If EDUCATION is like diving into a pool or pond and bathing/drinking to get refreshed/purified leading to a feeling of being re-born ( born-again, (dwija)) , how the pool of knowledge must be.? How the water in that pool must be; how the water must be collected ? (Water in the pool is compared to the sum total of knowledge. (Baptism ?)) By which means ? Here lies the Major difference between the Indian Civilization and the rest of the world !!!!!
A conspicuous clue to this is there in the advice of Gandhari to her son Duryodhana. She points out that a sharp and appropriate intellect is a product obtained by the control of the senses. And such an intellect can only generate , beneficent knowledge impacting the well-being of all beings.
“One, who aspires to great things, must lead his senses to virtue and profit (dharma and artha); by having the senses under control, intelligence increases as fire when it has fuel added on to it.” (Udyog-Parva Main, Bhagavat-Yana Parva Sub, Chapter 129, Sloka 26, page 344, Vol.3, English Translation M N Dutt.) The above idea of intellect/intelligence is entirely different from the Western idea of intelligence which is entirely organ centric. ie Brain centric.
Gandhari, who came to present day India from the present day Afghanisthan expressed a fragment of ‘still’ / ‘eternal’ valid knowledge that was then current in ancient India whose soothing influence extended upto Saudi Arabia, Iran and Greece in the West. The same idea in DETAIL is clearly given in the Yogasutras of Patanjali. Chapter 1, Samadhi-padam gives the overview of Yoga. In it Sutras 48 & 49 deal with Pranja (Buddhi=intellect) . Raising the intellect to the highest level possible, the intellect at that stage is called “Ritham-bhara”. It then yields knowledge of everything that exists in the universe directly , not in the usual conventional way which is dependent on the senses.(therefore susceptible to wrong inference, interpretation resulting in wrong knowledge.) And Indian civilization is the product of knowledge resulting from “Ritham-bhara” buddhi/intellect of our seers. (Thus it becomes our paramount duty and responsibility to nurture our civilization.)
PRESENT SITUATION
Over a period of four to five generations, the crystal clear water of the Indian pool is being replaced by the bloodied and murky waters of the Western World. When the knowledge pool itself is corrupted/defiled/polluted, when the water(knowledge) itself has become unfit, how can one ever improve the quality of education. !!???
CONCERNS ABOUT EDUCATION EXPRESSED BY ‘EMINENT’ PERSONALITIES IN THE PAST FEW DAYS !!!!!
Quote:- “Quality of law education is a matter of concern throughout the country,” the Chief Justice observed. (Feb 14.2015)
ABOUT KNOWLEDGE-LED SOCIETY – THIS CONCEPT IS DISCUSSED AT LENGTH IN THE MAHABHARATHA. – The Gandharva Chithraratha will challenge the Pandavas walking in the forest towards Panchala-kshithi, WITHOUT a Brahmin leading the way.(Chaithra-ratha-parva). They were on their way to attend the swayamvara of Draupadi/Krishna/Panchali. Pandavas were challenged because they were walking without being led by a Brahmin. (knowledge). Finally the Gandharva points out the learned and knowledgeable BRAHMIN Dhaumya, who will become the Purohita of the Pandavas.
In Modern Times………
Quote:- “Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, founder and chairman of M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, spoke about Mahatma Gandhi's idea of change and education. Laying emphasis on activity based education, he said, “It is simple and educative, and does not curb a questioning mind.”
Mr. Sashi Kumar, lucidly summarised the views of Prof. Swaminathan and said, “We should have a knowledge-led society. It’s difficult to achieve, but that's what we need.”” (Feb.16.2015)
Quote:- Educators need to help children understand the importance of the pluralistic nature of the country, said N. Ram, chairman, Kasturi and Sons Limited.
Quote:- “Education cannot be insulated from society,” he said, speaking at the Educators for Change conference at Don Bosco School of Excellence on Saturday. (Feb.15.2015)
ABOUT THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA
Quote:- “He said such incidents threatened the ideals of the Constitution. “In particular, it threatens Article 14, which guarantees equality, Article 19, which guarantees freedom of speech and expression, and Article 25 that guarantees the right to practise and profess any faith,” he said.
Speaking on economic unity, R. Vaidyanathan, professor of finance and control, Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore, said the Indian aspect of saving money and entrepreneurial spirit would guarantee the growth of the country.
“There is disproportionate emphasis on FDI while savings from households have majorly contributed to the country’s economic growth. In reality, it is the housewives who have driven economic growth. The government must leave the entrepreneurs alone,” he jokingly remarked.
Gopalkrishna Gandhi, former Governor of West Bengal, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi must speak up against the ‘virus’ of ‘Ghar Vapsi’ and express his disagreement with it clearly. “The deafening silence of religious majorities, who have nothing but the goodwill of minorities at heart, increases uncertainty and insecurity,” he said.
Economist S. Gurumurthy was the last speaker of the evening. He said a topic like religious unity cannot be broached without talking about ‘doctrinal tolerance’ of religions born in India and ‘doctrinal intolerance’ of other religions.
“Hinduism is a religion that accepts all other religions. Religious tolerance would mean acceptance of religious leaders, ideas and figures of other religions as well,” he said.
When asked what he thought about some Sangh Parivar leaders raking up the issue of making India a ‘Hindu Rashtra’, he called for a debate. “The doctrines call for acceptance of all religions. Can the same be said of other religions?” he said.” (Feb. 17, 2015)
MODERN MURDERING THE PRE-MODERN
http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/his-last-moments/article6842828.ece?ref=slideshow#im-image-0 (Feb 1, 2015) – Just AFTER the last living moments of Gandhiji. (Photos)
ABOUT THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA
Quote:- “The Constitution is merely a guideline for the state. Not for the people of the state. The notion of what seems right to the people of a country comes from the prevalent cultural and social norm, not the Constitution. We need to debate if adding a certain word or group of words in the Constitution has any material impact (positive or negative) on the lives of the people,” says Daithankar.
In order for such debates around secularism and socialism to be more nuanced, the country needs to focus on education, says Jain. “Our country needs a thorough overhauling of our education system. We need students to start thinking critically of their environment from an early age.” (Feb.15 2015)
BRAHMIN (knowledge) LEADING THE WAY IN SOUTH-EAST ASIA
Quote:- “The Sanskrit inscriptions indicate that local rulers in Southeast Asia employed South Indian Brahmins as advisors and counsellors. The Brahmins were the mechanisms through which the inscriptions and objects of Vedic ritual landed up in these improbable, remote places. There was clearly an Indian presence in Southeast Asia, not just of ideas and religion but of people as well.” (Feb 15 2015)
Covering letter for the above article :-
Dear Sir and other friends,
The last mail I had sent you concerned mainly with the Constitution of India. I had written it ahead of a Sunday Magazine article about the same in the Hindu, about which I did not have any prior information.
Quotes from that article and from other ones which will be of definite interest to ‘concerned’ and ‘sensitive’ individuals ,and which are presently exercising the minds of prominent personalities of our society, I am providing in the attached document with links. The quotes I feel are sufficient to know the crux of the problems faced by our modern society. But to know it fully in context, one may pursue the links.
One personality opined that our society must be knowledge-led. Sir, you are the founder of a NGO. And that NGO must be active. On what basis such an NGO is animated. On what knowledge foundation the NGO rests on and the basis of its actions.
I am presenting herewith a graph from the works of ‘modern’ scholars. One can find out the economic pre-eminence of India more than 2000 years ago from that graph. Other sources like travellers to India from China etc during the reign of Chandragupta Maurya also corroborates this graphical interpolation. (See Michael Wood’s BBC documentary, The Story of India Part 1, which is available now in Amazon.). Modern economy which is just 250 to 300 yrs old is not able to hold on its own. It is having chronic illness.
If EDUCATION is like diving into a pool/ pond and bathing/drinking to get refreshed/purified, leading to a feeling of being re-born ( born-again, (dwija)) , how the pool of knowledge must be.? How the water in that pool must be; how the water must be collected ? (Water in the pool is compared to the sum total of knowledge.) By which means ? Here lies the Major difference between the Indian Civilization and the rest of the world !!!!! (Western civilization has namesake baptism !!!?) – Read further in the attached document…
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