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Date : 10 August 1998 --- Occasion : Message on Inroduction of New Vice-Chancellor
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EDUCATION FOR LIFE
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Embodiments of Love! Students! Teachers! And Lovers of Education! The entire world is controlled by God. God is controlled by the Truth. Truth is with the ideal man. Such ideal beings are embodiments of God. Men today are unable to see Divinity. They are unable to understand Divinity. Their time and deeds are wasted. Man's value does not depend on secular education alone. It depends on his culture. What is culture? We should get rid of our bad habits and cultivate good habits and thoughts. Then we are cultured.
The entire world is dependent on human activity. If man's endeavours are exemplary the country becomes exemplary. Our actions are directed by our thoughts. Thoughts depend on the mind. They should emanate from Truth. These are human values. What is the reason for the disorder in the world? Man is responsible for this. His thoughts are not proper. His deeds are not ideal. Man can prosper only with human values.
Head (mind) and heart are very important in a human being. Most thoughts are worldly and temporary. Reading, writing, eating, wondering, earning and so on are worldly attributes. They take birth in the mind. The sacred thoughts like kindness, love, sympathy and forbearance arise from the heart. These are called the inward qualities. The world is a mixture of inward and outward qualities. Man should take care to make his thoughts sacred. They take the shape of good and bad deeds when put into action. Man is a combination of mind, body and soul. The mind works through the body. The body performs the deeds. The mind thinks. The conscience is being. Doing, thinking and being are the basis for human existence. The body sometimes decides without any direction from the mind and conscience. This is animal nature. If the mind acts independently it leads to demonic nature. If the conscience acts independently it leads to divine nature. Man is combination of all these three. The sacredness of human nature is neglected. Man is endowed with good nature. This cannot be cultivated by education. Man today is proud of his education. What is this education? Reading and writing cannot be education. Acquiring degrees is not education. The ability to live is not education. Even animals and birds live. Man should cultivate human values. Acquiring human values is education. Giving value to truth is education. This is education for life. Life is for man and man is for the society. The society is for science and science is for spirituality. Spirituality is for the nation, the nation is for the world. The world is for peace.
Today man is seeking peace. Peace can be acquired only through human values. Human values are important for our peace and happiness. Receiving information is not education. This does not inculcate human values. It makes man a machine. He becomes a computer. He should become a composer. He should acquire an ideal nature. He should not concentrate on the body. He becomes selfish by this. Man can be selfish. But selfishness should be in its limits.
The Government is of the opinion that education is ensured by the establishment of schools and colleges. What are the qualities of education? Education should cultivate virtues, values, discipline, devotion and duty-consciousness. We have progress in education in terms of numbers. Harming the helper is not education. Education should ensure obedience, the inculcation of human values and lead to divinity. Students are not aware of this. Truth and eternity are considered perversions. The sacredness of human nature is lost. This is not education. Kindness and duty consciousness are the essence of education.
Good education ensures good culture, happiness, peace, good company and virtues. It realises the aim of life and deliverance from it. Truth is not bound by time and place. It is meant for all. Truth is God. Why should we search for God? We are in search of Truth. Should we search for something that is around us always? The right thing should be to eradicate what is not Truth. We should become embodiments of Truth. Man should enable himself to solve his daily problems and make efforts to attain peace. Peace can be obtained only through values. Truth, peace and love are not possible without these values. The path of Truth leads to Divinity.
Embodiments of Love! Students have a good character. They should retain faith in that. Plants need water and nourishment. Our love should be sustained by nurture. The peace that man attains today is transitory. Eternal peace is possible only through values. An ideal man practices the values. Students should inculcate these values in all villages. Education is not just for a job. Education is for Jnana (knowledge). Jnana is changeless and integrated. India has been a model for all other countries in the world. The Indian air is full of Truth. Even the Indian dust has dharma. There is kindness in its waters. Men have forbearance. People from other countries have been coming here for these things. The Indians are known for their sacrifice. They welcome Truth. The Indians have no right to neglect their heritage. The Indians never believed in invading other countries. They fought only when others invaded them. They stand for self sacrifice. They are never selfish. History tells about the sacrifice of the Indians.
Harischandra stood for Truth. Sibi gave his flesh for a bird. India has a number of such people. This is a land of great deeds, sacrifices and noble actions. You should not convert it into a land of pleasures. These are not true pleasures. Pleasure is possible only between pains. Pleasure has no value without suffering. Virtuous women and courageous men are born in this land. Students born here should inherit the spirit of the land. A clay pot is full of clay. A golden jewel is full of gold. The world is derived from Brahma. The world is full of Brahma. Human beings are born here. They are all embodiments of God. The body should pursue the path of action. Action should be righteous.
We have to know about the creation to know the Creator. All things are Divine. They have the same fundamental principle. This is a piece of cloth. It is a combination of threads. Threads are made of cotton. These three are the same. God is the Creator, Creation and its Nature. God is present in all.
Yesterday an American boy came here. His age is seven. This seven is a combination of seven ones. One is the basis of seven. All millions start with one. All names and forms are from the same source. Divinity is one. People do not believe this, so they cannot have happiness. They should have the wisdom to have faith in themselves, not in others. You should develop self-confidence.
All our education should be put to use. Students should serve the country with faith. Desha (country) depends on deha (body). The body cannot be divided from the country. You should cultivate individual traits and then cultivate organisational traits. Then we should understand the nature of the universe. In SAI, I stands for individual. A stands for association. S stands for spirituality. These three should be integrated. The individual has to firmly discipline himself. This leads to Divinity. All individuals are members of society. Students should work for their surroundings as they work for themselves. Degrees are not the end of their education. The Indians ensured security and peace for all. They believed in well being of all. Hatred is unnecessary. Love all. A heart full of love is the temple of God. Hridaya (heart) is full of daya (kindness). If your heart is kind how can you hate others? Hatred and jealousy are the features of demons. Kindness is the quality of human beings. True education should make God out of every human being.
The mind is like a water tank. The words, deeds and thoughts are like taps. If the tank is full of sacred water the same comes out of the taps. Do good. See good. Think good. These are the attributes of a good heart. Otherwise it is like a stone or iron ball. Daya (kindness) makes it hridaya (heart). Mankind has kindness. Kindness is a trait to be fostered with greater intensity. Enmity becomes inevitable sometimes, although it is transitory.
Students should dispose of the idea that education is for a job. Writing and reading cannot be education. They should know the nature of the Indian culture. It is not in books. Charity is the jewel of the hand. Truth is the jewel of the neck. Listening to sacred traits is the jewel of the ear. Try to sacrifice half of your attachments. Happiness is in sacrifice. Man has great value. He is more valuable than diamonds, gold and land. These are given value by man. Man dies. But human values are lasting.
Vijnana (knowledge) requires viveka (subtle discrimination). Birth is not important. Death is the foundation for birth. At the time of death man should achieve the fruition of life and receive God's love. A loveless life is like a light-less house. It is like a fake coin. God dwells in your heart. The mother is God. The father is God. The teacher is God. Respect all of them. Serve them. The mother stays at home. The father stays at home. The teacher lives in the hermitage. God lives in the heart. This is his permanent address. He is beyond all attributes.
The child grows into a boy. Later he becomes a man. He also becomes a grandfather. A mother becomes grandmother. But God does not age or grow old. The mind is like a monkey. It goes on changing. It must be controlled. Controlling of mind is the ultimate achievement as enunciated by Patanjali. One who controls his senses becomes God. God is present in all bodies. Sin is attached to our deeds. Desires are the burden of the body. They should be limited.
Professor Giri is taking over as vice-chancellor of our university. We don't bid Professor Venkatraman farewell. We do not believe in 'welcome' and 'send off'. In fact, Professor Venkatraman will continue here as research co-ordinator. He will also look after the needs of our hospital. Professor Gokak was our first vice-chancellor. He worked without any salary. Professor Saraf came next and served for three years. Then we had Professor Sampath, a former director of I.I.T. in Kanpur. Then Professor Hanunmanthappa became vice-chancellor. All our vice-chancellors worked without any remuneration. Professor Venkataraman came after him. He was the student of Sir C.V. Raman. He received the 'Padmashree' award for his research. He looks very simple. Many great people look simple in Prasanthi Nilayam. He wants to continue here. Professor Giri is now here. He was to become chief of the Central Vigilance Commission. The Prime Minister refused to relieve him. He had to agree as Professor Giri was appointed to work in Prasanthi Nilayam. You have such eminent vice-chancellors here. They work day and night with the students. The students here are lucky to have such vice-chancellors. The vice-chancellors are also lucky to have the good students here.
Students here should shape themselves into ideal citizens. They are the saviours of this country. Max Muller wanted to die in India. He said it was a sacred land. He said the dust here has kindness, the water here has kindness. His desire could not be fulfilled. You are lucky to be here as Indians. The motherland should not regret your birth. Get ready for any sacrifice to make her happy.
The world is like a big house. Our country is one of the rooms in it. Think about the welfare of the entire world. Foster the brotherhood of man and fatherhood of God. This will pave the way for the revival of our ancient culture. Practice virtues and develop love.
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