Save your Child from Yourself - Swami Vijnananand.

(Extracts from book)

S.V. authored a book around year 1960 titled “Save your Child from Yourself”. In this book he has critically analyzed the role of homes (parents) and schools (teachers) in nurturing the child to develop an adult of proper character. We will see the extracts from this book highlighting his views in this regard.

In 2017, now also, we see that the analysis he has put forward before over 50 years; is still worth of consideration.

1. THE MYTH OF OUR AFFECTION

As parents (also teachers), our role anent child­ education stands out as an outstanding illustration of our capacity to delude ourselves

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Thinking in terms of intelligent influence, children rarely exercise it on the elders and hence the question is unquestionably reduced to, whether our obligations towards the youngsters are duly discharged. An assertion unhesitatingly survivable is, far from proving worthy of their task, instead of educating the children properly, the parents head the battalion that spoil the child. Amongst neighbors, friends, relatives, doctors, servants, nurses, teachers and the mass amidst which the child is developed, the parent can be easily accused of stealing the march in the undeclared but continuous war against the child.

I beg no pardon of parents who relentlessly toil to caress their dear one. For, the blandishment and endearment the parents evince to their children; is merely a reflection of their own personality.  A kind mother is so, because she cannot but be kind. Without embellishment, the mute point to be taken into account is whether the kindness conducts her to any rational action or simply to an emotional impulse. Not infrequently, "kindness" is a misnomer to the mother's emotional outburst. Howsoever harsh and obdurate the statement sounds, the irrefutable truth is, if at all one chooses to believe that an external entity can influence a subject to that extent, parents lead the attack on the child. No matter what kind of weapon the parents employ anger, harshness, kindness, love or affection in their parenting activities for the child.

2.  Single sanguine hope - Determination to face the facts-acceptance of the unvarnished truths that corrects ourselves-is our single sanguine hope. It is never too late to mend.

3.  The wishful thinking of the parents is of no material consequence. Their progeny is neither a mechanical duplication of themselves nor a model that they like to produce. What is produced is the new-born unfathomable individuality. No father or mother ever has any control over the child before the birth with respect to anything whatsoever. Nature manifests a variety at each child-birth, using a pair of father and mother as medium.

4. Academic education - The parents who can afford to send their children to school should certainly send them for coaching. But it should not be lost sight of that a grudging and unwilling child is a nuisance to the school.

Citing several examples, author says famous authors, philosophers, heads of religions, scientists, artists, Play-writers had no rich academic background.

(Buddha, Shri Krishna, Christ, Mohammed, Zoroaster, Confucius, Nanak, Mahavir, Moses and Marx. Socrates. Bacon, Tolstoy, Omar Khayyam, O'Henry. Galileo, Copernicus, Kepler, Pasteur, Lister, Newton. Mozart are some such persons)

5. The purpose of life of the New Born - It is of paramount importance to bear in mind that the new-born springs up into existence on his own and has a pur­pose to serve. It is far more desirable to visualize that latent animus (a feeling of hate or anger towards someone or something) vicariously (experienced as a result of watching, listening to, or reading about the activities of…) assists him in understanding that purpose.

6.  Lessons of life -The ingenious (“cleverly inventive,”) baby remains concealed under the bodily protection and nourishment of the mother for nine months. Certainly, the child breaks cover, pushes himself out, only when he ascertains for himself that the zero hour has approached. He makes himself sure that he deserves independent existence and is capable of it. Child commences taking lessons of life at the very moment of existence, on his emergence as a distinctly separable individuality.

7. Purpose of education and life- For imparting true training to the child, we have ourselves to perceive the purpose of education and life, in a very comprehensive sense. Not only from the moment of birth but even before the birth, child can learn, Parents be aware of this.

8.  Aim of education. - What constitutes the pronounced objective of education today? Are we or our institutions capable of carrying out the responsibility set out before us? Positively not. At the outset, ascertain the aim, the directive and the motive of education. In formulating them (objective of education) we shall not go far wrong if we remember Morant's two top priorities, the formation of character and the development of intelligence; and it is well to have regard, also, to Mill's aim of transmitting and, where possible, improving  cultural heritage.

Kalnin held a high post in Russia and is taken to be an authority on education. Speaking before a celebration meeting in honor of "decorated rural school-teachers" as they call, he addressed, "What do we mean by education? We mean influencing the physical and moral attributes of the pupil, influencing him in a' definite direction throughout the whole of his ten years of study i.e. molding him as a human being”.

The champions of the cause of ideal education the world over, unreservedly give assent to salient features of model education we have underlined thus far.

(a)       The primary necessity is to impart moral education, a mission which is hardly mechanical.

(b)       The pupils possess receptivity beyond our stretch of imagination. They of course learn by our actions. Equally our words subscribe to build their wit, wisdom and personality.

(c)       The essence of education is character-building. Parents in the uphill task should share the bulk of the burden.

9. Too many cooks - Instructors, guides, relatives, priests and parents are too many cooks that spoil the broth. Ordinarily most of them are incompetent to take up the task, when they themselves lack moral conception as well as character. Over and above, they hang fire having no courage to admit it. It is in this sense that the proclaimed aims of education have admittedly ended in smoke.

10. Where the shoe pinches - The most serious weakness in modern education is the uncertainty about its aims: It is imperative to check up where the shoe pinches. The shoe, pinches where our own imperfection is evidenced.

11.  Can we “educate” the child? - The delicate embarrassment experienced in acceptance of the moral measure by the parents themselves becomes apparent. They accept moral education as the aim not to be ever fulfilled in practice. None dare pit against canons of morality in theory, therefore - `morality in education’ is an accepted goal. But none cares implementing the conditions put forth by ethical law, in the name of formidable ‘practical difficulties' in life. As if, all concerned; the parents-and the educationist, have come to an unwritten understanding that, `truth' should be talked of with unrestricted vigor; but practiced or taught strictly when remunerative.

In this world of unbounded, chaotic selfishness, the child only learns pure selfishness-more than his parents goad (to make a person react or do something) him to learn. Obviously because the child excels the parents in intelligence. When the child himself ascends to the adult age he learns by heart unqualified selfishness. He himself becomes chaotic. The parents have no clue to the Gordian knot because they themselves were very small kids some decades back and were taught untruth, howsoever inadvertently.

12.     WHAT DO WE TEACH THE CHILD - The children are zealously told the stories of fairies, deities, ghosts, demi-gods, angels, imaginary kings and animals who talk. Nothing is deemed heretical (of or relating to adherence to a religious opinion contrary to church dogma: characterized by heresy). The narratives are depended upon for increasing imaginative prepotency (the ability of one parent to impress its hereditary characters on its progeny) of the youngsters. No story-teller has ever given any thought to the damage certain fables (a short tale to teach a moral lesson, often with animals or inanimate objects as characters); bring about.

From purely logical point of view, no fault can be found with the kid. Aesop's logic itself is manifestly unsound. This is the case where a meritorious moralist like Aesop is concerned. He has mostly written good fables. Many other stories by various authors teach deceit (dishonesty), theft, robbery, mischief, spoliation and are frequently narrated to the children. This point of view conducts the parents to, enunciate four inferences.

(1) If the stories are to be fervently told to the children for having some "effect" - on the children the deceit, untruth and wrong reasoning poured out from the fiction must produce effect of equal measure, on the children. It cannot be eschewed.

(2) Therefore it becomes imperative to discard spinning stories apparently divulging amusing, harmless gist-­inherently leading to undesirable consequences.

(3) Publications of books which possess potential strength to build the character of the child should be encouraged.

(4) There is nothing wrong wholesale, in telling the child tales that conjure up a vision or indulge in reverie (a state in which you are thinking about pleasant things). Nevertheless, the narration must precede a necessary preamble like: Look here, boys, I am going to tell you the stories, so that you should develop into true, illustrious and wise men. The stories are imaginary and their detailed implications or meanings would be understood as you grow to maturity. Animals do not talk. But Aesop conjectured from their behavior what they would talk, and for the use of children, for you all to take lessons, he has written these tales. Now listen....

A suitable preamble on these lines for a parable of any author may mend matters and mitigate the injurious consequences.

These are small details. But they count. If at all we believe that children have elastic, tender impressionable minds, they cannot exclude the impression of cunning, guile, deceit untruth, revenge and the wrong outwitting the right.

The decisive question is whether we ourselves believe in the everlasting triumph of sin. If we apprehend sin to win, being honest to conviction let us tell no tale of moral value. On the other hand, if contrary is our faith, select such stuff as would elevate your child to a higher level, may be at the risk of some initial temporary passing setbacks and recurrent difficulties.

13.    GUILTY: PARENTS AND SCHOOLS

Kalinin, the deft authority on Russian education repeats the need to train the teachers, to the extent to which blame in a country like Russia could be isolated. He says, "Many teachers forget that they should be pedagogues, and a pedagogue is an engineer of human souls. Of course to be able to influence pupils in the required direction one must possess the appropriate talent. But that is not all. To be able conscious to exert a definite influence, the teacher himself must be a highly cultured and-let me say outright-a highly educated person."

The piteous plight is not different in England. 'In the past, many parents assumed that education was a function only of the school and not of the home’.

When the dad or the mom is in a catalepsy (nervous condition characterized by muscular rigidity and fixity of posture) about the children's behavior, they frantically hasten to lay the blame at the door of schools.

Prof Bell has furnished ample evidence indicating how both the parents and the schools neglect child welfare. His surmises are represented below in five points, so far as they affect the American situation.

Higher living standards,

Changing social conditions,

Small houses,

Nuclear families,

Both the parents doing job.

These are some of the problems due to which parents are not able to take proper nurturing care of the young kids. Then they expect schools to do this. Schools, for various reasons and aims accept this mission, but teachers alone can’t comply these needs. The role of parents is vitally important.

Teachers have to have themselves role model of ideal character and teach the values to the students. But this can’t be achieved by superficial means and guidance. So the methodology has to be newly devised.

The first school of every child is his home, and his mother is his first teacher. The education which he received on his own hearth (living room) remains with him for the rest of his life, because early influences, as a rule, make the most permanent of all impressions. The lessons and guidance received by the kid under the warmth of affection and love at home leaves long lasting impacts on his/her memories and are of use in all future life. To that extent the first school of the kid is his/her home and the first teacher is the mother/father.

Obviously the picture is disquieting. Education has frightfully failed to ascertain its aim, though parents have half irresponsibly and half in faith, entrusted their children to schools. The schools appear to be ignorant, parents either foolish, selfish or knave. The perplexing paradox is, even though the ruinous predicament is brought to their notice, instead of a melioration or a saner argument, they adhere to dilatory action and destructive criticism.

Whereas all concerned are conscious of the detrimental consequences, none finds courage to bell the cat, because the real cat is every parent's personal ego. None can encroach upon one's own personal ego-not even for the putatively darling fondling.

S.V. concludes the grave consequence due to the above situation as follows:

Whether one finds it convenient or inapt, there need be no two opinions on the assertion that a large share of blame arising out of the disturbed situation goes to apathy of the parents. Mr. Fine asks, "Something has gone wrong. The headlines tell us this, and the figures bear it out. Something has gone wrong either in the life of the child or in the life of the community, or probably in both. Have we as a society been deficient in developing laws to protect children from the delinquency (illegal or immoral behavior especially by young people) disease? Have we been cheating our children?"

Parents of the other nations should be under the illusion and fertile fancy that the crisis is exclusively restricted to America.

14.    THE ONLY HOPE

There is something wrong in education, in a wider sense, more educated nations naturally swallow more bitter pills. That by no means absolves parents in the rest of the world from being on guard.

Education is necessary; it must be spread subject to proper modifications. I, for one, am an ardent follower of knowledge and science. But foundation of knowledge must necessarily be TRUTH, inexorably. (impossible to prevent or stop).

In my other works of this series, it has been established, as authenticated and supported by the pure laws of physics that TRUTH echoes the only categorical answer to our problems of health diseases, fortune and every impediment in life. TRUTH constitutes the singular means and the end. Truth is not an empty bubble, a vain talk: it is the only hope of self-deceiving humanity. To the discernment that TRUTH alone teaches and nothing else, a responsible apostle of education can take no exception. The contrary is not valid. All teaching is a waste, provided untruth is cherished.

It is thoroughly going amiss to conjure up a vision that the child has no insight in the potential power of truth. He has. You have rendered yourself powerless to comprehend that he has. We talk of promoting equality in this world. Nature has bestowed upon us a supreme equality, equality to know truth. Barren discussions on ultimate Truth, absolute Truth, are of no avail. For practical purposes, "subjective truth objectively known with detached mind" formulates a workable definition.

In whatever manner our parental accountability has been glossed over (unrecognized, unseen, overlooked), the error may be a page of the past. Let us turn a new page. Let us indoctrinate and tutor the young children in the environments of pure truth unvarnished, unadulterated truth. Talk plain truth, teach plain truth to them. Certain inconveniences, awkward situations, impassable or impossible circumstance may crop up like a bolt from the blue. Ultimately, truth alone will disentangle all the riddles. In the ultimate philosophical sense, we are not answerable to anyone except to ourselves. Nevertheless, the expression "our children" then boils down to a mere pretense. Till Mr. Fine and Dr. Bell conclude that the parents cheat their own children and till parents offer no satisfactory rejoinder, onus on them to instruct them remains unchanged.

Parents are no doubt engaged in their own vexed questions. Modern life has pressed people too hard. Unbiased truth is not even occasionally flashed across the memory in daily hazard of life. But then is it not incumbent on us to fathom as to why we invite the vagaries (unexpected events or changes that cannot be controlled and can influence a situation) of this modern mode of life? We asked for it. If^-something is gone wrong, let us wait, search, explore, unearth and begin accommodating Truth.

With or without involving religion, truth stays over a desirable and wholly acceptable value. No argument that discards truth in this respect will be incontrovertibly tenable. Therefore we must at the cost of myriad inconveniences, recommence to realize truth. The nightmares of life in the ultimate sense, originate from our cravings and consequent rejection of truth. Let us revert the process. Begin on a clean slate, begin with the newborn.

The authorities working on child behavior have courteously accepted the sacred value of truth. But their approach is still improper, inadequate, and insufficient to deal with the outstanding issue. To illustrate; S.V. quotes as follows:

For instance, Dr. Arnold Gesell, who conducts world's foremost child-study-center, quotes the following illustration:

"Jimmy's mother had just come home from the store. She had left Jimmy at home alone for the few minutes that she was gone. After all, he was six years old and old enough she figured, to take care of himself and not get into too much trouble.

"But Jimmy's mother was wrong. Just as she entered the house, she heard a loud crash. Jimmy had climbed up on to the pantry shelf and had managed to knock over and break one of her best vases"

"'Jimmy, you naughty boy, what have you done?' she scolded him.'Did you break that vase?"

"'No, Mummy, no. I didn't,'" denied Jimmy vigorously, very much frightened. He hadn't meant to knock over the vase, and certainly he hadn't expected his mother to be back so soon.

"Now, Jimmy, I have always told you to tell me the truth. Admit that you broke the vase".

"But Mummy, I didn't”, protested Jimmy.

"So off to bed went Jimmy while his mother cleaned up the pieces.

"'It wasn't so much just his breaking the vase though that was bad enough," she told Jimmy's father when he came home. "But it was his lying about it that I minded so much. So, I did the only thing I could have done. I sent him to bed. He's just got to learn to tell the truth, and he's old enough to take the blame when he has done wrong."

"We don't blame Jimmy's mother for being upset at broken bric-a-brac, but she was wrong here on at least two counts (aside from her questionable move in leaving him alone and unsupervised while she was out).

"The average child of this age just does not have the maturity to admit his own wrong-doing and if questioned directly as to whether or not he has done a 'bad' thing, he will almost invariably deny it (or at best, if he doesn't deny it, will claim, Well, I couldn't help if).

So Jimmy's mother was expecting too much in wanting him to admit his own wrong-doing, especially right after it had happened. And when she asked him directly if he had knocked over the vase, she was literally pushing him into a lie. Because it was almost a certainty--had she but realized it-that a child of his age would deny his guilt when he was accused directly."

Four paragraphs later Dr. Gesell suggests that ‘though at the age of six the boy denies his responsibility at the age of eight he is likely to accept the guilt’.

S.V. says: So, according to the learned doctor. Truth the laudable, commences at eight.

No, dear doctor, truth is a continuous process. It is a habit. It does not operate on installment basis or leave gaps. Before irreparable damage is done, we sound the timely alarm:

Save your child and your 'self’ from yourself.  As is said by Goethe, "Man wird me betrogen, man betrugt sich selbst" (We are never deceived, we deceive ourselves.)

15.  THE CHILD IS MORE AWARE

Dr. Gesell's prediction that a child repudiating nuda veritas (the naked truth) at the age of six, may accept his charlatanism (cheating) two years later is merely hoping against hope, if not a rigmarole (a long, complicated, and annoying process). The child lacking courage to admit wrong at six cannot suddenly change over to unfeigned behavior as a rule. Without practice, meditation, persuasion how can he leave the habit of prevarication'? A mansion or an acropolis cannot be fabricated where an architect or an engineer can put on the eighth story after the sixth, without constructing the seventh one. There is no rationale in speculating that a youngster holds back a good habit unused for one or two years.

A child can, besides inborn inclination, go in for untruth only if an opportunity is available to him. Notwithstanding the inborn instinct towards favoring untruth, the pivot of the problem is, how could he first express a misstatement in the present life, unless parents allow him an opportunity?

Imagine an infant nurtured to the age of three. The child for three years is fondled without a word being uttered. As an inborn urge, the child will emit sound and twang, but in which language can he talk? No language. Belike, for some reason if parents do not give the little one an occasion to manifest untruth, the newborn may not reach renewed horizons of falsehood. It amounts to apparently negative yet practically positive gain. As the boy grows, he is more truthful in a sense, he remains exposed to evil attacks for a lesser period and so can be called a less corrupt individual in terms of untruth.

16.  NONE DENIES TRUTH THEORETICALLY

Parents, teachers and the taught formulate three sides of educational triangle, which, in effect, shapes itself into a perplexing (mentally confused) tangle. No party rejects truth in theory, yet accepts

It in practice. Children are, comparatively and intellectually, less conversant with paradiddle (typical sound of drum). Parents endorse truth. Supreme role of moral education has long been acknowledged by educationists. In spite of this unanimity, mal-effects of misconduct look increasingly periscopic (different views from periscope). From ancient Greek or oriental educationists, supporters of moral education have struggled to strengthen their point of view. Except for periodical lapses, when morality^, went in the background, moralists never lacked generous support, though in theory.

Not to mince matters, it can be asserted that an all ­sided solemn support for moral curriculum and Truth is diffused through. What is the apology and excuse which forecloses practice'? All concerned baffle description of the accepted solution in sheer bewilderment and pusillanimity (cowardliness). Someone has to bravely break the cover. It is hypocrisy on one hand, to say that Truth stands first and foremost and on the other hand to put forward excuses or palliations, when matters come to brass tacks. One can chime in with parents if they accept teaching unvarnished truth in principle, begin earnestly but slowly and ask time for integrated achievement. Such request is plainly discernible (noticeable, can understand). Nobody is in that impetuous scramble. On our commencement right now the next generation will be slightly invigorated (to make someone feel fresher, healthier, and more energetic):  which in turn can bear a hand to elevate its youngsters. 

The process may call for the endeavor of four generations-may be forty, but the responsibility of the present generation to draw^- on futurity (future time) becomes imperative.

To parents:  The author can predict how much annoyed the impatient parents may feel on going through the present essay. Some of them would be inclined to investigate whether the expostulation herein could be undone. An erratic may make a row that the innocent parents have been scurrilously insulted by my surmise. The author pleads not-guilty. The Truth is to be told for the perpetual, transcendental good of the parents. Aristotle said, "Plato is dear to me, but dearer still is truth". Howsoever fanciful, a dream is a dream. Romance of chimera (a hope or dream that is extremely unlikely ever to come true) does not last eternally. Fumes of fancy are bound to fade away in face of reality.

John Macy has bluntly remarked, "The notion that the parents are entitled to respect simply because they are parents is preposterous (absurd; senseless; utterly foolish). The stream of obligation runs strongly the other way."

The new-born, if accorded leave to pause for a second; may himself pray that his parents be endowed with strength to abstain from untruth. The little newcomer may like guardians to employ harsh means instead of false, misdirected affection. Mr. Fine suspected whether we deceive our own children, subconsciously having the same pinch of guilt. It is no use deceiving children, even assuming that they do not see through elder's selfishness and pretense (pretend, make believe) of love. Oscar Wilde observed, "Children begin by loving their parents. After a time they judge them. Rarely, if ever, do they forgive them." The way children take revenge on their parents is by becoming ungrateful and unworthy themselves. It amounts to a very hard, unexpected luck for parents particularly for those who remain oblivious of their own diabolical (cunningness of devil, evil) wrongs.

To keep clear of afflictions originated from ill-defined affection, a serene satisfaction for yourself and your dear ones, re-draft a new program for child-education. Impart ethical education having an excelling import that gives meaning to life. Our immediately being alive to the grave situation and taking instantaneous action is the only silver lining of the cloud.

After making initial observations as above, Swami Vijnananand, did not stop. As a real zealous social worker, he worked out plans to help the homes (parents) and schools (teachers) to assist in properly nurturing the child’s character development from prenatal stage to the stage of an adult youth. Without any institutional help, support, donations, grants on his own, he took his plans to the interested groups of people. Convinced by the merits of the mission slowly, one by one seekers joined the mission and the organization “MANASHAKTI PRAYOG KENDRA” took shape. We will see in the articles to follow the detailed outline of the activities carried out by this organization for last many years in the service to the society in nurturing the youths.

Vijay R. Joshi.

Swami Vijnananand: Efforts for the new generation..

A famous quote says ‘if you want one year of prosperity, grow grain. If you want ten years of prosperity grow trees; but, if you want hundreds of years of prosperity, nurture the youths’. Efficient and morality practicing young generation is important and necessary aspect in nation building. 

Statistics reveal that presently; India has 50% of its total population below the age of 20 years and about 70% or more below the age of 35 years. Therefore India is known as nation of youths in the world. India is predicted to be a world superpower in next 10 to 15 years. Realization of this dream is largely based on the assumed success and accomplishment of young generation. Thus, we can conclude that if India or any nation for that matter, wants to gain and maintain top position in the world in coming years, it is necessary to start and continue the process of creating capable, virtuous and patriotic young generation.  

 

Educational institutions, office bearers, principals, teachers, parents, government officials, politicians responsible for educational policy making – all should consider this fact before planning and implementing a strategy. Manashakti Research Centre particularly and especially is working with this purpose. Its objective is to help parents, teachers and others concerned in nurturing young generation. With this objective, it is busy organizing many study camps and related activities regularly for past many years. Recently a three days conference was organized at Lonavla on the subject “Efforts required to bring up the new generation with right character.”

Pursuit of happiness

Each one of us mostly strives for happiness and happiness is the major objective. Parents attempt to fill their child’s world with happiness. They always try hard to raise their child properly and keep his or her life on correct track. But mostly they are ignorant about the exact course of action to achieve their aim and often their efforts result   not yielding desired results; end-up into failure. To some extent; this is applicable to schools and teachers also.

If we review the condition and status of children – from infants to teenagers - the overall state of affairs we see is quite worrying.  9^th June 2010 edition of English daily published from Mumbai displayed following headlines on front page:

-         Two and half year old child suffers from depression.

-         A rich Kid steals……just for the craze of thrill

We see quite often the news related to the stress, depression and  resulting ill effects due to the erratic behavior in younger generation.

Today we can easily hear about depression among six to ten years old children. High blood pressure, diabetes is common in school and college students, at least during the pre-exam period of high tension, as revealed in some social surveys published. Another published survey revealed that 50% school students in a metropolitan city were of aggressive nature and show tendency to become a gang member of bad boys operating in school campus.

Tough competition; tension of study; increasing struggle due to ambition of getting maximum marks; addiction of TV, mobile phones, social media and Internet games; excessive / untimely eating and sleeping; exam fear; getting confused at the time of exam; anger;  unwillingness to attend school; self-centered nature; lack of definite pre-set goal – 

complaints coming from parents are many and never-ending. 

On one side tensed parents are worried about future of children, on the other side; children are getting depressed and aggressive due to various external factors. Dynamic lifestyle has provided us many conveniences that we had never seen before. But it has also given birth to worries and sorrows that were never present in our life in the past.

Where Is Happiness?

Matthieu Ricard is a French scientist turned Buddhist monk. He has reputation of being ‘happiest person in the world’. He has published a book on ‘happiness’. He says that our mind is flexible and constantly changing. We can dramatically change our life, if we slightly change our attitude toward world and our perception of external things.

How to execute these changes? What exactly we should repair? To find the answers we must entirely review the concept of happiness.

Happy Personality

In some of the earlier blog-articles; we have seen how the concept of happiness has been treated by Swamiji in terms of laws of motion and second law of thermodynamics, Entropy. Here we shall try to see this in another rational way.

Anybody who really wants to be happy in life needs three things. They are:

1.     Capacity to earn money for material comforts – This requires Success in examinations.

2.     Physical fitness – This requires maintaining sound health.

3.     Peace and satisfaction – This requires appropriate behavior, nature or character.

It is always beneficial to strive for them since the onset. Let’s try to understand it in brief:

1.     Success in Examination: One has to pass many exams with flying colors since childhood to young age and even later in life. Syllabus, Passing criteria and competition is part and parcel of every examination. We need to study various things with devotion, honesty, concentration and persistence. You have to prove your worth gradually by passing examination. Our financial and other gains are determined according to this. Currently this process continues from two and half / three years to twenty five years of age. Many career options are present as per one’s interests and caliber. We can choose from them. Even after completing academic studies, one has to face many examinations and competition such as in job interview, promotion or while starting new business. At each stage one has to ensure correct efforts and decisions for further progress. One can earn wealth after all these efforts. In short,  success in the examination is most necessary.

Health: A person cannot be happy without excellent physical health because only healthy and sound person is capable of enjoying all the pleasure we get from wealth. For instance, a person might have financial capacity to eat tasty sweets every day. But if he has diabetes, he is absolutely forbidden to do so. We cannot enjoy any pleasure without health. Our body is made of many organs, cells and various systems (such as digestive system, respiratory system, etc.). Their complicated functioning needs proper balance and sound health of each body component which is important for day to day activities. So a person must include well-planned and controlled diet, recreation, rest and exercise in his lifestyle. Parents must consciously take care and lay foundation of child’s health since childhood. Today health care is a matter of big concern. Many physical and psychological illnesses of adult age are arriving early at young age on large scale due to faulty lifestyle and food habits.

3       Nature or Character: These two factors mentioned above, i.e. success in examination and health might be favorable to a person, but no one can be happy without appropriate nature (behavior). Negative, unsatisfied, egoistic, vain person remains unsatisfied and unhappy in spite of favorable conditions. On the other hand, person having appropriate character, nature can reduce his unhappiness by remaining balanced even during adverse health and wealth conditions. Nature of a person means attitude, motivation, tendencies, behavior and character. All these things are important and essential for happiness. Therefore cultivating, nurturing proper nature, building character plays very important role in creating new young generation to face life challenges in the years to come. In fact it may not be wrong to conclude that while the first two factors are important, this third factor is vitally more important.

Character building

Character building by increasing emotional quotient is a hot topic of discussion among thinkers in the world today. An international conference on ‘Educating world citizens for the 21^st century’ was held in October 2009 at Washington, USA, under leadership of Dalai Lama. This important issue is at the center of discussion amongst thinkers all over world. The process of developing nature and character mainly takes place in childhood, i.e. up till age of 12 to 14 years. To accomplish proper things in this process, parents and teachers can contribute on large scale and media and government can also play their proper role. It is necessary to create awareness and give training in this regard. Many experts have presented their viewpoint on this aspect in the recently held Manashakti conference also. 
(The conference details at link 'http://educon.manashakti.org/20-Jan17.html')

In prevailing education system emphasize is put on scoring the marks and grades in examination. Curriculum and training regarding focus on health and character building attracts very less attention or is completely ignored. This aspect assumes high importance in MANASHAKTI efforts in nurturing youth. We shall see more on this in the articles to follow.

With due emphasis on Character Development, we have to prepare the revised-new rational education policy to nurture the overall personality (i.e. success in examination, health and character) of the child during the journey form prenatal stage to youth.We should take into account advantages and disadvantages of current education system to find out appropriate solutions and plug the loopholes. For doing this we need co-operation from all concerned. While determining these details of action; we should first objectively review when, where, how and by what means the learning process takes place in the life of child. So we could understand how to make that process more favorable and appropriate. The subject was discussed in its basics by Swamiji in his book “Save Your Child from Yourself”.

We shall review this; in the article to follow.

 

Vijay R. Joshi.

Swami Vijnananand, the founder of Manashakti Research Centre

Swami Vijnananand, the thinker, saint of modern age.

When Saint Ramdas was still a young kid, he sat in an attic, contemplating about the betterment of world. Saint Dnyaneshwar endured excessive persecution from the people. But he prayed to God ‘Let everybody get whatever they wish’. Saints who devoted their life for service of others were present everywhere in the world, in every age. They left imprints of their selfless work in society for long period. Their guidance and direction benefited many generations in the past and continue to benefit the present and future. Name of Swami Vijnananand, the founder and first thinker of Manashakti Research Centre belongs to the same rich tradition. He can be regarded as the thinker, saint of modern age.

“The welfare of the universe is my constant thought.

Self-examination is my tool.

I have no enemies outside of me.

I may have some enemy inside me for sure.

Day by day, as my knowledge based work will grow.

One day the entire world will be mine.

Science and beliefs are in my skin.

Gratitude is my righteous path.

Insulting others is forbidden to me.

Peace and equality are my actions”.

In words Swamiji did not only pray for the welfare of universe, he literally lived the prayer for his entire life. He combined science and spiritual knowledge to offer various solutions for people to apply and make their life happy. Lonavala’s famous Manashakti Research Centre is using these solutions for people since 50 years through various useful activities.

Happiness in life seems like a tiny barley seed, but sorrow is felt like mountain, big and overwhelming. Howsoever we try, we do not get the happiness to the extent we desire. Whatever little happiness we get is not long lasting. Unhappiness clings to us forever even if we do not try for it. Tension accompanies success. Boon of wealth comes with the curse of jealousy. Many such questions keep badgering us. Parents worry about study, nature and health related problems of young generation. Many of us are fed up with the corruption in society. Health and tension related problems are equally troublesome for young and adults. Number of temples, mosques and churches are growing, but real religious, tolerant and virtuous tendency is diminishing. Virtues like sanskars, benevolence, neighborliness, humanity, nationalism, honesty are getting obscure.

To find basic answers for all these worries, Swami Vijnananand studied concepts of happiness and unhappiness of human mind in depth. He took the help of scientific laws and interpreted independent solutions to problems.

In his study, research and experiments, Swamiji found that a person can solve his problems by bringing change in his lifestyle by his own efforts based on laws of nature. When human efforts are combined with spiritual knowledge and science, we get results that last longer. He wrote many books on his research. He also consulted and verified his research and results with experts in various subjects. Around 1960, he published a series of 16 books on “New Way Philosophy” in English. Later he wrote approximately 250 books in five different languages. He also wrote articles in many leading Indian newspapers.

His work took off in many forms such as establishing Manashakti Research Centre, organizing study camps, designing mind test machines, conducting novel body-mind machine tests. Various pujas including Yajna puja suitable for modern times are associated with organizing social work activities or shramananda, knowledge rallies, etc. Gradually with such activities conducted over last fifty years, Manashakti Research Centre has acquired present status.

Today the main center is at Lonavala (Pune ) and many sub-centers are spread across mainly in state of Maharashtra, India. There are approximately 100 life devotees at Lonavala who work full time for the institution.   There are thousands of devotees all around Maharashtra who selflessly contribute in the form of time, i.e. one hour a day or money donation (Dhananand). This work is now spreading beyond  Maharashtra and India as well.

“Manashakti”, magazine, a Marathi monthly published by M.R.C has celebrated silver jubilee recently.  It is a magazine published from Lonavala ‘for lasting happiness and reducing unhappiness’ – which is its motto. This magazine has become popular in no time as it provides knowledge based amusement and motivation to each and every person in the family through its various columns.  It reaches 4 to 5 lakh people every month.

The activities of Manashakti Research Centre include various special study courses, machine tests and other solutions for every stage in life, i.e. from prenatal to post-death. 50 years ago, Manashakti Research Centre presented the idea of educating and giving sanskar to fetus at prenatal stage.  It also started scientific programs to educate people in this regard.   This initiative can be considered unique not only at local level but also at the global level. Currently other individuals / institutions do conduct such prenatal education programs, but prenatal education conducted by Manashakti Research Centre is extremely popular due to its distinctive noble purpose and methodology. Seminars on prenatal education are organized all over Maharashtra and are in great demand. These seminars are conducted in Marathi and English. There is also a three days study course to give extensive guidance on the subject. This study course is available at Lonavala, scheduled throughout year.

Diverse programs on personality development for children and youths have been proven useful for children-parents-teachers and are very popular. Solutions  based on scientific study of mind-brain-body trio; independent, logical and rational guidance to accomplish ambitious mission within specific period; devotees working within laid principles; team work without any materialistic or  financial gain or donations; democratic decision making process without personality cult; selfless extensive work for all; that goes beyond cast, creed and religion based on no profit no loss principle – are some of the characteristics of this institution.  

Manashakti Research Centre is conducting various activities to create well mannered, patriotic and humanitarian young generation for building nation. Many activities useful for educational institutions, schools, colleges, parents, teachers, administrators of such institutions are available. Activities available for adults include guidance on health, behavior, success, satisfaction, etc. In the article to follow we shall see the center’s initiative for youth welfare.

While Swamiji has setup activities from prenatal stage to the whole life span till the moment of death, the major emphasis is for the new generation. In the articles to follow, we shall see more on this subject.

Vijay R. Joshi.

KNOW YOUR DEATH - 13

Hell. Heaven Rebirth and Moksha.

(Refer to article no 1 in this series)

Sir Charles Sherrington (Noble Prize Winner) says – Mind is energy, Birth is energy transformation. He asserts with admirable courage and explains – Mind seems to emerge from no mind (during birth of a child from a small embryo). So conversely at death, it seems to re-emerge into no-mind.

“We die only when are ready to die”. From ‘Will to Live; by Dr. Hutschnecker.

“एकोहम बहु स्याम” "I am One, let “Me” become many!" as per the advaita doctrine (Rev. Adi Shankaracharya), the birth of the Universe is by the will of Devine mind. The universe is itself the manifestation of the Divine Mind, which willed.

Suffering of the Mind after death. 

In order to understand and ascertain the status of the mind which departs from the body at the moment of death, it is important to understand the mind’s journey from birth to death and conditioning of the mind during this whole journey. Above figure gives the process of formation of the destiny from start to the end of life.

At the moment of conception the mind associates itself with the matter and new life begins. What could be the reason the mind opts to take birth? Obviously for some desire it needs to get associated with the matter. This desire is to acquire the status of being, to have an existence! Because to fulfill the desire, the bodily existence is necessary

.

Two cells, one each from mother and father unite to form the conceived cell. This conceived cell has to have different mind than the parent cells as the child’s mind is entirely distinct/different from its parents. Here we may say that the existence-seeking mind (non-matter) uses the matter from parents to complete its desire.

This association of mind with the body has to be as per the desire of the mind which wants to take birth.  One may object this and say that this could be considered the desire of parents also to give birth to a child.

Yes it can be so. But for every sexual association the parents may have, there is no conception. (The detailed discussion on this subject is available in the book “SUPER PROCREATION” pages 57-63, in the topic “Conception and Mind”. This book is published by Manashakti, author is G.S.Kelkar).

The desire of seeking mere “existence” later converts in to the “desire of existence with pleasure and comfort”. We have already discussed the aspect of ‘Desire’ in details. The end-less aspirations of materialistic pleasures keep the mind surrounded all through the life till the arrival of the last moment.

The concept of total detachment (akarma), one ness with the God/Spirit, highest level of self-realization are seldom achieved. At death the mind has to leave the body with un-fulfilled desires.

What happens after death?

After death, emotions and capacity to crave or think goes with mind. But Mind does not possess body, the means for full-filling its craving.

Thus for example, man's sex urge is not gone, but means to satisfy it is absent. Condition is unimaginably worse. More so because a person can visualize his wife or other representative of a fair sex but cannot do any further. If one has won sex feeling, it is no more one's peril.

What is true to sex is true of all emotions. (Here, it may be noted that seeing is not the function of ‘eye’ but mind sees through the means of the eye.)

Take one more case of emotion say affection. Affection has 3 aspects. Man has affection on himself, he likes sweets. After death he will see sweets all over, but cannot eat.  Man loves his wife, whom he sees weeping. He too then boils within, having no communicating system to advise her. On the other hand, if he witnesses, her faithlessness, he is doubly disillusioned and tortured.

To the extent to which man wins his emotions here and now, he saves himself from future pangs. None could say he will not be troubled even if he has won 90% of sex feeling, since he will have 10% trouble left mathematically.

Indeed, our pain in extra-mundane form is inversely proportional to pleasure in this stride. No escape.

During life the man hankers after desires-pleasures running down of his pulse, heat, energy. He spends his energy and gets pleasure. If to give out the energy is pleasure, to gain energy must be pain. In practice to cash a currency note of $100 for its running down to $60 would mean pleasure and while earning rupee by rupee, or dollar by dollar will be hard efforts/displeasure.

Suffering after death (as torturous activity)

One thing to be made clear here is "hell" or  "heaven" are not the places or locations but they are the experiences or situations where mind lands.

Scientific 'hell'.

During life man uses umbrella or a cap as protection from rain and sun. After death, mind - the entity smaller than even light quanta is open to high and low temperature change. No protection. It will feel it as just a 'hell'. But a poor (not possessing a cap/umbrella) who is accustomed to rain, sun and hard environments has no such additional torture.

The craving rich does not perceive this. Umbrella, car, fan are not sufficient for him. He is getting himself air-conditioned. Still worse tomorrow. Thus the mind of a person accustomed to comforts is likely to feel more pain in the stage after death.

Dis-association with body does not mean non-existence

Mind-energy i.e. "capacity to beat less than 60 per minute" takes with it its personal (un-fulfilled) desires. And so far they are not disassociated, it is no use saying that the mind will continue to be happy in the hither-to-disliked surrounding. It is as wise as an argument as by a man that he is safe, when he has entered in a tiger's cage to save himself from the freed tiger. No doubt, the man locked in cannot be touched by the tiger, but it is absurd to imagine that the man will ever feel the surrounding safe.

Like or dislike was not the consideration of the body, but of mind. If mind during life i.e. "capacity to beat 72 per minute" has no courage to face its dislike, from where would the courage appear when "capacity" is reduced?

Our analysis of mental agonies is true in any case. There is no use rejecting the "painful agonies" after death only because none can concretely 'show' a living man his condition in non-living state. And here too dreadful dreams serve as enough red signal, if one wants to take hint. When I see my hand cut by sword in dream, the pain that I experience is true at that hour. Boast of its falsity is a whitewash after the so-called awakening. If logic is not one's true teacher why should 'New Way' deny one to learn from your own experience? 

During life, pulse rate was reduced from 150 to 60. It was our pleasure. After death, the span in which 60 steps up again to 150, the period cannot be but of pain as a reverse process.

To the extent of the gravity of pain suffered by the departed mind, the Hell can be graded in 7 levels in ascending order. The pain level would be the lowest at grade 1. While it would be highest at the level 7. Similarly the Heaven being the stage of relative comfort, the grades would be in the reverse order as against the grades of hell. This means grade 1 hell is the 7^th grade heaven and grade 7 hell would be the grade 1 heaven, (illustrated in the figure).

 Remedy reaction:

'New Way' (Manashakti Ashram) suggests that since man cannot give up all his ideas of selfish pleasures, all of a sudden, let him begin earnestly. Instead of acting for 'ease' which results in 'disease' let man learn to react on own self. Spend 6.25% money time, energy in spread of new knowledge to experience a miracle. ('Enjoy' 6.25% bitter.).

Potentiality of rebirth phenomenon cannot be ruled out. On the other hand, it is not a must. If there is not left any alluring appetancy (intense desire, appetite, natural tendency) and avidity (greediness, eagerness, etc.), the mechanism of reincarnation loses its applicability as well as significance. The left over intensive desires and greedy tendencies (of the mind) may be fulfilled in the eventuality of next birth. Repetition of birth perhaps affords opportunity to learn the ultimate truth in instalment. The ultimate truth which says that vain (excessive egoistic) human deep desires (yearnings) can never be fulfilled.

 

For the one, who realizes the truth in a single span (life) the rebirth becomes redundant. From the series of articles under this title, it can be summarized that “Birth, Death and Life after death - All are based on the desire of Mind”. To make the death moment peaceful mind has to be trained throughout life.




Vijay R. Joshi,