| Date:26 Sep 2000 | Occasion:Values Conference | Place:Prashanti Nilayam |
Educare = Human Values
True education is that which fosters pure feelings. To have virtues is the true meaning of learning. Only when man cultivates the feeling of love, can there be equality. Good conduct is the hallmark of a true human being. (Telugu Poem)Jhum Sai made a mention of education and human values. You have to understand the true meaning of these two words, education and human values. Education has two aspects: The first is related to external and worldly education, which is nothing but acquiring bookish knowledge. In the modern world, we find many, well versed and highly qualified in this aspect. The second aspect, known as 'Educare', is related to human values.
The word 'Educare' means to bring out that which is within. Human values, viz.. Sathya, Dharma, Saanthi, Prema and Ahimsa (Truth, Righteousness, Peace, love and Non-violence) are hidden in every human being. One cannot acquire them from outside; they have to be elicited from within. But as man has forgotten his innate human values, he is unable to manifest them. 'Educare' means to bring out human values. 'To bring out' means to translate them into action.
The Vedas call the life principle in man as 'Sathyam' (Truth). Without this power of Truth, man cannot exist. Our ancients could have the vision of Truth by proper investigation and experimentation. Truth is the direct manifestation of God for every human being. Our ancient sages and seers understood this Truth, had the vision of Truth and realized that It is present uniformly in every being. Truth is one and the same in all and That is God.
Man is endowed with Pancha Pranas (Five Life-breaths), namely, Praana, Apaana, Vyaana, Udaana and Samaana. These are the divine powers latent in man. The human values, namely. Sathya, Dharma, Santhi, Prema and Ahimsa are nothing but the manifestations of these five life breaths. But man is wasting his human birth, as he is unable to recognize these subtle principles. When truth is put into practice, it becomes righteousness. Truth is expressed in words, while righteousness is expressed in action. On this basis, the Vedas taught. Sathyam Vada, Dharmam Chara (speak Truth, practice righteousness). Hence righteousness is based on truth. Without truth, there is no righteousness. That is why the Vedas say Sathyaannaasthi Paro Dharmaha (there is no Dharma higher than adherence to Truth). Without the foundation of truth, the mansion of righteousness cannot be built. Sathyaacharana (practice of Truth) is true Dharma. This Dharma is uniform for all human beings. Peace is the reflection of Dharma. Man prays for peace and performs various spiritual practices aspiring for peace. But so long as he has desires, he can never attain peace, though he may undertake sacred rituals like Yagnas and Yagas. Mind is the basis for desires. So, one has to control the mind in order to attain peace. When the mind is controlled, it remains silent. Such state of thoughtlessness is true peace.
The fourth human value is love. It has originated from the principle of Atma. Love is the manifestation of Truth. It is pure, steady, effulgent, attributeless, formless, ancient, eternal, immortal and nectarine. These are the nine qualities of Love. Love hates none, unites all. Ekatma Darshanam Prema (experience of non-dualism is Love). Ahimsa shines as the undercurrent of the remaining four values, namely, Truth, Righteousness, Love and Peace. That which leads to violence cannot be Truth, Righteousness, Love or Peace. These five values are verily the five life-breaths of man. One who considers human values as his life-breaths alone is a true human being. These five values are the fundamental powers of human life. Forgetting these fundamental powers, man relies more on worldly power. Our ancients realized that these five values are meant for the peace and prosperity of the world. Without understanding the significance of these values, one cannot understand humanness at all.
In Treta Yuga, Lord Rama incarnated in order to foster Truth and righteousness. He spent 14 years in exile to uphold the promise given to his father. He dedicated His life for the establishment of Dharma. In those days, there were only a few wicked people. Rama annihilated them to uphold Truth and righteousness. In the Dwapara Yuga, Lord Krishna incarnated to foster peace and love. He protected all those who sought refuge in Him and developed love in them. Thus, the Rama Avatar fostered Sathya and Dharma and the Krishna Avatar fostered Santhi and Prema. But in this Age of Kali, God has given the necessary strength to every human being to foster all the five values. It is the command of God that man should uphold the human values and safeguard the world. This is the inner significance of propagating the human values. Man need not wait for God to foster these values. He has been endowed with the strength to do the same. These five values are your properties. It is your responsibility to protect them. Do not expect others to safeguard your property.
In those days, God incarnated and destroyed demons, as there were only a few of them. But today, we find demonic nature in everyone. One has to cultivate purity to subdue demonic qualities. But purity cannot be attained without unity. Unity leads to purity, which in turn leads to Divinity. But today, there is no unity, no purity, no Divinity. We find only enmity and community, which are nothing but man's own creation. Once you install Divinity in your heart, there will be no place for enmity because heart is a single chair, not a musical chair or a double sofa. In order to install Divinity in the heart, you have to practice human values. Manifestation of latent human values is known as 'Educare'. But today, we find only worldly education, not 'Educare'.
If a question is put, what is education? People say, it is the acquisition of knowledge. But it is not merely acquisition of knowledge; it must be in action. What is the end of education? Character is the end of education. What is the essence of education? Concentration is the essence of education. What is the aim of education? The aim of education is not only acquisition of knowledge, not only cultivating human qualities, but attaining Divinity. Education is meant for life, not for a living. If education is meant for a living, don't we find birds and beasts, having no education whatsoever, doing the same? So, education should be for life. First of all, one should understand this truth.
The word 'Educare' has a sacred inner meaning. That which is manifested by 'Educare' cannot be seen by the eyes, cannot be heard by the ears and cannot be felt by the mind. But all that education confers can be seen, heard and felt. Education fosters desires and leads to rebirth, whereas 'Educare' confers immortality. There will be no rebirth. The innate divine qualities like truth, righteousness, peace, patience, forbearance and love cannot be seen by the naked eye and they lead to no birth. Modern education is giving rise to desires, which form the basis for rebirth. You need to develop detachment to control desires. Attachment leads to bondage and restlessness. The innate values alone can control the desires. Inner voice leads to detachment. You have to enquire into the difference between attachment and detachment. To attain detachment, you must obtain release from worldly bondage. Here is a small example.
When you insert the key into the lock and turn it to the right, the lock opens; you turn it to left, it gets locked. The heart is the lock, the mind is the key. You get attachment, when your mind is turned towards the world. When it is turned towards God, you attain liberation. It is the same lock and the same key that are responsible for bondage and liberation. The mere change in the direction causes a change in the consequence, namely bondage or liberation. Liberation is not some specific location - an air-conditioned paradise. It is a state of supreme peace. Where do you get the supreme peace? It is to be obtained in the realm of a pure heart. It is steady, sacred and utterly selfless. To enjoy the supreme peace, you should achieve a supreme state. Unity, purity and Divinity, when these three principles are unified, it takes you to supreme state. Take, for instance, Rama and Lakshmana. You know what kind of brothers they were? Lakshmana was totally loyal and followed the commands of his elder brother and thereby attained the supreme state. What is the condition of the Ramas and Lakshmanas today? Instead of attaining supreme state through unity, they go to Supreme Court to settle property disputes. Desires take you to Supreme Court. When there are no desires, no quarrels, there will be no Supreme Court. You will be in the constant state of supreme peace.
What is our need today? It is not merely education. Education is mere bookish knowledge. There are four kinds of knowledge. The first is bookish knowledge, i.e., superficial knowledge. The second is general knowledge, the third is discriminatory knowledge, the fourth is practical knowledge. You have to arrive at the level of practical knowledge. But frequently, people fall into error even in discriminatory knowledge. There is individual discrimination and fundamental discrimination. Individual discrimination is based on selfish gains. It is not right. Fundamental discrimination is based on the well being of all people. The marks that students get in the examination are not true marks. True marks arise from the heart. Your conscience should assert repeatedly and firmly what you are doing is right.
There are three terms to be discussed here. "Conscience" is one, the other is "conscious" and the third is "consciousness". This consciousness is the all encompassing Divinity. From this all-pervasive consciousness, conscience enters the body. The Atmic principle in your body is conscience. Conscious is the awareness related to the body and the senses. Children play with balloons. These balloons keep blowing to larger and larger size until they burst and the air inside merges with the air outside. So long as the air is in the balloon, it is conscience. When it exceeds the limitations of the wall of the balloon and merges with the air outside, it becomes consciousness. These days people are merely in the body conscious state. The body is like a balloon, a water bubble. The mind is a mad monkey. Don't follow the body or the mind. Follow the dictates of the conscience. Today people are attached more to the body and less to the Atmic principle. Absence of self-confidence is the main cause for all types of weakness. People depend on their wealth, possessions and power, but do not depend on the Self.
Embodiments of Love!
Self-confidence is very essential. This is the foundation on which you must raise the walls of self-satisfaction. Construct the roof of self-sacrifice. This mansion determines your life, i.e., self-realization. You have to therefore lay, first of all, the foundation of self-confidence and build the mansion of self-satisfaction and self-sacrifice. Then you ultimately attain self-realization. For self-realization, self-confidence is most important. But people do not possess such steady self-confidence. What is the reason? Their mind is lost in worldly desires, dirty desires and useless desires. How long can the worldly things last? They come and go like passing clouds. Today students are trained in such education, which fosters desires. Along with this education, you must foster human values.
Human values are not something that you need to acquire anew. They are born with you and innate in you. As they are hidden within, you are unaware of them. Just as valuable ornaments are hidden in an iron safe, within man's body lie the valuable jewels of human values. You must protect this properly. They are covered by the doors of the heart. You must earn the key of love for it. When the safe vault of the heart is opened by the key of love, the valuable qualities of human values emerge.Students, Teachers, Patrons of education and Administrators!
The point you have to notice is that all have to acquire this key of love that opens the doors of the heart. It is love that is the very form of purity. Love is God, live in love. This door of heart cannot be opened with any other key. To get this key of love, you have to have unity. Hate none. You should be averse to none. Place love in your heart. Share it freely with others.
Realize that Truth is the human life principle. From Truth emanates righteousness. The first child of righteousness is peace. The second child is Love so they say. But the greatest of all is Love. Once you acquire this power of Love, all other powers follow. Everything arises out of Truth.
From Truth emanates all creation. In truth everything dissolves. There is no place where truth does not permeate, the unsullied primordial truth (Telugu Poem). Truth is the origin, sustainer and annihilator. Take Truth as the basis and practice Dharma. Only then Peace and Love will emanate from within.
Embodiments of Love!
These divine principles do not come to you from somewhere else. As Jhum Sai said the other day, we do not get human values from an air-conditioned room in a five-star hotel. Five-star or ten star or a thousand-star - from nowhere do we get these values. These values are obtained from a sacred heart. Here you find pure, sacred and divine environment. Only in such a place can the human values blossom. Human values are not available in the market or in palaces or in hotels. These hotels provide comforts only to the body. Your body may be in an air-conditioned room but the mind will get heated if there are no sacred feelings. In order to develop sacred feelings, you should be in sacred places. That is why it is said, good company confers detachment. Detachment leads to desirelessness, desirelessness confers steadiness. One who attains steadiness is verily liberated. Develop friendship with good company. Then alone can you attain peace and your heart will be purified. Today we find pollution everywhere. Only in the Divine proximity, will you find absolute purity. First of all, man has to purify his heart. Purity is Divinity. Where there is Divinity, there can be no enmity. Where there is no enmity, there you find supreme peace. Outside there is no peace, we find only pieces. Where is peace? You are the embodiment of peace. So, search within. Know yourself. Then you will know everything. This is the teaching of Vedanta. Instead of questioning others, "who are you?", question yourself, "who am I?" Then you will realize the truth. When I say, this is my handkerchief, the handkerchief is separate from me. Similarly, when you say, this is my body, my mind, my buddhi, etc., you are separate from all these. Then, who are you? You are the embodiment of' Peace. You are the embodiment of Truth. You are the embodiment of Love. You are the embodiment of righteousness. You are the embodiment of non-violence. You are everything and everything is within you. Develop this broad-mindedness. Have expansion of love, not contraction of love. Unity can be achieved only through expansion of love.
Embodiments of Love!
Develop love, give up hatred, reduce desires. Cultivate the spirit of sacrifice. The Vedas say: Na Karmana Na Prajaya Dhanena Thyagenaikena Amrutathwamanasuhu (immortality can be attained only through sacrifice, neither wealth nor progeny nor good deeds can confer it). Happiness can be attained only through sacrifice. After having partaken food, if you do not excrete the waste material, your stomach will get upset. Once you breathe in air, if you do not breathe out, your lungs will get damaged. Likewise, sacrifice the wealth you have earned for the welfare of others. The modern education system lays emphasis on wealth, strength and friendship. Then what about character? Character is three fourths of life. So, you have to develop character. Without character, what for is wealth, strength and friendship? They come and go like passing clouds.
There are lots of things to be learnt. There are various ways to foster human values. I shall bring My Discourse to a close as I don't want to cause any strain to you now. We shall discuss many more things later.
[Bhagavan concluded His Discourse with the Bhajan, "Prema Mudita Manase Kaho..."]