30/07/2023
AMRITANANDA MAYA'S MESSAGE
Education
Children, all are by nature eager to gain knowledge. From the moment we were born, we have been gathering different types of knowledge. But having differentiated good from bad and useful from useless, we should acquire knowledge that is essential for us. We receive education to fulfil this goal. Education must be sufficient to purify our character, to enhance our capabilities, to arouse our social conscience and to foster our spiritual growth.
A porter uses his head to carry the luggage. But the scientist uses his head, his intellectual ability, to make discoveries and inventions. Likewise there is unlimited potential in all of us. But many of us don't realise it. The true purpose of education is to bring out this power lying dormant within us.
Some take a passionate interest in certain subjects while others in certain other subjects. Those who are not proficient in one domain are seen to be experts in another. All are endowed with different aptitudes and abilities. Through consistent effort, we can awaken and hone those skills. If we are diligent, enthusiastic and systematic, there will be nothing we can't achieve.
If we follow a regular procedure in doing things, we will make progress in our life. We should develop such a habit by ourselves. If a knife is kept unused, it will become rusty. On the other hand if we use it regularly, its blade will become sharper. Similarly we should polish our mind everyday with an exercise routine. Then we can see that our mental capabilities get improved.
It is good for children to wake up before sunrise when the atmosphere is filled with sacred energies. Ayurveda says that we should rise in 'Brāhma muhurta'- that is the time from about 3 a.m. to 5 a.m. in the early morning. Getting up before sunrise is beneficial to our health and well- being. It is the best time to engage in meditation and study.
In the morning, after having a bath, children should either meditate or perfom worship chanting kirtan even at least for fifteen minutes. Both can be adopted. Such devotional exercises, when practised regularly, help children boost their concentration and focus on their studies. It is by the grace of God that we possess all skills.
It is a good habit of children to bow down to their parents every day before going to school. Haven't you heard the adage 'Mata Pita Guru Daivam'? Mother is one's first Guru, then father, then one's teachers. Apart from them, this whole Nature is Guru for us. We can learn a lot even from the smallest creature. The entire Nature is a textbook for us to learn from. The story of twenty four Gurus is told in 'Srimad Bhagavatam.'
But mere learning is not enough. We should be able to put into practice what we learnt. We should translate our knowledge into experience. Education should improve not only 'the standard of living' (the worldly life) but also the value of our life. The aim of education is not to create a group of people who can understand only the machine language. What we should imbibe mainly through education is culture. But today we forget this fact.
The phase of our student life provides an opportunity to us to lay the foundation of a good life. In addition to Maths, Science and English, we can acquire knowledge of many things, more important than them, by experience from educational institutions. The lesson on friendship, on mutual help, on compassion, on punctuality, on obedience, on respecting the elders, on patience, on polite behaviour, on not wasting food and water- thus how many good lessons we can learn. We can learn from our teachers as well as from our friends. We can also learn by thinking. In fact we should keep up the enthusiasm to learn throughout our life. That is genuine curiosity.
We should not get disheartened in our small failures. Even failure is a lesson for us to learn from. Having gained a new understanding from that experience, we should move forward. If we are conscientious, zealous and patient, we won't fail anywhere.
Namah Śivaya
