The resurrection of Vedic Education

[Sundararajaniyer]

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Dear All,

I am a teacher for the past 26 years, started being a teacher in a tutorial college before which i was a programmer, had a nauseating feeling with the corporate world, came out to enjoy life, took to teaching poor children in a tutorial manner, then, became a vice principal, then Principal, then started teaching for MBA students, then aptitude classes, then Corporate training, now teaching top management people like CEO, VP etc., so had come the whole cycle, now I understand the importance of Vedic Education and the lacunae in the western education which we are following in the schools and colleges.

Now, I need help from like minded people to run research work, to create a syllabi, which will fill the gaps.

sks
9282103900

 

[sravna]

Dear All,

I am a teacher for the past 26 years, started being a teacher in a tutorial college before which i was a programmer, had a nauseating feeling with the corporate world, came out to enjoy life, took to teaching poor children in a tutorial manner, then, became a vice principal, then Principal, then started teaching for MBA students, then aptitude classes, then Corporate training, now teaching top management people like CEO, VP etc., so had come the whole cycle, now I understand the importance of Vedic Education and the lacunae in the western education which we are following in the schools and colleges.

Now, I need help from like minded people to run research work, to create a syllabi, which will fill the gaps.

sks
9282103900

Dear Sir,

Western education does not have simply lacunae. It is basically flawed. Anything that uses logic will find acceptance in the western system and it prefers evidence to good intuition. The philosophy is what you see is what is real. So the emphasis is on observation, behaviour etc. which IMO is the basic flaw.

IMO as was practiced in India, it is wise to let capable people to produce the necessary intuitions and follow them based on appeal to your mind. The rigor in western education in the form of painstaking proofs and external validations is at best a poor substitute for the perceptiveness of an astute mind.

Unfortunately to find acceptance of vedic education among general public we need to mimic the western system to an extent which implies following an analytical approach though we can base it on the brilliant intuitions of the Indian philosophy. The base is already there. It needs to be presented in a way that is relevant and acceptable to the present generation.

 

[Sundararajaniyer]

Dear Sravana,

Thanks for a considerate reply, you are right, Western system is flawed, but, we cannot completely blame it on logic, because, indian system too has Tarka sangraha a complete work on Logic and Epistemology, but, the importance to intuition is terribly great here, and we work on developing the same too.

Yes, we are working on the same direction, this is one of the area that we should work on to make it practicable, infact, I do not want to directly copy the same model. Even if it is not going to be accepted initially i am confident with the type of personalities that we will be making,

sks

 

[tbs]

Dear Sravana,

Thanks for a considerate reply, you are right, Western system is flawed, but, we cannot completely blame it on logic, because, indian system too has Tarka sangraha a complete work on Logic and Epistemology, but, the importance to intuition is terribly great here, and we work on developing the same too.

Yes, we are working on the same direction, this is one of the area that we should work on to make it practicable, infact, I do not want to directly copy the same model. Even if it is not going to be accepted initially i am confident with the type of personalities that we will be making,

sks

Dear sks,
i agreed with u...i studied tarka sangraha....i was vedic student from traditional patasala with modern education....we have educational system in 2 methods.......traditional and modern western education....i did 4 masters with 1 ph.d...now im in
USA....i studied veda patashala with Ph.d in vedanta including tarka sanhraha....i did MBA with computer science too...
sometimes i myself confused... which system is good ...which is bad....very difficult draw the lakshman rekha....
any way good thought....

 

[vgane]

Yes, Vedic system of learning needs to be preserved & model schools opened...The main challenge is maintaining the interest of the parents & students......Also what would the medium of instruction be-Sanskrit/English/Hindi/Tamil?...Also how do we differentiate it from schools that impart plain Veda

 

[T.S.Sankara Narayanan]

அதனால் தான் மூதறிஞர் ராஜாஜி அவர்கள் குலக்கல்வி முறை அந்தந்த குடும்பத்துக்கு சோறுபோடும் என்பதால் அவனவன் தனது தப்பனுடன் சேர்ந்து குலதொழிலை கற்கவேண்டும் என்றார்.

உதாரணமாக ஒரு ஆசாரி வீட்டு பையன் காலை நேரம் கல்விச்சாலையில் கல்வி கற்றது போக, மதியம் தனது தகப்பனுடன் சேர்ந்து தனது குலதொழிலை கற்கவேண்டும் என்று விரும்பினார்.

அதில் என்ன தப்பை தி.க வினரும்,தி.மு.கவினரும் கண்டுவிட்டார்கள் என்று தெரியவில்லை.அ,ஊ என்று எம்பி குதித்தார்கள்.

இன்றைக்கு இசைஞானி இளையராஜா வின் மகன் இசைஅமைப்பாளராகத்தான் வருகிறான்.
அரசியல்வாதியின் மகன் களவானியாகத்தான் வளர்கிறான். கலக்டருக்கு படிக்கவில்லை.
நடிகையின் மகனோ மகளோ நடிக்கத்தான் போகிறான்.
டாக்டரின் மகனோ மகளோ டாக்டராகத்தான் வளர ஆசைபடுகின்றனர்.
கோவில் பூசாரியின் மகன் பூசாரியாகத்தான் வருவது வழக்கமாக இருக்கிறது
பொற்கொல்லரின் மகன் பொற்கொல்லராகத்தான் வளர்கிறான் அட அவ்வளவு ஏன்....
எங்கள் நெல்லையில் ஒரு நாவிதரின் மகன் எம்.ஏ படித்துள்ளான் ...
இருந்தும்கூட தனது தகப்பனார் பார்த்துவந்த தொழிலை கேவலமாக எண்ணாமல்,
இன்று முதுகலை பட்டம் பெற்றும்கூட. தனது தப்பனார் பார்த்துவந்த தொழிலை கவுரவம் பாராமல் செய்து வருகிறார்.

இப்படி இருக்கயில் வளரும்போது அந்தந்த தகப்பனது தொழிலை கற்றுக்கொண்டால் தகப்பனுக்கு பிற்காலத்தில் பெருதவியாக இருக்கும் என்ற அர்த்ததில் மூதறிஞர் கூறினார்.

குதற்க புத்தியால் ஏளனம் பேசினார்கள். இன்று கலைஞரின் மகன்கள் என்ன பாபா ஆறாய்சி கூடத்தில் விஞ்ஞானியாகவா இருக்கிறார்கள்...

 

[KRS]

Dear Sri TSS Ji,

Sri Rajaji was wrong. In a secular free country one can not propose birth based family trade education.

Sorry Sir - if perhaps M.K.'s forefathers had been Brahmins, their kin perhaps would be working at BARC. Because our caste was in the intellectual business, we were able to transform to the demands of the modern world and it's requirements.

I am sorry to say this, sir. Because of the views of people like you, a person like EVR had success in TN. I am sorry to say this.

Regards,
KRS

 

[zebra16]

Dear All,

I am a teacher for the past 26 years, started being a teacher in a tutorial college before which i was a programmer, had a nauseating feeling with the corporate world, came out to enjoy life, took to teaching poor children in a tutorial manner, then, became a vice principal, then Principal, then started teaching for MBA students, then aptitude classes, then Corporate training, now teaching top management people like CEO, VP etc., so had come the whole cycle,

Sir, Nice to know that an educationalist has embarked on the ambitious project. My best wishes to you.

now I understand the importance of Vedic Education and the lacunae in the western education which we are following in the schools and colleges.

Could you be a little more specific? What exactly do you mean by vedic education?
Do you mean the entire vedic corpus plus the veda-angas or all the other stuff including puraNas, smritis and sutras like bodhayana, apasthamba etc,?

By lacunae do you mean the gaps in the present curriculum (or generally referred to as English education) or the gaps in the vedic education?

Now, I need help from like minded people to run research work, to create a syllabi, which will fill the gaps.

My guess is here you will be facing the maximum resistance. There are some who would contend that vedas contain nothing useful, some contending that vedas are absolute truth and no portion can be left out and many having varying views in between these two.

Most people I have come across would like to keep the vedic education and present modern education completely separate, but you being in educational field would have more inputs in the matter.

My humble opinion is that if vedas are to be resurrected, those portions of vedas which are easily seen as relevant to the current day's situation have to be segregated and high0lighted and researched upon.

More in future posts, in case you care to respond to this post.

Regards

 

[renuka]

sometimes i myself confused... which system is good ...which is bad....very difficult draw the lakshman rekha....

Dear TBS ji,

Now we all draw the Lakshman Rekha with computer mouse..click and drag!!LOL

I on a personal note do not find anything wrong with both Western System and Eastern System of education.
We all have benefited from both.
We should all just view education as education.
Alternately we can try to find what is lacking in both types of education and try to combine the positive factors in both.
Education tends to stress more importance to IQ but I feel EQ(emotional quotient) is of more importance these days.
Education system can be revamped to focus more on EQ than IQ.

What we need today is not really anything new but re awakening of Human Values.
Whether one learns in a Veda Pathashala or in some well known western institution it makes no difference if we fail to imbibe human values.

Todays world working atmosphere can be nauseting I admit..that is one of the reasons why some of us doctors left the hospital scene and came out to work in our own clinical pratice.

In the hospital set up many doctors were more concerned how to climb up the ladder of excellence at the expense of stepping on sincere fellow colleagues.
Handling patients is not a problem but handling co doctors can be a problem.

As the saying goes..End product of education is Character...either we have it or we don't.

 

[C RAVI]

Dear TBS ji,

Now we all draw the Lakshman Rekha with computer mouse..click and drag!!LOL

I on a personal note do not find anything wrong with both Western System and Eastern System of education.
We all have benefited from both.
We should all just view education as education.
Alternately we can try to find what is lacking in both types of education and try to combine the positive factors in both.
Education tends to stress more importance to IQ but I feel EQ(emotional quotient) is of more importance these days.
Education system can be revamped to focus more on EQ than IQ.

What we need today is not really anything new but re awakening of Human Values.
Whether one learns in a Veda Pathashala or in some well known western institution it makes no difference if we fail to imbibe human values.

Todays world working atmosphere can be nauseting I admit..that is one of the reasons why some of us doctors left the hospital scene and came out to work in our own clinical pratice.

In the hospital set up many doctors were more concerned how to climb up the ladder of excellence at the expense of stepping on sincere fellow colleagues.
Handling patients is not a problem but handling co doctors can be a problem.

As the saying goes..End product of education is Character...either we have it or we don't.

This is the wonderful post, dear Renuka. You guys are lucky being PIO's, having born, been brought up and living some where out of India. Other than indecent professional competition, Indian suffer hell lot of political and social discrimination.

I fear, with the resurrection of Vedic educational systems, that is, with emphasis on Vedic philosophies in education, another round of Revolutionary movement, similar to that of EVR would emerge, such that, Central Government would need to involve in rescue operations and evacuate every common brahmin from every nuke and corner of TN.

 

[vikrama]

Dear Sri SKS,
Could you spell out why we should resurrect vedic education? Is it because the vedas form the basis of our religion? Is it because you believe that the spread of vedic education would confer material benefits and make our lives more comfortable? This would naturally lead us to the question as to why the study of vedas declined.

What is the scope of the proposed resurrection? Should all the students master all the vedas and vedangas or will there be grades, so that one can stop at whichever grade he feels enough and those desiring may study upto the top grade?

Will girls and those born in other castes be allowed to join?

Do we want the vedic study to be job-oriented or will it be an academic pursuit for those who have other means of subsistence?

More matters will have to be discussed later.

 

[vgane]

Dear Sri SKS,
Could you spell out why we should resurrect vedic education? Is it because the vedas form the basis of our religion? Is it because you believe that the spread of vedic education would confer material benefits and make our lives more comfortable? This would naturally lead us to the question as to why the study of vedas declined.

What is the scope of the proposed resurrection? Should all the students master all the vedas and vedangas or will there be grades, so that one can stop at whichever grade he feels enough and those desiring may study upto the top grade?

Will girls and those born in other castes be allowed to join?

Do we want the vedic study to be job-oriented or will it be an academic pursuit for those who have other means of subsistence?

More matters will have to be discussed later.

Our vedic education is not flawed or bad per se..

However let us not put it only within the circle of TB..

In case we do like that , whatever noble aims we may have, it will flounder...

Let us make Vedic education universal..

Let every Hindu born from any caste benefit from it...

The Vedic education has to be tweeked to suit the current times.

 

[saidevo]

namaste shrI SKS.

This school could be a model?
Welcome_to_Vidyamandir-Educate-Enlighten-Empower

 

[renuka]

This is the wonderful post, dear Renuka. You guys are lucky being PIO's, having born, been brought up and living some where out of India. Other than indecent professional competition, Indian suffer hell lot of political and social discrimination.

I fear, with the resurrection of Vedic educational systems, that is, with emphasis on Vedic philosophies in education, another round of Revolutionary movement, similar to that of EVR would emerge, such that, Central Government would need to involve in rescue operations and evacuate every common brahmin from every nuke and corner of TN.

Dear Ravi,

Reservation policy for University entry/Government jobs is practiced in many countries besides India.
Political and Social discrimination isn't for India alone.
I cant go more detail than this cos its an open forum but I think you will understand what I am trying to say.

 

[sarma-61]

The concept of "Vedic Education" itself looks unclear to me. Do we envisage a comprehensive eduaction covering all the advancements achieved by western science and western thinking? Or, is it just 'teaching and learning Veda' (the ancient "vEdAdhyayana") of this country which is proposed to be resurrected?

If we consider the former, we will have to give careful attention to how it will be possible to include modern physics, chemistry, medicine, engineering, etc., into a syllabus/curriculum for veda-learning. In the latter case, the vEdAdhyayana and the modern, secular, education will remain like water and oil - will never mix. The ultimate result will be that we will produce some very highly confused minds who will end up, sooner or later, in some lunatic asylum!

The OP feels that "now I understand the importance of Vedic Education and the lacunae in the western education which we are following in the schools and colleges." The point to note is that the thread initiator does not say anything about his standing in the vedic education line. Instead he simply feels that the vedic education will have solution for all the lacunae which he thinks (he has not been able to spell it out, yet) the present education system has.

Vedas and vedic education could not retain the vast majority of brahmins in the country when the British introduced their education system and promised jobs (with steady, assured income for those who completed their education successfully). It is therefore very clear that commonsense will dissuade the vast majority of people - including Brahmins - from sending their children to such vedic education once again.

And, since the vedas were (and still are) claimed to be out of bounds for the lower castes and non-Hindus, there is every possibility that these sections will not welcome such a move.

All in all, this is an ill-fated, utopian idea.

 

[saidevo]

namaste shrI Sarma and others.

Ref. post #15
And, since the vedas were (and still are) claimed to be out of bounds for the lower castes and non-Hindus, there is every possibility that these sections will not welcome such a move.

This is not entirely correct. There is no bar on anyone of any caste, creed or faith to 'study and research' the Vedas or teach them in this way. Lots of efforts are going on in this area the world over.

• Whereas in the case of traditional chanting of vedas, only brahmin boys are admitted to veda-pAThashAlas run by brahmin institutions, in accordance with the ageless tradition of oral preservation of Vedas, which has been the domain of brahmins.

• Here again, there is no bar on institutions run by other castes to start a veda-pAThashAla in a bid to teach veda-chanting to boys of other castes! The truth is that it is not happening (for the main reason it would not be commercially successful), and if (at all) it happens, brahmins cannot prevent it.

In the latter case, the vEdAdhyayana and the modern, secular, education will remain like water and oil - will never mix. The ultimate result will be that we will produce some very highly confused minds who will end up, sooner or later, in some lunatic asylum!

• I fail to understand the derisive hyperbole here. Why should vedAdhyayana and modern, secular education 'produce some very highly confused minds' ultimately? Why can't this be cosidered as a best of both worlds opportunity for brahmin boys, so their parents should take the initiative?

• With proper efforts and incentives, since a firm foundation for learning the Sanskrit language is laid at an early age, the boys with the right inclination can be groomed and encouraged to further their Sanskrit studies by taking it as an ancillary subject at the university level and be exposed to other religious and secular Sanskrit literature, so they acquire the ability to research our old Sanskrit texts--especially for the science in them--independently and more professionally, with the added benefit of a degree in secular education.

• In fact, I am for encouraging Hindu boys and girls of all castes to take Sanskrit as a language at an early age and continue their Sanskrit studies up to the post graduate levels of education, besides whatever other discipline they choose for their education and employment. Since the governments won't be prepared to set up such facilities, affluent Hindu religious and secular institutions can do it eventually, so Hindus are encouraged to learn about their religion, philosophy, tradition and culture, (right from the original texts without depending on English translations), besides having the western education.

• Study of the Vedas and UpaniShads and Bhagavad GItA right from the school level and expanding it up to the post-graduate level has the potential of refining the mind of the students towards spirituality, so even if they are forced into secular jobs later in life, their lives could be more meaningful and happier.

 

[vikrama]

Why sould we resurrect Vedic education? Because Vedas were chronologically the first inquiry into the super power which we call God. Our religion has vastly changed from what it was in the vedic period. But still we do find that all our religious practices have their base in the vedas. All our hymns, Thevaram or Divya prabandham highly extol the vedas. If vedas become extinct, Hinduism loses its base.

Here is a blueprint for vedic education. You can improve on it.

Conduct a 10 day camp for +2 finished students for this is the age when questions on religion crop up in their heads and when not properly answered make them atheists or agnostics. Let it be open to all and not be confined to a particular caste, religion or sex. Give them free lunch and allow them to express themselves.

Let this not be a one-way teaching camp but be an interactive one. Encourage the participants to ask questions and let the other students answer. The role of the teacher is to guide them only when they go wrong.

The teacher should have a fair knowledge of all aspects of our religion and also that of other religions. He should encourage the students to get their doubts clarified by studying the relevant texts.

At the end of the camp, some of the students may opt to take up the study of religion as their pastime. Let it be apart from their secular education. Since it is studied out of interest and not for job, it is likely to attract students of various tastes and talents. Nominal fees can be collected from those who can afford.

The willing students should be grouped according to their interests. Some may prefer to study Thevaram or Divya Prabandham or Thiruppugazh. Some may like to study the Ithihasas. Others may be interested in Puranas. Some would find philosphy attractive. There may be a few who would like to study Veda Samhita and so on. Provision should be made to cater to the needs of all groups. Curriculum should be drawn for one year courses in each branch, at various levels.

Those who opt for Samhita may again be split into two. Those who are contented with memorizing the scripture should be allowed to do so. Those who want to study the meaning must be given all facilities.

Such programmes should be started, say, in Chennai and with the experience gained be gradually spread to other cities and towns. All this requires a strong organisation and money. Only a mutt or a dedicated band of people with strong commitments to religion can do this.

If we organize ourselves into an association for this, money is no problem. But it is a big ‘if’.

 

[renuka]

Why sould we resurrect Vedic education? Because Vedas were chronologically the first inquiry into the super power which we call God. Our religion has vastly changed from what it was in the vedic period. But still we do find that all our religious practices have their base in the vedas. All our hymns, Thevaram or Divya prabandham highly extol the vedas. If vedas become extinct, Hinduism loses its base.

Here is a blueprint for vedic education. You can improve on it.

Conduct a 10 day camp for +2 finished students for this is the age when questions on religion crop up in their heads and when not properly answered make them atheists or agnostics. Let it be open to all and not be confined to a particular caste, religion or sex. Give them free lunch and allow them to express themselves.

Let this not be a one-way teaching camp but be an interactive one. Encourage the participants to ask questions and let the other students answer. The role of the teacher is to guide them only when they go wrong.

The teacher should have a fair knowledge of all aspects of our religion and also that of other religions. He should encourage the students to get their doubts clarified by studying the relevant texts.

At the end of the camp, some of the students may opt to take up the study of religion as their pastime. Let it be apart from their secular education. Since it is studied out of interest and not for job, it is likely to attract students of various tastes and talents. Nominal fees can be collected from those who can afford.

The willing students should be grouped according to their interests. Some may prefer to study Thevaram or Divya Prabandham or Thiruppugazh. Some may like to study the Ithihasas. Others may be interested in Puranas. Some would find philosphy attractive. There may be a few who would like to study Veda Samhita and so on. Provision should be made to cater to the needs of all groups. Curriculum should be drawn for one year courses in each branch, at various levels.

Those who opt for Samhita may again be split into two. Those who are contented with memorizing the scripture should be allowed to do so. Those who want to study the meaning must be given all facilities.

Such programmes should be started, say, in Chennai and with the experience gained be gradually spread to other cities and towns. All this requires a strong organisation and money. Only a mutt or a dedicated band of people with strong commitments to religion can do this.

If we organize ourselves into an association for this, money is no problem. But it is a big ‘if’.

I like your suggestions.
I feel even universities should allow students to Minor in Vedic Studies along with their mainstream degrees but may be make it less exam oriented.

And for science students an option to minor in Vedic studies should be a welcomed.It would be nice to have a Major in a science degree and a minor is an arts degree..makes a person complete.