Today, education is measured in terms of degree(s) and knowledge has been limited to information. It is only because the concept of knowledge has been caught in the confines of information that the probability of getting an educator’s task done by a computer has been intensified. We are passing through such a phase, where there has been a reduction in the level of education but there has been a marked rise in the number of educated people. This generation of educated people cannot find easily, an alternative way of becoming self-dependent without a job. This is the generation that crowds around the offices which provide employment and because of the problem of unemployment, choose to curse the government. The solution to this problem is hidden within the fallibility of the concept of knowledge.
Knowledge is futile unless it is adapted into a vision. This vision should be such that it holds the power to result in the betterment of life and society by giving rise to pragmatic tasks. This vision is not the same as that limited vision which has its boundaries only up to the specific theme of a specific subject; For instance, the theme of a particular historical age or that of a particular writer’s literary skills. Undoubtedly, one attains deep knowledge in a field if he performs research on something specific under a broad topic. However, this understanding will only benefit one’s life or society if it is viewed in the light of an all-encompassing vision. A vision that can determine the direction, in which the subject that has been studied, takes the development of human life, society and culture? Such a vision will exhibit a role like that of a compass. The ability to create such a vision exists in Philosophy.
The ancient philosophy of India can string together the scattered visions into a single thread and thereby, produce usable knowledge for life and society. To extract this purpose from philosophy, its essence needs to be understood and the ability to view the subjects in their entirety must be cultivated. As soon as such a perception gets its wings, the ability to view reality from a certain height will be granted and from here, the direction can be understood into which this reality is taking life and society. The biggest obstacle that exists in today’s era is that the nature of the world and the various aspects that lie within are not tried to be understood as a whole, instead, the concepts of history, literature, science, mathematics, etc. are captured in different boxes and left to be ingrained. Today, thoughts have scattered to such an extent that it has blocked our vision to see how the train of knowledge with boxed compartments can reach the platform of life without an engine?
Actually, for the ease of incomprehensibility, just as it is important to divide subjects into categories, it is equally important that the knowledge obtained from history, geography, literature, mathematics, science, etc. must be strung into one and used as a medium to gain an insight into the nature of the world, its course of action and the centers of Shakti. This is because the earth which is divided among individuals, families, societies, countries and nations is a part of the universe and this universe exhibits several scientifically proven powers, and man contains a part of this power. Ancient philosophy is a guide to understand the universe and through scientifically proven facts, the way of the universe and its impact on the earth and its inhabitants can be understood.
There are three branches of philosophy. The first one pertains to the possibilities, sources and methodology of the attainment of the knowledge of a subject. The second branch is related to the understanding of the world through the means of knowledge. The third branch is related to the questions of morals and ethics. Out of these, the second branch is the most talked about. This branch struggles with the questions on the understanding of the nature of the world, nature of the soul and spirit, and the nature of eternity. Today, through the depression and dissatisfaction that is seen in those with a job and those who are educated yet unemployed, it can be felt that the soul residing within an individual possesses a special position. Understanding this soul should certainly be an exclusive aim of education. It is vital to nourish the soul and make it compatible with its nature through education. This nourished soul is capable of making one look for a path that will make their life and society better. Without learning the nature of the soul and trying to instill within a person a desire to do something, just by taking the help of superficial elements, is futile. On keeping aside the question of the nature of the soul, if an individual is made to feel interested in something, then they have to be subjected to greed born of wealth, position, employment or something else. Creating such kind of greed is equivalent to making a dog run by showing him a bone. This naturally leads to the transformation of human beings into dogs. Today, advertisements are exactly doing this through psychology. The anti-thesis of this procedure is shut in the casket of philosophy. In this era, due to the disintegration of morality and the deterioration of mental peace, the question of understanding the soul has become very vital.
The concept of eternity holds the ability to provide a direction to the question of the development of the soul. It would be wrong to call eternity a moral entity or the Almighty. This is because the concepts of God and moral entities have been developed as a reaction to societal development. The flexibility of these concepts has also encouraged its misuse. The concept of eternity is the basis of the universe. The root of all the actions that operate in the universe is energy. The human body made out of the five elements is an electromagnetic apparatus. The life-force is that electric current that governs it. Just like wires are heated from within due to electric current, similarly, the life-force causes the body to remain warm. The moment the life-force exits the body, it starts turning cold. The blood vessels and arteries are like wires through which blood flows like a current. In the psychological products, namely thought and prayers, of this body composed of the five elements, there exists the energy that is capable of creating vibrations through atoms. The impact depends upon the intensity of the energy which creates the vibrations.
In this regard, we may view the condition of “this era is not fit for doing good to people” exists simply because of the looseness in the thoughts and intentions of those rooting for honesty and goodness. The placement of energy in the elements of the matter is carried out differently. The electromagnetic field of energy can be photographed using Kirlian Photography or a G.D.V camera. In the photograph, this area is visible in the form of light which is commonly known as the aura. The aura of a person (electro-magnetic field) being strong or weak is determined by his thoughts, emotions and beliefs.
The soul residing in an individual has such energy that can become the basis of vibrations and identifying it with the pace and flow of the universe, influence its condition. This is why a human being is the supreme being of the universe. In this incredible creation of the universe, there lies a hidden feature (Kasturi: refer to the myth of the Kasturi Mrig), the essence of which can only be spread through education. It is only through education that the secret of the universe can be explained to the new generation. Unfortunately, today’s education is oblivious to the question of the knowledge of the universe. In the field of education, the only influential thing that exists is the attainment of a degree which is a result of good scores and grades.
The definitions of space, time and energy which are ingrained into the minds of people from the school itself are an influence of this material perception. This perception of time and space also controls the perception of history and literature. Viewing the conditions from here is viewing the conditions from a ground level. From this level, we not only see the intricacies and causal relations but also are encapsulated in the feeling of horror and pervasiveness of the condition. We dive right into the underworld to find the roots of these issues but even after recognizing the problems are unable to look for a solution to uproot them. The very nature of feudal values and capitalism as such. Even if litterateurs view the world and the society from the ground level through cultural, social or political points of view, all they will see is the horror of consumerism and capitalism. It is impossible to find a way to get rid of these at this level. This is because it is at this level that the influence of education, religion, culture, science and even philosophy have compressed the energy of the soul through capitalism.
In ancient philosophy, there exists the capability of granting a vision to view the ways of the universe. In other words, it holds the power to lift the point of view from the ground level to something higher. From this level, another side of the truth can be perceived. This is the level that is the power center of the energy of several of India’s sages. Sankhya Darshan (a Hindu philosophy), a knowledge locked in the casket of Vedic collections has evolved at this level. On viewing from this level, it is seen that the world is the arena for the game of energy. Death too is an incident resulted from the transformation of energy. Through knowledge, the energy present in the five-elemental body can be kept alight and a fitting life can be lived. From the past until now, subjects like history, geography, literature, mathematics, science, sociology, political science, philosophy, etc. and the other new subjects that are taught in colleges and universities provide knowledge to an individual in a way such that he can use his inherent energy to enhance one’s life and the society; to establish this through workplaces is a huge demand of the present.
The first step to understanding the nature of the world and the universe can be taken by adding the topic of the inspection of visible nature to the curriculum of schools. Ancient philosophy has blossomed in the lap of nature. In this, the basis of understanding the world and the universe is the inspection of nature. Man is a part of nature and by connecting himself to its aspects and viewing the collective nature and capabilities of the two and feeling a likeness and contrast, should be a part of man’s education. With such an education, a student’s mind and brain can be developed by identifying with nature. It is only through the inspection of the visible nature that human vision can start moving towards the understanding of the connection between his inner nature and the universe. The inner vision which is evolved through this mechanism, by teaching subjects from a unique level in schools, colleges and universities, can succeed in looking for a path that would enhance one’s life and society.
Author: Dr. Rakhi Roy Halder
Translator: Harshita Srivastava ( Translated from original text written in Hindi)
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