A Meditation on Total Education

by Jagadguru Swami Isa

 

Education today is a superficial framework of facilities.

Is it possible to mould a perfect human being out of an object-centric system of education?

If possible, there would have been billions of perfect human beings inhabiting the world now.

A large number of people are highly educated, enjoying social status, but do they lead the lives of genuine human beings?

Are there any scientific instruments for assessing a human being's inner development that are equally as good as the equipment assessing and aiding her outer development?

Is it possible to assess an individual on the basis of materialistic, theoretical and practical examinations?

Is education merely to create jobs?

Are we offering anything other than this?

Define education.

Does it constitute syllabus and methodology only?

Is learning individual centred or society centred?

In the present day education, teaching and learning are carried out without considering the individual. Is this the leading factor of the feeling of discontent among both teachers and students? 

Is education just formal?

Have we found an accurate definition of non-formal education?

The modern world enriched with education is haunted by fear and disquiet. Why?

Do the academicians envisage the creation of a restless society?

Has the teacher-student-parent relationship become healthy and productive in the modern world?

Education is defined as light, then shouldn’t that light enable one to identify the good and the bad?

Why do we lose the light, the transparency and clarity?

Is it not during student days that a person indicates the wellness, peace and happiness he can provide to society, whatever may be his chosen field of activity?

In the chosen field, does the student study only superficially, leading to defective education?

From a scientific perspective can an object exist just by itself?

Is the complementary nature of the universe real?

If it is real have we followed a teaching methodology to understand this aspect of the universe?

Is external appearance alone, real?

Is the internal world also real?

If we acknowledge the existence of internal and external, shouldn’t we study both as mutually complementary? 

Isn’t the real conflict the gap between the outside and inside?

Are they two distinct entities?

If these are viewed as two while teaching, can we create only the world we have now?

When we realize it is unhealthy, shouldn’t we have an education to remove the gap?

While learning, why not see into both outside and inside?

Aren’t teachers meant for this?

Do the teachers have this trait?

Who is to be blamed if they do not possess this?

Who should remedy the mistake?

Isn’t it the role of the Government?

Shouldn’t all executives of Government have the capacity to see into both outside and inside to manifest real education?

Do the representatives of people aim at the inner growth of the individual by providing all external facilities?

Is it really being carried out?

Periodic, impartial assessment and remedial measures can ensure the growth and development of the individual through education.

Are there teachers in educational institutions who can see into outside and inside?

Is the teacher just a labourer?

Is the degeneration rooted in the loss of values?

Should the teachers forget about their moral obligations while demanding rights?

Teachers have to be a live lamp--

A lamp that can lead to growth to attain the glory of the Sun--

Won’t the life of the teacher then attain fulfilment? 

Doesn’t the inadequacy of the teacher reflect on the student?

Doesn’t the inadequacy of the parents also reflect on the student?

Each individual in the society shares the blemishes in one’s character with the students in the society, so can we blame students alone for their defective behaviour?

It is high time for the world to have a serious introspection.

Delayed thinking and acting will be catastrophic--

It is the human who constitutes this world--

Without reforming humanity, can we reform the world?

Shouldn’t there be total education to refine the human?

Isn’t that imperfection the sorrow of the world?

Isn’t it our moral obligation to realize this?

Isn’t it time to awake and arise for total education?

Be the guiding light, awake and arise, and grow with awareness, total awareness! 

 

  

This is part of a longer article written by Swami Isa for the All-India Students' Energy Parliament on "Total Education."

February 25, 2016