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Views of Swami Vivekananda in the field of Education /Prasun Kanjilal

Views of Swami Vivekananda in the field of Education

Prasun Kanjilal


Swami Vivekananda's realism deals with the critical phase of human race where mankind is passing through a crisis. Human beings losing their finer human sentiments; morality and religious values are gradually becoming mechanical on account of excessive concentration to scientific and mechanical advancement in life by reducing man to the status of a machine. Swamiji realizes this harsh reality. His self-realization also leads him to think about the sheer ignorance of the basic principles of civilization. Conflicts of ideas, manners and habits are pervading the atmosphere. Disregard for everything old is the fashion of the day. He makes out that the inner and outer conflicts regarding idealism; mannerism and habit are gradually devouring the country, India. Moreover, the great hoary and cultural heritage of the country is being forgotten. Vivekananda strives to solve all these social and global evils by awakening man's inner spiritualism, and for this, education is a must. With this end in view, he feels the dire need of education. It is the only scientific process by which the purpose of human beings is accomplished. Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902), a great thinker and reformer of India, embraces education, which for him signifies "man-making", as the very mission of his life. Going through this article, one can get acquainted with the indomitable analytical power of Swamiji that purports to expound his views on education; an endeavor has been made to focus on the basic theme of his philosophy, viz. the spiritual unity of the universe. Whether it concerns the goal aim of education, or its method of approach or its component parts all his thoughts, we shall observe, stem from this dormant theme of his philosophy which has its moorings in "Vedanta".

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According to Vivekananda, the present trends of education indicate only to acquire bookish knowledge without having any definite aim. A teacher seems to be wondering like an aimless cloud, floating in the sky. He seems to have no idea about the motto of his teaching. He is, as if, the very sculptor who does not have even any idea about what he seeks to shape out of the marble block; A painter who does not know what he is going to paint, A dramatist lacking the idea of what message he intends to convey to the spectators can never satiate the purpose of the drama. Likewise, a teacher having no definite goal is like a moving ship without the rudder.

Swamiji, through his philosophy of education based on dormant features of "Vedanta", tries to substantiate that radiant knowledge acquired from the ocean of education can only instill in our heart to be a man in the true sense of the term. Swamiji attempts to establish, through his words and deeds, that the end of all education is man making. According to Vedanta, the essence of man lies in his soul, which he possesses in addition to his body and mind. In true with this philosophy, Swamiji defines education as "the manifestation of the perfection already in man." The aim of education is to manifest in our lives the perfection, which is the very nature of our inner self. This perfection is the realization or extensive comprehension of the infinite power and divinity, which resides in everything and everywhere existence, consciousness and bliss leading to the concept "Satchidananda". After realizing of perfection, we should identify it with sable nature of perfection; we should identify it with our inner self with absolute separate entity. For achieving this, one will have to eliminate one's ego, ignorance, vanity, falsity, which stands in the way. Color-complex that acts as hindrance will have to be ripped in the bud or if already grown must be done away with from our society. Meditation, fortified by moral purity and passionate truth, helps man to leave behind the body, the senses, the ego and all other non-self elements, which are perishable. He thus realizes his immoral divine self, which is of the nature of infinite existence, limitation knowledge and endless bliss. At this stage, man becomes aware of his self as identical with all other selves of the universe, i.e. different selves as manifestations of the same self.


The chief preaches of Vivekananda's philosophy is "Adwaita" proclaiming "Unity in Diversity". Therefore, man making for him means a harmonious development of the body, mind and soul. Proper education thus enables one to comprehend one's self within as the self everywhere. The uniformity of the entire universe is thus obtained unanimously through education.

Accordingly, man making for Swamiji stands for rousing mans to the awareness of his true self. However, education thus signified does not point towards the development of the soul in isolation from body and mind. He often quotes the Upanishad dictum "nayamatma balahinena labhyah", i.e. the self cannot be realized by the physically weak. In his scheme of education, Swamiji lays great stress on physical health because a sound mind resides in a sound body. The self can never meditation, concentration and cultivation of ethical purity are only the virtuous qualities, which govern the mind of the pupils through vigorous training & practice.


In Vivekananda's view, success in any field lies in the intensity of concentration power. However, along with physical culture, he harps on the need of paying special attention to the culture of the mind. By way of illustration, he mentions that the chemist in the laboratory concentrates all the powers of his mind and brings them into one focus - the elements to be analyzed and finds out their secrets. Chemist in the laboratory centralizes his essence of concentration in central point of his realization and the result is needless to say. Concentration, which necessarily implies detachment from other things, constitutes a part of the doctrine Brahmacharya that is one of the guiding mottos of his scheme of education. Brahmacharya, in a nutshell, stands for the practice of self-control for securing harmony of the impulses.

Accordingly, "Education is not the amount of information all your life" thus Swamiji's philosophy of education unveils it as a comprehensive training for life; instead of considering it to pile up information merely in the brain. Education is such an unparallel process through which formation of character with the enhanced mental strength and electrifying intellect can be assimilated, as a result of which one can stand on one's own feet.
Having analyzed the goal or objective of education, the next question that naturally arises is about the method of imparting education.

 According to him, to rouse the knowledge within man from its dormant stage, as knowledge is inherent, this again substantiates the cord of Vedanta in Swamiji's theory. He illustrates his point by referring to the growth of a plant, one cannot do anything more than supplying it with water, and air and manure while it grows from within its own nature, so happens to a human child. A man "knows" that signifies what he "discovers" by taking the cover off his own soul. Thus Swamiji enlivens the duties, responsibilities and obligation of a teacher till his last breath. The sole aim of a teacher is to manifest a child's knowledge by removing obstacles in its way. In his words: "Thus Vedanta says that within man is all knowledge even in a boy it is so and it requires only an awakening and that much is the work of a teacher". Vivekanada's method of education resembles the heuristic method of the modern educationalist. In this system, the teacher invokes the spirit of inquiry in the pupil who is supposed to find out things for himself under the bias free guidance of the teacher. To Swamiji, if home is considered a child's first parents, the second one is of course its school. Both the parents and the teachers should guide the child by the way they live their lives.
Swamiji's recommendation to the ancient institution of "Gurukula" (living with preceptor), leads the students to come across the ideal teacher constantly before him, which sets an example to be followed. Besides giving importance to mother tongue for social and mass education, he also prescribes to learn English and Sanskrit to become familiar and spontaneous with western science & technology and to digest the princip'
& fundamentals values of endless classics of our native land respectively. Though the universalization of language instead of confining it within a small section of people; a society having unity & amity can be formed.


Next the ideal curriculum formed by the culture values of the motherland is highlighted with Swamiji's foresight. Vivekananda, in his scheme of education, meticulously includes all those studies, which are necessary for the all around development of the body, mind and soul of the individual. These studies can be brought under the broad heads of physical culture, aesthetics, classics, language, religion, science and technology. Through the study of the classics, viz. Ramayana, Mahabharata, Gita, Vedas and Upanishad; the culture, the spiritual and the time-tested values can be imbibed into the thoughts and lives of the pupils. We should keep in mind that the spiritual values are the roots of the hoary culture and tradition of India. This will keep the perennial flow of our spiritual values into the world culture. Our spiritual values, instead of being transitory and fragile, will be permanent by making their own identity oozing into the global culture. Without teaching of aesthetics of fine arts, the purpose of education, after Swamiji, will be futile. For an example, Japan is a vivid instance of the combination of art and utility, which she has assimilated to make her sublime. Religion however does not demand any kind of special doctrine; rather it has to be free from the curse of superstition, prejudices, ignorance and all evils. Religion does not consist in dogmas or creeds or any set of rituals. Religion is nothing but the realization of the divinity already within man. Here in lies the essentiality of education that points out religion as the innermost core of education.


All impulses, thoughts and actions, which lead one towards this goal, are naturally ennobling and harmonizing, and are ethical and moral in the truest sense. It is in this context that Swamiji's idea of religion, as the basis of education should be understood. We note that in his interpretation, religion and education share the identity of purpose. Swamiji believes that
if education with its religious core can invigorate man's faith in his divine nature and the infinite potentialities of the human soul, it is sure to help man become strong, yet tolerant and sympathetic. It will also help man to extend his love and good will beyond the communal, national and racial barriers. Vivekananda, in his plan for the regeneration of India, repeatedly presses the need for the eradication of poverty, unemployment and ignorance. Hence in Swamiji's view, for the development of a balanced nation, we have to combine the dynamism and scientific attitude of the West with the spirituality of our country. The entire educational program should be so planned that it equips the youth to contribute to the material progress of the country as well as to maintaining the supreme worth of India's spiritual heritage.


He observes that although men and women are equally competent in academic matters, yet women have a special aptitude and competence for studies relating to home and family. Hence he recommends the introduction of subjects like sewing, nursing, domestic science, culinary art, etc which were not parts of education at his time. Another important aspect of Swamiji's scheme of education is women's education. He realizes that it if the women of our country get the right type of education, then they will be able to solve their own problems in their own way. The main objective of his scheme of female education is to make them strong, fear-less, and conscious of their chastity and dignity.


To refer to his own words: "Traveling through many cities of Europe and observing in them the comforts and education of even the poor people, there was brought to my mind the state of our own poor people and I used to shed tears. When made the difference? "Education" was the answer I got." The exposition and analysis of Vivekananda's scheme of education brings to light its constructive, practical and comprehensive character. He realizes that it is only through education that the uplift of masses is possible. He strives to harmonize the traditional values of India with the new values brought through the progress of science and technology. He states it emphatically that if society is to be reformed, education has to reach everyone-high and low, because individuals are the very constituents of society. The sense of dignity rises in man when he becomes conscious of his inner spirit, and that is the very purpose of education.
It is in the transformation of man through moral and spiritual education that he finds the solution for all social evils. Founding education on the firm ground of our own philosophy and culture, he shows the best of remedies for today's social and global illness. Through his scheme of education, he tries to materialize the moral and spiritual welfare and upliftment of humanity, irrespective of caste, creed, nationality or time. However, Swami Vivekananda's scheme of education, through which he wanted to build up a strong nation that will lead the world towards peace and harmony, is still a far cry.

It is high time that we give serious thought to his philosophy of education and remembers his call to every-body- 'Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached.'
সংগ্রহ করতে পারেন। হোয়াটসঅ্যাপ -৯৭৩২৫৩৪৪৮৪

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