THE world of education, today, has undergone a complete transformation. While college classrooms are air-conditioned, the traditional canteen has been replaced by ‘cool' cafes and common rooms in hostels flaunt flat screen televisions.
At a time when the younger generation is growing up amidst a plethora of temptations, educationists, teachers and experts feel that educational institutes as well as independent initiatives should make an effort to instill the right values, which would help students to look beyond the materialistic appeal of life.
At a time when the younger generation is growing up amidst a plethora of temptations, educationists, teachers and experts feel that educational institutes as well as independent initiatives should make an effort to instill the right values, which would help students to look beyond the materialistic appeal of life.
In keeping with this spirit, Chinmaya Mission offers a Brahmachari course that includes the fundamentals of Vedanta. The Mission's Vedanta institutes for spiritual studies were named by founder Swami Chinmayananda as ‘Sandeepany.'
A two-year programme in English, the Vedanta course is offered at the Sandeepany Sadhanalya at Powai, Mumbai. The course curriculum comprises Advaita Vedanta based on various scriptural texts. These texts are studied based on the respective commentary by Adi Shankaracharya. Also studied are Sanskrit grammar, Vedic chanting, and select Vedantic introductory texts, to mention a few.
Says Swami Advaitananda, Acharya, Brahmachari course, "What we essentially try to teach through the course is how to tackle real-life situations. After the course, students go back with a positive direction in life."
Karuna Bhattacharya, a veteran scholar in Indian Philosophy, who has taught at the University of Calcutta for more than a decade, feels that a course in Vedanta could benefit youngsters. At a time when the world is becoming more materialistic, she says, the core of Vedanta philosophy could be a lesson in transcending oneself in terms of greed, jealousy or selfishness.
In line with the Vedanta philosophy, students can be motivated to achieve the universal truth and undermine the ‘I.' Explains Chitra Guha, former headmistress, Devishweri Vidyatan (Uttarpara) in West Bengal, "It teaches us that we are all parts of a whole. So if the whole is good, the parts too must intrinsically have something good about them."
Ideally, Guha stresses, courses on Vedanta philosophy should be introduced at school level and taught through interesting stories. That will help students to gradually absorb the essence of Vedanta philosophy.
Most Vedanta scholars agree that this understanding could help youngsters to identify the good within themselves and work towards a positive and greater ‘truth'.
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