Sri Ramakrishna Math : The Vedanta Kesari, Education as Viewed by Swami Vivekananda

Swami Shivamayananda is a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order and one of the Assistant Secretaries of the Ramakrishna Math & Mission Headquarters at Belur Math, Howrah. He has a long experience in the field of Education as headmaster and principal of a few schools and colleges run by the Mission.

Swami Vivekananda is known to the world as the patriot-saint of India, as a social reformer, as a religious leader, as a philosopher and so on. But that he was an educationist who propounded original ideas on education, particularly suited to Indian situation is perhaps not so widely known. He developed his idea of education after seeing for himself the condition of Indians, in both urban and rural areas, and also the education elsewhere outside India. It is based on his first hand knowledge, and deep sympathy for people. One striking idea which comes out of his exhortations about education is that he wanted to see people 'stand on their own legs', which in modern language is called participation. He said, 'All the wealth of the world cannot help one little Indian village if the people are not taught to help themselves.'¹ The educational institutions run by the Ramakrishna Mission have been trying to put into practice some of the educational ideas of Swamiji. The result, we know, is quite encouraging.

Swami Vivekananda's theory of education is based on the Vedanta Philosophy, which is the unique contribution of India to human civilization. It is especially suited to the spiritual psyche of Indians. It may be noted that it is not a revival of the ancient educational system, but its readjustment with the changed modern scenario.

We are all acquainted with Swamiji's oftquoted definition of education: 'Education is the manifestation of the perfection already in man.' Beneath the alliterative beauty of this definition there is a profound meaning which one is likely to miss owing to the excessive familiarity of the definition. The 'perfection' alluded to here is the perfection of the human soul--the Self, which by its very nature is perfect. The part 'already in man' means that perfection is innate and not acquired.

This is a well-known Vedantic concept. According to Vedanta, man's real nature is pure consciousness, known as the Atman, which is beyond body and mind. According to Swamiji, the Atman is the ultimate source of not only all knowledge and happiness, but also of all noble qualities and capacities inherent in man. Education is the process by which this innate perfection is manifested.

Here we have to understand what Swamiji meant by the word 'manifestation'. The word 'manifestation' usually means the appearance, emergence, unfoldment of something that is already there. It is here that the role of the teacher has relevance.

Swamiji held that the teacher's role consists chiefly in providing an external stimulus and in removing the obstacles to the manifestation of inner knowledge. Swamiji gives the example of the plant. A plant grows by itself. We can only hasten that growth by loosening the soil around it and watering it. To quote Swamiji's words: 'No one was ever really taught by another. Each of us has to teach himself. The external teacher offers only the suggestion which rouses the internal teacher to work to understand things.'²

Swamiji thinks that the most important method of education is developing the power of concentration and detachment. The mind of an ordinary man only partially attends to the object it has to deal with. Through concentration, all the powers of the mind can be brought to bear upon one object. It has then tremendous power to which the secret of the object of study reveals itself. That is why Swamiji says: 'If I had to do my education once again, I would not study facts at all. I would develop the power of concentration and detachment; then with a perfect instrument, (i.e. mind) collect facts at will.'³

Swamiji also gives great importance to the training of the will and says: 'The training by which the current and expression of will are brought under control and become fruitful, is called education.'⁴

The method of giving positive ideas is another unique feature in Swami Vivekananda's scheme of education. To quote him on this point: 'In language and literature, in poetry and arts, in everything we must point out not the mistakes that people are making in their thought and actions, but the way in which they will be able to do these things better.'⁵ Explaining the reasons why he wanted that positive ideas be imparted, he said, 'By education I do not mean the present system, but something in the line of positive teaching. Mere book-learning won't do. We want that education by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded, and by which one can stand on one's own feet.⁶'

In the educational programme chalked out by Swami Vivekananda, there is a happy combination of Oriental and Occidental cultures: along with the knowledge of the glorious spiritual heritage of India, students must also study western science and technology.

Swamiji's ideas on this subject are better expressed in his own words. We all know how he inspired Jamshedji Tata in this respect. He said, 'It would be better if the people got a little technical education, so that they might find work and earn their bread, instead of dawdling about and crying for service.'⁷

Swamiji saw that the immediate problem facing the country, that needed careful attention, is the production of enough food for the hungry millions, 'Who constitute society? The millions-- or you, I or a few others of the upper classes?'⁸--was his question. Even now, at least 35% of the people in India are still below the poverty line. Swamiji wanted Indians to master western science and technology and improve their economic condition. He was not against the use of machines and technology. But he taught us that we should be masters of machines and not their slaves.

In this scheme, Swamiji assigns a very important place to the education of the masses as also to the education of women.

An account of Swami Vivekananda's views on education will not be complete without touching upon his profound thoughts on mass education. At a time when social leaders were busy with widow remarriage, abolition of idol worship and other social reforms relating to the upper strata of the society, Swami Vivekananda arose and pointed out that the neglect of the masses was the main cause of India's downfall. 'Our great national sin is the neglect of the masses and that is the cause of our downfall,' said Swamiji. 'No amount of politics would be of any avail until the masses in India are once more well educated, well fed and well cared for,' Swamiji pointed out.⁹

Swamiji not only diagnosed the real cause of India's downfall but also found the remedy for that. He showed that the only way to uplift the masses was through education. To quote his words, 'A nation is advanced in proportion as education and intelligence spread among the masses... If we are to rise again, we shall have to do it by spreading education among the masses.'¹⁰

Long before modern ideas of rural development and non-formal education were conceived, Swami Vivekananda pointed out that education would spread among the poor, only if it was taken to their places of work. To quote Swamiji's words, '...if the mountain does not come to Mohammed, then Mohammed must go to the mountain. Why should not education go from door to door, say, if a ploughman's boy cannot come to education why not meet him at the plough, at the factory, just wherever he is?'¹¹

Elsewhere he said, 'Therefore, instead of frittering away our energies on ideal reforms, which will never become practical, we had better go to the root of the evil and make a legislative body, that is to say, educate our people, so that they may be able to solve their own problems. Until that is done all these ideal reforms will remain ideals only. The new order of things is the salvation of the people by the people, and it takes time to make it workable, especially in India, which had always in the past been governed by kings.'¹²

Swamiji expressed these ideas in his letters and lectures. As many of us know, one of the main reasons for his going to the West was to seek financial aid for his project of uplifting the poor and the downtrodden through mass education. To an American questioner he said, 'Madam, I do not preach any religion. I have come here to earn something to help the poor in India.' Swamiji wanted that (to quote his own words), 'A hundred thousand men and women, fired with the zeal of holiness, fortified with eternal faith in the Lord, and nerved to lion's courage by their sympathy for the poor and the downtrodden, will go over the length and breadth of the land, preaching the gospel of salvation, the gospel of help, the gospel of social raising up--the gospel of equality.'¹³

In this respect he and his ideas did a pioneering work. We can profusely quote Swamiji on this one subject of great concern for all. Except some advanced countries, the world today seems to lag behind because of our neglect of women. The question was asked to Swamiji, 'Then have our women any problems at all, Swamiji?' To which his reply was:

Of course, they have many and grave problems, but none that are not to be solved by that magic word 'education'. The true education, however, is not yet conceived of amongst us.¹⁴

With such an education women will solve their own problems. They have all the time been trained in helplessness, servile dependence on others, and so they are good only to weep their eyes out at the slightest approach of a mishap or danger. Along with other things they should acquire the spirit of valour and heroism. In the present day it has become necessary for them also to learn self-defence. See how grand was the Queen of Jhansi!¹⁵

Swamiji's views on curriculum or subject-matter for school education have three unique features.

i) In the first place, Swamiji advocated incorporating science and technology in school curricula. In the course of a conversation, Swamiji once said: 'What we need is to study independent of foreign control, different branches of knowledge that is our own, and with it, English language and western science. We need technical education and all else that will develop industries, so that men instead of seeking service may earn enough to provide for themselves and save against a rainy day.'¹⁶

ii) The second characteristic feature of Swamiji's view on curricula is his concept of man-making education. Swamiji advocated the concept of total development of man which includes the physical, mental and spiritual.

iii) The third characteristic feature of Swamiji's view on curricula is his emphasis on certain values in education. On the concept of 'values', scholars differ widely.

Taking Swamiji's concept of man-making education into consideration we can give the following definition of values:

Values are attitudes or states of human mind which appraise things and courses of actions, and select and pursue that which tends to improve the quality of individual and collective life.

To put it more simply, values are moral, social and spiritual imperatives. Values are what we seek in life, apart from physical satisfactions. Values form the basis of culture.

It is now widely accepted by educators and educationists, Government and policy makers that the present system of education is devoid of value-orientation. The present system of education aims merely at acquiring information and technical skills. Referring to this Swami Vivekananda said, 'Education is not the amount of information that is put into your brain and runs riot there, undigested, all your life. We must have life-building, man-making, character-making assimilation of ideas. If you have assimilated five ideas and made them your life and character, you have more education than any man who has got by-heart a whole library.'¹⁷

Though Swamiji never used the term 'value' in the sense we use it now, we can identify certain important values which Swamiji stressed in education. These values are Shraddha or faith, strength and fearlessness, selflessness, moral purity etc.

i) Let us first take up Shraddha. Swamiji's concept of Shraddha is quite different from the popular understanding of it. In popular usage Shraddha means faith in God, in some unseen Power. But according to Swamiji true Shraddha is faith in oneself, in one's own true Self and inherent powers. Swamiji's bold statement in this regard is worth quoting here: 'We can see that all the difference between man and man is owing to the existence or non-existence of faith in oneself. Faith in ourselves will do everything. I have experienced it in my own life.... The old religions said he was an atheist who did not believe in God. The new religion says that he is an atheist who does not believe in himself.'¹⁸

ii) Closely connected with the doctrine of faith is another value--strength and its corollary fearlessness. The remarkable thing about Swamiji's doctrine of strength is that it is based on the concept of the Atman or true Self of man. The Upanishad says, Atmana vindate viryam--'From the Atman comes strength'. For centuries, this idea remained practically unknown, without any application in individual or collective life. It was Swami Vivekananda who brought out the immense practical significance of the doctrine of strength based on the Atman. To quote Swamiji's words: 'What makes a man stand up and work? Strength. Strength is goodness, weakness is sin. ...And the only religion that ought to be taught, is the religion of fearlessness. Either in this world or in the world of religion it is true that fear is the sure cause of degradation and sin. It is fear that brings misery, fear that brings death, fear that breeds evil. And what causes fear? Ignorance of our own nature.'¹⁹

Swamiji advocated physical strength also, especially for Indians. His statement, 'You will be nearer to Heaven through football than through the study of the Gita', is well known. But Swamiji never advocated brute strength, and his teachings should not be misconstrued to justify one's egoistic impulses or violence of any kind.

iii) Another value which occupies pride of place in Swamiji's scale of values is selflessness. He regarded unselfishness as the very basis of morality. In his lectures on Karma Yoga, Swamiji stated, 'The only definition that can be given of morality is this: that which is selfish is immoral, and that which is unselfish is moral.'²⁰

iv) Purity, especially chastity known as Brahmacharya is another virtue which Swami Vivekananda regarded as an essential part of value orientation. Some of the observations of Swamiji on this topic are worth quoting here. 'By the observance of strict Brahmacharya all learning can be mastered in a very short time--one has an unfailing memory of what one hears or knows but once. It is owing to this want of continence that everything is on the brink of ruin in our country.'²¹

In ancient India, like the military training, education of the Brahmacharis was conducted according to rigorous rules. As a result, educated persons, in general, would become disciplined men of noble character and the society accepted their advices without any reservation.

The question naturally arises here, how can these values be communicated to children and youths? Swamiji's answer is clear--'One should live from his very boyhood with one whose character is like a blazing fire and should have before him a living example of the highest teaching.'²² Everyone who has dealt with children and adolescents knows the truth of this statement. It is not possible to instill virtues and noble qualities in youngsters merely through sermons. It can be done only through living contact. Swamiji wanted the ancient tradition of guru kula vasa to be revived. That is why he said, 'Believe that the soul is immortal, infinite and all-powerful. My idea of education is personal contact with the teacher--Gurugriha-Vasa. Without the personal life of a teacher there would be no education. Take your Universities. What have they done during the fifty years of their existence? They have not produced one original man. They are merely an examining body. The idea of sacrifice for the common weal is not yet developed in our nation.'²³

Nearly half a century has passed since India attained independence. Education is now wholly in the hands of the Indian people. The time has come for us to evaluate what education has done for the people of this land and to understand our future options. Several education commissions and committees have submitted their reports. Three facts emerge from these reports: One, education is yet to reach the vast majority of the poor and the downtrodden. Two, the present system of education is not rooted in the indigenous culture of the land. Three, the existing system of education is not value oriented.

The ideas as envisaged and propounded by Swami Vivekananda provide clear answers to offset imbalances in our education system. Had Swamiji's ideas on education been put into practice, India's destiny would have been enviable. It is never too late to usher in reforms.

1. The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda,
Vol.8, 7th ed., (Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama, 1987), 7.523-24; hereafter cited as CW.
2. CW, 1.93
3. CW, 2.38-39
4. CW, 4.490
5. CW, 8.170
6. CW, 5.342
7. CW, 5.367
8. CW, 5.146
9. CW, 5.222
10. CW, 5.444
11. CW, 8.88-89
12. CW, 5.215
13. CW, 5.15
14. CW, 5.231
15. CW, 5.342
16. CW, 5.368
17. CW, 3.302
18. CW, 2.301
19. CW, 3.160
20. CW, 1.110
21. CW, 6.224
22. CW, 5.369
23. CW, 5.224