The Ideal Teacher

An illumined love which never degenerates into attachment, a superior dignity untainted by the least trace of pride, a sublime wisdom which sheds light but not scorching heat - these elements characterize true greatness, a spontaneous synthesis of truth and love, of strength and grace.

The truly great ones are whole and wholesome, not the victims of partial and mutually incompatible virtues so much apparent in lesser men. Their life as well as words reveal a fascinating harmony of rare qualities. Witness the struggles of the aspirant in whom on virtue can hardly co-exist with another; whose truth hurts, whose frankness is obviously 'brutal', whose sincerity is embarrassing, whose strength is withering, or whose sympathy and compassion only serve to encourage weaknesses.

It needs a perfected soul to harmonize strength and grace even under the most delicate and provocative of circumstances; and precisely, one such was the Buddha, the Blessed One.

On one occasion his dear and remarkable disciple, Sariputra, approached the Guru in an exalted mood of adoration. After saluting reverently he took his seat by the Master's side and burst into a high eulogy: "Lord! There is none greater than you, the Blessed One; there never has been any, there never will be, and none other exists now - greater or wiser. That is what I think; that is my faith."

The Blessed One was free to accept this praise and adoration, coming as it did from a sincere heart; free to approve of it and bask in its welcome warmth - the way many lesser teachers are often tempted to do.

Or like certain stern 'impersonalists' he could have over-reacted, coming down heavily on the disciple and reduced him to pulp with stinging words and ridicule. None of the personality cult!

One way he could have inflated his own ego; the other way he could have broken and crushed that of the disciple. He did something infinitely better; made both shine out better.

Gently and calmly, he just put a counter-question: "Is that so, Sariputra? Grand and bold indeed is your assertion. That means you have obviously known all the Blessed Ones of the whole past, and that thoroughly...?"

Honest that he was, Sariputra would not try to defend his position emotionally. Plain was his answer. "How can I say that, Lord? I can't."

A little pause, and the Buddha again inquired: "Then you must surely have known all the Blessed Ones yet to come, and that perfectly...?"

Sariputra might have felt embarrassed but that did not come in the way of his truthfulness. So he replied: "Not so, O Lord...I have not."

A little more pause and the Blessed One asked: "But then, at least you know me as the holy Buddha now alive, and you have penetrated my mind fully and completely...?"

Sariputra could only say, "No Lord... Not that even."

The very nature of the question-answer process was enough to awaken the needed perspective in Sariputra's mind. That done, the Buddha clinched the issue saying, "You see, then, Sariputra! You know not the hearts of the Buddhas of the past nor the future...nor even of myself. How then can you make such a grand and bold statement?"

Sariputra admitted that his statement was not based on knowledge of facts but on his own deep faith, and tried to explain himself.

"Great is your faith, Sariputra," declared the Blessed One appreciatively, yet at the same time adding the warning, "but take heed that it is well-grounded."

The superior teacher, the right of Guru he was, the Buddha would not destroy the disciple's faith now allow it to run in wrong channels. He would not allow the other great ones to be belittled; but neither would he unnecessarily belittle himself, nor would he make the disciple feel small.

All concerned would be borne aloft by the uplifting breeze of gentle wisdom.

So it is no wonder that he declared on another occasion, "Those that take refuge in me with faith and devotion will get Svarga, paradise. Those who, with full faith, will follow my Dharma (the path of Truth) will become Buddhas like me."

Courtesy: "The Gospel of Buddha" by Paul Carus

Words of Wisdom-9:

A teacher is one who awakens sleeping spirits, quickens the indolent, encourages the eager and steadies the unstable. The teacher who communicates his own joy in learning and shares with students the best treasures of his mind, lights many candles which, in later years, will shine back to cheer him - Henry Wandyke

True Education

True Education is not a knowledge of facts, but of values. True education leads us to the reality of life, peace, nature and survival of the human race. During my 25 years of experience in education, I have studied my school students and ex-students very deeply and I have found that the “values” inculcated by the school, the society or the home by the age of 18 to 20 years become more or less permanent. Therefore, schools are the only institutions to provide true education to the child.

- Dr.R.K.Sharma, Principal, Ahlcon Public School, New Delhi

- Courtesy: The Hindu, New Delhi, January 8, 2000

Meaningful Education

In the 50 years after Independence, through the various schemes of the Government, we have made tremendous strides in the field of education. But, have we fulfilled the fundamental goal of education, i.e. character building? Character is built through values, which forms the foundation for any harmonious society.

Gone are the days when the social and education systems provided an environment wherein the individual could imbibe values through examples set by the teachers and elders. Today the pressures of materialism have pushed us into a situation wherein the teachers, parents and the students are racing against time to watch their resources with the constantly-changing demands of the environment.

This calls for a paradigm shift in our perception of the goals of education. We need to impart the skills and attitudes needed to achieve success within the framework of time-tested values. We need to help the youngsters to understand the underlying links between freedom and discipline, independence and interdependence, commitment to self and commitment to others, material success and moral values.

Do we have any right to comment about the problems unless we take some responsibility to find solutions?

We expect someone else to solve the problems. It is the attitude of the educated Indian, rather than the ignorance of the uneducated, which is acting as the main constraint in achieving a feasible solution.

By changing this attitude we can achieve wonders in revamping our educational system. If all of us join hands and focus on this one cause, within 10 years there will be a perceptible change in the quality of life in India. After all, was not through people’s participation that we won our freedom?

Radha Raju, The Hindu, New Delhi, January 25, 2000 (My grateful thanks to the writer and the newspaper)

Efficient Reading and Critical Reading

What is efficient reading? Reading a text with full comprehension within the time limit and being able to reproduce the content of the text either orally or in writing is efficient reading.

It is good to have a clear reason for reading. Before you decide to read a text you should ask yourself a set of questions: Why do I want to read a particular text? What is the purpose? What am I going to get out of it? In what way will the text be useful to me? Am I reading it just for pleasure or for information or for examination? After deciding what your purpose is, you should choose an appropriate strategy.

What is skimming? We read some texts just to get the main idea. Using a quick survey of the text to get the gist is called skimming. When skimming you should try to read groups of words, not one word at a time; concentrate on finding the main ideas and consciously ignore details; read the introductory and concluding paragraphs in detail; read other paragraphs in order to find the main idea.

What is scanning? Reading for specific pieces of information is called scanning.

What is critical reading? A critical reader interacts with the text and asks the following questions: What is the text about? What does the author try to say? Is the author objective? What impact will it have on the reader? What is the aim of the author? Can you agree or disagree with the author? Are there emotional words? Is there any ambiguity? Is there a clear separation between facts and interpretation? Is the argument logical? What are the main points that the writer want to make? What is the attitude of the writer? What is the tone of the whole article?

Excerpt from 'Reading Efficiently' by Albert P.Rayan, rayanal@yahoo.uk The New Indian Express, Madurai, Oct.12, 2007

Further study:

http://iws.ohiolink.edu/~sg-ysu/critread.html

http://www.studygs.net/crtread.htm

http://occawlonline.pearsoned.com/bookbind/pubbooks/lardner_awl/chapter1/custom5/deluxe-content.html

http://www.csuohio.edu/writingcenter/critread.html

(Critical reading means that a reader applies certain processes, models, questions, and theories that result in enhanced clarity and comprehension. There is more involved, both in effort and understanding....)

How to get started in Astronomy?

You don't need a telescope, amateur astronomer Joel Goodman says. A pair of binoculars, a star chart and a flashlight with a red filter will do. The filter is important because if you see bright white light (like that from a flashlight) after your eyes have adjusted to the dark, it can take up to 30 minutes for them to readjust.

An astronomy book for beginners is also a good idea. Goodman recommends, 'The Stars: A New Way to See Them' by 'Curious George' author H.A.Rey - LATWP

Courtesy: 'World', The New Indian Express, Madurai, October 5, 2007

Words of Wisdom-8:

Do you see, simply by the observance of strict Brahmacharya (continence), all learning can be mastered in a very short time - one has an unfailing memory of what one hears or knows but once. It is owing to this want of continence that everything is on the brink of ruin in our country - Swami Vivekananda

Words of Wisdom-7:

To me the very essence of education is concentration of mind, not the collecting of facts. If I had to do my education over again, and had any voice in the matter, I would not study facts at all. I would develop the power of concentration and detachment, and then with a perfect instrument I could collect facts at will - Swami Vivekananda

Words of Wisdom-6:

We want that education by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded, and by which one can stand on one's own feet - Swami Vivekananda

NCERT move to remove 'FAIL' from Report Card - Neha Sharma

The proposal by the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to delete the word "fail" from report cards has been welcomed by schools. The body has suggested the replacement of the word "fail" with "unsatisfactory" or "repeat".

Many agree that grading a student pass or fail on the basis of a three-hour exam is not appropriate. Certain critics of the recommendation say that simply addressing the "concept" differently does not solve the problem and a lot more needs to be done to control pressure among students.

Says Sarita Manuja, Principal, Apeejay School, Sheik Sarai, "It is definitely a step in the positive direction because the concept of "fail" is outdated. The word is heavy and has an impact on impressionable minds. A student cannot be good in all the subjects and it high time we accepted it. However, every suggestion has to be seen in a wider context. We have a rule not to fail any student from Class 1-5. But has anybody ever sat down to discuss the impact of failure on a Class 6 student who is not familiar with the concept? There should be an examining body which should make sure that guidelines in educational institutions are logical," she adds.

Former Miss India Manpreet Brar Walia, mother of a four-year-old son, says that though on the face of it, it seems to be one term being changed with another, the issue is wider because the terms "fail" and "repeat" have extremely different connotations and each can have a totally opposite effect on kids. "The word "fail" has a finality to it which can definitely demoralise a student. 'Repeat' means that you have another chance and have to do it again. I would rather use the word 'repeat' on my son's report card than an extreme and terminal word like 'fail'," she says.

Experts state that failure is a part of life and the ability to cope with it is very individualistic. They opine that people should learn to accept failure as a part of life, though the same might be tough for a vulnerable person to whom the heaviness of the word may come as a jolt.

Psychiatrist Deepak Raheja says, "Having not passed is equivalent to failure. Yet, a fragile person might find it tough to accept the ultimateness of the word. The traumas cannot be eliminated by interchanging the words, but it can definitely be lessened. It will come forward as a sensitive expression of the society and I think the step is worthwhile."

Madhumita Chopra, a mother of two, says, "It is tough for children to accept the fact that they will not be promoted to the next class. And no word can take away that feeling of anguish. I think counselling is best in such a situation, so that the child can cope with stress and the burden of sorrow."

Courtesy: Deccan Chronicle, Chennai, Sep.23, 2007.

Grateful thanks to Deccan Chronicle.