Vivekanand ji ka Shiksha Darshan
Swami Vivekananda was a great Indian philosopher, as is regarded as a major youth icon in the modern era. He was the key figure in the introduction of Indian philosophies of Vedanta-&-Yoga to western world, and is credited with raising interfaith awareness, bringing Hinduism to status of major religion in the world. He is credited as ambassador of Indian spirituality to west. He has motivating youth in creating the world based on the pillars of peace, harmony, empathy and spirituality, where God is the universal reality. In order to construct such world, we need dynamic youth. Swamiji once quoted Give me 100 determined youth so that I shall make a strong India. And education is the ways to make such youth.
According to Swamiji, Education never means to learning or teaching stick with the stick in the hand, but “Education is a manifestation of the perfection already in man.” The educational philosophy of Swamiji basically focused on character building, servicing Humanity, Physical development, spiritual development, Brotherhood, self-reliance, character building and integrity with fearlessness. Educational philosophy of Swamiji is basically based on five pillars.
Harmony and Peace
The education should be based on the very base of harmony and peace. Harmony means cooperation among all human beings. As Vedas quoted on the Vasudhevakutumbakam, i.e., all world is our family. We should treat our companion beings like our family-member. We never hurt our family members we love and respect them. Our society today is divided on the basis of caste, creed, gender and religion. External forces were/are successful to dominate India because we are somehow divided. That’s why Swamiji focused on development of harmony among fellow beings. Then, the integrated youth work contributes in construction of a strong nation. He was against the use of force and violence. The ultimate goal of the development of harmony in the youth is to promote the ideal of peace. Strong person should not dominate weak, but it’s the duty of strong person to protect weak.
Universal Reality of God
Swamiji pointed that there is one God which is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient. Swamiji once quoted, “A God known is no more God; he has become infinite like one of us. He cannot be known. He is always the unknowable one.” God has never resided in the temple, he is everywhere, he is the universe. Each and everything are a part of almighty god. And there is a part of God inside everyone of us, inside every organism-(Jeeva). All roads lead to God. The selfless service of other is the service of God. Swamiji had criticized cult and cult ritual in Hinduism like animal sacrifice, sati Pratha etc. Swamiji focuses on education built on the pillar’s spirituality and introspection. This help is construction of ethical, empathetic and morally strong youth. An education youth who can stand in fight against cult culture. A youth who knows about himself, a youth connect with the God, youth who will contribute in the upliftment of nation, by being selfless, youth who can see the God in every Jeeva-youth ready to serve mankind.
Ethics and Character building
The basis of all system, social or political, rests upon the goodness of men. No nation is great or good because Parliament enacts this or that, but because its men are great and good. Men are more valuable than all the wealth of the world. Men, men, these are wanted: everything else will be ready, but strong vigorous, believing young men, sincere to the backbone, are wanted. A hundred such and the world becomes revolutionized. Swamiji quoted “We have seen that it is the subjective world that rules the objective. Change the subject and the object is bound to change; purify yourself, and the world is bound to be purified. The world will change if we change; if we are pure, the world will become pure. The question is why I should see evil in others. I cannot see evil unless I be evil. I cannot be miserable unless I am weak. Things that used to make me miserable when I was a child, do not do so now. The subject changed, so object was bound to change; so, says the Vedanta”. That’s why Swamiji pointed that education should focus on building of ethics and morale values among youth. Swamiji once quoted,” You will be nearer to Heaven through football than through the study of Gita.” Here Swamiji actually preaching that the practical implication of ethics is more important than just memorising them.” Swamiji felt necessity of following virtue in a person.
Realization- Yoga and Vedanta
Swamiji pointed that human being is more than that of what he thinks. Each and everything are inside ourselves. All we need is self-realisation. The introspection is key to know our potentials. We are not only part of universe but we ourselves is universe. All we need is to discover our potentials. Swamiji’s education model based on teaching the concept of Vedanta and Yoga, so that person can be self-aware. That’s why Swamiji quoted, “Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached.”
Vedanta” is a combination of two words: “Veda” which means “knowledge” and “anta” which means “the end of” or “the goal of.” In this context the goal of knowledge isn’t intellectual—limited knowledge we acquire by reading books. “Knowledge” here means the knowledge of God as well as knowledge of our own divine nature. Vedanta, then, is the search for Self-knowledge and God. According to Vedanta, God is infinite existence, infinite consciousness, and infinite bliss. The term for this transcendent reality is Brahman, divine ground of being. God dwells within our own hearts as divine Self. Atman is never born nor will it ever die. Neither stained by our failings nor affected by fluctuations of body or mind, Atman is not subject to our grief, despair, disease or ignorance. Pure, perfect, free from limitations, the Atman, Vedanta declares, is one with Brahman. The greatest temple of God lies within human heart. According to the Vedanta teachings there are four paths we can follow to achieve goal of understanding our divine nature. These paths are known as the Four Yoga.
Karma-yoga, or the yoga of selfless action tells that through the correct actions, the ‘troublemaker’ ego can turn into ‘trouble-shooter’ ego. It says that even if you do not believe in God, just focus on your work with utmost honesty, dedication and power of your mind. Be non-attached and keep working for work’s sake. Instead of worrying about results, leave fruits of your work to Lord.
Bhakti-yoga is process of inner purification. Love is pure and cosmic, but ego pollutes it and gives out negative elements like lust, greed, jealousy and anger. God is one who truly loves us. Pour holy thoughts into mind with prayer, chant holy words, study holy books and keep holy company close to your heart.
Raja-yoga seeks to attain the divine by igniting the flame of knowledge of the self within. Most seekers do not have the patience and perseverance to follow this path for the sacrifices that it calls for. Raja-yoga dispels that the mind is perverted to follow the path of reason. Teaching the process of meditation and concentration, it tells you to confront the restlessness of the mind and uproot it.
Jnana-yoga is path of knowledge. Weeding out the darkness of ignorance through the light of knowledge, it brings the ‘fire’ and ‘light’ alive by burning all the impurities of the mind. The mind does not give up its attachment to worldly pleasures unless it has tasted something greater and higher. Self-knowledge, according to jnana-yoga, is true liberation.
21st Century is predicted to be the golden age for India, a time when our developing nation will be transformed into Super Power India. We are potentially the people who are youthful, dynamic, productive. But question is do we have the ability to equip people to take advantage of this, to be the world’s engine? Developing our human-resource will transform the entire world. But if we get it wrong, our demographic advantage will be our demographic disaster. We have seen it when the young unemployed, under-educated, frustrated men become prey to the blandishment of the Maoists, Naxalites, Drug-mafias, and underworld. Education in our country is not only an economic or social issue. It’s even the national security issue. We need to equip our young labor-force with the knowledge and skills to take advantage of what 21st-century offer them. Today, we don’t need our youth to have their heads filled full of facts and textbook materials and teachers’ lectures. Frankly, that’ll develop a well-filled mind. But in the era of the internet, we don’t need a well-filled mind. All we need are well-formed minds having an ability to react to unfamiliar facts and details, that can synthesis unexamined information. A mind that can react to the bigger examination-LIFE. The Future need minds shaped by original thinking.
Name- Nishant Kanwar
C.O.E. Govt. Degree College Sanjauli, Shimla
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