Principles of ideal student-hood are realized only through commitment and practice.
Date : 18/05/2024
(This is the final part of the series on National Youth Day. Read the previous part)
We now look at the implementation of the lofty ideals of the Vidyarthi Homa in daily life. Mere theorising is not enough; it has to be complimented with practical execution. We need a suitable ambience as well as efficient time management through punctual performance of all actions — that being the very basis of community living.
There have been attempts to impart Vedic culture in posh crowded cities but it must not be lost sight of that a rural atmosphere gels well with the imparting of Indic culture. The nation lives in the villages as Swami Vivekananda observed. Ambience is very important because it sets the mood for all the inmates for all their activities. Imagine an Ashrama setting of yore. The students’ home must have beautiful gardens with flowering plants and fruit bearing trees, trees that offer shade and shelter for birds. The chirping of birds soothes the mind. Migratory birds add to the beauty and variety. Cattle and pets give an Ashrama atmosphere.
There should be provision for taking care of the physical health of the inmates: sufficient space for games and sports as well as for running and jogging; a gymnasium; a dispensary with allopathic, homeopathic, Ayur Veda systems of treatment. Regular monitoring of health with periodic blood tests, and a record of monthly weight measurements will help early detection of ailments. A hospital with provision for isolation in case of contagious diseases, is a necessity.
Obesity results in various diseases relating to the heart and other vital organs such as the liver and the kidney. Obesity also contributes to diabetes, a disorder, which can be controlled by proper adjustment of diet and maintaining proper Body Mass Index (BMI). Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is another factor that needs to be looked into for controlling one’s weight.
Another important aspect is the testing of eyesight and hearing. Even amongst young children we come across various types of eye-related problems which children try to hide out of shame, and the matter becomes obvious to all when it further deteriorates. Both hearing and eyesight are important for safety when moving about on public roads. In the Vivekananda College at Mylapore I recall seeing a student walking straight into the office of the Principal by mistake only to come out, make a left turn and proceed to his classroom. When investigated he was found to be having macular degeneration at that tender age and could not pursue a course of studies involving practicals. His mind would often come to his aid in reading by suggesting the words without actually reading them. As it is not a temporary problem, it had to be attended to immediately and he was supplied with appropriate eyeglasses by the eye doctor.
Most often students tell lies out of fear of punishment. They should be encouraged to speak the truth. Speaking truth removes the strain of keeping in mind the several lies that have to be told to cover up truth. If there is inconsistency in narration, then one can easily understand that truth is being compromised. If a group of students are interrogated separately for any action committed by them without permission, this lack of consistency in narration is a tool to find out that someone or the other is lying. Being rooted in truth also enables one to attain other related virtues. The yamas (Ahimsa or Non-Violence; Satya or Truthfulness; Asteya or Non-Stealing; Brahmacharya, Continence; Aparigraha or Non-Hoarding), and niyamas (Saucha or Cleanliness; Santosha or Contentment; Tapas or Austerity; Svadhyaya or self study; Isvara-pranidhana or Surrender to God), prescribed in the Yoga System of Patanjali are to be practised during the student stage.
Students ought to be told that whatever one gathers through the organs of knowledge — sound through the ears, form through the eyes, smell through the nose, taste through the tongue, and touch through the skin, as well as food through the mouth, give rise to deep-seated impressions in the sub-conscious mind and sattvic / rajasic / tamasic states of the mind. Students with a particular nature of mind like to eat particular types of food, and vice versa, those who eat a particular type of food manifest a particular nature of the mind. Therefore, strict observance of the constituents of diet is relevant in cultivating a sattvic mind which has the innate capacity to understand subtle thoughts. Such minds are capable of innovation if the mind is applied to a problem at hand.
The one austerity for a student is to be committed to one’s studies. It is a matter of common knowledge that the current textbooks prescribed for studies are not enough to capture the hoary heritage of our country. Always the great achievements of the past are hidden from view and it is made to believe that the country came into existence on the 15th August 1947 which is far from truth. Furthermore, the name of the country was changed from the meaningful Bharata — engaged (rata) in the acquisition and distribution of luminance / knowledge (bha) to a meaningless India, thereby unhinging the nation from its rich conglomeration of cultural / scientific / technological / aesthetic / intellectual / spiritual / religious heritage. There is everything in a name. The very name Bharata kindles in us that we are the descendants of the sages of the past with inherent immense possibilities.
The achievements of Bharata in the several fields of human endeavour are suppressed and it is presented as though these achievements owe their origin to other conquering nations. This is a mischievous distortion of facts. The ancients never bothered about their own names or intellectual property rights! Therefore, it is necessary to highlight the fact that various universities in the past were the centres of attraction for foreign students, not without reason. It is necessary to bring to focus the achievements of Bharata in the several fields of chemistry, mathematics, medicine, surgery, astronomy, construction, encryption / encoding, music both instrumental and vocal, textiles, architecture, shipping, sculpting, painting, dissemination of values, etc.[1] The great heights reached during various periods of ancient history, and the geographical outreach during such periods ought to be highlighted. In some students’ homes wallpapers are brought out on various themes and featuring different festivals. This could be a means of bringing out the truth about the greatness of our country with its many sided splendours.
The gift of Bharat to the world is spiritual. It is the life-centre of the nation as well as the mission of the race in the grand harmony of nations. Each nation, like each individual, specialises in one aspect from among various aspects. Bharata made spirituality her choice subject. Other nations have their own speciality subjects. So whenever any nation wants to be educated on spiritual ideas, these nations turn to Bharata. That is true even today. And it is therefore in the fitness of things that every student gathers the spiritual truths from our scriptures and imbibe values from the great epics and puranas. It will indeed be a sad day if ever we have to learn these truths from foreigners or accept our lack of exposure to these noble truths.
As a novelty one could have classrooms with huge trees all around providing an enclosed natural scenic beauty made all the more sublime with the absolute stillness of the mind. This could proximate the Ashrama settings of yore and provide undivided attention to the subject being taught. Such fancy spots for the purpose of meditation will be a great boost to the young minds. Further, a huge greenery will provide a refreshing “ozone space” and educate the students to take care of plants and trees. It takes years for a tree to grow big and it is absolute thoughtlessness that makes us chop off trees. Some may even get interested in the cultivation of plants and trees; some others perhaps in rearing cattle. Acquiring some technical skills such as plumbing, electricity, carpentry, etc will be of great help. This will be in addition to the curricular training in the educational institutions.
Community living provides immense scope for sharing and caring, especially when one falls sick and needs nursing and attention. Being of one mind is the great secret to strength. United we stand and divided we fall. Performing all actions at the appropriate time is a secret to unconsciously participating in community activities with unity of mind and purpose. Just as one must take care of one’s personal needs, one must consider the students’ home as a “home away from home” and take care of its maintenance. Once in a year all the activities of the home normally performed by staff members must be done by the student inmates themselves without entertaining a sense of high and low. One gradually develops an intimacy with the students’ home as if it were one’s own real home. Leaving the students’ home at the end of the course of studies becomes as painful an experience as leaving one’s own home. The final instructions for the students taking leave from the students’ home upon completion of education is with a traditional convocation address, which forms the eleventh anuvaka of Shiksha Valli of the Tattiriya Upanishad begining with satyam vada, a list of golden rules which the Vedic era teacher imparted to the graduating students as the ethical way of life.
One comes back, perhaps years later, to the students’ home to look back with gratitude and nostalgic recollections of the institution and its ideal teachers — men and women of renunciation showering knowledge and effusing love — who shaped the student into what he/she is now. The nation has a huge youth population and therefore such students’ homes are needed in plenty. The task is immense but we shall be able to live up to it, for we have a grand human potential for achieving this.
Notes:
1 See https://www.historytuitions.com/ancient-india/achievement-of-ancient-india/ for an exhaustive list of Achievements and Contributions of Ancient Bharat; see https://www.speakingtree.in/allslides/encryption-in-ancient-india, for the katapayadi scheme of numerals used for encryption / encoding. Of particular interest is the Sri-Raghava-Yadaveeyam, a set of thirty shlokas which when read in the order which they are composed in, describe the story of Rama, while when they are read in reverse order, describe the story of Krishna. The entire composition is an astounding work in itself. Noteworthy also is the depiction of the value of
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