The Relevance of Moral Education in Modern India - Subramanian A

8/6/2019 The Relevance of Moral Education in Modern India - Subramanian A

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Education is not just a rat race chasing ranks or chasing an O grade.

Education is not just learning to read and write or to mug up lesions

to vomit in the examination hall. Education is not a bunch of

certificates alone or a professional course or an outlet to go abroad

and settle there once and for all.

Education is not simply an aristocratic culture producing countless

English speaking children or a tradition which enforces only sheer

logic to get to know the totality of life.

It has a heart the heart of culture, the tradition of values, the making

up of an individual, a society, a universal character. Education is an

external suggestion, uplift, an inward awakening and an integration of

various concepts of life. It is the moulding up of a mental framework

to have a creative thinking process. It creates an open mindedness

towards life to accept theories from all diverse angles.

Education is the removal of negative impulses and an import of

positive values. We need them in our life; else, our life would becomeso miserable and end in pitch darkness. Such a situation leads us to

a harmful world where guns would answer everything. Peace through

pellets is like a house without any foundation. Bombs can only create

countless tombs. Ignorance can only create a more miserable world

around us.


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Thus, education is based on several simple basic truths. Through

proper education we dispel ignorance. From an eternal darkness, we

bring our children to a new and endless horizon. According to

Vivekananda, the essence of education is concentration of mind andnot the collection of facts. With enough power of concentration and

dispassionate outlook, one can collect facts at his own Will. Complete

continence gives great intellectual and spiritual power. Controlled

desire leads to the highest results. It owes to want of continence that

everything is on the brink of ruin in our country. By observance of

strict Brahmacharya, all learning could be mastered in no time. One

acquires an unfailing memory of what one hears or knows but once.

The chaste brain has tremendous energy and gigantic possibilities. Ithas enough Will Power. Without chastity there can be no real spiritual

strength. Continence gives wonderful control over mankind. Chastity

in thought, word and deed always and in all conditions is what is

called Brahmacharya. Unchaste imagination is as bad as unchaste

action. What makes the difference between man and man is the

difference in the concentration and nothing else.

Where chastity plays an important role, there is the significance for

morality as well. Without a moral discipline, one cannot hope to be

chaste in his thought, word and deed. This is a universal law.

What is morality? It is that aspect which impels negative thought,

word and deed. It is that aspect which promotes life all around. Moral

discipline alone can promote our life. It alone can give us enough

mental strength. By the observance of a moral code, one doesnt fall

into a wrong track and land himself into trouble or force the world

unto the tip of sword. By our immoral thought, word and deed, we

make our life a miserable one and drive others to darker situations.

Today, moral discipline is a mistaken identity. We have practically no

idea about it. We define morality from the standpoint of individual

tastes, personal attitude, personal likes and dislikes. This is an


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incorrect judgment. Morality, moral discipline is not a relative

concept. It has a universal bearing.

What is this universal bearing? It is a basic fact that man cannot do

away with his individual and social life. Man has an internal andexternal life. The quality of his internal life has a direct bearing on his

external life. Internal life bears relation to mental and intellectual

aspects. External life bears relation to our social nature of life. Man

sees the world only through his mind. His judgment about the world

and life comes from his own internal levels and not from any outside

source. This why it is said as you think, so you become. If the

mind is impure with arrogance, ignorance, anger, selfishness and

with its own overlapping impressions gathered from previousexperiences, the judgment is also affected by the same degree of

impurity and obscurity. This impurity is removed by the observance

of a moral discipline. Moral discipline is a judgment of a situation

from an impartial angle. Impartiality is possible only from a sense of

detachment. We may detach ourselves from the complexities of our

mental character and analyze a given situation. We would arrive at an

answer and it would have a universal bearing. There is a common

thread running throughout the entire universe. If we can properly

understand this aspect, this is the first step to being impartial and

dispassionate. You may call this common thread as abstract

humanity.

Judgment is more important. We can judge with our head and heart.

Heart is more important because it is the very stream of life. The very

stream of life belongs to the sphere of love, kindness, faith, belief,

trust, co-operation and other subtler aspects which cannot be defined

by a mathematical formula. It is a wordless sphere where our heart

maintains its poise and innocent nature. To have a moral discipline,

the real judgment has to come from the bottom of our heart. For this

purpose, the heart has to be pure beyond all prejudices. What we

miss in our life is this basic fact of innocence. An innocent heart is

quite unconditional in every sense. When our heart gets conditioned


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darker aspects of life, the moment we fall into bad and unproductive

thoughts, the moment we begin to use slang words, the moment we

start doing only selfish deeds, our moral discipline is gone to such a

degree. If we promote our mind in this negative direction, it leads to

mental friction and thus affects our judgment. Life is a question ofjudgment rather than a conclusion of it. This negative drive takes our

mind to finally get stuck somewhere. Creative levels are lost.

A free mind beyond all prejudices is what is viewed by a moral

education. A free mind takes an impartial view of life from all planes,

from all angles. Such a mind can very well judge what is good and

what is better in the sustenance and promotion of life. Instead of

good, bad and worst, our measuring scale should be good, better andthe best. Life should be continuous journey from lower forms of truth

to higher forms of truth. This is what is called refinement. This is the

basis of moral education. It leads us to refinement. It is a long journey

in search of values and virtues in life. It is a continuous push in the

positive direction from a lower plane of animal existence to a higher

plane of spiritual experience. It is the lowering of the sexual energy

and transporting it into higher planes of existence. Sexual drive

needs a control and modification for a prosperous and purposeful

life. Today, the addiction to sex has practically shaken the

foundations of our life. Man is different from animals. He can elevate

himself to higher thoughts, words and deeds. This is the kind of

moral education that we have to give to our children. Through this

kind of education, they will come to know about higher planes of

existence. Higher plane of existence means a better life, better mental

resources and a better output in life. This leads to a peaceful

existence. Everyone is in search of peace but he searches it outside

his internal parameters. One has to go beyond mind to attain this

state of tranquility. Optimism in life can bring in peace. Life is an

endless river. It has an endless course. This attitude brings in us a

degree of optimism. Life is an open book.

By getting a moral education, we come to understand the long lasting


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values and virtues in life. Then we would come to know about the

mask that we are wearing as to survive in this material world. Our

heart is full of desire which is not controlled or channelized. It can

play havoc in our life. We require a moderation and modification. By

forming a value about life, its various spheres and activities, we cancontrol our desires to be on the road of progress. Soon we would

come to know that life is more beautiful than we ever thought of. By

keeping the moral sphere intact, we reduce the level of evilness and

thus lessen the burden of our life. Expectations in life can lead us to

unexpected disappointments. Unless we practice openness through a

moral discipline, this level of expectation cannot be reduced.

Today, not only in India but throughout the world, man is more andmore devilish in his approach to life. In a struggle to survive, he

becomes more and more ambitious to reach the highest stations in

life. He leaves his level of desire unchecked, uncontrolled and

untamed. Because of this fact, he entertains immoral means to

achieve his end. This is the whole root of our problem.

Modern India has advanced in her science and technological front but

has fallen into her pits in the moral front. Our style of living doesnt

promote any value in life. Day by day we are mentally and physically

becoming weaker and weaker. We are prone to stress and strain. Our

mind is not at all clear in its judgment. Life to us has become a

nightmare. We talk about life having become so fast and

uncontrollable. It is our own mind which is preparing our own coffin.

Isnt true that we are trying to catch up with the society despite our

individual limitations? Isnt true that our level of expectation in life

has gone up in a geometric progression? Mental capacity gives a

clear thought, degree of grasping power, the amount of Will Power

and dynamism to work relentlessly. Moral capacity gives us a clear

picture of relative planes of truth. Physical capacity gives an index to

ones dreams becoming a reality by putting physical efforts. Financial

capacity gives a cut off line up to which one can materially advance.

By getting a clear picture of relative planes of truth, relative planes of


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values, one can balance these various forces to our own benefit in

life. Money is important in life but we should also know that it cannot

give back certain lost situations. From such observations we should

evaluate life. It requires a moral discipline. An immoral man would

give more weight to materialistic view than spiritualistic views. This isindeed a wrong stand. It would hinder our overall progress. We may

become less and less realistic and more and more artificial. We may

become less imaginative and creative. We would end as simple

imitators. Currents of life would close in. It was only through original

and creative people that life has ever progressed on earth. Imitators

have always fallen on their way.

Our Modern India is producing more and more imitators due to herWestern influence. We have nothing to give to the world in the form of

knowledge, wisdom or spiritualism. Look at our great ancestors. They

gave light and wisdom to the entire world once upon a time. The

whole world was at our door step in seeking knowledge and wisdom

of the Oriental East. It had a beauty of its own. It had a strength of its

own.

Today, we have lost our identity. Thus, in Modern India, Moral

Education gains its own relevance. We have fallen into many bad

cults due to the influence of mass media. Media is often commercial

and profit motive. So, it will incorporate techniques for its own

survival. This is different from real moral life. We should know how to

draw a line. We cant leave our senses unbridled to the open threats

of mass media.

Power politics is another area where we require moral education. It is

once again the desire to be in power that is creating all sorts of

problems in Modern India. This desire has to be controlled through a

sense of moral education. Through moral education, we come to

know who we are, what we are and what we are up to. Such an insight

would produce less criminals in all areas of life.


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Knowledge is an idea that is very much within us. The moment

ignorance is dispelled by an external suggestion or by self awareness

of the fact, knowledge is born within. Our education should create

more and more self awareness than a bundle of info-tech. More than

the facts, we should know to evaluate life from diverse angles. Humanproblems be studied from the stand point of his nature, in relation to

relative amount of truth, and beyond all prejudices like caste, creed,

color, place and politics. The training for such an insight is defined by

a Moral Education.

Morality is a measurement using which we measure the stability of an

individual, society and a nation as a whole under adverse conditions.

Without a foundation, no building can ever survive the test of time.Without moral principles humanity also cannot really survive. Why

should our prejudices be reflected in our thought, word and deed? If

it is due to ignorance, it can be dispelled by giving proper moral

education. If it is due to a purposeful intention, no remedial measure

is really possible. Where do we stand at the moment?

Out of moral principles, a better civic sense is born. We discern better

of our duties and responsibilities. As an individual, we are better

disposed of with our family and society. We have many roles in life to

play and if we are morally sound, we know how to play them well. We

would never trespass our limits. We will show enough sincerity and

honesty in our work and in our relationship with others. A morally

sound person is a totally dependable person anywhere and at

anytime. He ever will command respect. If we are morally not sound,

how can we solve social problems like rape, woman trade,

alcoholism, bribe, communal riots and things of this kind? No

discussion will ever turn to be fruitful and totally effective unless we

are morally sound. We see that the Modern India is producing more

rapists, persons engaged in women trade, persons addicted to

alcoholism, persons who entertain bribe and persons who dont care

to respect to follow men of wisdom due to their thick egotism. This

totally careless attitude towards life and its values drives us to a state


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of recklessness, to a state of utter confusion and stress. Cant we

save ourselves and mankind from a total perish? Cant we give our

fellow beings less pain and tears through a better moral conduct? No

pain goes unanswered. It returns as a curse over the entire mankind.

Thus, Moral Education in Modern India becomes very important in the

present state of affairs. It is a total personality mould. It gives enough

mental strength to face life with better prospective, better choices and

lasting solutions.

Education is not a bundle of facts but a system to know ones own

heart. By knowing it, one not only can rise to the highest altitudes of

life, but can show others the summit as well.

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The Relevance of Moral Education in Modern India - Subramanian A