Are We Really Educated - Day 5

                                                          Week 5- Day 5

"An educational system isn't worth a great deal if it teaches young people how to make a living but doesn't teach them how to make a life!"

Once Ravi Shankar Maharaj went to a School to give speech. Everyone was asking him for an autograph and a small girl has especially come to ask his autograph. He replied that I will definitely give my autograph but in return you have to do something. The little girl asked what she could do. Ravi Shankar Maharaj asked her to sacrifice tea and she agreed to it. After 10 years a letter came to Ravi Shankar Maharaj's house. It was from the same girl who had sacrificed tea. The girl wrote that with his permission she had left tea, however, now that her exams are nearing it is necessary to be awake late nights and hence required permission to drink tea again. Ravi Shankar Maharaj replied to her that she can drink tea if she wanted to stay awake for her exams. He also wrote that by doing this you might be successful in your exams but you are actually failing in the exam of life. After 5 days the girl again replied that she might fail in the exams but will not drink tea as she did not want to fail in the exam of life. After a month the girl again wrote saying that she never had tea and studied well and secured the second place in the board exams!

There are four things to be discussed in relation to Education:

1. Well Educated:

There is a difference between being educated and being Well educated. Educated means if you get good knowledge and well educated means when your educated along with knowing your cultural values. Does education system today just include education or education with cultural values. Now-a-days cultural values have almost ended. What do we want our kids to be like - just educated or also have cultural values along with it.

"A child educated only at school is an uneducated child!"

Few years back, a kid had asked his teacher why is 2+2 = 4 only? The teacher replied that you have asked a very good question and said, " When you grow up like me, you will have to do business with money. You will have to give money and take money also. Hence we are teaching you from now that 2+2 =4, so that when you grow up you don't give 5 instead of 4 or take 3 instead of 4!

Today in teaching where is cultural values taught? :Like a train needs its engine, children need cultural values with education. There was a time when a mother used to feed her kid, but now kids have either no time due to the school timings or they like to sit in front of the TV and have food.
We find happiness in wealth, success, beauty and power but they are never in our hands. We can get it whenever we want. But the real happiness is in culture, shame, being happy from within. We definitely have to do an analysis on this.

2. Well-Reported:

Well Reported!

In life good and bad both occur. We are the medium who reports the situation. Do we report always good or always bad? What is our capability? Relations have ended between father and son, husband and wife due to wrong reports from others. Good reports bring relations together. If we have good sense, then we will be well reported. A beggar stands near a temple to beg and not near a theater, thinking that he will get some money from the person who goes to the temple. This is the good will of the temple.

3. Well - Supported:

Right or Wrong

Are we ready to support the right and good always. By being always with the good and the right, we can become well supported. In the newspaper, in one corner if there is story that says how a man cheated one crore and another story about a man who donated one crore, which story would we like to read first? Which story are we happy to read? Let us try and always support the good!

4. Well-Devoted:
The biggest result of education is being well devoted - devoted towards our parents, teachers, our guru and God. When we accept our weakness, we become well devoted. Arjun was well devoted to Shree Krishna as he new his weakness. Are we devoted?

Devoted Gandhiji

Gandhiji had written that he was devoted to his mother. Before going to South Africa he seeked permission from his mother if he can go. His mother replied that there was no problem in going but to keep three things in mind: No wine, No Non-veg, No doing wrong. Gandhiji had written in his biography that due to his mother he was able to be away from these three things.
Why don't Parents teach their students these cultures? It is the duty of the parents to teach their kids and it is duty of the children to implement the same. Parents have to blame themselves before they blame their children.

"True strength lies in submission which permits one to dedicate his life, through devotion, to something beyond himself"

So let us improve our education system so children are just not educated in life but well educated and understand how to live life!

Are We Really Educated - Day 4

                                                                      Week 5 - Day 4

Once upon a time in Delhi, Nadeershah won a battle and came. He sat on an elephant with the elephant rider as he did not know how to ride an elephant and went on a procession. Nadeershah and got down and said he will not ride anything that is not under his control.

How will the water from the tap be clear if the tank-water is not clear? In Education to be on the right path we need three things:

1. Teaching: 

Teaching is a very important factor in the education system. A teacher teaches the students everything from alphabets to subjects. Teaching improves three things in our life:

a. Increases memory power
b. Sharp Memory
c. Smart Mind

Is there growth or downfall after achieving a degree from the college? Why doesn't our mind grow even after being so well educated. If take advantage of education system and use our memory power and mind in the right way, we can be successful. Today an 8 year old boy has a mind of an 18 year old boy! Is that good or bad? It is definitely dangerous.  If our body should grow old with time, then our mind should also grow old only with age and time.

2. Touching:
In education system, three things should be taught in order to make the heart touching:

a. Sensitive heart(संवेदनशील हृदय) - If we love sharing our happiness and sorrow of others, then we have a sensitive heart. What is our mentality? Has our sensitivity increased? Are we the owners of a sensitive heart?

b. Sweet Words or Voice (मधुर वचन): To maintain a good relation with others, the first bridge is to have sweet words or voice. The why would we spoil such a good bridge?

c. Eyes filles with Tears (अश्रुशाबर आँख): Have the teachers taken the students to a blind school? We have show the students the blind children and show them the difference of them having vision and those not having vision. What sin have they committed that they don't have vision? They will be filled with tears!

Teaching should teach these three things - having sensitive heart, speak sweet words and have eyes filled with tears.

3. Turning (बदलाव): Teaching brings a change in our life, a turning point in our life that brings the following changes in our life:

a. No Darkness in life: Darkness always forces us to do something wrong but as brightness comes over we change in life and do good in life.

b. No Laziness: Change brings activeness in our life. We overcome laziness. Our issue is not that we cannot get up early, but it is that we sleep late.

Are we satisfied with the way our children are, even after being educated? Are we proud of their life? Is this an issue with the student or with the education system? It is definitely with the education system! Are we really educated?

Are We Really Educated - Day 3

                                                                  Week 5 -    Day 3

A man travelling from one village to another during summer time, suddenly forgot his way. It was very hot and no one was seen around. He found a tree and thought will rest under the tree. There was a river nearby. He was very hungry and thirsty. He ate the fruits from the tree and rested for sometime. The man was very grateful for the kindness the tree had shown.

He asked, " Dear tree, you have been so helpful towards me. What can I give you. Ask me anything and I shall give it to you". The tree replied that it had everything and did not want anything. The man still forced the tree to ask for something. The tree then said, " The way I showed you kindness and helped you, I expect you to be the same way to whoever comes to you. This is all I want".

In life there are some relations that are meant to provide security to us. A light paper wants a paper weight as security so that it does not fly due to the wind. Similarly, the rope is a security for the kite and a cow is safe until it is with its master, else anyone can slaughter it. But what is our security in life? A relation in our life is our security or is it a bond for us? Is there any relation that we feel is our security in life? In life we have to make a relation our security only if he/she has the following qualities in them:

1. Heart filled with Love:

We have to accept those relations that has a heart filled with love,  as our security. A sister is secure with her brother, a child is safe with his parents. Love is when we accept the other person even after they make mistakes and when we have a heart to forgive them and give them a chance to change. Did we ever find such a Love address or did we ever become the Love address for someone else? If we take security at a wrong address, our life will be at risk. There is unconditional love towards people who are filled with love towards us and who show us the right way. A relation of choice will  be stable only with a resolution and will never be stable if we become aggressive. Divorce happens because of aggressiveness. We must have the strength in us to forgive another person's mistakes.

2. Purity:

A relation should be made where there is purity. Today's world has become so dangerous that a man starts a relation as a brother but ends it as a husband. In a country, a VVIP is given the best security. But who is the VVIP in our life? There are four things that are our top VVIP. Our body is our first VVIP. How grateful are we? How happy are we in life. Situations are never in our hand, so we should never that we will be happy when situations change. The next VVIP in our life is our mind. How much is our effort to take care of our mind? The third VVIP in our life is our heart because a relation starts from the heart. But in life we have made money are top most priority! The fourth VVIP in our life is our soul. If these four are disturbed, our life will have no meaning. So we will definitely get security under the relation that is filled with purity.

Let us make the difference and build strong relations!

Are we really Educated- Day 2

                                                                Week 5 - Day 2

A Guru advised his disciple to bring a flower garland from the room. The disciple saw a snake in the connecting room. His Guru gave him a mantra to chant and said the snake would go away, however, the snake did not go. The Guru then asked the disciple to take a stick and hit the snake and then the snake would go away. The disciple did the same but the snake did not go and asked his Guru what he can do now. The Guru then asked the disciple to take a lamp and go as it was dark. In the light of the lamp the disciple realized that it was not a snake but a rope. The disciple then went into the room and brought the flower garland. He informed his Guru that it was not a snake but a rope!

In the above story, a lamp showed the disciple the reality. Similarly knowledge also does the work of a lamp. It shows us the right path. It has the power to teach us what is right.

There are four things that we need to know:

1. Understanding (समझ्शीलता):

“Understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery.”

Power of Understanding will let us know what is our mind and heart like, what is this world like, what is our life like, what are our parents, what is our goal, what is our body, why have we taken birth in this world etc?  Are are any such life touching subjects taught in school today? Knowing and Understanding are two different things. The truth that touches the heart is Understanding, the truth that touches just the mind is Knowing. How much do today's student understand what they are taught? What is the purpose of sending children to schools? What are our expectations from the kids? Do we send them to school so that they can just earn money? It is not necessary to be educated to earn money. The real reason of education is to make our children good humans. To become a good human being, we need good power of understanding and should know what is wrong and what is right. Science shows us the difference between right and wrong, religion shows us the difference between good and bad. Which one are we interested in? Let us teach the students what is good and bad, rather than teaching them what is right and wrong. Understanding touches the mind.

2. Power (सत्वशीलता):

"The sole advantage of power is that you can do more good"

Bringing the inner power outside is the real power. Because of lack of power, students are stressed and commit suicide when they fail in exams. Do we encourage our children or discourage them? Do we expect them to bring good grades or become powerful? Have we made them understand that education is just a part of life and not our whole life? We should never bring in too many ambitions in our children's mind. Have we assured are kids that it is completely okay if they do not achieve much success in the field of education as this is just a part of life? Parents have put children under such stress and tension. Why is there so much on load on them? We have to teach our children to stand strong in times of failure, stress, sorrowful times. Why is this not taught in education? 28% of kids in India commit suicide every year according to a survey. It is easy to pass in the school exams but have we taught our children to pass in the exam of life?

3. Shame (शराम्शीलता):

"The only shame is to have none"

Have we taught our kids what is shameful and what is not? Without having a little bit of shame, neither a society nor a country can progress. In life we must have a little bit of shame. There is a famous saying that says never become friends with a person who has no tear named shame in his eyes. Such a person thinks and does whatever he thinks is right. Is this taught in schools and colleges today? People who talk about shame are considered orthodox and foolish in today's world. Where is the shame? Children have become shameless and watch and do all corrupt things. A shameless man can never become a good parent, good teacher, good politician etc. What is the top priority in our life today? Let us focus on this - Shame touches our eyes.

4. Being Sentimental (संवेदनशील):

Being sentimental touches the heart. The heart has to be filled with emotions and sentiments. Is there any subject today that teaches how to be sentimental?

No one can become perfect without being understanding, powerful, sentimental and without being filled with shame.

Are we really Educated?

                                                                            Day 1

Are we really Educated?

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world"

There were two friends. One was wealthy and the other intelligent. One friend said the other that he is wealthy and hence can do anything in the world. The other friend argued and said that an intelligent man can do everything in the world. Finally, the case was taken to the King to solve who was right. Even the King was not able to decide who was more powerful. He wrote a letter to another King to solve the problem. The other King sentenced both to death. Both were surprised. They were kept in a dungeon. The next day when the King came, one man said that he wants to die first and the other also said he wants to die first. The King was surprised. One of them then asked the King," Why did our King send a letter to you and asked you to take a decision? The astrologer has actually informed our King that if they put anyone of us to death, his whole kingdom will get destroyed and hence he has asked you to take a decision." The King then thought for a while and said that he will forgive both and both can go to their hometown.

Hunger ends when we get food, Thirst ends when we get water, Tiredness ends when we get a car, Eye vision becomes clear when we wear spectacles. Likewise, what is the result of education? 90% of students think that they are involved in education but not really interested in it. Without interest what is the use of involvement. Students are forced to go to school as they are not interested. In any field, if we are not interested we try to leave the place as soon as possible. Why are teachers and principal not able to create the interest in students? Why has this happened?

The schools in villages have great slogans written on their school walls compared to the schools in cities.

Are we interested in Education? 

Education can absolve or free us from wrong, makes us satisfied and also make us a devotee of our Parents and teachers.

The result of Education is that it can absolve us from the following three things:

1. Deformation (विकृति):

"An educational system isn't worth a great deal if it teaches young people how to make a living but doesn't teach them how to make a life." 

Education brings us on track and absolve us from malformation. There are two types of mind: one is Exceptional mind and the other is Pure mind. These challenge deformation. How much does a small child today obey his parents or teachers? In earlier days, students used to wait for the teacher to come and teach. Everyone was very happy and interested to learn new things. We learn Mathematics, Science, Geography, History in school, but is there any subject that teaches us how to save ourselves from deformation?

2. Amusement (विलास):
Parents, teachers and principal are responsible for the behavior of their kids and students. It is the responsibility of the Parents to check on the culture of the school before their admission. Which is considered  as the top school? Where the education is good or moral is good? We consider the schools that have highest fees as the best school. What is our priority -  Education or Moral? Good morals are very important for everyone in life.

“Intelligence plus character-that is the goal of true education.”

3. Addiction (व्यसन):
The management and staff is not satisfied with what the current situation is? Do we want to see our children educated or do we want him to have good morals? Today no one can stop a student from doing wrong. They cannot be punished in school. Would we be happy if the teacher hits our children for their mistake?

“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” 

Education also gives us Satisfaction. We have to save our Culture, Nature and Future and it is the responsibility of Education to save these three. A well cultured person will be satisfied with whatever he has in his life and will never take the wrong track to achieve his goals.

Education will also make us devoted to our Parents, Teachers, Country, Society and People. A mother can only be a mother to one or two kids, but a teacher gets an opportunity to be a mother to thousands of children.

Do we have all of these qualities in us? Are we really Educated? Let us think about it and make a change!

"Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one." 

Wealth of Wisdom - Day 5

                                                       Week 2 - Day 5

There were two son's of a man who stayed in the same family. One son has such a good life that we cannot express in words and the other had such a worst life. There was such a big difference between both the brothers who stayed in the same family. A journalist too the interview of the brother who had a very bad life and asked, "Why is your life so bad?" . The son replied,"I am experiencing what my father has experienced in his life. I drink, smoke, get angry, beat my wife". The journalist then asked the other brother the secret to his good life. He replied," It was due to his father". The journalist was shocked that one brother blamed his father for his bad life and the other gave credit to his father for his good life. The brother who had a good life said that his father used to drink, beat his mother, consumed tobacco and lost all money in business. He had kept his father's life in front of his eyes and the results of what his father had done and made his life better. He did not take the path his father had taken and hence had a good life.

Today we are going to discuss the Community of Life and the following points are worth thinking about and community of life means:

1. SPACE:
In which phase of life do we want to be?
 a. Progress Phase(विकास)
 b. Rest Phase(विश्राम) or
 c. Destruction Phase(विनाश)

In this worldly life, there are many things we need to do. We have to do business to progress in life and that is Progress phase. In spiritual life, when we go the temple and saints, we are in the Rest phase. When anything disturbs us in our life we are in the destruction phase. Which is more attractive to us?

In which of these phases do we like to be longer - Progress phase, Rest phase or Destruction phase? Which one do we pray for? Which one gives us more happiness? Do we like to sit and watch TV, play games, go to disco, hotels, clubs etc. These are all the destruction phase. Do we like to sit with friends who talk wrong or with Saints who talk good and pure? When do we feel light? Where do we want to go? Community of life is what decision do we want to take for our life? Which path do we want to choose for ourselves? Where are we? A saint's life is pure because of the Rest Phase. There is nothing to hear, do or see wrong.
We are actually more towards destruction phase as we feel that gives us happiness. A smoker knows that smoking can affect his health but he still smokes as he feels good for time being. A person who drinks wine also knows it is bad for health but still drinks. This is all self destruction. Can we give time to temple as much as time we give for TV?  Let us observe ourselves and choose the right for ourselves.

2. LITERATURE:

"We know too much, and are convinced of too little. Our literature is a substitute for religion, and so is our religion"

What is our mentality in the field of literature. What is the standard of the newspapers, magazines, books that are lying on our table? What is the first impression of the guests who visit our house - do they think that we have such good morals and culture?

The day Bhagat Singh was about to be hanged to death, he was reading a book. The jailor asked what he was reading and that it was time for his death. Bhagat Singh replied that," Sir, I am reading a book on our country and only two pages are left. Let me finish this and then I am ready to die".
So what kind of Literature do our family members read? We just have mobiles and TV.  We read all kinds of books but don't read literature on purity! The biggest strength of a Saint's life is Literature. We are never interested to read these kind of books. Today, magazines with vulgar supplementary are a part of our literature.

A lady once decided to commit suicide as her husband was in some trouble and everything had ended. She wrote a suicide note. She went to her friend's house to give the note so that her friend and give it to her husband after her death. Her friend was having a bath and it was taking some time. In the mean while the lady found the book,"Muskaan Bhari Mrutyu" by Acharayaji. After reading few pages of the book, she dropped her suicide plan and decided that she will face any difficult situation but will not commit suicide. Her friend then came and asked her the reason she had come. The lady replied that she had just come to meet her and left. A good book saved a life!

"The decline of literature indicates the decline of a nation"

3. PERSON:

What type of person do we like to sit with? What is our company like? What type of friends do we have and like to have? Do we like a person who speaks about donation or about making money? What is our inner attraction towards? Would a beggar like to be friends with a beggar or a rich man?
We should never be friends with people who break our relations and our family, who give us wrong ideas and thoughts. We have to leave anything that disturbs our peace, purity and happiness.

"You can tell more about a person by what he says about others than you can by what others say about him"


4. THOUGHTS:

What type of thoughts give us happiness? We are independent to choose our thoughts and what we think. There are no restrictions in what we would like to think.The one who resides near a gutter can never get the fragrance of a rose! Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well.

"We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves"


Let's be alert and change our lives!

Wealth of Wisdom - Day 4

                                                             Week 2 - Day 4

Once the President went to the jail and called four different prisoners and asked them if they had any issues. Prisoner number 1 said, "We don't get Bajra Roti in our lunch and I expect that". Prisoner number 2 said, "There are too many mosquitoes in the jail and I definitely want a mosquito net for protection". Prisoner number 3 said, "I have heard that I will be transferred from barrack number three to barrack number four. I want to be in barrack number three only as I am more used to this". Prisoner number 4 said, " Before coming to the jail I had my own goodwill in the society and I was in a big post. I might have come to the jail for whatever reason, but I am not being treated as per my post and my goodwill. I want to be treated right".
The first prisoner only had an expectation of what he required, second prisoner was insistent about what he wanted, third prisoner had an attachment towards the barrack and the fourth prisoner had ego problem.

There are four things:
1. Expectation(अपेक्षा)
2. Insistent(आग्रह)
3. Attachment(आसक्ति)
4. Ego(अहंकार)

If we notice that there is no peace in our life and there is a lot of struggle, then the reason for it would be one of the above.
Today we are going to discuss Communication of Life.

Communication

First let us understand the meaning of communication.
If ash falls in milk, there is struggle. If water falls in oil, there is connection, if sugar falls in milk, relationship is born.

So there are three things to keep in mind:
 Struggle(संघर्ष)
 Connection(संपर्क)
 Relations(संभंध)
In business, how are our relations with everyone - with our customers, with our employee's, and with our parents and society. What is our relation like? Is it a relation with struggle, connection or good relation?

We have to focus on four things:

1. Social Life: What is our social life? What is our connection with the society? What is our biggest contribution of society towards us? It is that, society has kept us in limit and reminded about our principles. Society has taught us civility. What is our tuning with the society? As our wealth increases, our communication with the society starts ending.

Social Life

A man came to meet Gurudev. He said he had killed 17 people. He said that there was a society of criminals where he stayed. They had a rule that if they killed any man, they would meet his wife the same day and promise that they would give her monthly Rs 3000/- until she got married again. It was their responsibility to take care of these women. Their rule was that they would not touch any woman. Society has taught us what kind of food to eat, what to drink and what type of clothes to wear. The parents who are insistent that their kids follow the morals and culture are sad today as this generation is not ready to listen to their parents. Today's generation want to go their own way. So what is our social life like?

2. Family Life: Is there any communication left with our family - with parents, husband, wife, daughter-in-law, son etc? We simply say that there is a generation gap. Generation gap will always be there between a father and his son. They cannot be of the same age for sure. There is no communication at all! What is our family life like? A son feels good to sit and talk to his friend rather than his father. Facebook has become such an addiction that no one has time for their family members.

Happy Family

Why is there such an environment in our family? There is no love between anyone. We need heart for communication and not intelligence. It might happen that our thoughts might not be alike but there has to be communication. Have we ever seen parallel rail tracks meet? But the rail tracks are always together and they help a train reach its destination.

The center of both Ramayana and Mahabharata is family. What is our family life? If we have ten minutes in the evening after all work is done, why don't we have the heart to sit with our family members. What do we wish - Do we want to achieve something good or become good?

" In Life's Journey, what we have achieved is not important but what we have become is important"