Acharya Mahaprajna
Central Chronicle
Primary education is very important for structuring the new brain, for education helps develop the child's brain
-Acharya Mahaprajna
We can identify the cause of failure if we take into consideration both the scientific and spiritual contexts. Spiritually speaking, the cause lies in the fact that society is doing nothing to subdue lust, anger, passion, conceit and greed; on the contrary it is inciting them all the more.
If the process and education of subduing passions is started, both the social and economic systems can be changed. From the standpoint of science, the cause of the failure lies in hyperactivity of the left lobe of the brain. No efforts are being made to activate the right lobe. In my opinion, the above two ways are about the best for changing the system. The present state is like the one in which the car engine is being constantly changed and improved but complete indifference is being shown to the driver. We may produce the best and the most advanced aircraft, motorcar and ship, but they may turn out to be instruments of disaster in the absence of a skilled pilot, driver or captain. It is here that the problem exists and it should be properly attended to.
Anuvrat says that no system, howsoever good, will ensure good results unless the quality of the individual is good. Do we not have a good constitution?
Do we lack good jurisprudence? Both are unquestionably good, but the important thing is the quality of those who have the responsibility of applying and implementing them. The basic question here is how to resolve the above problem. The solution lies in activating the layer of the neocortex brain. It is beyond the ability of political parties and various institutes and organizations.
For effecting the change the following three factors are responsible:
Primary Education, The Media and Religious Teachers.
Primary education is very important for structuring the new brain, for education helps develop the child's brain. It is between the ages of five and ten years that the crucial decision as to which layer of the brain has to be made more effective has to be taken. There will be no need to worry about the college and university education, if we succeed in arranging the right type of primary education. The most crucial period is that of primary education. By giving proper attention to the child and its brain up to the time he or she enters the secondary stage, it should be possible to change the social and economic systems, and exploitation, crime and corruption control.
The second important element are the media. They should resolve not to give publicity to any event or use of language likely to excite and activate the animal brain. A great opportunity of radically improving the situation will be created if media restraint is observed.
Religious teachers can play the most important role for achieving the above purpose. The situation can be changed and improved if they make their followers take the vow that good habits have to be formed in their chidren and their animal brain has to be rendered ineffective.
But the difficulty lies in the fact that education itself has been a big problem; it is not delivering the goods, with the result that it is not imparting what it should and is imparting excessively what it should not.
Time and again, we have stressed the need for finding ways of taking away from what is being taught and adding those things that are not being taught. Serious thought has to be given to how much can be given up and how and how much something else can be added. Unless it is attended to, it is not possible to bring about institutional changes in the social and economic systems.
The media too are wanting in this regard. Much of what is appearing in the newspapers and radio programmes and on the television screens is simply incapable of developing personality and refining the animal brain.
Even religious teachers are making no efforts in this direction. They are busy ensuring their safety and survival, with the result that due attention is not being paid to matters concerning reform. Thus, all the three agencies - education, the media and the religious teachers - capable of transforming society are at the moment inactive.