Saturday, June 7, 2014

Value-based Education

Mere desire or aspiration to progress in life is not enough; success should be based on values. And for that value-based education must be imparted in today’s institutions. So that the students may emerge as good leaders in their chosen fields. 

As Swami Chinmayananda in his "We Must" booklet states "All our success entirely depends upon ourselves. Let us never look outside ourselves for help. Let us not fall into the delusion that the influence of others would enable us to do better or accomplish more."[1]

He firmly says : "Spiritual education and religious practices make us realize that we are a part of a whole scheme, and the essential creativeness behind the whole universe is the essential Essence ruling in the heart of each one of us : Shivoham Shivoham ".

Incorporating Spiritual Value Education in society will result in growth of character, growth in virtues like self-control, tolerance, selfless service, practice of prayer, harmony, to love all people, to help them in need & respect them etc…

Man being the ‘cast in the mold of God’ cannot easily deny Him. Even the great scientists like Newton and Einstein have believed in the existence of God as an intelligent power regulating and guiding the destinies of the universe.

In the words of Swami Vivekananda ‘Religion is nothing but a manifestation of the divinity already in man. Man is not just the body or even the combination of the body & the mind. He is essentially the spirit. The aim of our teaching should be to help manifest this spirit in every thought, word and action.[2]

So, it should aim at a full and harmonious development of the body & the intellect and tune it to the spirit within. In other words, spiritual education should help build up an integrated personality, a perfect character.




[1] “We Must” – a booklet by Swami Chinmayananda
[2] “The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda”

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