Religion and Education
EDINBURGH INTER-FAITH ASSOCIATION; ANNUAL CONFERENCE
                                                      Edinburgh City Chambers, High Street;
                                                                   Sunday 30th January 2005 - 2pm-5pm

Religion and Education : a Hindu perspective.

Namaskar, ladies and gentlemen, please join in the most popular Yoga prayer, coming from time much before religion was born; Aum bur bhuvah……

In today’s discussion on Religion and Education I share some thoughts from world’s oldest practicing faith system. Please note, I refrain from labelling it as a religion since a religion is bound by belief, obedience, worship and believers and non-believers. The faith I belong to, is sanatana dharma, in short Hindu faith.
Amongst other things, dharma also means – the one that sustains.

Core of Hinduism lies in the ‘mantra’ we chanted. All it says, and asks for, is – wisdom, the stage beyond education. It was enjoined that education was to be so given that it led not only to skills development but to ‘wisdom’. Its citizens would, therefore, respect streams for spiritual and life energy, honour and protect the cattle for milk and draft animals, practiced practical spirituality and ‘worshipped’ Ganga, Gow, Gita and Gayatri.

Today I will take a shot at defining what Hindu ‘education’ was about and how we continued to prosper with the spiritual element at the core of our ‘education’ system. While doing so, I will limit myself to 3 concepts of Dharma, Karma and Yajna in light of the 3 Veda, the root of Hindu system and Bhagvad Gita, the ‘Hinduism in practise’ manual. Of these, dharma and karma are extensively used in Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism. For lack of understanding, and contingent to period other Indic faiths evolved, the word yajna was either misunderstood, or misinterpreted.

For this talk to be of use, I will dwell longer on the 3rd and refer to the first two as critical adjuncts. I do so in order to trace its relevance and explore avenues where Indic traditions can contribute in shaping the future of pluralistic Scottish society. Although the word ‘education’ largely implies ‘skills’ related curriculum, what we can explore is education, in context of ‘upbringing’. This is to inculcate those subtle elements that contribute to social harmony and eventual economic prosperity.

So the challenge is in hard to differentiate and define ‘spirituality’, which is much easier to be met and fulfilled when taken out of ‘religious’ context.

Gong back to the 3 words, the word dharma, or ‘dharam’ for the Sikhs, comes from root dhri in Sanskrit, which means to ‘accept’. In broader terms, it is that which enjoins every follower of Indic faiths to consider in all of his or her actions. Also, dhri when extended to ‘dhrn’ means sustainable.

Please note, strictly speaking dharma is not a ‘law’ but a ‘guideline’. To us it is the social ’litmus-test’ of ones actions especially if it impinges on other beings. The very guideline is ‘bahujana hitaya, bahujana sukhaya’ – that is for the benefit and happiness of most. Again, please note that one did not and does not follow ‘dharma’ through ‘opinion-polls’ but from the voice within, one that also tells what long term implications of the actions would be .

So we can define dharma as time horizon linked sense of ‘righteousness’. Longer its positive impact, stronger would be its dharmic essence. Essentially, its impact would be society related and social.

This brings us to the second word – karma or karam in Punjabi and colloquial Hindi. Loosely translated, it means action. Whereas every action – as Newton says – result in equal and opposite action, every karma – and that means every conscious and conscientious action – results in matching results. Whereas a reaction neutralises the effect of an action, making the sum as zero, karmic ramifications manifest and reverberate in physical and metaphysical realms long after the ‘action’ is over. It behaves like a stone thrown in a calm lake whose ripples reach many a shores and the one who casts the stone eventually gets to reap the harvest till all are exhausted, even if it takes several life cycles.

Karma is one done by overt physical action, by motivating or instigating others and also what one dose on behalf of others’.

Having understood what dharma and karma are all about, essentially the sense of righteousness as a part of social responsibility in social context and when interactions occur at several levels; it helps if we can create a sense of purpose and underlying sense of righteousness in conscious and conscientious actions.

At this point I take liberty to reflect on the existing liberal society ‘culture’ where culture can be defined simply as ‘the way we do things’. Now, culture is a dynamic phenomenon. It evolves with social economic and political changes. Going back a fortnight and to Jodi murder case, as reported, it can help to see what lies beneath the tip of the iceberg.

It is no secret that by the time a kid has become 15 it has seen at 5000 or so violent acts, at least on the screen. The result is two youngsters, between the age of 14 and sixteen have experienced all that can be in terms of sex, drugs and violence. The lack of remorse on the convicts face speaks it all.

If ever legislation was to be formed to ban scenes of violence, several loop-holes would be identified and iron-clad by legal eagles paid mega fees. If not then a compliant politician or a liberal judge can let go the criminal and set up precedence for others to quote and follow.

A sensible way to combat this would be to raise karma and dharma awareness and make them fashionable. Besides, it can also help if the state can identify and isolate strains of mischief making injunction that a sect or religion may possess.

A double edged sword also is the human rights lobby. Though it has contributed to unfetter some in the world of tribal and individual tyranny; ideology driven tyrants also take refuge under the same very umbrella when the law tends to catch up.

As to how this can be done, one needs to see – after having explored the differentiation factors of dharma and karma – how committed people can be integrated to build a better world with improved education system.

And this brings us o the concept of yajna.

By definition, yajna is a mechanism for creating collective creative efforts.

For an effort to be brought under the aegis of yajna, it needs to meet 3 pre-conditions

• It is to be devoted to universal, perhaps cosmic welfare (that is, dharmic).
• It must directly benefit those involved in the project/ process
• Those involved need to take responsibility of what hey do and ensure that the results/    outcome do not fall in wrong/undeserving hands.

The first is called the ‘Vishnu’ factor – i.e. the spirit that permeates all souls.

The second part is critical as it takes a very practical view of life, and that is, nothing comes out of nothing and for something to be sustainable, those involved also need to be compensated. From human resource development perspective – as that is what Education is expected to develop - one has to factor in The Adam and Abraham areas, as per Maslow and Herzberg.

One aims for higher objectives only when baser needs – also called hygiene factors – are fulfilled. Those that go for unlimited wants are called ‘greedy’.

The third is sense of responsibility and accountability. One can not lay blame for failure on ‘good intentions’ alone and has to deliver and not bask in the glory and kudos of a well attempted effort.

A yajna is so seriousness a business that other faiths evolved from India could not take it. Even amongst Hindus it has become a mere ritual.

Ladies and gentlemen, one can only perform yajna for dharma and karma.

So from Hindu perspective – and all functional sciences and knowledge systems it once practiced, and that includes arithmetic, algebra, geometry, architecture, astronomy, astrology, herbal medicines, surgery, farming, animal husbandry, warfare, economics, politics, etc., the purpose was always dharma karma and yajna. It looked at every science and vocation holistically and ensured all activities, from farming to service, remained ‘spiritual’. As long these were practiced in letter and spirit, India remained a wealthy country. In spite of its being looted by the Turks, the Arabs, the Persians, Mongols, Afghans and what have you for nearly a thousand years, up and until 1820’s it saw 23 % of global trade through its lands. Records show that at that point India had more schools than whole of Europe put together.

The new rulers sabotaged the traditional systems by replacing them with European model of job-orientated examination centred learning. Although it served ruler’s economic interest, it made the ruled virtual paupers. The time now is to learn from the model and bring them back.

In dharma karma and yajna the guiding theme is consciousness of the super sprit. All work therefore gets ascribed to Him and His creation. The guiding theme has been – soham - you are, therefore I am. A book of the same has recently been written by Satish Kumar of resurgence magazine and Schumacher College, Devon.

From Hindu perspectives the purpose of education is not only to impart information to the student and help him become knowledgeable enough to make a living, but also to impart wisdom to develop a cosmic vision. After all, dharma also means ‘sustainable’.

With this, I request you once again to join for the second most popular Yoga mantra. In this, what one asks for is good health and cheer to serve His cause, in life and afterlife.
Aum, trayambakam yajamahe………