On the Philosophy of Education

         

        Swami ji has spoken extensively, inter alia, about education. His most famous words on Education are thus – “Education is the manifestation of perfection already in man. Knowledge is inherent in man. No knowledge comes from outside; it is all inside”.

These are powerful words of Swami ji. Also his clarity on this concept is very much quintessential among the scholars and people of his time and even today it remains so. Sometimes the concept of knowledge within and knowledge without may sound strange. Everybody learns from what they see outside, or what they learn from the learned! How is it that one learns or gains knowledge from within? What is that perfection existent already in man? This I shall explain clearly through my experience of learning music.

When any one starts learning music, especially the classical music, the Guru begins from teaching what is called as the “Shruti”. It is said that when the Shruti is set, it is like a good foundation for the rest of the musical life. After one perfects Shruti, he is introduced to the Swaras (notes) and their various combinations in different rhythms. In the next stage one learns ragas or sets of different notes. After Ragam, one learns different songs, and other thongs like Raga expansion, notation usage in songs, etc. But real music starts after this. After the mastery in Shruti, ragam, tanam, pallavi, etc, one is ready to create music for himself. One composes Swaras, ragas, songs, and experiences the joy of creating music by himself. It is just like growing a plant. You have to put the seed under the soil, nurture it, and water it, and the plant automatically grows. Nothing else needs to be done. It all happens by itself. You only have to water and put manure to it from time to time. Even music is such. The knowledge is already within; you only need Swaras, Ragam, etc as steps in climbing the ladder. One can also make the leap or the jump, if one has the skills to perceive the knowledge from what one experiences in life. The sapta Swaras (seven swaras - sa ri ga ma pa da ni) are there in this existence whether or not you know it. The knowledge is already there. Education is a means to manifest that perfection.

Further, Swami ji says, “Bring light to the ignorant, and more light to the educated. For vanities of the education of our times are tremendous”. Here he warns us of the ill-effects of wrong education. Mark Twain says thus, “If you do not read the newspaper, you are uninformed. But if you read the newspaper you are misinformed”. So what kind of education one gets is also of equal importance as is the need to get education! If the direction to seek is within, you cannot seek it without. On another occasion Swami ji says “Character Building” is the end (goal) of education and “Shraddha” its means. By devotion, dedication, and perseverance, one seeks the knowledge from within. Whatever one seeks without is just some help; like the nurturing of the plant.