Education is a Process of Enlightenment - 3. Swami Krishnananda.

-

 


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, April  30, 2021. 11:22. AM.
(Spoken on July 26, 1976.)
Post-3.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


All this is a part of the enterprise of the social individual who is man, but we now come to a larger question as to why there is any kind of effort on the part of the human being. The need to maintain a body or to study the mind or to live comfortably in life is an effort at the achievement of something which is to be clear first. The pursuit of knowledge as well as any kind of activity in the world has an aim behind it. Now I am coming to an essential point that we have to recognise the aim of life first before we try to do anything in life. We do not study things for nothing. There is a reason behind it. Whether education is physical, psychological, intellectual, scientific or spiritual, what is the reason for our pursuit of this process at all?

Perhaps a very superficial answer to this question would be that we want to lead a happy life, but has anyone seen a perfectly happy person anywhere? We will find that there is some lacuna in every person, whatever be the effort at the pursuit of happiness. Whatever be the line of action taken by an individual in any walk of life, there is a shortcoming which upsets the very purpose of this enterprise because we are likely to miss certain aspects of life which are essential.

There are people who say that the spiritual life is the determining factor of a happy life, and there are others who say that the life social is important and contributory to happiness. We have to take into consideration both aspects. As I mentioned earlier, the life of an individual cannot be separated into two different compartments. We all belong to a common world operated by common laws, and to be happy is not merely to pursue a course of action but to be harmonious with the law of nature, as I mentioned already. Unless we know the laws of the atmosphere in which we are living, we will not be able to do anything perfectly.

There is action and reaction taking place between things everywhere. This happens in every level – physical as well as psychological and spiritual. What we call the physical level of life is the least part of our life because it is only the visible part of a larger reality that is behind us. It does not mean that it is an unreal part, but it is an inadequate part.

Now, to take a stand merely on this little projected part of our personality which is the physical would be to take a very superficial view of things. Our mental life is vaster than our physical life, but even the mind is not our real personality. I will give a little taste of Indian metaphysics in this connection in order to explain what the true human personality is.

To be continued ...

=========================================================================

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Advice To Grihastha ( Householder ) 1. Sri Swami Sivananda

-
Image
18/11/2018 1. The Ashramas or stages of life are four, viz., Brahmacharya, the stage of student life; Grihastha, the stage of householder life; Vanaprastha, the stage of seclusion (forest-living); and Sannyasa, the stage of total renunciation. Each order of life has its own duties. In none of these stages must a man grasp at the special duties of the other three. At the present moment, it is difficult to maintain or observe the exact details of the ancient rules, as the conditions have changed very much. But, if we can have a clear idea of the fundamental duties of each, we shall still be able to shape the life through a regulated course of development and steady growth. The student, after finishing his studies, enters the order of Grihastha, when he is ready to take up the duties and responsibilities of household life. Of all Ashramas, that of the householder is the highest as he verily supports the other three. As all the streams and rivers flow to rest in the ocean, even so...
Read more

The Nature of the True Religious Life - 3.6. - Swami Krishnananda.

-
Image
================================================================================ Thursday 12, September 2024, 05:30. Mysticism The Nature of the True Religious Life - 3.6.   Swami Krishnananda. Chapter 3: The Foundation of Religious Philosophy-6. ================================================================================= The question of relation is the central point on which every philosophical discussion hangs, finally. Causal relation is the greatest of all relations—one thing causing another thing, or giving rise to another thing, or for the matter of that, any kind of relation to any other thing. You will find that there is some peculiarity in the concept of relation. It is not so simple as it appears on the surface. Imagine that there are two things, A and B. You cannot imagine any sort of relationship between A and B unless A and B are two different things. If A is the same as B, the question of relationship does not arise. It is taken for granted that A and B are ...
Read more

The Nature of the True Religious Life - 3.5. - Swami Krishnananda.

-
Image
================================================================================ Wednesday, 24, Jul 2024, 05:30. Mysticism The Nature of the True Religious Life - 3.5. -  Chapter 3: The Foundation of Religious Philosophy-5. Swami Krishnananda. ================================================================================= In one sentence, I told you that often it appears that the Real is not in this world because of its Supreme non-exclusive character. If it is transcendent totally, it can bear no relation to the world. If that which is called Real is not to be visualised, seen or recognised in anything in this world, which is subject to transformation, change and death, we cannot conceive of any kind of relationship between God and the world. If that is the case, you and I, involved in this world, cannot reach God. The aspiration for God would be a futile attempt because we have already decided that there is no connection between us and God. There are some philosophers who feel ...
Read more