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THE AIM OF EDUCATION |
"Education should be regarded as a process by which character is improved, one’s mind sharpened, and by which one learns to use one’s intelligence for distinguishing right from wrong. All of this will necessitate three essential qualities – discipline, devotion and duty. Only when the students acquire these qualities, will they become useful to society. Moreover, if one does not possess ordinary common sense, one will be counted as a fool, however educated one might be." Sathya Sai Baba
(Summer Showers in Brindavan 1973, Ch 1)
We tend to think of education as a means of acquiring knowledge and skills, but that needs to go hand-in-hand with the necessary moral integrity to use this knowledge and those skills for the good of humanity, and not for its destruction. This requires moral backbone and the ability to discern right from wrong. The Sathya Sai system of education aims to give a child the necessary self-confidence to be able to face life’s challenges with courage and integrity. As Sai Baba says, "education should be for life, not just for a living/". In other words, education should not only impart the knowledge that can enable one to effectively earn a living, but also foster a sense of responsibility towards those among whom one lives.
A human being is a social being. We are born and live within a social framework; we acquire knowledge and skills through the education that society provides; we both contribute to society through our work, and need the work that society provides in order to live. These are self-evident facts but, if we are to find happiness as social beings, we need to learn to live harmony with one another. This means that we have to learn to treat our neighbour with the same decency and courtesy as we, ourselves, expect from others – a time-honoured recipe, but one that often seems to be overlooked in today’s world.
When education abandons its responsibility of inculcating self-control and a sens of values in the child, it fails both the child itself, and the community in which that person will eventually function. The huge break-throughs that science has achieved in the last hundred years or so, together with the technology that this has spawned, have improved the material conditions of our lives, but only learning to love amicably with one another can bring us happiness. "Education must include the education of the mind of man, of his impulses to hate, to hoard, to fight, to defame. It is not merely the acquisition of certain skills by which the materials found in nature can be reshaped into utility products; it is not merely the acquisition of information about the laws of nature. It is the process by which man makes the best use of his own inner equipment, and learns to know himself." (discourse of 3-4-1967)
Sathya Sai Education is designed to build character. Mahatma Gandhi said that "Knowledge without character is a powerful evil." What is character? It is that which raises human beings to their highest level, and enables them to face the ups and downs of life in a balanced way. Character is based on love, patience, courage, forbearance, steadfastness and compassion. It is often thought that wealth or knowledge is what confers power, but Sathya Sai says that this is not so: Character is power, and character is the result of steadfastly adhering to values. It is character that makes for a happy and successful life, and it is character that others appreciate in a person, and for which one is honoured after death. Those people whom the world holds in high esteem, are those who have exhibited good and noble qualities in their lives, and these qualities are based on the values they have held and to which they have adhered.
The Sathya Sai system of Education aims at fostering in the child an understanding of the five basic ‘human’ values of truth, right-conduct, peace, love and non-violence. They are called ‘human’ values because they are actually inherent to every human being, but they tend to be overlaid by many negative traits that prevent them from being fully expressed. Sathya Sai Baba affirms that "These values are within us. They are not acquired afresh. We are born with these values.. Just as there is no separation between you and your shadow, likewise with values. The values are inherent in every person. All that is needed is for you to manifest them in daily life." (discourse of 21-11-1995) In view of the many times that one sees these values ignored, one might be inclined to doubt that statement, but a little reflection will show that it is, indeed, correct.
Truth, for instance: Without truth there can be no justice, no feeling of security in any aspect of life, no peace. Our judicial system aims at discovering the truth of a given situation; if it fails, it results in a miscarriage of justice. When business contracts are not adhered to, a feeling of insecurity is engendered, and the economy suffers. On an everyday level, relationships crumble when truth is not honoured, for deception kills love and trust. Though a child may learn to lie (out of fear of being punished) it will be the first to detect a lack of truthfulness in others, for that destroys its own sense of security. So truth is the fundamental bedrock without which life will be stressful and insecure.
Right-conduct, could be defined as ‘social morality’, and that, too, is fundamentally based on acting according to the truth of any given situation. It implies being considerate of the rights and needs of others – playing fair in life’s game. Have we not all heard a child cry out in outrage, "It isn’t fair!"? Even though it may, itself, be acting selfishly, it still knows full well that there is such a thing as being fair, and that to act in selfish ways is not right.
Peace, whether within the family, the community, the country, or between nations, cannot exist unless there is adherence to justice and consideration for others. Not all members of a family will have the same needs but, for the family to be able to live happily together, there has to be some give-and-take, some care and respect for the legitimate needs of each. Families that are constantly at war engender an atmosphere of tension, with children that grow up feeling insecure and resentful – resentful because they were not given the peace that is their birthright.
Love, is a word that is much used, and misused. Sai Baba says that "Love is giving and forgiving. Self is getting and forgetting." Love manifests as caring for others, showing a willingness to do things for them, not to hurt them. Love is as indispensable for a child as is food and drink – perhaps even more so. A child that does not feel loved, accepted and protected, will grow up into an insecure, grasping and vengeful individual – evidence of which can be seen in the many delinquents that our present-day society spawns. The basic longing – I should say need – of every human being is to feel loved and accepted. And does that not also imply that we should learn to lovingly accept others, as they are, not merely as we would like them to be?
Non-violence really includes within itself all the other human values. It is something that manifests in a human being when all the values are not only practised on a day-to-day basis, but have been understood at the level of the heart, not just the mind. Care for the planet and for all living things, abstaining from pollution of rivers, seas, earth and atmosphere (including that of noise pollution) happens when there is a true understanding of the implications of non-violence. It needs to be adhered to at a personal level, an industrial level and a governmental level.
The children of today are the leaders of tomorrow’s world. If the world is to recover from its present state of social and financial unrest, our children need to receive the sort of education that can foster in them the values needed to become true, caring human beings. The word ‘education’ comes from the Latin ‘E- ducere’, to lead out. It implies drawing out the good that is already inherent, develop it, and allow it to bloom.
How is this to be achieved? Certainly not by preaching, nor by threatening with hell-fire either. To allow the child to develop into a fully integrated person, the various aspects of the personality each need to be nurtured and guided. "It is not enough if one has the human form, or even the basic human equipment, physical, mental and emotional. With the help of the discriminating intellect, one must bring it to perfection, as a sculptor does after the stone has been brought into crude shape." (Sathya Sai, discourse of 22-5-1965)
The Sathya Sai method of education uses five teaching techniques, each of which appeals to a specific level of the child’s psyche. Silent Sitting, Quotations, Group Singing, Story Telling and Group Activities. Through all of these, the values are allowed to flow and breathe their message.
Group activities include games which, of course, are an integral part of all school systems, for they develop the body, increase health and teach coordination of mind, eye, and hand (or foot). However, whereas games are usually allowed to engender a spirit of fierce competition, Sai asks that children should cultivate a love of excellence for its own sake, but without vitiating this with a desire to shine at the expense of one’s opponent. "The aim of sports should not be victory by any means, fair or foul. Whoever may win, the others should greet that victory with fraternal feelings. The rules of the game should be strictly observed. Prizes do not matter. What is important is the sense of self-satisfaction derived from playing the game well." (discourse of 14-1-1994) Role-playing is also a group activity of which much use is made. It is both enjoyable, and a useful way of showing the children how awkward situations can be handled effectively.
Story Telling appeals to the mind, and improves the ability to listen and concentrate. The stories chosen should be about situations and people that are worthy of emulation. A well-told story awakens the imagination of the child, this gaining his or her interest. No true leaning takes place until the interest is aroused. A good story can affect a child’s view of life very profoundly, which is why it is important to choose the subject matter with care. Alternatively, older children can be given books to read, but then it is best that this should be followed be a guided group discussion of the subject matter.
Group Singing and, indeed, any form of music, is a potent form of emotional release. It has been said that music is the language of the soul or psyche. The songs chosen also have a values content, thus helping the child it imbibe values without feeling preached to.
Quotations, when committed to memory, will often bring profound truths to mind at critical moments of one’s life, thus acting as subconscious guides to one’s conduct in later years. Learning them also greatly improves memory power.
Silent sitting appeals to the mind and improves the ability to listen and concentrate. Time-wise, this constitutes a very small portion of the total lessons, but we should never under-estimate the importance of this practice. It is an invaluable technique for quietening the agitations of the mind, and can become the child's safety-valve in later years, leading eventually to meditation. It greatly improves the child’s ability to concentrate, and also allows access to the deeper level of mind, wherein is locked the intuitive faculty of a human being.
It should be realised that all values are based on love – the need to show consideration and care for others. "Love is the basis for all the values. Action with love is right conduct. Speak with love, and it becomes truth. Thinking with love results in peace. Understanding with love leads to non-violence. For everything, love is primary. Where there is love there is no place for hatred." (Sathya Sai Baba, discourse of 20-5-1995)