be immoral, indecent, and totally against man’s basic nature. As the emphatically declare, sacrifice is man’s principal characteristic:

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. Neither action, nor progeny, nor wealth, but sacrifice alone can lead to immortality.

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The further assert: . God pervades the universe in diverse forms, providing thereby an undercurrent of unity to apparent diversity of the phenomenal world.

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There is only One, but the deluded mind perceives it as many. In other words, the apparent plurality of creation is really an aspect of unity. The also say:

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These declarations are the corner stones of (Indian) culture. You must absorb the lessons they convey, follow the dicta, experience the Truth they imply, and share that experience with others.

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. All feelings spring from the mind, which alone is responsible both for bondage as well as liberation.

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. The mind pervades the whole world, encompassing you also.

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There are many bulbs here, and every one of them gives light. The bulbs may be different but the same current flows through them all. The individual bodies are like the various bulbs, and the is like the current and is all-pervasive. It is present in all.

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The Governor (. , the chief guest on the occasion) said earlier that God resides in all.

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God is present in all beings, but are you experiencing this all-pervasive divinity? has told you on many occasions:

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. The body is the temple, and God is the Indweller.

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You must develop this Love Principle. Education must transform you into an embodiment of compassion. What is the use of education if it does not foster compassion? Once, was feeling very depressed. When an Englishman asked about the reason for his gloom, replied, "I am disturbed by the fact that education today is making people hard-hearted." That is the problem; instead of breeding compassion, education these days is making people stonehearted. True education must touch the heart, release a torrent of selfless love, make a person compassionate, and foster divine feelings. Such education alone is the need of the hour.

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. What cannot be found in India cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

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People have become blind to the glory and the sanctity of . This country is (land of sacrifice), (land of yoga), and (land of sacred action). But today, people are trying to convert this sacred land into a (land of trivial pleasure). is not pleasure as people imagine but or disease! Therefore, do not get swept by this craze to go abroad. Instead, stay back and serve as well as protect your country.

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There is no country greater than your Motherland . What a sacred land it is! There was a time when India was a beacon to the whole world. It was foremost in all spheres of human activity – political, ethical, moral, and spiritual. How can you think of abandoning a country with such a glorious heritage? If you do not have love for the land of your birth, how do you think you are going to love the land you wish to migrate to? This being the land of your birth, you must love it, serve it, and strive hard to improve it. This is the way you must find fulfilment in life.

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Now what is this Self in the word self-confidence? The Self denotes God [ often uses the word to denote Selfconfidence].

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Self also means I. I, I, I - everyone uses the word ‘I’ while introducing oneself. gives a clear explanation of what precisely this ‘I’ means. says, "Know thyself first".

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There is not much point in knowing about other things without first knowing something about one’s own self. People say: "This is my body, this is my mind, this is my hand, this is my leg, my eye, " and so on. When you say "my", it clearly implies that you are distinct and separate from the object referred to. This brings one to the fundamental question of : "Who am I?" You say, "My hand"; who is it that is associated with the word "my"?

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Let us say you address the following question to the audience: "Who is ?" One person will get up and say, "I". Similarly, if you were to ask, "Who is ?", "Who is ?", etc., the concerned person would rise and say, "I". Everyone says "I". The names are different and the people also vary but everyone says "I". The answer "I" is common and therefore fundamental. Therefore, if you know the answer to the question, "Who am I?" you will know about all others as well and in fact about the whole world. This is because everything is contained within the "I-Principle". This is the essence of , the philosophy of non-dualism. The scriptures declare:

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. Truth is only One but scholars refer to it with varied names.

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culture is based on the noble and exalted principle of seeking Unity in diversity; it has no room for fragmentation or divisive tendencies. No matter what walk of life you enter, make sure that your education benefits others. The knowledge you have acquired must be offered in service to the world at large.

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These days, engineering and medical education have become roaring business. To secure a seat in a medical college, one has to shell out a hefty capitation fee of twenty . What do you get by spending twenty and earning a degree? It is far better to invest that amount in a fixed deposit and live comfortably on the interest accrued! If one spends a huge amount to get a medical degree, then all the subsequent attention would be on recovering the investment by any means, fair or foul.

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Exorbitant fees are the main reason for the deterioration of values in education. One should not spend huge amounts in search of degrees. It does not matter if one does not secure admission to the course one wants to study. Students in the villages when asked, "What are you doing?" reply, "," (I am purchasing education) instead of saying, as they ought to, "" (I am studying). These days, even primary school education has become very expensive and one has to deposit twenty thousand in advance. Education is sold for money at all levels, from the KG (Kindergarten) to the PG (postgraduate), and indeed even to the Ph.D. level. How can one expect people who have thus bought learning at enormous price to ever think of using their learning for the benefit of society?

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Experience is what you must learn from; you must digest them and put the lessons learnt into practice. You must be careful and exercise discretion as well as proper discrimination before doing anything; otherwise, (education) runs the risk of becoming (ignorance).

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Modern education is highly artificial. What you need is not this type of education but . The latter is what addresses the heart whereas education [as presently imparted] pertains solely to the head. From the heart alone spring human values that are everlasting - compassion, forbearance, tolerance, truth, sacrifice; all these flow only from the heart. Modern education deals almost exclusively with worldly matters and entities, and its content and nature both change with the passage of time. But the values associated with the Heart are eternal.

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The heart is referred to as ( + = ), meaning that the heart is the seat of or compassion. The head, on the other hand, can be the source of conflict and confusion. Real education is that which fosters virtue, morality, truth, compassion, discipline, and duty.

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You all know very well about the system of education adopted in our Institute. Education in ’s institutions is totally free, all the way from KG to PG and even beyond. What is expected of you in return? Simply this: When you go out into the wide world, conduct yourself as an ideal citizen. Share with others freely and with joy, whatever you have learnt here. Having acquired learning here free of cost, it would be improper for you to later cash on it and market it. Such an act would be most unethical and not expected of you. Do not stray into such improper paths. Share what you have with love, not just occasionally but all the time. It is only when you do so that you can claim to have received real education.

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Preserve them and continue to derive benefit from them. In short, maintain balance. has on an earlier occasion drawn your attention to the example of Napoleon, a perfect model of strict discipline.

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Embodiments of Love! In the days to come, will tell you many more things. You must listen carefully and absorb the lessons taught. Later, you must recall and reflect on the teachings imparted. Just as the cow after first grazing withdraws to a quiet spot and then chews the cud, you too, once you are back in your room, must ruminate over what you have heard. What you take in with your ears is education; but it is only when you absorb and put into practice what you have heard that education transforms into . Therefore, education here and in your room! Only when you digest the lessons and practise them can you enjoy (health) and (happiness).

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At the end of the divine discourse, the National Anthem was sung as per ’s command.