Education

Education

My brother (pseudonym Kshetragnya) while writing about a software package on Education, came up with a beautiful brief about what the term education actually represents. This triggered a chain of thoughts, but before I ventured into the realm of blogging these, I felt, the piece needed to be quoted verbatim, as (a) the piece is worth sharing, and (b) what is to follow will have to have a perspective. So here I go:

Quote

The word “Educere “ in Latin means to excavate , to draw out . Both Science and spiritual literature stress the fact that the human mind is a complete and comprehensive repository of the entire range of terrestrial and cosmic knowledge. All that is known and yet to be known are neatly tucked away deep inside our minds. Education is the process of clearing, preparing, harnessing the enormous potential of our minds to both understand the challenge of our particular times as also to arrive at possible conclusions regarding the holistic perspective of human life as such. Most societies and nations in the past had discriminatory practices and educational disenfranchisement of large sections of populace was a common aspect till much of the 20^th century. This was reformed by the rise of democracy and a focus on societal equity. The 21^st century global society has indeed transformed itself into a knowledge driven, skill rich entity where a uniform approach at least in the education space has become the established norm. Today a nation’s assets are its knowledgeable and skilled citizens. Technology has totally democratized access to data, information, skills and knowledge. But the challenges remain and need extensive remedies if our dream of universal education has to become reality.

Unquote

With my recently acquired obsession for dwelling into Sanskrit texts/dictionary to find parallels for commonly used words which have more profound meanings, I did a little bit of research and as usual came up with a host of ideas which needed an outpouring lest I get stifled. The fact that not much of blogging has been attempted in the recent past; there was really no stopping me. I can only hope someone reads these and better still, responds!!

Let me seek pardon, if I am wrong, but to my mind the very definition seems to imply that an external source is required to draw out, bring forth, these innate powers of an individual. While the teacher requires a certain amount of skills/art to do this, the aids like for instance a soft-ware package comes in the realm of “science”. With these initial thoughts I looked up various sources for Sanskrit parallels.

There are mainly two words which come close, namely, “vidya” and “shiksha”. The latter is acquisition of knowledge, experience and skills etc, and the former is (a) to discipline (b) to control (c) to order (d) to rule and finally (e) a desire for being able to do anything.

From desire to learn thru discipline one acquires knowledge which is “gyaan”. So far there is no problem, but when one comes to the aids namely the scientific part, the word “vigyaan”(science) reveals probably the old Hindu mindset; the prefix “vi” generally denotes an opposite and therefore “vigyaan” is opposite of “Gyaan”.

The word vigyaan therefore, amongst other meanings has a profound one which says “worldly or profane knowledge, knowledge derived from worldly experience” as opposed to Gyaan, which is knowledge of brahmn or the Supreme spirit.

This meaning of the word to my startled mind, in one sweeping statement, completely rubbishes the modern day education as a means to obtain only worldly wisdom, and suggests in a way that it can only be an impediment to realization of “self”, which is the sole purpose of our janma. This BTW, requires no external agency to bring forth/ draw out the innate potential, but only requires one to dwell “within” all by himself in deep contemplation. Guru’s skills or to be more apt “grace” is all that is required to direct you there. Science, alas, has no place, but more cynically it is a great impediment.

Frightening enough? It is to me definitely. With our incessant quest for realization, we seem to be doomed either way; realization can never be in sight, worldly pleasures, once one is in the former quest, has no meaning. Awake, arise, without wasting a single moment, do your duty as ordained to get to that final beatitude says one of the Upanishads. Can anything be more frustrating? How do we proceed or more aptly do we better give up and just vegetate?

Will someone give me some words of succor please?

Love

Vichu