THE
AIM OF EDUCATION:
A
LIGHT FROM THE MOTHER
KIREET JOSHI *
What should be the aim
of Education in India?
We drafted an answer to
this question, somewhat as follows:
“The most important step
would be to place before the youth the best, that is, the highest and noblest
aim of life.
“A capital factor in the
degeneration of India has been the idea that life is an illusion. This idea
should be replaced by the positive idea that life is an evolving reality, and
that it is at present a field of battle through which the eternal perfection is
moulding us in its own image. The ultimate aim of life is to be completely
transformed so as to become a fully developed and effective means of the
manifestation of that perfection, and thus to be a field of progressive harmony
and unity.
“Children should aspire
to become hero warriors to fight successfully the great battle of transformation
against all falsehood; they should be the seekers and realisers of a total
perfection in the physical life itself.
“Each temperament and
soul-nature (Svabhava) should be led to its natural perfection; and body, life
and mind should be fully developed under the sovereign guidance of the soul and
spirit.”
At a suitable time, I
took this draft to The Mother, and read it out to Her for Her approval.
The Mother approved it,
but then She added: “I should say it is what may be called a prudent answer.”
These few words–but the
force of the criticism–went home and the entire draft seemed pale and lifeless.
It did not have the directness and sharpness; it tried to say something in a
rather circular way, in a form which people might accept without much objection
and yet would feel hardly any living impact. A mental formulation of the
ideal–a weak apology. Indeed, it was what may be called a prudent answer.
What to say then? I
prayed to The Mother to tell us what ideal of Education we should place before
India.
In answer, She took a
sheet of paper, and wrote in clear, simple, sharp, potent words:
“There is a Divine
Reality wanting to be manifested. We aim at knowing this Reality and working
for its manifestation.”
* Kireet Joshi, Registrar, Sri Aurobindo
International Centre of Education, Pondicherry, had recounted this in course of
a chat with the Guest Editor of this issue. At the request of the Guest Editor,
he wrote it down later.
“Keep the certitude of
the final Victory constantly present in your mind and the way will be
much shorter.
The final Victory is
already there present in the Lord, waiting for the earth to become aware of
it.”
–THE MOTHER