Suggestions!

Subhash Sharma, (from Indian Business Academy, Bangalore & Greater Noida) in his paper on ‘Indian Management Wisdom’ gives right review of three Indian mythological periods, “The essence of ancient wisdom is captured by three Vs i.e. Valmiki, Vyasa and Vivekanand.  It may be indicated that the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Complete Works of Vivekananda capture the essence of Indian mythology and philosophy. Impact of Valmiki, Vyasa and Vivekananda on Indian consciousness is immeasurable.  From the viewpoint of the impact on Indian consciousness, three periods of mythology and history could as well be viewed as Rama period, Krishna period and Ramkrishna / Vivekananda period”[1].

We cannot escape the beautiful thoughts, rather contemplation given in his famous book, “Seven Spiritual Laws of Success” by Deepak Chopra. The spiritual laws which he has explained there, are the must read or must have laws which are to be taught in schools or colleges as a curriculum for Value-Based-Education. According to him following are the seven spiritual laws for any success.^[2]

1      Law of Pure Potentiality

2      Law of Giving

3      Law of Karma

4      Law of Least Effort

5      Law of Intention & Desire

6      Law of Detachment

7      Law of Dharma or Purpose in Life

In my favorite smallest book, “Evil Has No Hold On You” Dayis Holocomb Muth has clearly  says that “if you have God (positivity) in your thinking, you have everything and when you do not have God (negativity) in your thinking you are poor, spiritually even if you have wealth, health and everything with you” ^[3]

I strongly suggest that if we want our students and society to learn the highest spiritual laws or truths, we must incorporate such topics in their studies, whatever may be their stream and means of study.

In society there are many ways and means to educate people for example public places like Gardens, Transportation means, Stations, Bus-Stops, Exhibitions, lecture-halls, gymnasiums, medias etc. Using such places, we can definitely teach values to the public or the society. 

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^[1]Subhash Sharma, (from Indian Business Academy, Bangalore & Greater Noida)- paper on ‘Indian Management Wisdom’http://www.aims-international.org/tmf/postedarticles/t8019.pdf

^[2] Seven Spiritual Laws of Success – Deepak Chopra

^[3]Evil Has No Hold On You – Dayis Holocomb Muth, 1976, The Christian Science Publishing Society, Place of publication, pages.

Role of Spiritual Education in Society!

Bikas C. Sanyal, Senior Advisor, International Institute for Educational Planning, Paris, in his paper “Need For Value-Based Education In The Twenty-First Century” takes good review.

  

Since the establishment of UNESCO, a number of standard-setting instruments have been developed to delineate basic principles of education for peace and human rights. Among them are the following:

1      The recommendation concerning Education for International Understanding, Co-operation and Peace, and Education Relating to Human Rights and Fundamental Freedom. (Paris, 1974)

2      World Plan of Action on Education for Human Rights and Democracy. (Montreal, 1993)

3      Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action of the World Conference on Human Rights (Vienna, 1993)

4      Declaration and Integrated Framework of Action in Education for Peace, Human Rights and Democracy. (Paris, 1995)

5      Plan of Action for the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education 1995-2004.

These action plans are executed under the guidance of the UNESCO Advisory Committee on Education for Peace, Human Rights, Democracy, International Understanding and Tolerance.

The educational institutions of the Member States of UNESCO have now the necessary courseware to introduce value-based educational programmes – incorporating both spiritual and secular values to build a culture of peace.

In the words of the Director General of UNESCO "I proclaim forcefully, … we must hence forth be ready to pay the price of peace as we have paid with millions of human lives the price of war; that the diversity of cultures, the very basis of our identities and sense of belonging should unite us around ideals proclaimed by our constitution and never again divide us; that religions founded on love should not lead us to confrontation and hatred; and that ideologies, through freedom of expression and participation, should serve democracy and not coercion."[1]

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[1]Federico Mayor: Address at the opening of the "International Consultation of Governmental Experts on the Human Right to Peace", delivered on 5 March 1998, UNESCO, Paris.

The most adorable values !

Bodhavachanas: The most adorable values :^[1]

Satyam Vad |

Dharmam Char |

MatrudevoBhav |

PitrudevoBhav |

AacharyadevoBhav |

AtithidevoBhav |

SwaddhyayanmaPramadah |

ShraddhayaDeyam |

Here, Shobha Kulkarni tries to give the list of most adorable human values from Indian culture. Speaking the Truth, going on the path of Dharm, giving respect to parents and teachers as well as the guest, daily studying the religious and spiritual granthas and last but not the least is to give with shraddha. 

Character :

Our present crisis is in fact the crisis of character - the crisis of value. Sethi blames the Government for this crisis. He observes that after independence, the crisis in India is not due to economic factor but is politically created by faulty planning.^[2]

According to Dr. Manohar Wadhawani, “Noble, spotless, shining, moral Character is the sum of Purity of Thought And Its Power, Purity of Speech And Its Power, Purity of Action And Its Power, Positive Mental Attitude And Its Power, Purity of Love And Its Power, Robust Enthusiasm And Its Power, Self Confidence and Faith in Others And Its Power, Discipline And Its Power, Industry, Patience and Perseverance And Its Power, Appreciation of Others And Its Power, Strengthening of Emotional Intelligence.”^[3]

The views of Mr. R. Rena about the Value-based Education for Human Development in Eritria are most fitted to the Indian contemporary education scenario. “The student community is drowned neck-deep in poverty, ignorance and unhealthy surroundings. Hence, they are not in a position to understand the real values of contemporary India. The present curriculum some extent reflect human values and the value system. Besides, the Indian schools and colleges have to promote the value-based education.”^[4]

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^[1]LeNaSamskaaraanche (Marathi) - ShobhaKulkarni, SiddhagiriGurukul Foundation, Kaneri, Kolhapur,2008, pg. 82-86

^[2]India In Crisis - Sethi, J. D, Vikas Publishing House Pvt. Ltd., Delhi, 1975.

^[3]A B C of the Enlightened Leadership - Dr. ManoharWadhawani, Sultan Shah Publications, Mumbai,2007, pg.169-232

^[4]Value-based Education for Human Development – Eritrean Perspective by Ravinder Rena, Eritrea Institute of Technology – Mai Nefhi Asmara, Eritrea

Values and Vedanta !

According to Vedanta, soul is covered with five koshas. Annamaya, Pranamaya, Manomaya, Vigyanamaya and anandmaya. Hence, when anybody crosses the demands and bondage of any kosha, he goes higher and higher and deeper and deeper in the attainment of knowledge. The highest value is the state of mukti (liberation of the soul from the bondage of the cycle of birth and rebirth) and the union with God, the Brahman. Thus the hierarchy of values exists according to Indian philosophies.

According to the Upanishads the main aim is moksha which is acquired by the acquisition of knowledge, the performance of social and religious duties and above all the formation of character.

The Indian doctrine of four Purusarthas is a comprehensive theory of human values. The four Purusarthas are:

Dharma : Moral value such as duties, virtues, etc.

Artha : Wealth and political values.

Kama : Happiness and Aesthetic joy.

Moksa : Liberation or true Self-realization.

The term “Purusarthas” suggests that man consciously and knowingly seeks the realization of values. Hence they are human values. They are not merely desired by man but they are desirables. They are worth-while experiences or objects. Human awareness of them and their deliberate pursuit makes them human values or Purusarthas. Thus Purusarthas are human values because they are consciously sought by human beings. Besides, they fulfill the specifically human needs and interests. They also do justice to all sorts of demands which stem from man’s multidimensional self or personality.^[1]

Ved Vyas says in Shanti parva, “The man of dharma removes all the impurities of mind and all stains from his heart. He is free from falsehood and does always good to all.” In Dharma everything is established - the five qualities preceding Dharma are truth, tapas or spirituality, shama i.e. control of senses, dama - control of mind and lastly daan or alms giving.^[2]

In the following diagram we see the four stages of human life depicted in Vedas. At the certain age there is a fixed goal which is to be achieved. We the human should go on this path and we can definitely achieve the Moksha, the summum bonum of our life.^[3]

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^[1]Indian Conception of Values And Value Education - Dr. S. G. Nigal, TattvajnanVidyapeeth, Thane, 2006, pg.10-11

^[2]The Cultural Values of Adolescents - Mrs. SarojBagheeayavalle, ShaheedPrakashan, Udaipur,1991, pp. 17-21.

^[3]Sadachar – Shankaracharya -

Values!

Concept of Values: 

The word “value’ is derived from the latin root “Valere” meaning “to be strong and vigorous” To be a value, is to have a certain value, that is the power to be some specific thing. It is the value of a thing or an idea that makes us desirable or useful to us and that can give rise to an urgent demand for or interest in something that we regard as having great value. People can love only what is dear to them (i.e. of very high value) and only what is felt to be of high value can give rise to the energy and motivate for possession.

 Life is a matter of choices. In human life there are certain things looked upon as admirable, honorable, to be approved of and there are other things which entertain and please us but we may view them as not admirable, not honorable and not to be approved of.

The concept of values is presented by Bethel from various angles.^[1]

a      Value connotes a subject-object relationship; value relates the object to man.

b      Value i.e. utility, is imparted to raw materials only by labour and skills.

c      An important aspect of value creation for Malinowski was the development of a harmonious balance between individual and social values. It is a responsibility of each individual, as a creator of value, to work for gain in such a way as to contribute to the welfare of both - himself and his society.

d      Value means the total amount of force with which an object (material or spiritual) causes a subject to attain it’s purpose as the means to an end.

Definitions of Values :

What is a value? Value is one by which men live, for which, they are willing to sacrifice comforts, facilities and even lives to preserve their values. Describing the dominant characteristics of the Raghu KulTulsi Das writes -

“Raghu Kula Rita Sadaa Chali - aaie

Pran Jaay Par Vachan na Jaai”

This is the highest value according to Indian Philosophy.

International Encyclopaedia of Social Sciences (1968) defines values as “a set of principles whereby a conduct is directed and regulated as a guide for individual or social groups”^[3]

Values as defined by Good^[4] (1959, p. 636) are “any characteristic deemed important because of psychological, social moral and aesthetic considerations.”

Mrs. SarojBagheeyaawaalle has done a thorough research on The Cultural Values of Adolescents in 1991. She has nicely shown how values change and control the environment.^[5]

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^[1]Malinowski - The Value Creator - Bethel, Dayle, M., Wather Hill, New York, 1973, pp. 50-56

^[2]MulyaShikshan (Marathi) - Dr. Suresh Karandikar, PhadkePrakashan, Kolhapur,1997, pg 16

^[3]International Encyclopedia of Social Sciences - David L. Sills, MacMillan, New York, 1968.

^[4] Good 1959

^[5]The Cultural Values of Adolescents - Mrs. SarojBagheeayavalle, ShaheedPrakashan, Udaipur,1991, pp. 17-21

Value Education

The value education is not a new concept. It is recommended by Sri. Prakash, Dr.Mudolia Azad, Dr. Kothari, Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Radha Krishnan, etc.

Education not only develops morality but also makes an individual capable for leadership and or intelligent fellowship. Regarding the need of introducing religious values. Peters (1979, p.473^[1]) writes that the religious values are “prosecuted and severely censored in totalitarian or collectivist societies”. He further mentions that education demands the development of various types of awareness, abilities and skills. An individual in a democratic set up should be given some form of initiative to inculcate religious values in the hope that he may develop them. Peters (1973, p. 473)^[2] mentions that in “democracy liberal view of the role of religious values is taken because of the importance ascribed to freedom and tolerance and because reductions in transmitting cultural heritage. But certainly religious values are not distinctive of the democratic way of life”. From these central values the aims of education are generated, i.e. morality, knowledge and understanding of human condition, self-fulfillment of the individual, preparation of work, etc.

Dr. C. M. Yogi, Founder - Society for Value Education (SVE) has nicely compared Education with the Value-Based-Education in his paper presented in a Workshop organized by Save The Children and Curriculum Development Centre on 29th December, 2009 as follows:^[3]

Education	Value Based Education
opens up our mind	gives us purity of heart too
provides us with skills	provides us sincerity too
extends our relationship with the world	links us with our own family members too
makes our living better	makes our life better too
teaches us to compete with others	encourages us to be complete too
makes us a good professional	makes us a whole human too
takes us to the top	takes the whole society to the top
gives us capacity of better learning	gives us the tool for a deeper understanding too
gives us Anna	provides us Ananda too
may bring limitations	is for liberation

After all right education means- "Sa VidyaYaVimuktaye”. It means, “that is knowledge which liberates.” In one of the post in this blog I have explained elaborately about its meaning. Actually this is my favorite saying in Sanskrit which I quote everywhere. The education which we are imparting nowadays doesn’t fit at all in this definition of Vidya. As the vidya in this saying, connotes very high meaning, spiritual meaning.

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^[1] Peters – 1979

^[2] Peters, 1973

^[3] Dr. C. M. Yogi -Founder - Society for Value Education (SVE) has nicely compared Education with the Value-Based-Education in his paper

Goal of Education !

Each society wants that its children acquire a desirable set of values. The goal of education in every country is the development of desirable values. Evidently, it is important to know as to what values are held by its school students. What kind of values do they possess? Such a knowledge is essential to design curricular experiences for the achievement of the objectives of education which the society wants to formulate.  We see today the disintegration in society. One of the reasons for the disintegration is conflicting values, ground. If we go through history we find that the society is changing rapidly. The impact of the West has brought about changes in it. The Western ways of thinking, dressing and behavior influenced the Indians. This impact of still seen in every big society. It is rather increasing.

Values have social, psychological, economic, spiritual and philosophical aspects. They have a wide impact. Not a single vital action in life of a human being can be said to be valueless. Thus if values are good, life will be peaceful and useful, if values are undesirable, life will be burdensome and unwanted.