EVERY CHILD IS UNIQUE IN NATURE

 Every child is Unique and needs unique way of teaching / educating.

The general review of the present conditions of young generation will reveal that younger kids are capable to grasp a lot more information than any previous generation. This young generation seems comparatively more aware of own self, free of inferiority complex and know about their desires and ambitions. They are also eager to learn and try new things in life. But simultaneously, largely they seem to chase materialistic pleasures and are no fan of discipline. They are also self-centered and ignorant of value based lifestyle. 

Though we do not like to generalize, the above conclusion, it is derived from the contacts made with several youngsters in schools and colleges through various field activities of Manashakti Research Centre. However, there is no point in denying the fact that today we see different kind of generation-gap which is widening faster. Of course, problems in rural, urban and metropolitan areas are different and they do vary as per the economic class. Nevertheless we find growing tensions at student and parent’s level everywhere. Thus it appears necessary that individuals, institutions, organizations and strategy makers should review problems and the root causes objectively to find appropriate solutions. We shall try to analyze in this context. 

Educating-global-citizens-for-the-21st-century

Mind and Life Institute Conference, October 2009 at Washington USA had detailed deliberation on this subject.
(http://www.kosmosjournal.org/article/educating-global-citizens-for-the-21st-century/)

How can our educational system evolve to meet the challenges of the 21st century? How will we educate people to be compassionate, competent, ethical, and engaged citizens in an increasingly complex and interconnected world? The urgent challenges of a globalized and interdependent world demand a new vision of world citizenship that is not confined to national boundaries, but encompasses moral and ethical responsibilities to all humanity. People coming of age in the 21st century will need to develop unprecedented levels of intercultural cooperation, mutual moral concern, creativity, and skill in effectively addressing the challenges of the world today—challenges economic, ecological, and inter-cultural/religious in nature. An education that will prepare young people to become competent and compassionate world citizens in such a context. It cannot be measured only in terms of cognitive skills and knowledge, but must address wider aspects of the heart, including skills and qualities of awareness associated with conscious self-regulation, ethical and social responsibility, and empathy and compassion for others. The time has come to usher in a holistic view of education that empowers children and builds resiliency, hope and confidence.

Neuroplasticity allows us to take responsibility for our own behavior by reshaping our brain at the level of synaptic connections. Teachers and education policymakers gave infuriating examples of how the current school system fails and inspiring examples of brilliant solutions when you connect students to their inner worlds and to each other, and when students and teachers join efforts in radically new ways, sometimes even formalizing respect for community and values by collaboratively penning their own classroom constitution at the beginning of the school year.

The Western educational paradigm focuses on technical skills to mold students into good worker bees. Teachers expressed frustration at being told to teach to the questions on standardized tests. Shame on us for treating students as if their worth arises from how favorably they contribute to the mean and standard deviation of their school district’s scores! We can do so much better! Kids deserve so much better! This one-dimensional, test-score-driven approach has, to this point, largely ignored the importance of cultivating students’ emotional development and regulation, but these two types of education need not be independent. Research clearly shows that children who are more skillful in regulating their emotions score higher on memorization and reasoning exams. Students who are given the tools to more effectively manage their inner lives seem to learn more deeply. Children who are encouraged to care move beyond themselves to care about the collective and not just ‘me’ and ‘mine.’

H.H. Dalai Lama has made secular education, as distinguished from religious education, a priority as the scientific evidence of the consequences of a chaotic interior life are known. And universities such as Harvard and Stanford have heard the call. (REF - http://www.kosmosjournal.org/article/educating-global-citizens-for-the-21st-century/)

With the initiative of “Mind and Life Institute” at the end of the first decade of 21st century, the topic of Character development has been taken up by leading experts in the field. This is indeed a good news. But the emphasis seems only at “school level”. As seen below the learning process doesn’t start after the child is admitted to school, but right from prenatal stage, rather from pre-conception stage. The role of homes (parents), and other stake holders is also critical.

There are millions of children in the world who do not afford good school admission, rather any school admission. If planning at global level is to be considered, then more comprehensive approach appears necessary. Way back in 1960s, Swamy Vijnananand, the founder of Manashakti Prayog Kendra in India, thought on these lines and evolved rational, secular, all affordable approach.

We have to first understand and agree to the fact that each child is unique. Let us see some references on this.

Uniqueness of individual (child) 

(REF http://dailyedventures.com/index.php/2014/08/18/ellenbrandenberger/)   August 18, 2014
“Every student is unique in his or her strengths and challenges, and it is the job of the teacher to foster highly individualized learning in response to the student. Not the other way around.” – Ellen Brandenberger, USA.

I think the most important thing to remember is that high need in a child necessitates both high expectations and highly individualized support from teachers and school community members. While this is easier said than done, and can often feel like an uphill battle, each child deserves a quality education, but needs very different things to get there, whether it be a hot lunch, a literacy coach, a math tutor, or otherwise. 

REF - http://www.kidscount.com.au/en/parenthood/every-child-is-different

EVERY CHILD IS DIFFERENT

As parents, we are constantly comparing our children to others. Whilst this can be a source of great pride, it can also become a source of worry that something is wrong with our child or that we are doing something wrong as parents. Every child is different. Children develop differently, have different personalities, possess different strengths and require different kinds of support to meet their individual needs. All children develop at their own pace and in their own way. 

Children grow and develop at different rates. While their developmental pathways may differ, most pass a set of predictable milestones along the way. It is normal for children to experience developmental spurts and slow spots in different areas of their development over time. If your child is a little ahead or a little behind at a certain age - this is normal. Most of the time, given the right nurturing and stimulation, all children will catch up in the end.
All children have different strengths and vulnerabilities. Some are good at sport, others music. Some are very academic and others not. Some are highly anxious and others are more relaxed. Some children are good sleepers and others wake through the night for years.
The task of parenting is a constantly changing one as the growing needs and abilities of our children change over time. There is no ‘one-size fits all’ way to parent. What works for one child may not work for another. What worked when children were two years old may not work when they are four years. Adaptability and flexibility are key ingredients to parenting. It is normal to lack confidence in your parenting at some time. 

The uniqueness of each child

(Information based on the Philippines' Multigrade Teacher's Handbook)
Every child is an individual, with special social, emotional, intellectual, and physical qualities.
Children are unique. They are individuals and no two children are alike: physically, emotionally, socially and intellectually, each child is a unique individual. Because children are unique, even if there are common needs and characteristics that children of a particular age or stage of development share, they must be understood by their parents and teachers in their uniqueness, and their individuality must be respected.
For example, even in a single-grade classroom composed of 45 to 50 seven-year-olds, not all of the seven-year-olds will be reading at precisely the same ability level. They will also differ in the ways they are able to understand and solve word problems in mathematics. They will have different personalities—some will be shy, some will be confident, some outgoing, some quiet but competent. They will each have their own life experiences and feelings about themselves. They will have different likes and dislikes, interests and needs.
However, this does not mean that a teacher has to prepare 45 or 50 different lesson plans whether it is a single-grade or a multi grade classroom. Instead the teacher must be able to get to know and understand each of the children and prepare teaching/learning activities that will respond to and reflect these individual needs of children. As children work individually or independently, in small-groups or as a whole group, they will each benefit in their own way from these activities. What is most important is that the teacher, who is primarily responsible for planning the daily activities through which the children will learn, should know every child and keep track of how well each child is able to learn.

Role of parents in nurture is important as the role of a teacher.

As stated by one of the speakers in the Washington 2009 seminar organized by Mind and Life Institute,  in mass-accident,(like train accident where lot of people suffer different types of injuries and damages of different organs), each patient needs specific, special treatment which can be given by different specialist doctors… 
In the class room in a similar manner, the need and requirement of each child is different, requiring different special skills. But this  has to be attended by single or two academician teachers. The job is complex, beyond the reach of a teacher. This nor simple, not practical. Rarely some teacher would be able to meet such expectation. What to do? Can we depend entirely on teachers for child’s complete personality development? 
Let us start from the purpose of educating a child in its basic details.

Objective of Education

In dictionary ‘learning’ is defined as a modification of behavior through experiences. Function of learning is in accepting the experience one gets in life and accordingly making (appropriate) changes in own behavior.  Experience means learning as per situation. Thus objective of education is understanding overall meaning of these experiences to make right changes in own behavior. 

In a way, child who is getting an experience and factors responsible for giving child the experience are important in the learning process. For better education child must remain in a condition where he gets good experience. We must try to provide him favorable or at least, less adverse environment from the beginning of learning process. 

When Does Learning Begin?

If you want to make a perfect pot then you must use proper clay and water as a raw material. Insist on using good quality clay. Should use water proportionately to knead clay. Then only you will be able to produce perfect pot. The same principle applies to human intelligence and his internal-external personality that develops through this intelligence. The physical and emotional inputs in the child should be properly blended at appropriate time to cast a good character of the future adult.

Around 7 billion people reside in this world but we won’t find two people having exact same skin color, appearance, likes and dislikes, character, etc. This is the uniqueness only nature can create.  The human efforts can endeavor to shape the nature by proper care of nurture.

How Does Human Personality Develop? Which Things Do Affect It?

Every parent obviously wishes for best personality development for his child. This can make himself/herself happy in life. To fulfill this aspiration child must be given proper education as early as possible. When should we start this education? When does child begin learning? We must find answers for these basic questions. 

Learning from Prenatal Stage

The entry of child in this world is the moment of his birth. But before birth; child exists in his mother’s womb for about nine months. Does the child learn during this pre-birth existence? Manashakti Research Centre’s founder Swami Vijnananand undertook study, experiments and research on this topic since 1960. Based on the work of many scientists, researchers in world, it is now proven that acquiring knowledge, sensitivity and process of changing behavior by gaining experience continues in child even in the prenatal stage. Development of brain, sense organs and other life processes are on during the pre-birth stage. Favorable condition should prevail in prenatal stage to provide child with proper nurture (emotional imprints) and education. We have to put in intentional and pre-planned efforts for this. 
Detailed study courses and mind-body machine tests giving guidance to the parents on this topic are available in Manashakti Research Centre. We shall see the details later. 

Stages in Post Birth Development

Life develops step by step by various ways and means since moment of birth to the stage of adulthood and even after that. Physical, psychological and intellectual development, emergence of varied consciousness regarding different aspects of life takes place during this period. Every person has his own natural personality. But this personality transforms as per environment and the perception of experiences gained. Thus every person gets independent and unique features, shape and existence. This whole process is now studied under the branch of science, called ‘epigenetics’. Generally it was believed earlier that development of personality takes place mainly till youth, but recent research on brain functioning claims that this process continues during entire life till the moment of death. 

We can broadly consider three major stages in the post-birth child development process till attainment of age twenty one.

Stages of Development

First seven years after birth
Eight years to fourteen years of age
Fifteen years to twenty one years of age

The development takes place on psychological/intellectual levels as follows – Emotional development takes place in first stage. In second stage, mainly thinking or analytical capabilities are developed. In addition to these two things, setting goals, aspirations and ambitions, academic education, physical health and diverse aspects of entire personality take shape in the third stage.  

For the correct formation of personality on each stage, it is necessary to put in specific efforts based on the needs of the stage prevailing. If we keep this aspect in mind and evolve an appropriate strategy of education/nurture, we can achieve the results and develop the up-coming generations to successfully face the challenges of the changing world. 
This necessity which is based on mind-brain relation, is described in a beautiful aphorism in Indian traditional education system. 

लालयेत पंचवर्षाणि, दशवर्षाणि ताडयेत |
प्राप्ते तु षोडशे वर्षे, पुत्रे मित्र मिवाचरेत ||

(Parents or elders should nurture the child only with love, affection even pamper it till first five years of age. Later till the child becomes around ten years old it should be spanked and provided role model, exemplary behavior and appropriate environment to inculcate proper behavioral discipline. When the child turns around sixteen years (attains mature age), then he/she should be treated like a friend. They must feel like grown-up and their opinion matters. They need to exert on their own for the progress and necessary support should be made available from elders, if felt needed.

To ensure this process happen properly, responsibility distribution can be as follows:

Stage                                         Primary Responsibility

Prenatal stage                                  Mother, father
Till seven years                        Mother, father, teacher 
Eight to fourteen years                Teacher (main responsibility), mother, father (only guidance) 
Fifteen to twenty one years        Teacher, mother/father (limited to suggestions and advice only                                                                when desired,). Maintain friendly relations 

How Does Learning Take Place?

Having seen the stages of learning and the responsibility attributable to the nurturing elders, let us see how the process of learning normally takes place. 

Child acquires knowledge (ज्ञान) using sense organs (ज्ञानेंद्रिये). Through exposure to the outer world the learning takes place. These sense organs absorb entire knowledge available mainly during awake time of the day. That is to say the process of the knowledge assimilation takes place through seeing, hearing, touch, taste and smell. The experience creates stimulations in the child based on individual perception and as a result imprints in the memory system generate changes in behavior of a person later, in due course of time. This is in nutshell; the process of learning and shaping the personal traits or behavior. We must note that learning does not take place only in school but also in home and other places as well. Let’s estimate the extent each sensory organ participates in this process.

Sensory Organ                                                         Estimated Participation in Learning process 
Eyes                                                                            80% (seeing)
Ears                                                                            10% (listening)
Other sensory organ (skin, tongue and nose)                     10% (touch, taste and smell)
Total                                                                             100%

It means seeing and listening play major role and is very important for proper education and learning. 

Where Does  Learning Take Place?

Learning process continues throughout the day in waking hours. (Sleep period also can be used to certain extent for learning, but that aspect needs separate deliberation and is excluded in our discussion). So we must consider how time of day is spent. General classification of the time spent in a day by a student is considered as follows:

SI. No.            Place / Location                                                          Time of The Day (%)
1                    Home                                                                                             16 %
2                    School                                                                                              16 %
3                   Friends/Neighbours/other places in society                                      16 %
4                    Mixed (out of above three)                                                               12 %
5                  Sleep / rest                                                                                       40 %
                 Total                                                                                              100 %
    
We can see that students learn in school (mainly from teachers), at home (mainly from parents) and in society (from friends, neighbors, etc.) in almost equal proportion. Every concerned party should be aware and understand the necessity of efforts on every level to create proper imprints on the highly sensitive mind of the growing kid in his/her earlier years of life.  

Summary: Learning/nurturing process should be made available to the child since prenatal stage till the stage of attaining adulthood. We briefly reviewed the outline of this process in certain details. Everybody concerned bears the responsibility to create proper environment and avoid improper things. A child must get training/guidance not only for success in academic examination, but also for sound health and in shaping modest and responsible behavior/character. This will pave the way for success in the future, happy life. And the responsibility rests not only with school but also with home, media, policy makers and society at large. We shall see more on this in articles to follow.


Vijay R. Joshi.

Progress from Fear to No-Fear (KNOW YOUR DEATH - 5)

Progress from desiring mind to the desire-less soul.

Four basic emotions can be termed as: Fear (भय). Anger (क्रोध), courage (धैर्य), Peace (शांती).

Normally we observe that anybody acquires fear and Anger in life naturally. You don't need any training / guidance to be equipped with these emotions. To have the virtues of Courage and Peace, normally, one has to do deliberate efforts. There are very few individuals who have the virtues of Courage and/or peace in-born.

Why?

In order to know the answer we have to turn to the process of evolution as explained by S. V. (also refer to EARLIER ARTICLES ON EVOLUTION  click here for the first article)

We shall see the views expressed by Swami Vijnananand when he guided the young seekers of Manashakti in 1990 on the desired direction of the research needed to find the truth behind the process of evolution. The book in Marathi “आपण असे का वागतो” (Why we behave like this?) gives his message. Here are some excerpts from chapter four of this book.

We have fear and anger engraved.

Why did fear and anger are engraved in human mind? How are they related to evolution? Basically, why should we have a desire to have this body (to take birth, to come to the stage of being)?

In the course of evolution, we came to this stage (human body) after wearing a variety of bodies (starting from amoeba to chimpanzee and several past human incarnations) in the past. We progressed to the human body by the route of evolution.

Sex is the original emotion. But fear and anger are also parts of human nature. Unless they were having a contribution in the evolution, fear and anger would have never come trekking along with the living being. They survived only because they were basically needed. Even rage is a tool of evolution.

How is rage related for the survival of the fittest? The one who was mighty, survived. Nature itself has the rule - might is right. Then to be powerful than others, rage is required.  We started to get revolutionized because of fear, to overcome the instinct of fear.

What is evolution?

The transformation which took place in the living organisms is the evolution. Darwin has stated that the meeting with Nature is proved by fight. The minute scripts or the portions of evolution should be understood well. They should be studied in deep.

Desire leads to Efforts. Efforts in turn lead to Victory or Defeat – this is the way the chain of development takes shape. So-called evolution is depending on desire.

In that chain, we used fear and anger as protective armors in the beginning. But they become harmful later as other feelings and shades of nature got mixed in.

How anger got associated with evolution.

The perspective in evolution being ‘survival of the fittest’, human beings had to struggle for living. This meant that they had to fight. In fear and anger, in both the places a fight - latent and evident- was the only difference...

There is basically a paradox (in life). It is there in laughter and tears, in fear and anger, in functionary and sensory organs, and in the inborn nature and in the one born out of experience… Though all of these are getting integrated, still, if you try to find the root of all this, you will have to go only to the process of evolution.

If you try to explore to the minutest then it can be seen that as your forms of mind went on playing with matter in the course of evolution, you went on taking one incarnation after another – you will also find the root of that manifestation of your nature, hidden somewhere in evolution. If that would be found in evolution, then the question that you will have in mind is, - has that been proved so far? We shall try to establish that link.

As you are all the time surrounded by some emotion, you are doing some or the other action using motion at every moment – you either utilize it in the right manner or the wrong one. If utilized properly, then it gives good results, at least in the material form. We call that as progress. When it has an ill effect we call that as downfall. But do the effects of this motion linger on in our personality, our body, our mind? You will have a question whether such a process really exists in reality. Then yes, there is indeed such a process.

It has not only happened in the present stage of the evolution but you have accumulated various experiences in your entire journey of evolution. Utilizing these experiences cumulatively, you were born. It is a truth that your nature was carved out of this. At the same time to prove this truth, you have to prove one more truth -- that, such a process exists in your life, it is in your anatomy, and we will have to arrive at it again.

This way the thread which leads us to evolution will be woven correctly, joining the contemporary with the past history.

Emotions acquired later in journey of evolution. 

  

The advanced emotions of Courage and Peace were acquired much later in the process of evolution. The primitive brain is the reptile brain.  As the brain developed its structure, it later acquired a limbic brain with a variety of advanced emotions. The brain also developed in to a thinking brain to take decision from available options in a given situation. The Neo-Cortex, which is relatively the most recent development in the brain evolution, has the capacity of apperception (the capacity to think on your own thoughts in terms of its merit).

In the journey of evolution, the emotion also evolved. The emotions of Courage and Peace are the relatively recent advancements. And that is why they are not engraved in our mind in the deepest manner as the original emotions of Fear and Anger are deep rooted.  The same cycle of brain development follows in the human life starting from one-cell conception prenatal stage to the fully grown brain by the stage of youth.

If at the moment of death if the mind is perfectly at peace, then it may travel to the destination of Bliss. If it is not at peace and is rest-less surrounded by some or the other desires, then logically it ought to opt for rebirth to fulfill the left-over desires.

Comments: The process of Epigenetics says that the behaviour at any moment in the life is the cumulative effect of nature and nurture. The process starts at the stage of conception but even the period of pre-conception can't be ruled out. Swami Vijnananand states that the process started from the moment life started on the earth when mind got associated with matter.

The desire to associate of course is the property of mind.

The progress from ‘fear’ to ‘no-fear’ (peace) stage is the progress from desiring mind to the desire-less soul. And acquiring that state of mind should be the objective of the human life. To the extent the life purpose is elevated, this objective can be achieved.

The intellect is the vital tool behind the purpose for the decisions taken at each moment. Let us see the working of intellect in more details later.

Vijay R. Joshi.

The essence of human evolution. (E. O. M. - 15)

Here we try to put together the major points in the earlier blogs related to Evolution Of Mind.

To know more about “us” we need to know our 'minds' and the journey of our mind starting from the advent of evolution. Swami Vijnananand (S. V.) has elaborated in details the vital role of 'Mind'. Mind had  the desire to come to existence and evolve from single cell to many cells creatures and finally to the current stage of human being. Evolution, in biology, is a complex process by which the characteristics of living organisms change over many generations as traits are passed from one generation to the next. Though lot of thinkers have put forward different theories on the process of evolution, there are many unanswered questions still waiting for answers. Charles Darwin evolution theory has played a big role for our society, humanity, education and world. Yet, many scientist tend to doubt it or try to revise it

Why evolution?

Stephen Hawking on Learning and Evolution says:

If the human race manages to redesign itself, to reduce or eliminate the risk of self-destruction, we will probably reach out to the stars and colonize other planets. 

Please note that Hawking is emphasizing on the 'motive' of human behavior. And motive emerges from nothing else than “mind”.

Darwin's model of evolution complements a subtle message in the ancient religious texts. Do science and spirituality both point to the same trend using different examples? Does spirituality go a step beyond and predict the future?

Darwin and Dashavataras in Hinduism

Interestingly, Darwin's theory not only enjoys a strong scientific support but also finds a symbolic resemblance in several religious texts of Hinduism. Though there  are delicate differences in the names, the chassis of supernatural forms is generally accepted and recognized as Dashavataras or the ten forms of Lord Vishnu (das: ten, avatar: incarnation).

According to ancient Hindu scriptures, it is the fundamental desire of knowing the life-giving substance that drives evolution. This grand desire is deeply embedded in our life operating system resulting in the evolution of bodily forms followed by the evolution of mind. The evolution of mind ultimately results in the identification of oneself with highest intelligence. To support this phase of  evolution two things were needed - the evolution of brain and the evolution of a neural network. 

Interestingly, the evolution of intelligence seems to match the evolution of brain. Available scientific evidence indicates that human intelligence was an outcome of more cortical neurons and synapses emerging in human brain leading to greater information processing speed.

As humans evolved and survival was assured, the focus moved towards the evolution of intelligence. With the evolution of intelligence, the capability to think and concentrate received a tremendous boost. This led to the emergence of philosophy and religion. Ironically, brain evolution accompanied with mind evolution led to more complex behavioral  outcomes than expected. 

Unfortunately, instead of intensifying the search for highest intelligence, the  need itself got blurred and mind got more survival-oriented, also pleasure oriented, pleasures in  terms of body senses and ego. Since desire is the function of mind the mind  must have evolved with new desires which would have brought about changes in the brain and  behavioral outcome. The present evolution state is believed to be closest to the highest form when physical, emotional and  mental capabilities have reached peak misuse. Spiritually speaking, due to tremendous increase in human empowerment, the world has witnessed a rapid  increase in environmental abuse, natural 

disasters, life threatening diseases and hatred. 

Humanity  desperately needs a major reboot.

Since each of us is a product in the process of evolution, the knowledge of the process is important  for us. Conventional science is still holding a materialistic view and as such many phenomina in the nature turn into riddles. The role of psyche in the form of energy has not been acknowledged by the scientists. The materialistic view that Mind is the expression of brain seems still to be prevailing with majority. We have also seen that many present scientists are echoing the views Swami Vijnananand (S. V.) propounded in his books on Newway Philosophy written before 50 years

Since Darwin’s thesis is stated exclusively in terms of physiological evolution forcibly divided or disconnected from psychical evolution by his own discretion, sounds in-compatible or unsuitable. The evidence provides latter (psychical evolution) as the cause of the former(physiological evolution). The theory of continuity of mind throughout the evolution renders the matter more easy and understandable.

The present theory of evolution (Darwin Theory) pathetically fails to unriddle the gap between the two species. Mind alone can be considered to be accountable for the acquired characters during these  various intervals. Psych and not material brain (in the head cover) is personality or individuality.

Pleasure is the motive, jealous inequality is the mode, cyclic defeats and revenge is the terminating end of each cycle in the process. With the progress of living (resulting evolution) the revenge cycle is also progressing in its complexities. S.V. has given the description of this revenge cycle at each stage from the origin of life i.e. from coaservate to virus to cell to multi-cell lives up to human being. 

Darwin has also unearthed the revenge cycle behind the apparent symbiosis.

The revenge cycle includes not only open enemies but also so called friends and relations ultimately turn into ghost of revenge, often in the pretext of affection. The feelings of envy, jeolousy prevailing in the human mind is the expressed as well as dormant instinct of the desire of possible revenge. 

Symbiosis means living together in cooperation. But if observed in Nature, such examples are few. Greek history, Bible history, Arabian records, Persian records, Indian mythology and whole world history down to this age breathe destruction and revenge. The author (S. V.) says that we are at pain to point out this picture.

Some people profess that world is full of peace. They speak either partial truth, convenient truth, or truth with reference to certain context. Such people paint the picture of world as it should be and not as it is. We (New way philosophy) are underlining the reality and since correct diagnosis will cure corroding melodies. As it stands therefore, the revenge complex is the real menace (dangerous harm).

‘Inequalities of mind’ started the first mystery, and equality is the relieving solution. To fight the ghostly cycle of revenge, the arms of knowledge are the pacifying tools.

The porocess of epigenetics says that the behavior at any moment in the life is the cummulative effect of nature and nurture. The process starts at the stage of conception but even the period of preconception can't be ruled out. S. V. states that the process started from the moment life started on the earth when mind got associated with matter. The desire to associate ofcourse is the property of mind.

All of the living beings are created from the lifeless matter. Evolution simple theorem is that living being is created from the matter in the inanimate stage. If you consider this, then you can put forth a very simple equation, thereafter.

Evolutionists are of the opinion that the living beings were created by the adjustments and modifications. It is correct that the development happened slowly, one step after another. 

But whose basic desire was it to develop?

The believers in Energy (Life) are of the opinion that, it is energy which is important. That got stuck to the body, stuck to the matter, stuck to the inanimate objects; this world is created from both of them together. Some people who say that living being was created from the lifeless objects. Well, that’s OK, but how did this happen?’ They are not able to explain it. 

The doctrine of organic evolution has now been universally accepted. There is, however, no consensus of opinion amongst biologists as regards its modus operandi.

Talking only in terms of ‘New Way philosophy’, we have told earlier that you define the matter. After you have defined matter, we have demonstrated to you that there is something beyond the matter. That which transcends the velocity of light is called as non-matter.

Tracing the history backwards in the sequence of evolution, while counting back from 100 we arrived  at one (1). We agree to it. But why don’t you tell us as to how did one(1) originate? You cannot tell us, about that? Did it come from zero? You are not able to give an answer as to where  one (1) originated from. And that is why we are going to the roots and saying that we are proving (the existence of) energy. We have to accept a simple theorem that the Chetana (energy) has constructed  the nature while taking the help of jada (matter). You will say, what will happen if we don’t accept it?  – You will be caught in a trap.

Who had the need at that time to suddenly transform the non – living matter into living beings? What  kind of need arose for which the nature has done all this? What was its motive? The present theories are unable to explain this by any means. And that is where the evolution or evolutionism falls short,  becomes weak.

Generally even I (S. V.) accept the evolutionism to that extent. I accept evolution steps(11 to 100). Not only this, I am ready to accept it from (1) to (10). It is logically correct. We do accept that  evolution has taken shape very slowly. 

But basically why life was created in the first place? Hence we put forth the theorem of velocity of light there; and we oppose the evolutionists of materialistic orientation. We politely tell them ‘Give us an answer; we are ready to go back’. But none has given any answer to our questions.

While we try to link human behavior to its origin, we have to study the childhood. Where is the root of a child’s existence? What is the root of human behavior? If you take this link into 

consideration, you would realize that the stream of evolution that is flowing over thousands of millions of years,is responsible for our behavior and also for child's existence. It won’t be sufficient to study merely Neurology and Physiology. As we are of the opinion that we should study psychology too! While understanding the evolution process

As per Darwin, first the human being has a desire, then he makes efforts for fulfilling the same. After this efforts, if the nature accepts it and if that effect is stable, then it enters into the descendants, in the  children. It means human beings have achieved permanent progress. If it is so, then why the children of great people aren’t great? Our conclusion should be that Darwin’s theorem is not sufficiently pervasive.

Why did Dinosaurs die? They died because of comfort; they died due to eating too much. The situation came when no competition was left. Hence, if you restrict the meaning of ‘might is right’ as relating only to physical power, then it won’t be correct. The species which came afterward haven’t grown by merely killing each other; they have grown by helping each other as well.

We ought to be thankful to Darwin. It doesn’t mean that ‘whatever Darwin says is correct’. Natural selection functioned in combination with qualitatively new social-economic factors but its importance  grew less as the role of the latter increased. It means that the principle of natural selection, meaning ‘might is right’ was there at the beginning of the world, but it changed later.

Who changed it? Darwin has given an answer for the same . He said, it was changed by human beings who came later. A community was created by humans. He has stated that many a times it is apparent that humans changed the nature. Columbus discovered America. Then the natural selection ceased to remain a natural selection. Then what happened? Mixed breeds of humans were created,   hybrid races were produced. A few new sprouts were added to the human race. Darwin has made an  interesting statement. “When discussing the expression of emotions, of spiritual experiences by means of the face muscles, Darwin came to the conclusion that there is an amazing similarity in this  respect among representatives of different races.” Remember this. Now could an atheist have a  spiritual experience? And again the word ‘mental faculties’ is used. So ‘mind’ has to come.

See how that interesting word has appeared here. Whose wish is it? Nature has chosen the mighty. Who is mighty? The one who won the fight. He had a wish ‘I want to be powerful’ isn’t it? It is right. The wishes originate from mind, don’t they? It is correct. Now the question arises that if this wish is of mind, then whether he became ‘mighty’ for being capable of the desire or because was chosen by the nature? Tell me who gets the credit?

The human being accumulated power with efforts, did he get the status of ‘mighty’ because of the consistency of efforts or because of being chosen by the nature? And if because of power, meaning if he had earned this status of ‘mighty’ because of the unwavering efforts, then the choice of nature has no consequence. Who is nature to choose that? Tell me in certain terms what it is. Are you getting what I am trying to say?

Well, you have to draw only one conclusion: the mind is beyond this brain and body. It is the one which has desires. As long as it keeps doing justice to its task, it will keep on winning until that point. Real Evolution is here

The balance between power and peace, even the feeling of helping each other, has helped to gain victory in the nature So the word ‘might’ doesn’t mean only the physical power but the sturdiness of mind, steadfastness of intellect,  ability to surrender, each of these factors or their appropriate mix. Evolution has taken place as a result of these attributes. It is not sufficient to describe evolution merely as ‘might is right’.

ENTROPY

The law of heat & speed tells you that both of them will reach an even state in the end. What will happen in the whole of this universe? One day the movement of the whole universe is going to come to a standstill. That itself is called as the ‘state of entropy.’ The second law of Thermodynamics tells  the same thing. (Energy flows from higher to lower level till it attains entropy)…Finally everything in this universe is going to enter the state of equilibrium. Everything is going to have one  temperature. The stage and the speed of everything, the intermixing and internal stirring, is going to stop and everything in the world is going to enter one phase. This is the natural attribute of matter. You should take this into consideration.

‘All that got created was from matter.’ Every matter has action. Every action has a re-action. From this battle between action and reaction, the state of ‘Entropy’ is going to arrive eventually. The state  of ‘Entropy’ is the very Dharma (characteristic) of the matter.If you accept that the matter is going to finally enter the state of Sarva Shanti (total peace) and Sarva samata (total equality), then how can Darwin’s theorem of ‘might is right’ be true? If the basic law of ‘might is right’ is prevalent in the world, it cannot ever establish equality.

If the matter says that I am always going to fight and the one who wins in the fight will become mighty, how did progress of evolution go up to the stage of humans? What was your definition of progress? You have defined progress in a wrong way. This is the real issue. And if the evolutionism is unable to give a satisfactory answer to this, then the situation will  arise when we will have to put materialistic evolutionism aside. But don’t we see ‘might is right’? We do see it like that. But I don’t think of that state as a permanent stage. Fundamental law of matter is the state of entropy only; it is not ‘might is right’

The true law instead of that is of peace, adjustment, adaptation. We call it as ‘Symbiosis’. (we) term that as the state of peace, state of adjustment. And if that is the state, then you have to take that state into consideration.It won’t be right to go by ‘might is right’. You have to believe that the one who adjusts has the ability to change the world. The one who adjusts can reach the real next stage in evolution. The evolutionists say that if you learn to make adjustment and if that adjustment is accepted by nature, then you can reach the next stage in evolution.

So remember, to progress in the process of evolution, what should a person do? We have to make adjustments. What does the nature do? It suddenly gives him a prize. It is termed as mutation. While describing evolution it is said that a person makes an adjustment. Then what does the power of nature  do? It selects the one who has the maximum ability of adjustment, out of all of them. 

But  again our   question is, what if the one who does adjustment, is a sweet talker and a cunning person?

Hence we have to arrive at his motive. His motive should be that of peace. And hence, it is not sufficient for the person to make an adjustment; the nature also has to approve your adjustment.

The question is, what is the basic principle for natural selection?

If equality (entropy) is the final word of the nature, then to whom will the nature choose? Who would it elect? Who would it select? It will select the one who has the intent of equality; we have to draw such a simple conclusion. Then who will have that motive? Would it be with the inanimate object? And if it is not with an  inanimate, who will have it? Motive is the characteristic of Mind. One who is struggling in the evolution, the one making adjustments, possesses life. It is the intellect or the inspiration behind the motive. ‘When environment changes, the organism makes conscious efforts to adapt to the surroundings’. 

This is what Lamarck says. It is right. But conscious efforts? OK. So he tries wholeheartedly. Yet has  Darwin denied it at all?

I am making no change in the main theme of Darwinism.Living being has knowledge which says: ‘I want pleasure’. The living being has a motion. According to our principle of evolutionism, the root cause of this motion is pleasure. The animate longs for the state of happiness and that’s the reason he gets sorrow along with it. Here he is bound to get misery as the reaction. When he will get to know this (equation of happiness) – whoever this creature is, - he has acquired some basic knowledge. That is why he is making the ‘so called’ progress. Hence he is  getting the pleasure of motion. Ultimately he is going to get pleasure and pain as action-reaction. 

As that creature will go on increasing in size, more complex & dynamic, he, that is, humanity is going to get more grief. We are experiencing it today. And even science has stated the same. We are getting  those experiences in modern times. Where is the peace today? Miseries of the dynamic life have been created in the form of reaction.

If science has to follow its mission of reaching to the reality, it must get rid of the following misconceptions and revise its base.

1. Only matter matters.

2. Survival of the fittest.

3. Genetic control of life. And

4. Notion of random evolution.

These are the four wrong notions on which entire structure of science is based. Science can not reach to its aim if it dose not revise its base in view of the latest research. In short the existence of the reality beyond matter has to be accepted and incorporated in science by the scientists.

So now we have to acquire that ‘knowledge’ (to know) why we were born? Why has this Universe come into existence? And how this nature is going to move towards the end? What will happen if he  (the animate) connects this knowledge to his life, instead of clinging to the ignorance? Well, then definitely the state of equilibrium will come about. 

The theory which we are presenting is valid from the perspectives of science, religion and communism.We demonstrated to you that if people interpret Darwinism in a wrong sense merely as evolution of the lifeless, of the inanimate, that will result only in creating proofs which are opposed to each other.From one way the evolution theory says that there is a motive to the state of matter that makes efforts as well as to the state of being animate which struggles. Further it says nature selects him. his implies that even the live individual has a motive and the nature too has a motive – merely for making a selection. If it is so, what is the motive? If you have accepted it as an even state (entropy) itself, then even the religion states the same, science states the same.

However, from one angle you say that the matter has no motive. As You say that nothing will be moved unless moved . While laying down the law of motion you have said that matter itself as such has no motion of its own, it also means it has no motive as well.

After all this, the definition we are making of the living creatures, the other proofs and the adjustment  what we are telling - should be accepted. You need to state that Darwinism leads to the self-destruction because of the lack of logic. 

The research by Darwin is very good. Still however, the theorems which he has proposed are bouncing back on him. He has to swallow his own words. That shouldn’t happen. So all of us need to think of it from a different perspective. 

‘Might is right’ is the true situations, but it is transient. Since matter has no motive you have to accept the state of non-material (existence of mind). Hence you need to have a well- meaning motive. That motive should be full of knowledge.The one who couldn’t acquire knowledge on his own, should submit himself wholeheartedly to  the one who has acquired the knowledge. This is what we get to see in nature, or should be seen..

Here we need to carry out research on the above points. We need to acquire proofs for this hypothesis.If you want to build the life afresh, if you want to give new meaning to life, then you should be studying scientifically while applying logic and appropriate tools. Only then you would be able to do something different. Remember, it is not sufficient to know how the world is. You should also understand how to change the world for better.

"Critical self-introspection, acceptance of own faults and be ready to willingly suffer the unpleasant consequence of own karma is the essence to make a progress in the life of an individual . Our noble desires only can fetch us noble reward. That is the right way of progress in the direction of higher evolution"

Here we conclude the series of Blogs on "EVOLUTION OF MIND"..

Vijay R. Joshi

Why we behave like this? (E O M -11)

We shall see the views expressed by Swami Vijnananand when he guided the young seekers of Manashakti in 1990 on the desired direction of the research needed to find the truth behind the process of evolution. The book in Marathi “Apan ase ka vagato” (Why we behave like this?) gives his message. Here are some excerpts from chapter 4 of this book.

We have fear and anger engraved.

Why  fear and anger are engraved in human mind? How are they related to evolution? basically, why should we have a desire to have this body? In the course of evolution, we came to this stage (human body) after wearing a variety of bodies (starting from amoeba to chimpanzee) in the past. We progressed to the human body by the route of evolution.

Sex is the original emotion. But fear and anger are a part of human nature…Unless they were having a contribution in the evolution, fear and anger would have never come trekking along with the living being. They survived only because they were basically needed…Even rage is a tool of evolution.

How is rage related for the survival of the fittest? The one who was mighty, survived. Nature itself has the rule - might is right. Then to be powerful than others, rage is required. We started to get revolutionized because of fear.

What is evolution? The transformation which took place in the living organisms is evolution. Darwin has stated that the meeting with Nature approval is proved by fight. The minute scripts or the portions of evolution should be understood well. They should be studied in deep.

Desire (according to the nature leads to)  Efforts (with fear/anger which leads to)  Victory or Defeat – this is the way the chain of development takes shape. So-called evolution is depending on human desire.

In that chain, we used fear and anger as protective armors in the beginning. But they become harmful later as other feelings and shades of nature got mixed in.

I will tell you, how anger got associated with evolution. The perspective in evolution being ‘survival of the fittest’, human beings had to struggle for living. This meant that they had to fight. In fear and anger, in both the places a fight - latent and evident- was the only difference...

There is basically a paradox (in life). It is there in laughter and tears, in fear and anger, in functionary and sensory organs, and in the inborn nature and in the one born out of experience… Though all of these are getting integrated, still, if you try to find the root of all this, you will have to go to evolution only. If you try to explore the minutest seed, then as your forms of mind went on playing with matter in the course of evolution, as you went on taking one incarnation after another – you will find the root of that manifestation of your nature, hidden somewhere in evolution. If that would be found in evolution, then the question that you will have in mind is, - has that been proved so far?

 We shall try to establish that link.

As you are all the time surrounded by some emotion, you are using motion at every moment – you either utilize it in the right manner or the wrong one. If utilized properly, then it gives good results in the material form at least. We call that as progress. When it has an ill effect we call that as downfall. But do the effects of this motion linger on in our personality, our body, our mind? You will have a question whether such a process really exists in reality. Then yes, there is indeed such a process.

It has not only happened in the present stage of the evolution but you have accumulated various experiences in your entire journey of evolution. Utilizing these experiences cumulatively, you were born. It is a truth that your nature was carved out of this. At the same time to prove this truth, you have to prove one more truth -- that, such a process exists in your life, it is in your anatomy, and we will have to arrive at it again. This way the thread which leads us to evolution will be woven correctly, joining the contemporary with the past history.

Comments: The process of epigenetics says that the behavior at any moment in the life is the cumulative effect of nature and nurture. The process starts at the stage of conception but even the period of preconception can't be ruled out. S. V. states that the process started from the moment life started on the earth when mind got associated with matter. The desire to associate of course is the property of mind.

Vijay R. Joshi.