Maj Gen RN Tikku (retd)
Educationist
Be yourself, love yourself;
And lift yourself — all by yourself.
— Mantra for Young India
Does education prepare children for life? Can we think critically and creatively under stress? What about focus, collaborative learning, resilience and enthusiasm? Daily, we read of actions and behaviour of youngsters that show an absence of self-regulation, ethics and a sense of social responsibility. Environmental degradation has added to the ‘madness’. In such a scenario, how do we navigate the youth, mentors and the environment? The way out is in. Mind, the most powerful organ in the human body, comes into play. Take charge of the mind, and a mindful journey begins from within. You evolve, and give your best version on the ground.
The present educational system, society and mentors are giving undue weightage to academic excellence and ‘job-seeking’ economic dimension, compounded by ‘expectations’ and ‘wants’ imposed on the students. This ends up hurting the child’s learning process and self-worth. The emphasis must shift to ‘life-fulfilling’ and ‘life-sustaining’ aspects of a student’s journey towards responsible selfhood. People like Einstein, Steve Jobs, Leonardo da Vinci, and so many more successful wise men were never academic heroes of their schools.
A good educational institution comes to the forefront by the ilm or gyan it imparts to the students, not mere academic prowess. This uplifts the mind and rejuvenates the power to create. A different kind of knowing emerges — how you will handle yourself and others in the face of daunting challenges. You reinvent and develop employable skills: a ‘wholeness’; a discerning ‘connect with people and situations; and you learn to embody your inner strengths and latent talents to a purpose that adds value in the lives of others and yours too.
We are living in patterns and habits, and following recurrent pathways daily. The first step is to clear the mind of all negative thoughts with tools like meditation, self-enquiry and contemplation, and develop new paradigms that are in harmony with the reality we want. Let us change in a state of joy rather than allow a calamity to happen. We must not stop there; otherwise, it will not metamorphose into a journey.
True education can only begin out of a foundation of self-awareness, the key to self-discovery. It gives a new perspective outside the constant ‘I’, ‘Me’ and ‘Mine’ syndrome of the ego. Once there, there is an opportunity for real change. You develop a holistic approach to learning, one that seeks to open the mind, nurture the spirit, and awaken the heart. An open mind embraces the new and the unfamiliar, and aligns the head that reasons and the heart that feels. There is harmony between what you think, what you say, and what you do. You evolve within and develop an outlook, a nazariya, of viewing the world inside out. There is then balance and harmony in your behaviour and relationships at work, at home and at play. In the awareness of who you really are, you also see the sameness in what the others are, urging oneness of humanity.
The next step towards empowering the mind is to master the art of thinking — how to think and how not to think. We are feeding ourselves with impressions all the time. People improve their standard of living, but not their standard of thinking. We exercise selectivity and choice in all our transactions, be it grocery, clothes, cuisine or seeing films. Why not do the same with our thoughts? Let us not start the day browsing negative information through the mobile or TV, which acts as the raw material to our worrisome thoughts over the entire day. Instead, begin the day by greeting the sunrise with conscious attention. The sun presents a breathtaking spectacle of wonder, productivity and interdependence. The flowers, plants and trees, eagerly await the sun’s rays to bloom in their glory and spread fragrance, joy and cheer to all the bystanders. Such sensory delights detoxify the mind and nurture the spirit. Music, poetry, sports, proximity to nature and inspirational reading are excellent de-stressors. They promote a feeling of unity in diversity, oneness of creation and sensitivity to the beauty of things around us. As you sow in the subconscious mind, so shall you reap in your body and environment.
Well-schooled children dread being alone, so they seek constant companionship through TV, computer, cell phone, and shallow friendships quickly acquired and quickly abandoned. Let us challenge the students to learn to live consciously; feel the environment; enjoy own company; and reflect on knowing themselves better. India’s history, its rich cultural heritage, marvels of creation within the human body and outside, meaningful activities on ‘Earth Day’ and ‘National Youth Day’, raise the level of awareness and help the child in building a relationship to a higher purpose. Every child has the urge ‘to be recognised’. This urge upgrades to high ‘self-esteem’ in a youth with aforementioned schooling, because he now learns to be a true expression of who he really is.
The Bhagavad Gita enjoys popular esteem worldwide for its practical ethical purport. Emerson, an American transcendentalist, called Gita a “transnational book”. He delivered talks at Harvard and Cambridge in the 1850s. His poem ‘Brahma’ (1856) is modelled on passages from Hindu texts. Even today, American universities conduct ‘signature courses’ on Gita, yoga and meditation with fervour. Impermanence of life, immortality of soul, body-mind-spirit integration, provide deep insights about life. It’s high time the Gita forms part of the core curriculum in our schools and colleges without any reservations.
Let us strive to be a good human being, a cultured citizen, and a sound professional, and that is what a person is meant to be.
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