Kamal Ghorui
Small Study Circles for Self-study: Shouldn’t education & training for all Students in schools & colleges start every morning with study, discussions, reflections, explorations, in small study-circles to understand the National idea of India that is Bharat, To Be & Do Good?
2) Our National Vision has been very aptly expressed – It is in harmony withglobal, universal ideal and is the ideal of all the Western & Islamic cultures too:
a) First get established in Righteous, Ethical conduct, Kartavya-palan.
b) Then Earn & Enjoy.
c) Remain on the Critical Path of Righteousness to attain all round peace, bliss, prosperity – Perfection.
d) Kingdom of God is within you. Seek you first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and everything else will be added unto you.
e) An-al-Haqq
3) GOI has given us: Fundamental Duties which all citizens must learn to Imbibe & Assimilate. Among others, these include, ‘strive for excellence; scientific temper; harmony of religions; spirit of ‘tyaga and seva’ of the Freedom Fighters; etc.
a) GOI has now directed all Public servants to be trained to be Karma Yogi.
b) For G20 Nations GOI had given the Global vision of “One World. One Family. One Future”.
c) New PMO office is named “Kartavya-Bhavan” with the motto of “Nagrik Devo Bhava”.
d) To understand the wisdom behind these, GOI had nominated Vivekananda as our Youth icon since his works will now inspire the Youth, as they inspired the Freedom fighters.
e) Study Circles can choose their own universal ideals from Bible, Koran, B. Gita, our Epics, Gandhiji, Vivekananda e.g. ideas on education, Practical Vedanta, Karma Yoga, Mind Management, Love for India, Harmony of Religions, Swaraj, etc.
It should be the responsibility and accountability of teachers and preachers etc. to ensure that citizens Imbibe and Assimilate the spirit of selfless kartavya-palan & Identify and nurture those who are inspired ‘to be and make mentors’…
4) What, Why, How of Righteous conduct, Dharma, Swadharma? We all must learn to reflect and awaken Viveka-buddhi, i.e. to take those choices-actions which lead towards the higher and highest goal of life and the inspiration to strive to build powers of mind by getting established in the habit of Daily Self-development/ Life skills practices to be inspired, intellectually convinced & strive to walk-the-talk towards the ‘defined’ good, better Best…
5) Objective of Education isn’t mere knowledge for a Vocation, but TRUTH: to spread the idea and the ideal that we need to provide the time, space, environment, opportunity, inspiration, life skills to learn & realize that I and I alone am Responsible for whatever I am and whatever I wish to be – I MUST BE THE CHANGE. I do have the freedom to change, but I must build the power of mind to Know and Walk-the-talk.
6) Righteousness in simple words means i) to know and be selflessly committed to ‘kartavya-palan’, our respective duties. Why? Because this ‘purifies’ our Mind which is a field for flow thoughts and only good, selfless, purer thoughts are amenable to control towards the Best!
a) To Know & learn to manage our Mind, we need to get established in the habit of daily universal self-development/ Inner-governance/ Life-skills practices, Praxis.
b) This involves the need to study, discuss, reflect, explore, open debates, life-long practice – PRAXIS because changing our mindset is very difficult and life-long process. Childhood is the best opportunity to get established in values and disciplines and the older we get, the more difficult it gets. However, we all do have the freedom of choice, if we really wish to change!
c) Not just you, but we all together, irrespective of our various differences, need to ‘change’ as a society and as a nation belonging to ‘India that is Bharat’ (and as humanity)! And we need to together learn and know Change towards What & How?
d) Without clarity on the higher and long-term ‘good-better-best’ goals and aim and purpose of Work and Life, we are creating self-centered educated youth who are blissfully ignorant of the wisdom of our own forefathers,
7) These must be a part of all Academia, Teacher Education, Schooling, recruitment for public services, etc. Our idea of God, worship, etc. may be different but we are all “Body, Mind Enlivened by Consciousness, Life”.
a) Obviously as Life we’re all One interconnected whole, Uni-verse! And only thru selfless commitment to our Duties, we express this universal ideal of our Oneness as Life or something like it. As educated persons, as academia, and as leaders of organizations and as politicians we must ensure that the young get the opportunities to openly and together discuss these ideals in an academic environment free from hate mongering Preachers!
b) Modern schooling and all Academia, HRD, training and development professionals must also focus on life skills to know, be intellectually convinced of the idea of ‘good, better, best’/ selfishness vs selflessness to Know the nature of our Mind and practice managing our thoughts – Improve Quality; Reduce Quantity of Unwanted Thoughts; Direct thoughts towards more and more selflessness, goodness, caring, etc. for all. We need inspiration and build powers of mind, self-control, will, etc. to struggle to be and make mentors and karma yogis.
Conclusion: Shouldn’t all Teachers be Educated & Trained to i) Know what a Karma Yogi means ii) Learn how to be & Practice being a Karma Yogi iii) Teach iv) Evaluate v) Be held Responsible & Accountable to produce educated Selfless Karma Yogis.
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