1999: Human values and Education

Teachings to treasure, teachings that transform. In this auspicious year 2015 commemorating the 90th birthday of Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, we offer a compilation of key messages from the over 140 discourses in the month of July, including Guru Poornima Days between the years 1958 and 2009.

1999:     Human values and Education

The value of an individual depends on their culture. The real meaning of the word culture lies in giving up bad thoughts and bad actions and cultivating sacred thoughts and performing noble deeds. The country is not a mere piece of land; it is an assemblage of citizens. For the country to progress, the citizens have to cultivate moral, ethical, and spiritual values. It is not possible for the citizens and the leaders to cultivate these values unless they practice them right from childhood. Life becomes meaningless if one does not take to righteous actions from an early age.

What is vidya? It is derived from the root word vid, meaning, ‘to know’. Vidya is termed as education in English. The term education has its origin in the Latin word educare, which means ‘to elicit. Educare has two aspects, the worldly and the spiritual. Worldly education imparts knowledge pertaining to the physical world. Spiritual education is essential, without which human life has little value.

Education is not for worldly progress. It is to set an ideal, experience happiness, and share it with others. All the elders, the educationists, the rich, and the students should come together and strive for progress in the field of education. Just as a thread binds flowers of different hues to make a garland, likewise the feelings of love and sacrifice should bring you all together. The flowers may fade away, but the thread remains changeless. A bud changes to become a flower. Similarly, with the passage of time, the child becomes man, man becomes father, and father becomes grandfather. But the feeling of love is changeless. It is true and eternal.

Pleasure is an interval between two pains. Pleasure and pain co-exist in God's creation itself. Take for instance how God has made the human body. The bright and beautiful face has pitch dark hair above it. But, in fact, that adds to the beauty of the face. Likewise, pleasure has value only when pain is associated with it. Good and bad co-exist in everything. But today, man is not attracted by good, he sees only bad in everything.

Divine grace is the true wealth. Acquire that and you would have acquired everything. Character is important, not wealth. But man is wasting his life hankering after wealth. No doubt money is necessary, but it should be within certain limits. Spend your time in serving others. Love your fellowmen. Surrender yourself to God. Nothing surpasses divine love. The entire world is permeated with love.

Students are the long-journey passengers, traveling in this train of society. All the elders are bound to get down soon. So, it is the paramount duty of students to develop sacred love. The main education offered in our institute is love alone. I am giving you all free education and free medical care, in return you have to give Me only one thing, and that is love. Develop love. That is all I want from you. I want you to take a vow that you will lead a life suffused with love from today onward.

 Hyperlinks: http://www.sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume32/sss32p2-01.pdf  http://www.sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume32/sss32p2-02.pdf    

Points to Ponder:     

What is the purpose of education?