Triveni Journal
1927 | 11,233,916 words
Triveni is a journal dedicated to ancient Indian culture, history, philosophy, art, spirituality, music and all sorts of literature. Triveni was founded at Madras in 1927 and since that time various authors have donated their creativity in the form of articles, covering many aspects of public life....
THE AIM OF EDUCATION:
A LIGHT FROM THE MOTHER
KIREET JOSHI *
About three years , four or five of us were discussing the various problems of India. Among them was the question of Education.
What should be the aim of Education in India?
We drafted an answer to this question, somewhat as follows:
“The most important step would be to place before the youth the best, that is, the highest and noblest aim of life.
“A capital factor in the degeneration of India has been the idea that life is an illusion. This idea should be replaced by the positive idea that life is an evolving reality, and that it is at present a field of battle through which the eternal perfection is moulding us in its own image. The ultimate aim of life is to be completely transformed so as to become a fully developed and effective means of the manifestation of that perfection, and thus to be a field of progressive harmony and unity.
“Children should aspire to become hero warriors to fight successfully the great battle of transformation against all falsehood; they should be the seekers and realisers of a total perfection in the physical life itself.
“Each temperament and soul-nature (Svabhava) should be led to its natural perfection; and body, life and mind should be fully developed under the sovereign guidance of the soul and spirit.”
At a suitable time, I took this draft to The Mother, and read it out to Her for Her approval.
The Mother approved it, but then She added: “I should say it is what may be called a prudent answer.”
These few words–but the force of the criticism–went home and the entire draft seemed pale and lifeless. It did not have the directness and sharpness; it tried to say something in a rather circular way, in a form which people might accept without much objection and yet would feel hardly any living impact. A mental formulation of the ideal–a weak apology. Indeed, it was what may be called a prudent answer.
What to say then? I prayed to The Mother to tell us what ideal of Education we should place before India.
In answer, She took a sheet of paper, and wrote in clear, simple, sharp, potent words:
“There is a Divine Reality wanting to be manifested. We aim at knowing this Reality and working for its manifestation.”
* Kireet Joshi, Registrar, Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education, Pondicherry, had recounted this in course of a chat with the Guest Editor of this issue. At the request of the Guest Editor, he wrote it down later.
“Keep the certitude of the final Victory constantly present in your mind and the way will be much shorter.
The final Victory is already there present in the Lord, waiting for the earth to become aware of it.”
–THE MOTHER