Today, parents face one of the most ghastly fears of worrying about the challenges that their children face and their ability to cope with them. Social Statistics show that there are larger number of youth, both girls and boys, that are engaging in drugs, alcohol, drinking and many other anti-social behaviours. In fact, these social tendencies are becoming expressive behaviours for a modern day image of a youth. If you are not in then you are not “cool” or you are a “chicken”. Many parents are left helpless when it comes to supporting their children or finding help for them to get over their drug or drinking habits. Furthermore, there are many youth who have observed that their generation is becoming more disrespectful, discourteous, and indifferent to positive values. While there may be many theories and explanations for this state of affairs, studies have found that where there is spiritual, moral and ethical nurturing, children and youth were more empowered to take informed decisions when faced with difficult choices.
Spiritual education, from the general Hindu perspective and especially in the context of the spiritual education programme of the Shree Bhagavata Vedanta Gurukula, aims towards understanding our source, our make up, our challenges and potentials, our destiny and the techniques that lead to this destiny. It is a system based on universal spiritual values targeting the development of the human potential towards realising and become Divine souls. The universal spiritual values on which spiritual education is rooted is common to most religious traditions and contributes to the enhancement of the civic values of a nation. Civic or constitutional values within the human rights culture is correlated with the vision of the universal spiritual values. There is no conflict of interest, socially, politically or culturally, in both these value systems. Therefore, any child that is brought up through this programme is guided towards acceptance and respect for all religions; to contribute to the national development of his/her country and to live peacefully and harmoniously within a community. Spiritual education is therefore integral to the National Moral Regeneration Programme of the State.
Our children need spiritual education because it contributes to refinement and character development. Each one of us has certain instinctive impulses and cravings within us and more often we become trapped by these impulses and cravings. We are, from a very young age drawn towards our crude and primitive plane of anti-social inclinations. It is these anti-social inclinations that deliver us towards habit formations either through drugs, alcohol, violence etc. It is a misnomer to assume that these anti-social inclinations are a source of one’s happiness. In fact they reflect the depth of human degradation and it reveals the face of human suffering. There is no positive side to drugs, alcohol and violence. Through spiritual education, cultural and spiritual refinement takes place. Such refinement leads towards development of positivity in sentiments, thought and conduct. Our sentiments, thought and conduct are central to our personality and character and it is the true reflector of one’s image and self-identity. Through this refinement, there is a generation of a spiritual appetite in every person, which makes one hunger for spiritual knowledge and moral satisfaction. True spiritual knowledge, inspired by the universal standards of our guiding scriptures and institutions, leads to moral satisfaction. In the midst of this spiritual and moral stability, we give up our selfish and sensual tendencies, our negative thoughts and desires and we become inclined towards sound reason and sober judgement. Spiritual education is the mainstay of character building and is a genuine tool for parents to guide their children towards responsible adulthood. Parents must make it their moral responsibility to nurture their children through a programme of spiritual education.
While secular education aims towards making us intellectual giants, it leaves us as spiritual pigmies. Secular education is dominated with the vision of advancing the human civilisation along the scientific and material route. The inventions and achievements in science, while it has contributed to a better way of life, it has failed us at the ethical, moral and spiritual levels. The human condition needs to bring under control its baser instincts. There is a need to guide ambition through a moral framework and to guard against growing jealousy. We must seize to scramble for power whenever the opportunity arises or use power to exploit and dominate others. Therefore, spiritual education brings out the best motives in us. It presents to us the opportunity to cultivate universal selfless love for the realisation of our potential divinity. It makes us gather a clearer vision of the real goals of humanity and it motivates us to raise ourselves from the depths of human degradation.
Once again, our parents have a vital role to play in this regard. Parents need to make the effort of taking their children to Gurukulas (spiritual learning centres) for spiritual education. Parents have a role to play in regulating the life of their children not through the traditional “do this” and “don’t do that” method, but through proper life skills and spiritual education development. This compliments the secular education that the children receive at public or independent schools. It must be admitted that many parents have not gained adequate skills or may not have sufficient time to carry out this responsibility and therefore they need the assistance of community based organizations. There are several spiritual and religious organizations in the community that provide this yeoman service for the community. Parents must approach these organizations and register, monitor and actively support their children’s spiritual education programme. Comparatively speaking, the Christian and Muslim communities have these teaching institutions as a compulsory part of their religious practice. Therefore, in these communities, spiritual education and the benefits thereof have been very successful. We as Hindus need to make progress in this area. It is only through the support of parents and the collective effort of religious organizations can such sustainable programmes succeed in the community. The Shree Bhagavata Vedanta Gurukula, offers Junior gurukuls for three phases (I) the Foundation phase (6-9yrs) (ii) Junior Phase (10-13yrs) (iii) Senior Phase (14-17yrs) and (iv) Adult Phase (above 18yrs). These gurukulas provide universal spiritual education provided by well-trained educators. Approach these gurukuls now.
In conclusion, spiritual education is indeed an answer to the growing anti-social conduct and moral degeneration in the community. It is the most effective way of providing self-development and moral regeneration in the community. Based on universal spiritual values it is bound to achieve social objectives that are conducive to nation building and cohesive public peace and harmony. It will compliment the educational aims fostered by public schools and encourage refinement in the human condition that will benefit the education system. Therefore, both parents and public and independent schools need to encourage its students towards spiritual education.
Brother Haridas Archarya
