Family and its values chapter 5-7

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By admin | December 16, 2008

Chapter-5

Bad Education, Bad Student and Bad Teacher

It has been said that, “ A villain having evil thoughts quarrels and fights on getting education, indulges in enjoyment, show and egoism on getting wealth and harasses others on getting power. On the others, and spreads the light of knowledge on getting educated, offers charity to deserving people in chosen sphere on getting wealth and provides protection to others on getting power.”

Good use and abuse of a thing depends on the spirit and method behind its application. To cook, to run and engine or a factory in a safe way is a proper use of fire and to immolate oneself same way knowledge and education can be put to good use or abuse. A student who misuses his education and teacher is unworthy and bad student. A teacher who misuses the student and the knowledge is a bed teacher. The education that has bad effect on students, teachers and others is a bad education. As a potter makes good vessels from good clay and employing good methods, a good vessels from good student by good education and employing good methods. A good potter cannot make good vessels from a bad clay even by employing the best possible method, in the same way a good teacher cannot produce a good student out of a bad person even by employing the best possible methods of teaching. Also when the potter and clay are good and the method is not proper, good vessels cannot be produced. For the reason Chanakya has said that, “A blind person can never see his face in a mirror, a piece of coal can never become white even when washed with milk hundreds of times, a crow can never speak like a cuckoo or a parrot howsoever hard you may teach him, in the same way a very poor student cannot be well educated in spite of best of methods and efforts.” It has been said that, “Preaching a fool increases his anger and does not bring him peace. Therefore one should be choosy while teaching.” One should impart knowledge only to the deserving and able students. Then only it bears fruits. Similarly, good teachers and goods teaching methods are required for good students for obtaining desired results.

Good nourishing fruits become toxic when rotten. Consumption of such fruits may produce diseases or may even cause death. In the same way when misuse or deterioration takes place of education or the teacher or the student, the results can be dangerous. King Ravana had good education, intellect and power, he misused these and it becomes the cause of his own death and the destruction of his kingdom. The Pandavas and Karakas had common Guru (teacher), heritage and land. But by good use of education Pandavas earned fame, kingdom and heaven, whereas the Kauravas brought defame, death and hell by its misuse. Similarly all evil persons do have knowledge, intellect and power but by putting these to misuse they harm themselves as well as others. The scientists invented the atomic weapons for the good of humanity but by dropping these weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during Second World War America killed millions of people and destroyed property worth billion of dollars. History shows that generally most people have misused the knowledge, intellect, wealth and power.

When Britishers gained education, prosperity and power they colonized and exploited other countries by diplomacy in the garb of preaching religion or promoting business. Similarly white skinned people exploited, enslaved and killed the black skinned people who were uneducated and ignorant. Any country or nation that attained prosperity educationally or otherwise, looted, robbed and enslaved other. Hence a wise man should always keep in view the good and bed use of education.

There are some psychological aspects of education. In childhood children by nature are naughty and mischievous as their body organs are very active and blood circulation is high. They do not sit at one place and do not remain silent. They enjoy this state, which also helps in their physical and mental development. They learn through play and prepare for future life. Hence children must be brought up with love and care. When a mother feeds the baby with love the baby has a balanced growth but when she feeds in anger the milk is poisoned and it has adverse effect on the physical and mental development of the baby. When a baby is not satisfied or parts from the mother he expresses his feelings by crying. Babies cry in different ways in different situations and a good mother can read the feelings behind it. An unsatisfied child also shows anger and can express it in a destructive way. The parents should study the psychology of the child and find suitable solution to his problems. In the absence of this the child can develop the qualities of inferiority complex, cowardness, fear, rudeness etc. Besides love, discipline is also required for children. Without discipline the children become rude, arrogant, stubborn, and fearless.

It is also observed that children cannot be educated if they do not have a will to do so. When a child develops an internal desire to learn and progress then only the teachings of parents and the teacher would light his path. But in any case they should not be forced and their feeling should not be hurt. A child has a tender mind and heart in a tender body. Hence he should be educated and disciplined keeping in mind his nature and habits. As gold is obtained by heating the ore, and a pitcher worth storing water is obtained by heating the clay structure, in the same way discipline that children brought up with excessive attachment develop various kinds of offensive behavior. Suitable punishment to improve the faulty behavior and to bring them on right path helps develop several virtues in children. However up to the age of five years children are very sensitive, helpless and weak and they should be treated with love and utmost care. Any punishment and condemnation in this age would develop in them frustration, tension, complex, fear etc. After five years the body, mind and sense organs of children are sufficiently mature. Hence at this age stricter discipline must be enforced to suitably teach and educate them. When they enter the teen ages they develop some self-respect and self-esteem and their simplicity, flexibility, receipt ability and memory somewhat decline. Therefore those who have not been educated and properly cultured before the dawn of teen age do not easily accept the discipline. Hence the teenagers should be given love and friendly treatment.

Observance of duty is greater than demanding rights.
Be a nourisher of soul and not an exploiter of others.
Change your thinking for reforming your conduct.

A wise virtuous and dutiful person is superior to a senior, authoritative, autocrat or a learned individual.

A person who does not give up meanness, blind traditions, wrong convention, and injustice, untruthful and sinful behavior fearing punishment really deserves punishment.

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