Faith and Aim
The first thing that all educational institutions need to teach is to have faith in oneself. However, it is hard for them to teach that because most of the times they themselves do not seem to have faith in what they are setting out to do. They must have a vision and hold on to it steadfastly so that all stakeholders can come together to achieve it. Not knowing what their uniqueness is and what they have to offer, many of our educational institutions are floundering. They have no goal which is theirs alone, which they collectively think about and which they feel they must achieve. An aimless life, said the Mother, is a miserable life[1]. This is as true of educational institutions as of individuals. An example of what happens when institutions do not have well defined goals and aims is the insistence that all central universities must have a common Act. Is that really desirable? Each institution must be unique and connect with both the community around it and with larger societal aims in “ever widening thought and action”[2] to borrow a phrase from Tagore. So is it any surprise that they flounder in the “dreary desert sand of dead habit”[3]. As Philip Altbach has pointed out, that differentiation in the objectives of different educational institutions not only helps them to grow but also helps the country to rationally plan and formulate its education policies[4]. For example, some institutions may be primarily vocational colleges, others academic colleges and still others research and teaching universities. Some may have their niche areas of strength in theSciencesfor example while others may excel in Liberal Artsor Management or Design or Information Technology or any other branch of learning. Each is valuable and this must be acknowledged.
Why differentiation meets with resistance is because it gets seen as an unspoken ranking system in which one gets privileged over the other and hence is considered more prestigious than it. However, this need not be. Ranking and differentiation have to be kept distinct from each other and educational institutions must get evaluated according to their own vision statement and not in relation to institutions with different goals. Further, they must be encouraged to compete with themselves first and foremost so that there is constant striving to improve. This will help students as well as teachers to make an institution grow according to its individual strengths. This would also mean that there would be constant internal conversation within the institution on what course to steer and if any course correction is needed. It would make institutions more self-aware and dynamic, both hallmarks of good educational institutions.
Teachers and the Fear of the Unknown
The question arises why do institutions find it difficult to define their goals and worktowardsthem? One reason of course, is because it goes against the prevalent system of organization which, as it grows larger, tends towards uniformity rather than diversity, as it makes it easier to administer. The second is that much depends upon teachers who are the pivot on which an educational institution turns, they need to have faith in themselves and the self-confidence to swim against the stream whenever required.
What is faith in oneself? Swami Vivekananda calls that person, “an atheist who does not believe in himself”[5]. Vedanta teaches one to have faith in himself/herself. “If you have faith in the three hundred and thirty millions of your mythological gods, and in all the Gods which foreigners have now and again introduced into your midst, and still have no faith in yourselves, there is no salvation for you. Have faith in yourselves, and stand up on that faith and be strong; that is what we need.”[6]
But teachers, instead of having the courage of their convictions required to take their educational institutions to heights of excellence areusually afraid of the unknown, of the new. It is comfortable to remain in the secure zone of the accepted mainstream and perhaps, now and then, totinker with it here and there. However, our ancestors obviously had such self-belief. It motivated them to move forward and build great civilizations. Change, out of the box thinking, and fear of failure make us all timid. Courage, the strength to accept failure if it comes our way, and to rise again with renewed faith and determination, is not cultivated in our educational institutions. What we need to teach is fearlessness and faith in our capacities to overcome all obstacles. Weakness and fear make us narrow and timid and we injure others out of our own insecurities. These arise because we have not been taught how to look inwards, see our own faults, determine to stand on our feet, and take the responsibility for our lives. Therefore, it is vital to teach fearlessness and self-belief.
Fear only stems from the ignorance of our own nature which is capable of overcoming all pitfalls, sorrows. There are many writings, stories of living and dying that teach what the human spirit is capable of. Some examples are TheLast Lecture[7], When Breath Becomes Air[8], Being Mortal[9], and Gratitude[10]. There are many others but these I mention only because they helped me overcome personal bereavements that came to me one after another in quick succession. They show how even on the brink of death, people filled their lives with self belief, the value of which they wanted to share with others who might then be motivated to embrace it.Their knowledge, wisdom and courage prevented them from sinking into a sense of hopelessness and grief; rather it filled their lives with gratitude for all that they had received.
However, to teach such faith in oneself one needs to inculcate some other qualities that educational institutions, in their preoccupation with syllabi and pedagogy, completely ignore. As Karl Jaspers would say, universities are the only place where there can be a fearless quest for truth and excellence[11]. In this pursuit, both the teacher and taught, but most importantly the teachers, have to inculcate truth, freedom from biases, and unselfishness. Unselfishness is a little tricky because people have their ambitions and fear to lose what they aspire for or already have. But, as Swami Vivekananda points out, “Unselfishness is more paying, only people have not the patience to practice it; and “our best work is done, our greatest influence is exerted when we are without thought of self.”[12]
Non-Attachment
For this we have to teach “nishkama karma” or non-attachment. We, however, teach the very opposite. A major preoccupation of both the teacher and the taught is what would be the ‘return’ on the ‘investment’ of education in terms of material prosperity and social status. Our whole lives seem to be a chase for these two. However, making these the aim of life leads to jealousy. Even the so-called great men appear to be so attached to the material that they become jealous of each other for a little name, a little fame, a little money and other similarpetty things. So long as this jealousy remains, we will not only injure others but eventually ourselves“Drinking the cup of desire, the world becomes mad.”[13] What teachers fail to show students is that attachment is bondage. Most often they themselves do not understand that non-attachment is freedom and in that freedom lies the realization that an individual is infinitely greater than being in constant competition with others, for the satisfaction of his ego desires. He/she isas vast as the universe, with no beginning or end. Of course, perfect non-attachment is aspirational and almost impossible to achieve but at least we must point both ourselves and those whom we teach towards it.
We need not worry and fret about success. When an idea is taken up without selfish thought, without the thought of one’s own gain or self-aggrandizement, without being clouded by prejudices and unhealthy thoughts, and when such an idea permeates the brain, the muscles, nerves, and every cell of the body, success is the natural corollary[14]. When we mix all the ingredients that are required to follow the idea to its fruition with the alchemy of truth and sincerity there cannot be failure.At the same time, we must guard against dogmatism. The path will always be a work in progress and the mind must be flexible and open to all the suggestions as we converse amongst ourselves on how to reach the goal; than the journey itself becomes joyful. In this context Swami Vivekananda tells the fable of how an oyster makes a pearl[15]. If it rains he explains, when the star Swati is in the ascendant, and a drop of rain falls into an oyster, that drop becomes a pearl. The oysters know this and so come to the surface when the star shines, waiting to catch the precious rain. When the drop falls into them, they dive down to the bottom of the sea and patiently develop the drop into a pearl there. What this means is that, once we are convinced of our goal, there should be no deviation, no frivolity, no giving up because of obstacles, and no changing of track. . As Swami Vivekananda says, “Those that only take a nibble here and nibble there will never attain anything.”[16] Sincerity, conviction and purpose is the key to achieving one’s goal.
Patience and Perseverance
What makes us give up so easily? For one, the lack of purity of goal makes us look for quick fixes.We need to understand that there are no short cuts. We need patience and perseverance. Understanding this creates a calmness where there is no hurry and no strife, but only a clear striving forward. Without this serenity and faith we waste so much energy, disturb our minds and as a result accomplish very little. It is only when the mind is calm and collected that it can spend its whole energy in doing good work. Lives of great men teach us that they were also wonderfully calm. Perhaps that is why Gandhi had a routine of morning and evening prayers and silence for at least half a day every week. Hurry to get results gives rise to anger, jealousy, hatred that lead to loss of self-control, and eventually to the dissipation of energy. But calmness and seeming inaction can be confused with laziness. There is a distinction. A lazy person will not challenge somethingbecause of inertia and dullness but a calm person may not do so because, although he can strike a decisive blow, he has some other goals to pursue. This requires enough control over the mind and the senses so as not to be carried away and react to the stimulation of the moment.
Concentration and knowledge within
Our educational institutions give us a world of information but we forget that education is not filling the minds of students with facts. Usually when the mind gets crammed with facts, students do not know how to think. However, it is students who have to be the harbingers of new ideas. Also, they have to be equipped to deal with the struggles of life that demand a strength of character, a passion to contribute to the well-being of society and courage to live by one’s convictions. The very essence of education is the concentration of the mind and not a collection of facts. Students have to be taught both concentration and detachment so that their mindsbecome perfect instruments and have the capacity to collect facts at will. Control over the mind is of utmost importance.Educational institutions far from focusing on these values, get completely preoccupied with passing examinations and delivering good lectures.
Sri Aurobindo had enunciated three principles of pedagogy of which the first was that nothing can be “taught to the mind which is not concealed as potential knowledge in the unfolding soul of the creature. So also all perfection of which the outer man is capable, is only a realizing of the eternal perfection of the spirit within him.”[17] Similarly, Swami Vivekananda had said earlier; “You have to grow from inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own self.” Therefore, the teacher,
…..is not an instructor or taskmaster, he is a helper and guide. His business is to suggest and not to impose. He does not actually train the pupil’s mind, he only shows him how to perfect his instruments of knowledge and helps and encourages him in the process. He does not impart knowledge to him, he shows him how to acquire knowledge for himself. He does not call forth the knowledge that is within; he only shows him where it lies and how it can be habituated to rise to the surface. The distinction that reserves this principle for the teaching of adolescent and adult minds and denies its application to the child, is a conservative and unintelligent doctrine, Child or man, boy or girl, there is only one sound principle of good teaching. Difference of age only serves to diminish or increase the amount of help and guidance necessary it does not change its nature[18].
Conclusion
We need to rethink what we want our educational institutions to do for us. Our aims will determine the way we organize them in terms of curriculum, pedagogy and evaluation. While institutions define their goals, teachers have to also rethink their role as teachers, They are experts in their subjects, but they must alsobecome aware that they have to constantly endeavor tostrengthen their moral sinews. Only then can they help the students develop theirs. Lacking this, as J. Krishnamurthi says[19], we can make perfect professionals but as individuals they will always be jealous, angry, frustrated, desperate and over ambitious. This is what causes disorder in society. A society may have immense material wealth and even social equality, but this does not necessarily create a good society. A good society does not only have external order based on legislation and penalties;it essentially runs on individuals with inner order. And this is a task that educational institutions have not adequately performed but must do so, if we are not to be beset with constant strife and violence, manifestations of egos of pygmy men and women who are bigoted, selfish and incapable of making a distinction between good and evil as they single mindedly pursue their narrow or misguided self-interests.
Kavita A. Sharma
[1]The Mother, “Science of Living,” collected works of the Mother, Vol.12, pp 3-8, saccs.org.in/texts/mother/-ma-science of living. Php.
[2]Rabindranath Tagore, “Where the Mind is Without Fear” https://allpoetry.com/where-the-mind-Is-Without-Fear
[3]Ibid
[4]Philip G. Altbach, “Globalization and Forces for change in Higher Education,” International Higher Education, Number 50, Winter 2008,frigoa.usc.es/drupal/noda/38702
[5] “Practical Vedatna” Part I, Delivered in London, 10th November, 1896, The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Vol.2. Calcutta: AdvaitaAshrama, 1989
[6]Swami Vivekananda, “The Mission of the Vedanta,” Lectures from Colombo to Almore, The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Vol.3, Calcutta: AdvaitaAshrama, 1989
[7]Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow, The Last Lecture, Hodder and Stranghton, 2008
[8]AtulGowande, Being Mortal, Penguin Books, 2014
[9]Paul Kalamithi, When Breath Becomes Air, London: Bodley Head 2016.
[10]Oliver Sacks, Gratitude, New York, Toronto, Alfred Knopf, 2015
[11]The Idea of the University, Karl Jespers, Trans. H.A.T. Reiche, H.F. Venderschmidt, Peter Owens, 1960
[12]Swami Vivekananda, “Karma in its effect on Character,” The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Vol. I, Calcutta: AdvaitaAshrama, 1989
[13]“Inspired Talks,” Aug.3, 1895, Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Vol.7, Calcutta; AdvaitaAshrama, 1989
[14]“Pratyahara and dharana,” Raja Yoga, The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Vol.I, Calcutta: AdvaitaAshrama, 1989
[15]Ibid
[16]Ibid
[17]Sri Aurobindo, “A System of National Education,” Early Cultural Writings, Collected Works of Sri Aurobindo, Vol.I, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department, 1993.
[18]Ibid
[19]J. Krishnamurti, “On Education” www.jkrishnamurti.org/krishnamurti-teachings/view-text-php? Tid=43+child=297+w=+s=text