Page 38 - NAMAH-Apr-2018
P. 38

Namah                                    Vol. 26, Issue 1, 24th April 2018





        and have a feel for it. But they need freedom  himself had to pay the gurudakssinnaa to complete
        to explore the future that often discloses  the education. The gurudakssinnaa was another
        itself through experimentation and even  way of granting the degree so to say. It was
        error. What is error but an approximation,  like a test that included life itself and how
        a failed attempt, a misdirected effort. Give  the student fared reflected how much he
        it a direction and the freedom and the right  had absorbed the teachings. In other words
        environment and the same thing will become  it was an education closely connected with
        a means to bring out some hidden truth. But  and knit into life. It is quite possible that the
        this is difficult to do with parents around  truth of this ancient system will be recovered,
        since instinctively parents are bound by their  albeit in a new form. When we have such wise
        past. It is challenging for children to navigate  Masters, then parents will be rather happy
        between the past that the parents, barring a  and feel secure in leaving their children with
        few exceptions, represent and the future that  them. That is what gurukula means. Once
        is trying to be born within them.        admitted, the child belongs to the family of
                                                 the guru. He is a member of his household
        That is why it is better to sometimes separate  and not merely a pupil, least of all an object
        the child from the parent during the years of  to be standardised and fitted into the existing
        education, say for around 5 years and let him  social and cultural mould for a fee. When
        stay at some place of learning with a wise  this happens then education will once again
        teacher as its head. This was the rationale  become a thing connected with life. Class
        behind the gurukula system of old. However,  rooms will be replaced by a universal learning
        it has now lost its relevance due to the lack of  through each and every experience and
        such gurus and also because the commercial  contact of the child as he grows through
        element has become so powerful in education.  the years. There is a wisdom working in
        In the days when the gurukula system was at  everything and it is this that the student
        its peak, the guru did not charge money for  needs to explore and come in contact with. If
        the education he provided, since education  he can learn to do so as a living reality or as
        can never be priced. It is a priceless gift and  a way of life then we need not worry about
        no cost would be sufficient if one took it that  things such as career, etc. He is sufficiently
        way. However the gurus were supported by  equipped to find his way and his place in
        benefactors and the king and the disciple  the universe.














           Dr. Alok Pandey, an editor of NAMAH and a member of  SAIIIHR, is a doctor practising at the
                                       Sri Aurobindo Ashram.

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