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Education and initiation of true knowledge (Shikchcha Evam Vidya): Vangamaya Vol-49

Consolidating the views of eminent scholars, we may characterize “total education” as – “the system of teaching, learning and initiation of knowledge which leads to – complete self-reliance, excellent development of personality and continuous evolution of virtuous tendencies….”.
Education begins with literacy and may successively endow one with enormous knowledge, analytical thinking, trenchancy of thoughts and decision making and acumen in specific disciplines of training. In principle, completion of education should also make one scholastic, talented and expert in solving worldly problems and enable one to propagate goodwill in the society. We may review the present systems of education to check whether they are capable of offering what is expected of this definition of education. A thorough evaluation of the present systems vis-à-vis the ancient system of education devised by the Indian rishis would be inevitable in this regard if we want to expand this comparison in different dimensions of what corresponds to “complete or total education”.
The Indian rishis – the spirituals masters of yore who are also reverenced as perfect educationists of all times, had defined “total education” as a combination of shiksha and vidya. Shiksha in their view was – practical training of literacy, worldly knowledge and development of specific skills or talents which make one self-dependent and enable him or her earn respectable means of living. By this definition, we might say that the component of education which is generally taught in the schools, universities and centers of higher learning today, corresponds to shiksha.
Vidya, as described by the rishis is that component of “total education” which inculcates virtuous tendencies, independent thinking with intellectual and moral illumination of the mind and the heart and helps perfect refinement of character and development of personality. Vidya, which is initiated by a spiritually elevated noble master and sincerely adopted in every domain of life by a dedicated disciple, gives rise to an ever expanding source of true knowledge and gradual escalation of ideal tendencies. Deep impressions of vidya assimilated in the inner cores of the mind are carried over as sanskaras (intrinsic tendencies) in next births too …..
Shiksha and vidya complement each other and together organize a perfect system of absolute education. Although several centers of excellence have maintained high standards of shiksha with induction of liberal thinking and intellectual discoveries, we hardly find any school or righteous mode of propagation of vidya any where in the world today. Even in India, where it was originated and given inspiring dimensions of global expansion via the “gurukula” system established by the rishis, it appears to have been confined to the decipheration of ancient scriptures in some traditional schools of Indian philosophy and vedic education. People in general, do not even know the proper meaning of vidya and as per their faith, often misinterpret it either as shiksha of ancient subjects or as some kind of ‘esoteric knowledge’ or ‘spiritual power’ associated with consecration by a religious master or guru.
Gurudev Shriram Sharma, a noble rishi of the modern age, has thoroughly reviewed the genesis, ancient developments, current status and future of shiksha and vidya in the present volume and given eminent directions for the improvement in both in today’s context. He has emphasized the need of revising the existing system of shiksha to make it more rational, dynamic, relevant and useful in guaranteeing a happy and bright future to the world. He has also justified the importance of incorporating vidya in the updated system of shiksha and given practical guidance for doing so at the primary, secondary and higher levels of education. He has devised specialized syllabus for this purpose to suit the gamut of students having different backgrounds and mental and intellectual levels. The primary and secondary education offered in the school of his mission’s center at Shantikunj, Hardwar, sets a living example of how this syllabus could be successfully implemented with the innovative methods of teachings suggested by him.
The “swavalamban vidya” course and training programs of self-reliant and moral education with spiritual refinement – initiated by Acharya Sharma have also been very successful in generating dedicated, disciplined and talented batches of young men and women who are committed to altruist service for cultural elevation and global welfare. These self-dependent volunteers are also contributing to the mission’s programs of mass education and social reformation in the villages and helping out the poor, down trodden, illiterates to enable them architecture a better and truly progressive future for the society and the village as a whole. The well educated but unemployed youths may, rather than suffering depression and waiting for the government and other bodies for help, also get new guidance from this kind of self-reliant vidya.
Acharya Sharma had also revived the traditions of the rishis by introducing the concept and mode of propagation of “sanjeevani vidya” for people from different walks of the society having different levels of shiksha and professional experience….etc. Under this scheme, specific training programs of varying durations are offered at Shantikunj for spiritual refinement, personality development and cultivation of moral values and ideal tendencies. Different sessions and types of lectures, practical works, disciplines, spiritual experiments and yoga exercises etc are designed here so as to suit the backgrounds, psychology and domestic, social and professional environments of the trainees. For instance, there are special course programs for married people who want to develop ideal family institution; separate special programmers for the engineers who should aim at increasing productivity and moral values in their organizations….; etc.
The “vidya arambha” and “diksha” sanskara (refer to volume no. 33 of this series for details on the system of sanskaras) performed under the auspices of the “Yug Nirman Yojana” and “Gayatri Pariwar” missions of Acharya Sharma have also been very effective in generating awareness about the true meaning and importance of vidya and in cultivating its seeds in the minds of people who care for piety of sentiments and thoughts and integrity of character. People of all age groups, all educational backgrounds – ranging from the illiterates to those holding highest possible degrees of erudite scholastic distinctions, can participate in these programs (of initiation of the above mentioned sanskaras) free of costs and without any restrictions of sex, caste, creed or social status.
Shiksha is essential for every one for better knowledge of the world and for marching forward along the path of civilization. High standard of this system of education certainly contributes to intellectual arousal and materialistic advancement of the society. Comprehensive education of this kind coupled with real-life experiences also teaches one the art of efficient management of life. However, the great efforts towards excelling this system of education would not serve the real purpose and might even prove counter-productive unless equipped with viable methods of simultaneous escalation of integrity of character, moral values and virtuous tendencies and sentiments of compassion, altruist service and sense of responsibility – in the students.
Shiksha as offered in the modern systems of education is, by and large, serving only as a means or a supporting tool for earning a respectable mode of living and accelerating intellectual evolution in trenchant students. In its most refined form, shiksha would be most effective and useful if it complements for the implementation of vidya in order to fulfil the divine purpose of human life.
The Indian education system of shiksha is not at all in good shape today. In many cases, neither the students nor the teachers have the desired faith, devotion, sincerity or dignity of character which is essential for healthy growth of the academic institutions. Mostly, it may be blamed to the irrelevance and lack of direction of the structure of the academic course programs and ineffectiveness of the methods of teaching, but, the growing trends of ‘commercialized’ attitudes and declining moral values of the entire society are no less responsible for this degradation of shiksha. In this volume, Achary Sharma has examined the state-of-affairs right up to the roots of the concerned problems and he has also given constructive guidance on how this system could be modified right from the primary level of education.
This volume highlights possibilities and basis for establishing an alternate system of (total) education, which would conjugate shiksha and vidya in a creative way and which can be easily adopted in the Indian circumstances. Implementation of such a system would initiate resurrection of the ancient glory of India and once again set the example of ideal education before the rest of the world. This system incorporates special training and continuous refinement process for the teachers and parents too. The “total education” system described here may be considered as the ‘prototype’ of the comprehensive scheme for the development of the modern society and conditioning of people’s mind to welcome the ‘age of truth’ which, as per the clairvoyance of several spiritually aroused great personalities – including the author, is awaiting gradual manifestation with the dawn of the new millenium….
Gurudev Shriram Sharma finds most people of the modern age as those living in a ‘self-hypnotized’ state, being ignorant about their own selves. In his words – “If a person, howsoever learned and talented, cannot think in righteous direction and adjust or co-operate with the fellow beings, cannot make creative contributions of his intellect or talents for orderly elevation of the society and cannot even fight against the adversities of his life on his own……, then, his education is of what use? The resources and time invested upon his education too would amount to shear wastage….”. These ‘so called’ educated people, he continues, “….need sanjeevani vidya, which can awaken them from the state of false impressions and intellectually imposed ‘illusions’ and subsequently orient their talents and potentials for the creative purposes of social welfare, development and intellectual and moral evolution…..”.
His vision indeed shows us the silver line of hope when he says – “In the new era of true knowledge and moral dignity, although the physical appearance and biological nature of the humans will remain the same, drastic changes will be noticed in their convictions, sentiments, attitudes, ideologies, mental tendencies, character and deeds….” Revival of vidya as an integral part of education, in his views, would serve the purpose of this hitherto unimaginable transmutation and would make ‘the descent of the bright era’ – a feasible reality in the years to come.…. Spirituality will then play a predominant role in shaping of an individual’s personality and in the developing of a society under this new system of education.
How will the above ‘dream’ be materialized? Who will propagate and implement the “sanjeevani vidya”? How and why it will be adopted across the globe? From where will the ideal teachers and the orderly gurukuls arouse? What will be the mode of operation of the gurukuls of the modern age? How will the younger generation accept this new system of education? Detailed discussions and authentic guidance is presented on the above issues in this volume which also cites the views of the great educators and noble gurus (masters of vidya) of different times.
It is hoped that all the teachers, students and every one, who is concerned about improvement in the present system of education, will get substantial guidance and support from this comprehensive treatise on perfect education. May the institutions of “shiksha and vidya” enlighten our minds and initiate the conditioning of our world for the dawn of the new era of truth, spirituality and divine knowledge…....