Views of Sri Ramkrishna on Education.

Greetings Impulsumists!

In our last Blog we talked about how exactly Education is NOT man-making, character- building and value-giving.

To summarise these heavy words written above, we may say that current education has failed to acknowledge its own significance. Maybe the Education System has forgotten its very core motive, the basic definition of it. Maybe it has failed to prove its own essense, its very foundation. If it would not be the case, then why modern parents are forcing their child to pursue Education telling them that it will secure your future rather than telling them it will expand your intellectual and moral horizons!  - As simple as that. 

In this Blog, we will take a look at what Sri Ramkrishna Paramhamsa believed about Education. Yes, the man behind Swami Vivekananda's legacy. The man capable of raising millions of Vivekanands through his deep insights of spirituality and inner clarity.

It all begins in 1836 in the small village of Kamarpukur - a distinct villlage of the then Bengal Province!  A child was born to a poor Brahmin family named Gadādhar -  after a form of Lord Vishnu. He grew up amidst the simplicities of his village, the cows, the fields and the simple village life, yet he manifested even in his early boyhood remarkable traits. It is said that religious songs in the praise of gods or religious discussions would often send him into a trance. When the father passed away, the family fell into straitened circumstances. The Eldest Brother Râmkumar came to Calcutta and opened a school. Gadādhar soon joined his brother there. Here for the first time - Sri Ramkrishna, for that is the name by which Gadādhar has become famous all over the world as a great Prophet - came in touch with Modern Ideas.

His brother was desirous of arousing his interest in Secular Education,  but Ramkrishna who was already beginning to realise that he was born for a definite purpose, asked himself,

" Shall I attain piety, devotion and divine fervour by pursuing this Education? "

"No"  - was the emphatic reply of his mind.

" Will it enable me to be as God-fearing and upright and sincere as my father? " 

"No"  - echoed his innate religious instinct.

"Should I be able to realise God through this Education and escape from Universal Ignorance and the Glamour of Material Enjoyments?"

"No" - The same reply came from his heart.

" Then what shall I do with this Education which will not help me to realise God or to transcend the miseries of the world? "

" I would rather remain Ignorant all my life and follow the path of God, than throw away my cherised ideals. " 

This was the final conclusion of the Young Gadādhar.

To his brother's pursuation he said emphatically,

" Brother, what shall I do with a mere bread-winning Education : I would rather acquire that Wisdom which will illuminate my heart and getting which one is satisfied for ever. "

This was the 'life-changing-decision' of his life, where he chose true education, knowledge of the self over materialistic education. He chose to pave his own path, be his own teacher. Rest is all history.

I think that here Sri Ramkrishna described Education perfectly. The title he gave to Modern Education, could be no better further. He described current education so precisely, so accurately and so simply, by naming it as

"BREAD-WINNING EDUCATION"

Just for an instance, forget everything what he said. I am asking you, personally, that when you pursued Education, did you take it as a Life Changing Phase? Did you even knew what it meant for your growth? All that was thrown to you was discrete showers of ABCs and 123s.

 From then till now, none has changed. Every year comes up with subtler aspects of material knowledge. Today you learn ABCs, tomorrow you learn how many apples Johnny had, and two days later you learn the distance between Moon and Earth, three days later you learn Calculus, four days later you learn Engineering and Geometries and boom! You're Educated.

Just because you know three Newtonian Laws you think you know the universe.

Boom! With all your external knowledge you digested in your student years, there comes a time to vomit that out in jobs ( if you get one ). All that chain, cycle runs in the background. But, still, inside you is still the same boy confused over 123s. The thing changed is just the complexities, level of intensities! Still you're pissed of when a little Jack does something wrong to you. Still you run riots in your mind when you hear something hurtful about you. The moment you're neglected, you blame, you're distressed and you're unsteady.

The moment a blow hits you, you're shattered into pieces.

Well, this is simply the plight of current education. Now if you're wondering why suddenly all this exaggeration happened, let me clear this. All this is crystal clear reality. How can a student of 1800s think like this? How can a person 200 years ago say what exactly I am saying? The truth is that between these 200 years the situation has only but worsened. Only a blind is unaware of all this.

Its the time to plunge deep into our past to research about the people like Sri Ramkrishna and to know their thoughts and messages. Clarity of people like these is very important to improve our current society.

The river has dried up. No problem, let us be of one mind, and concentrate all our energies towards the sky. Let us all arouse the heavens to shower its rain. Let us lift ourselves. Only then will the desired be achieved. Only then will our eternal river be revived.

Yours sincerely,

Daksh Parekh.