Acharya Tulsi
Who can get an education really? The question can be answered from various angles: one who is talented, or is admitted to a good school, one whose guardians can spend a lot of money, one who is industrious, etc. The perspective holds many possibilities. According to Agamvani:
To the conceited come many afflictions, while a modest person attains prosperity. He who is acquainted with these two truths,-is deserving of education.
Among the criteria of education-worthiness, the truth of one laid down in the Agams can be directly experienced. The pupil who looks upon the teacher as his guru, is submissive before him and wholeheartedly carries out the guru’s instructions, and accepts the hard discipline imposed upon him as being conducive to his development, is able to unravel the mysteries of learning and rises to great heights. The pupil, who is insolent, in disciplined and unintelligent, remains uneducated, no matter what efforts he puts in.
What is, after all, the aim of being educated? The query has a four-fold answer: to acquire learning, to achieve concentration, to realize oneself, and make others achieve self—realization. How many pupils and teachers are there who are inspired by these great ideals? Tied to the thread of wisdom, one cannot lose one's way at any crossing. The moment one lets go of this thread, one is embroiled in the net of money, power and sensuality and loses not only his goal, but also his life.
Is teaching merely a profession for the teacher of this century, or is he inspired by the aim of making his students, scientifically—minded, patriotic and great? Does student of today study with a view to acquiring knowledge is he primarily concerned with becoming a businessman to amass wealth? lt seems that the main objective of teaching and study has eluded both the teacher and the taught. This is at the root of the increasing number of problems in the field of education, and the educationists must needs give it their most serious consideration.
Education can by no means be limited to reading or cramming a book. Unless one lives what is taught, education cannot be said to be successful. Just as spirituality is not something to be crammed, but practised, similarly education becomes meaningful and authentic only when it is practical, It is but proper that the student, the teacher and the guardian are all imbued with the aim of spreading practical education.
