Author: Purushottam Nitai Das

Education – of No Use

Exasperated with the quantity & quantum of scams today people are desperate to find a solution which will put an end to it. Government changes, politicians’ changes, political parties’ agenda changes but still the end result is the same.

It is said that knowledge has the power to bring revolution, it can usher us in an era of peace, prosperity and happiness. Education changes a person’s life forever. It is said that knowledge is power and with this power one can conquer the entire world.

If education is considered to be the only instrument which dispels darkness, brings meaning to a person’s life, makes him a responsible citizen, makes him understand what is right & what is wrong, teaches him his duty towards the nation, towards the society and towards his fellow beings then why is that almost all (no exceptions) who had been & have been caught in the scams are highly educated people.

All those who are implicated are well known industrialist, media tycoons, high profile government officials and off course our very dear lovable politicians.

Education provides enlightenment. If it is so then why everyone caught in the scams are only highly educated people? I did not find even a single person who is neck deep in corruption as someone who was illiterate & had not had any basic education. If education is considered to bring enlightenment then why do these scamsters are still not enlightened? If education is considered to make them more civic and more responsible then why did it not happen? If education is considered to make people responsible then why did it not happen?

Our current education system is lacking something.

Today corruption is deep rooted in our society. Be it a traffic havaldar, a peon, a clerk, a teacher, a government official, a lawyer, a businessman, a journalist, politician, judges , men or women in fact almost everyone is involved in it. In nutshell whoever gets an opportunity they encash it.

If education has not been successful in bringing the desired result then is it not the time for us to introspect & find the root cause for its failure?

The present education system is just loading the students with plethora of information. It is not emphasizing in uplifting the conscience of the people, the hearts and the minds of the beings are not being transformed in schools and colleges. Instead they are thought that material possession is the most important thing for a person.

In pursuit of modernity we are shunning spirituality. We are spiritual beings not a bag of chemicals. Real education is that which nourishes the soul, which cleanses our conscience so that we can understand the real and the absolute truth. Once our conscience is purified we would understand the world in its true color, we would realize the meaning of real happiness, we would understand the real purpose of a human life, we would understand that all living beings are our own brothers and sisters, we would understand that real happiness is in selfless love, is in giving not in taking.

Bhagavad – gita clearly states that those in the modes of ignorance are bound to act in such a way which is harmful for the society. It says that a person should endeavour to come to the mode of goodness, once situated in the mode of goodness a person will work for the betterment of the society.

Krishna clearly articulates that person in the mode of ignorance will commit such heinous crimes. Unless there is transformation from the modes of ignorance to modes of goodness there is no chance that the person will do any good to the society.

So, if we are really serious about transforming the society then at first we need to transform the education system. Our education system should not shun spirituality but should embrace it. The purpose of education system should not be to just provide information but it should also transform pupils’ heart & cleanse their conscience. Schools & colleges should not be just a temple of education for namesake but in true sense it should bring a person closer to Lord which will ensure that the person is situated in the mode of goodness.

It can only be possible if we take the shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Krishna & chant the mantra:

If it happens then we will have peace, prosperity and happiness everywhere.

Searching the ‘NEW’

What changes from 31st Dec to 1st Jan? On 31st Dec too sun rises from the east & sets in the west so happens on 1st Jan; the sky still continues to remain blue; the water of the rivers, the lakes & the oceans continues to flow as it did on the 31st; the color of the leaves, the aroma of the flowers is still the same; schools, colleges & workplaces will also remain unchanged; jobs & professions will also be the same. Scientifically also the earth will continue to rotate around its own old axis and will revolve around the same old orbital path.
So, scientifically speaking & logically speaking there is nothing new which happens on 1st. If nothing changes & everything remains the same then what do we celebrate on 1st Jan? But still we celebrate on 1st, still we enjoy. Our celebration isn’t hollow, it’s not artificial. In fact we impatiently await the arrival of 1st Jan as a groom impatiently awaits the arrival of the new bride.
So if there is nothing for us to rejoice on 1st Jan then why we desperately wait for it? What do we celebrate on this very day? The answer to this question is too simple. On 1st Jan neither we celebrate any success nor do we expect something extraordinary to happen in our life. Celebration is confined to the passing of a previous year and the arrival of the New Year.
We can’t do anything about the year which is gone & we cannot celebrate for a year which is still to unfold. We just have a hope that the New Year which begins on 1st Jan will usher us in an era of unflinching joy & happiness. No matter whether we belong to haves or haves not category we all eagerly await the dawn of New Year.
The word ‘New’ in New Year has great significance in our life. Since, we always experience a void in our life so we have a hope that the ‘New’ will be able to fill the void.
What is the void which we try to fill? Each & every individual – rich or poor, young or old, men or women, black or white, Hindus or Muslims, Christians or Jews, Indians or Americans, Pakistanis or Australians – wants a particular thing in their life & that priceless thing is ‘bliss’; yes every being knowingly or unknowingly is looking for bliss in their life.
To be blissful is our fundamental right, every one of us seek for bliss in our lives because as a soul we are sac-cid-anand i.e. eternal, blissful and full of knowledge. So, we impatiently wait for the ‘New’ in the New Year with a hope that the New will fill our void and help us to lead a blissful life.
However our quest for something new always boils down to 4 things: eating, mating, sleeping & defending. The Srimad Bhagavatam describes: punah punas carvita carvananam “Chewing the chewed”. Since, we have been indulging in these 4 activities since time immemorial, so we find nothing new in these activities. So, sooner than later we find that the bliss for which we were looking for is missing.
Although we try all possible means to lead a blissful life but still we always find there is something which is lacking in our endeavor. If it’s so then this New Year, why don’t we try something really ‘NEW’? As a seeker of bliss why don’t we turn towards the giver of bliss?
Lord is infinite & is eternally new (nitya navanavayamana), so when we love the Lord then it is always a new blissful experience for us. This is why great souls like Narada Muni, Prahlada, Haridas Thakur, Meerabai, Surdas, Rupa Goswami, Sanatana Goswami and other great sages always meditated on the Lord & were transcendentally blissful. They never sought after for any external pleasure because internally they were totally satisfied.
So this New Year why don’t we take a resolution that we will endeavor to re-awaken our dormant love for the Lord. As Srila Prabhupada says, “The rich father does not like to see his son become a crazy fellow loitering in the street. But if his son does not come home, there is no loss for the father. And if the son comes back to the home of his rich father, it is in the son’s interest. “
So Krishna, our eternal father, is eagerly waiting for us, we just have to take a small step in that direction. A small endeavor from our side will ensure that we eternally enjoy a blissful life.