Author: SSSIHL

Wealth has been apotheosized;
Arrogance has become a creed;
Peace has become remote from man;
Egoistic boast is fashionable
Property has become an adornment;
Selfishness is installed in the heart;
Sense of self-respect has declined;
Hypocrisy has become the hallmark.
Love and affection have become sickly;
The heart is divorced from righteousness;
Life has become a burden;
People have lost their moorings.
What does the future hold?
Make education value based
And ensure a future for Bharat!

Students! Embodiments of Love! Educationists!

Bharat, which has been the treasure house of spirituality, is steadily going down in righteousness (Dharma). Injustice, dishonesty, immorality and other demonic qualities are having free play in the country. In this situation, students alone both men and women will be able to deal with these evil forces and establish peace.
Students!

If your parents will feel unhappy if you are backward in your studies, how much unhappy will Mother Bharat be feeling over the decline of moral values! Students must take a resolve at the outset to serve their mothers and the Motherland. They must strive for restoration of peace and order in the country.

A country does not mean a piece of earth. It is the people who make the country. What is the meaning of transformation of people? Transformation is not one specific object. It is the entire process of refinement by which people get rid of their bad thoughts and actions and cultivate good thoughts and do good acts in daily life.

What is the meaning of education (Vidya)? What is the kind of education suitable for young people today? What are the norms of right education? What kind of education will promote the elevation of man? What is the use of the present system of education? The one who examines and finds the right answers to these five questions will be a wise adviser for the nation. The value of a person is not derived from education alone. The cultural refinement of his life-style is also essential.

Value of Culture
What is meant by the culture? It is the realisation of the inherent divinity in man and making it manifest in one’s way of life. A life without culture is like a house without light. A dark house is a home for foul smelling bats and not for fragrant objects. A person without culture is like a stringless kite, which is tossed hither and thither. An education bereft of culture is worthless like a counterfeit coin.

Hence culture is most important, especially in relation to one’s character. In the sphere of education many revolutionary changes are needed. Since the attainment of freedom 50 years ago, many committees have been set up by the government to go into the problem of educational reform. These committees have recommended many reforms. There has been no implementation of these reforms.

Even now, no one is trying to restore the ancient ideals of education. As a result the country is riddled with violence and disorder. Educational institutions have become centres of disorder. “Vidya” means acquisition of knowledge. In the English language this is called “Education”. The term education is derived from the Latin term educare, which means “drawing out”. The idea is to draw out what is latent. This is a worldly change. But what has to be is the divine feeling present in the human heart. One refers to living and the other to life itself. In addition to earning a living one has to understand the purpose of life. Both these aspects are as essential as the two eyes for a person.

Today there is too much concentration on one aspect; how to earn a living. Even here, there is a steady decline in moral standards.

The Divinity in Man
No one makes a serious attempt to realise the divinity in man. No attempt is made to understand one’s true nature. That is the real purpose of life. True education means trying to manifest the inner divinity in man. How is this manifestation to be brought about?

Education is that which illumines the physical, the mental and the social environment of man. It is not confined to one specific sphere. Education should illumine every aspect of life the economic, the political, the moral, the spiritual and other spheres of life.
Students consider book knowledge as education. This gives them only superficial knowledge. They need practical knowledge. This knowledge should enable them to lead righteous life.

Decline in Values
Today people are worshipping wealth as divine. This is totally wrong. Wealth can never give peace of mind. It may provide physical comfort, not mental peace. Without understanding this, people and the Government imagine that there is a great progress in education. “What is this progress? Justice and morality are confined to books. The hearts have become the abode of all that is foul. Hands have become instruments of selfishness. This is the progress achieved by education today.” (Telugu poem).

Aims of Education
Is this the mark of true education? No. Efforts must be made to eliminate such feelings. Moreover, all that is learnt must be utilised for promoting the well-being of Society. All should work for the welfare of Society.

“Sarve loka hithe rathah” (Let all rejoice the well-being of all people in the world). “Sarve jnana sampannah” (Let all be bestowed with the wealth of all knowledge). “Sarve samhita gunaihi”(let all be endowed with good qualities). These are three main pronouncements (regarding the educated persons). This implies that every student, after completing his studies, should dedicate himself (or herself) to serving Society. For this service, one should acquire all the necessary knowledge. Students should have all good qualities. A good student should promote a calm atmosphere wherever he stays. He should be ever prepared to help others. These are the marks of a good student. Unfortunately, students today are not having any of these qualities. Who is to blame? Not the students. Not the teachers. All in Society are responsible. Students do not possess the requisite abilities to pursue the right path. Teachers also lack these abilities. They do not take up the task of moulding the character of students from an early age. To do so, they have to train themselves to be ideal teachers. When teachers lead an exemplary life, the students will follow their example. There is no scrutiny of how teachers teach or how students’ study.

The Government is spending over Rs.2000 crores a year on education. No one knows what the outcome of all this expenditure is. What transformation is taking place in the students? What is their future? No one seems to enquire into all this. Only money is spent endlessly.

Politics and Education
Nor is that all. Politicians are invading the educational field and ruining the students. Students have, of course, to study Political Science. But the educational field should not be politicised. Today, students are entering the political field and not only spoiling their studies but ruining their entire future. Hence students should resolve to pursue their studies with devotion.
Parents should also encourage their children to pursue education in the right spirit. They should not desire so much that their children should secure high ranks. It is not greatness that matters but goodness. They should wish that their children should earn a good name rather than achieve purely academic excellence.

Education and Society
Make proper use of your education for the good of society. Be men of good character. That will make you shine before the public. True education will make you divine. Education is not mere knowledge of words. It should broaden the mind. The mere acquisition of degrees is valueless. Character is more important and it can be developed only by taking to the spiritual path. Of what use is an education that does not promote good qualities?

Need for Humility
Students! Boys and Girls! Together with academic education you have to acquire wisdom and a sense of right and wrong. Knowledge without wisdom, scholarship without determination, music without melody, learning without humility, a society without discipline, friendship without gratitude, speech without truth all these are utterly useless. Hence everyone should seek to follow the correct path.
There is no sense of respect for people on society. Gratitude is absent. Scholars are without discretion. The educated lack humility.

Humility is the hallmark of true education. Humility does not mean moving about with a bowed head. It calls for respect to humanness. It is beastly to go about causing fear in others. Humans should be free from fear. Both fear and frightening are animal qualities. Men must be fearless. Today fear haunts every place. How does fear arise? When one is full of bad thoughts and bad feelings.

Free Education in ancient India
Educational institutions today are full of disorder and indiscipline. How different were the ancient abodes of learning! In ancient times, education used to be offered free. In those days, the preceptors used to send the students to the forests. The students used to be examined periodically about their studies. For instance, the students would be asked: “What tree did you find useless in the forest you visited?” The replies of the students varied, each one saying that one particular tree was useless. The preceptor did not accept their answers. He told them that all trees were useful, each in its own way. Every tree had something or other which had medical properties. If a tree did nothing else, it served to take in the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release the life-giving oxygen for the benefit of man. Every tree serves a useful purpose. Equally every human being is valuable.

Today education has become very expensive. Education should be made free. Then there would be no more room for corrupt practices over seats.

Sai Education
In the Sai Education system, there are no problems of student unrest because education is free. Our students are happy as also the teachers. All of us are also happy.

Because of free education, the students’ behaviour is exemplary. All the students feel spontaneously: “Here we are getting free education. We must conduct ourselves well to show our gratitude to all concerned.” Opportunities should be provided for students to develop such an attitude towards their alma mater. In our Institute no fees are charged for anything.

We must strive to revive the ancient system of free education. Today such a sacred approach to education is lacking among students, parents, teachers and the authorities. The change must come at the governmental level. Then the public at large will also change.

There must be a change in the moral climate of the educational system. Only then the educational institutions can turn out young men and women of character.

Tribute to Sai Students
The first thing students have to learn today is moderation in speech. Talk less and study more. Although I do not speak about it often, I am immensely happy over the character of our students. They are inspired by high ideals. Some of the students even go to the extent of reforming their parents. With due humility and reverence, they tell their parents to change the ways of living. Whenever I hear report of such conduct by our students, I rejoice in the fact that we have such students.

I do not expect anything from the students. All that I desire is that they should earn a good name when they go out. Their behaviour should be beyond cavil. Ill-educated students are worse than illiterates.

Skepticism seems to grow with more and more education. The more intelligent the students are, the more doubts develop in them. Lacking self-confidence, ultimately, they fail to reach self-realization. Our Institute students are always happy. This happiness lends beauty to their lives. It is not physical beauty, but the spiritual beauty derived from good character.

Decline of Dharma
Our Vice-President (in his Convocation Address) dwelt at length on Dharma. Today, Sathya and Dharma are not very much in evidence. Dharma seems to be fleeing from the people. Sathya and Dharma are declining among the people. The ancient sacred vedic teachings are disappearing. It is essential to revive them.

Students should not be obsessed with earning money. They must be keen on acquiring good qualities. Education without ethics is no education at all. Education must teach men to be sincere in thought, word and deed as the mark of humanness.

The state of Indian education is such that it breeds all sorts of bad tendencies in the students. It encourages deception and dishonesty.

Education should result in the purification of the heart. Students need not be over anxious to score high marks. It is more important to cultivate a good heart. Revere your parents. Promote social improvement. Co-operate with your fellow men. These are the things you should learn.

Nature as Teacher
Make Nature your teacher, instead of relying too much on books. The vast universe has many lessons to teach. Make your heart your preceptor. Esteem God as your best friend. He will never fail you, unlike most fair-wealth friends in the world.

I prefer to hear that you have earned a good name for your behaviour than praise for your scholarship. Do not calculate what money you can earn from your degrees.

You must ask yourselves: “What good can I do to my family? What help can I render to my fellowmen?” Education is not for securing a job. It is for acquiring knowledge and wisdom. It is unfortunate that education has been linked to jobs and earning money.

You must move among the people in a friendly and comradely spirit. Do not hate anyone. Follow the principle: “Help ever; hurt never”.

Salaries and Service
Today many occupy high positions and earn fabulous salaries. How many of them do work that can justify the salaries they are paid? Men who receive Rs.20,000 a month do not do even Rs.20 worth of honest work. This is treachery to the nation. An educated person must give proper return for the salary he receives. Students must bear this in mind when they enter service. They must give adequate return for the salary they receive. That will give you job satisfaction and soothe your conscience.

Our students are behaving in an exemplary manner. Whatever their background before joining the Institute, within a month the new students are transformed into ideal students. They develop commendable qualities.

Boy and girl students! Wherever you may go and whatever institutions in which you may work, bring a good name to the Institute and earn a good name for yourselves. Girl students who may get married should serve their in-laws in such a way that the good name of the Institute is vindicated. The mother-in-law should be proud of a well-educated daughter-in-law coming from the Sai Institute (cheers).

The good name you earn will rejoice me. Do your duty wherever you may go. Earn the esteem of your employers. That will please me. This is my message to you.

Students’ devotion to Swami
Students! Many of you have secured high ranks in the examinations. This year 150 students of the Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School appeared for the public examinations held by the Central Board. All of them passed in I class. In many States when one or two candidates get first rank, they give publicity to it. I asked our students why they do not get their photos published in the papers when they have secured first rank. “We studied for the sake of Swami and not to get our photos published in the papers”, they replied. Those words delighted me immensely. That such high sentiments are present among young children is known to very few. The children are full of fine qualities. They have the ability to develop the whole world. But they do not try to utilise it. Students should realise the integral relationship between them and the world. Hence, they should not hesitate to serve the world. With determination they can achieve anything they want to.

Students possess immense power, more than anybody else. My students are my property. Earn a good name wherever you go from the home to the nation. That will please me more than anything else. When you earn a good name, your human birth is redeemed. Sankaracharya has warned youth against being proud of wealth, progeny or youthhood. All these are transient. What are enduring are truth and fame. (“Sathyam and Keerthi”). Never bother about success or defeat, loss or gain, happiness or sorrow. They are incidental to life in the world.

With the conviction that very soon our students will go out into the world, set an example to everyone in whatever institutions they may work and usher in a new era, I bless one and all.

One more thing. I do not mind whether you achieve high ranks or not. But do not get any “remarks” against you. I am aware that nearly all of you are behaving well. But one or two may go astray. I desire that everyone should be exemplary. This is my benediction.

Adhere to Sathya and Dharma

This motherland of ours gave to the world
Noble souls renowned in all the continents;
It is the land which freed
The nation from Western rulers.
This Bharat is reputed for its scholarship.
It is the sacred land which stood forth
As the master in the realms of music, literature and sacred lore;
Born in the land of Bharat, noted for its fine arts and natural beauty,
It is your bounden duty to foster
The glory and prosperity of the Motherland.

Bharat, which in the past was noted for its educational achievements in various spheres, is today confronted with a crisis in its educational system. The system attaches value only to the acquisition of degrees. Is it for earning a mess of pottage that these degrees should be got? Or should they be acquired for rendering service to society? Or are they to be acquired for getting wisdom (Vijnana)? Neither students, nor the authorities, nor the parents appear to be bothered about these questions.

Can an education which is not of use to society or the nation be called education at all? Every year the colleges are letting lose upon the world lakhs of degree holders. What is their future? What is the goal of the educational system? What is the essence of all the studies? When you pose these questions, the answer you get is that the educational system has become mechanical. In today’s education you find no trace of character building, respect for values and regard for tradition. Education is pursued for selfish purposes and not for serving society.

There are in Bharat today 200 universities, 90,000 colleges and nearly a crore undergraduate students. What is the outcome of all this prodigious educational effort? What is happening to these millions of students and how is the outside world affected by them? The educational institutions appear to be mainly factories turning out graduates. Even the educational authorities seem to be content with statistical progress rather than the real achievements of the educational system. Schools and colleges are mushrooming everywhere, with or without official sanction. There is a pretence of acquiring education, without anyone being aware of what it really means.

Knowledge vs. Character
“Of what use is the acquisition of all kinds of knowledge if one has not good qualities and has no moral values?” (Telugu Poem) What for is academic knowledge acquired? Is it for deceiving others? Or is it for promoting one’s selfish interests? Or for the selfish enjoyment of pleasures? Education today is being used largely for these purposes than to promote the well-being of society or the nation. An education that serves no useful purpose in daily life is utterly worthless.

Education today promotes largely intellectual cleverness. “What is the good if the head is filled with bad thoughts, if the ears listen only to scandals, if the eyes look enviously and the mind is plotting misdeeds?” (Telugu Poem) All that is noble in human life is being destroyed. The students of today are divorced from all that is ennobling.

Educated youth, instead of going to the relief of the suffering and the needy, are raising problems for society. But they are not to blame. The fault lies with the educational system. Governments in India set up many committees to report on reform of the system. From the time of Morarji Desai till today these committees have been set up. No one knows what happened to the reports of these committees. There is no evidence that anyone in authority is concerned about training our young people to be useful and ideal citizens of the nation. In the place of high ideals, students today are cultivating high ambitions. What is required is not desire (“Asha”) but the ideal (“Asaya”).

Students have no awareness of the greatness of humanness. They do not understand the significance of unity in thought, word and deed. Instead of unity and harmony, you have only discord and division. All problems arise out of this discord.

Respect for Culture
What is important is culture (samskara) much more than mere knowledge. “Occidental education has undermined respect for Indian culture, eclipsed Truth and righteousness in daily life, encouraged fascination for foreign languages and eroded the love for native languages, broken the norms of social behaviour, and destroyed the respect for teachers” (Telugu Poem). The higher values of education are being eroded continuously.

Education is getting increasingly commercialised, especially in professional courses like engineering and medicine. I am unable to understand what joy the students derive from going through these excessively expensive courses.

Students should first of all know how to deal with the problems of daily life. They have to acquire general knowledge and common sense. Practical knowledge is more important than familiarity with books. It is this kind of bookish education that has led young people astray and made them lead worthless lives.

Serve the Motherland
Students! You are the children of Mother Bharat. You must cherish and foster the great culture of Bharat. Born in this Motherland, you breathe her sacred air, drink her holy water and are sustained by her produce. Follow her sacred footsteps, engage yourselves in service to society in a spirit of dedication. You have to transform yourselves in accordance with our ancient culture. Only then will your humanness be vindicated. Otherwise all your education will be like cultivating a barren land.

Your own conduct accounts for how you live. There is no need to blame anyone else. Begin with the purification of your minds. Then your thoughts, your looks and your behaviour will become pure.

Today men’s actions are governed by selfishness and self-interest. Even when one appears to love another, it is only out of self-interest. Self-interest is bound to exist. But there should be a limit to it. As long as they remain as students, the young people appear well behaved. But the moment they get out of colleges and enter the outside world, they get polluted. Students! Wherever you may be, remain in good company. Entertain and do good deeds. Adhere to good conduct.

Inherently all students are good. But the social environment pollutes their minds. They are spoiled by bad associations. Hence, they should take good care about the company they keep. They must bear in mind three vital maxims: One, “Sarvabhutha hithe rathah”: Rejoice in the well-being of all living creatures. Two: “Sarvajnana samayuktah”. “Have comprehensive knowledge of all things”. Three: “Sarvaguna Samayuktah”: “Develop all qualities equally”. When you develop these qualities, your life becomes exemplary.

Today the world is filled with violence and fear. The root cause of all this is selfishness. Adhere to truth. Truth is your life breath. Truth transcends the categories of time. It is changeless. It is invincible. “Sathyameva jayathe” is our national motto. The Chinese, though different in culture from us, also adore Truth. Truth is the basis of genuine prosperity.

There is a story relating to Prahlada. Once Indra secured from Prahlada the gift of his character (seelam). When character left Prahlada, the goddesses of Fame, Royal Prosperity and Prowess left him one after the other. Prahlada allowed them to go. But when Truth (Sathya) started to leave, Prahlada prayed to the goddess not to leave him. The moment Truth stayed with Prahlada, the other deities representing Fame, Prosperity etc… also returned.

Students! In whatever situation you may be placed in your official careers, never give way to untruth. You must uphold “Dharma”, which means acting according to your conscience. Always follow the dictates of your conscience. This is the meaning of the Upanishadic dictum: “Sathyam Vada; Dharmam Chara” (Speak the truth, follow righteousness). This was the advice given by the Rishis to their disciples when they completed their studies.

Students! This is a great opportunity in your lives. Esteem this day (of the Convocation) as a sacred day. Take to your hearts the good counsel given to you. Dedicate your lives to righteous ways. Earn a good name for yourselves. That is all that I desire. Bring a good name for your parents and for the Institute where you have studied.

Shed all fear except the fear of swerving from Truth. You should not be afraid because you are not an animal; You should not cause fear in others because you are not a wild beast. You are human beings. When you act up to this truth, you will benefit society.

I bless you all with the hope that you will not only lead good lives but make your friends and all others with whom you are associated lead worthy lives.

Cherish Bharatiya Culture

Embodiments of Love!

Education lends beauty to man;
Education is man’s secret wealth.
Education is the source of fame and happiness.
It is the teacher of teachers.
Education is the true kinsman for one going abroad.
It is the third eye for man.
Rulers honour the scholar more than the man of wealth.
One without education is an animal.
This is the message of Bharatiya culture.

Life goes on whether a man acquires culture or not or pursues studies or not. But the lifespan melts like ice from day to day. Even before he realises his duties, his life comes to an end. In the sphere of education, every thinking man is confronted with baffling problems. Educational institutions have forgotten their obligation to make education a source of strength and happiness in daily life. Educational ideals have lost their appeal. Education has ceased to be creative. It has become a destructive force. Respect and reverence are down in the dumps. Education has been commercialised. Students are keener to make money by means rather than to acquire knowledge. Educational institutions, which ought to be citadels of morality, integrity, sacrifice and character, have ceased to foster morality.

Students don’t make any attempt to develop good qualities, while cultivating friendships and participating in common activities. All associations without good qualities are valueless. Character is most important for a student. It is the essence of Bharatiya culture.

Without cultural refinement, can anyone hope to earn honour? Without morals, can you acquire the esteem of others? If you preach righteousness without practising it yourself, will anyone respect you? Without fear of sin, with sinful thoughts, you commit sinful acts. At least from now on, recognise the truth and live up to the name of sons of Bharat.

It is not a good index of pure education, if having been born in Bharat, you do not live up to the ideals of Bharat and lead a mundane existence.

Bharat Matha’s lament
Students! Awake! This is not the time for slumber. Don’t you see the tears Mother Bharat is shedding? Why is she shedding tears? Because her sons have forsaken the sacred path and are leading a sub human existence. Morality and integrity have been given up. To wipe the tears of Mother Bharat, every Bharatiya should cherish the culture of Bharat.

Every student should observe the three principles of equality, unity and cooperation. The nation is going to pieces because of the lack of mutual respect and unity.

Education is not confined to reading, writing and listening. Degrees do not constitute true marks of learning. Without wisdom and spiritual knowledge, can there be real education?

Education is not for earning a living but for leading the good life. All education which imparts worldly knowledge and develops intellectual activities without promoting character is utterly worthless.

True education should promote morality, character and spirituality. Science and Technology are undoubtedly necessary for comfortable living. But there is an unseen power which underlies the physical world. Today students should acquire both physical knowledge for living and spiritual knowledge for understanding that which sustains life. The two together help to make humanness blossom.

It is morality that imparts value to human life. “Morality and Integrity are today confined to books. The heart is utterly polluted. Hands are engaged in selfish pursuits. This is the progress of modern education” (Telugu Poem).

Man has progressed in science and technology. But morality and integrity are going down from day to day. The immediate task is to promote moral values.

There are ninety crores of Bharatiyas, but few who will assuage the agony of Mother Bharat. Of what use are these myriad sons?

There was a time when Bharat stood out as the example for the world in holiness and purity. The ancient sages enthroned righteousness and gave the highest place of honour for the spirit of sacrifice. They adored justice and revered truth. In this way, they bequeathed to the nation its greatest cultural heritage.

Lessons of history
Students! Recall for a moment the past history of Bharat. There is no record at anytime of Bharatiyas having invaded other countries. Bharatiyas always adhered to justice. They protected Righteousness. They esteemed truth as their lifebreath. They took to arms only when foreign hordes invaded the country. Otherwise they never committed aggression on any country.

Many foreign nations plundered the wealth of Bharat, but Bharat never coveted the wealth of any country. Not only did they loot Bharat’s wealth, but they desecrated the sacred culture of Bharat. They created divisions between persons. They set at naught the sanctity of the plighted word. They undermined human relationships. It is because of these outrages that Bharat is in a deplorable plight today.

Reflect for a moment on the glorious record of Bharat’s past history. Bharat has always cherished noble virtues. Unable to recognise the purity, sacredness and spiritual heritage of Bharat, students treat it with levity. They consider it as uncivilised. This is totally wrong. Bharat has been the home of prosperity, morality, sacrifice and fraternity. But modern education has polluted all these qualities. Evils like corruption, dishonesty, injustice and falsehood were unknown to Bharatiyas in ancient India. Today the people have become victims of exotic modes of living and have no respect for the traditional culture.

The collectivist spirit
Bharat has upheld the collectivist ideal as against the concept of individualism. Community singing of Bhajans was preferred, not individual singing. Collective action was promoted. The Vedas also glorified the collective spirit. It was Guru Nanak who initiated the practice of congregational bhajans.

Students today should take a pledge to go to the villages and serve the rural population. Most students soon after they get their degrees, either wish to go abroad or desire well paid jobs. Students should realise the importance of our villages and try to improve them. Money is not important. It is character that counts.

Dharma and moksha
The ancients attached value to the four goals of life¾Dharma (Righteousness), Artha (Wealth), Kama (Desires) and Moksha (Liberation). They followed righteous means to acquire wealth and transformed their desires into yearning for liberation. Thus they gave primary importance to Dharma and Moksha. Today people have given up Dharma and Moksha and are pursuing only Artha and Kama.

Students! Examine your hearts. Rectify your thoughts and earn money by moral means. Our ancients considered Dharma as the basis for the world. Today Dhanam (wealth) is esteemed as the basis for everything.

The achievements of our ancients and the greatness of their qualities are beyond praise. Emperor Sibi was prepared to offer his own flesh to save the life of a bird (pigeon). Many sacrificed their lives to protect the lives of others. Harishchandra gave up his kingdom and even his wife and son to honour his word. Students today do not cherish the lives of these heroes.

The educational system should not be subject to changes according to changes in Education Ministers. Education, like Justice, should be free from governmental interference. Students should realise that what matters is not the religion they profess, but how far they are truly human in their life. They should realise the sacredness of their Motherland, Bharat. It is a name which is anterior to either Bharata, Sri Rama’s brother, or Shakuntala’s son, Bharata.

H-I-N-D-U
Foreigners should understand the precise meaning of the word Hindu, the name which they associate with India. The five letters in the name HINDU represent five qualities. Humanity, Individuality, Nationality, Divinity and Unity. Unity is essential not only for Bharatiyas, but for the entire world.

Today students tend to migrate from villages to cities after their education is completed. Students who come from villages should stay on in their villages and improve the quality of life of the villagers. Students should learn three essential things: Cultivate the company of the good. Avoid evil associates. Do ceaselessly meritorious deeds.

Students should dedicate themselves to social service, striving always for public welfare. Social service leads to the ripening of wisdom. Wisdom is the source of good qualities. Develop good qualities and good conduct. Realise that service is the means to overcome the ego, broaden the vision and promote love. Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached!

Mother Bharat is shedding tears. Find out the cause, as Lava and Kusa did when they found their mother Sita was in tears. They asked their mother: “Oh Mother! Why are you weeping? Here we are, more valiant than Sri Rama. We can bring for you a Golden Mountain if you desire it.” (Bhagawan sang a Telugu song which was both sweet and deeply moving). The boys held her feet and declared that they would not leave until she revealed the cause of her grief. See what the children of Sita, the daughter of the Earth Goddess, did to assuage the grief of their mother. Which son of Bharat today is trying to wipe the tears of Bharat Mata? This is deepening her grief. She laments: “I have ninety crores of children but of what use are they? They are not relieving a mother’s sorrow.” Mother Bharat’s grief affects the whole world.

The Motherland should be revered as divine. Only then there will be worldly peace. Make your studies useful to the country. Values are necessary for acquiring education. Education is for life. Life is for love. Love is for service to the nation and the world. Then there will be peace. Starting with values you end up with peace. There can be no peace without values (cheers).

What Sai expects
When students acquire education in this manner, they will promote the wellbeing of the country and the world. Students should take a resolve to develop their native places and make their lives meaningful. This is what Sai expects from you. This is what you should offer to me. Be good and make the country better. Be ideal students. Ensure security and prosperity in the country. Experience bliss by taking to the spiritual path (cheers).

Education and Culture

Wealth is worshipped as God ;
Selfishness has become the basis of life ;
Pomp and show have become the fashion of the day ;
Ego is ruling supreme in everyone;
Ambition makes men ignore righteousness.
There is no humility and no regard for truth.
Education is sought for earning money;
Hypocrisy has become the order of the day;
How can the sons of Bharat Mata
Hope to progress in the right path?
Spiritual education is the urgent need
Of the hour to reform our children
And turn them in the right direction (Poem).

Students, teachers and educators!

What do you mean by education? What type of education should you have? What kind of education will set an ideal? What is the outcome of education? One must enquire deeply, investigate and get the right answer to these questions. People feel that education helps in materialistic pursuits and rest content with this. This is not a right attitude Education should promote culture. It is not by education alone but by culture that one gets refined.

Culture promotes refinement. It is termed as “Samskara” which consists of Sadguna (Good Character), Sadachara (good practices) and Sadbhavana (good feelings). For a person to be deemed educated, his behaviour should be good; his actions useful to society and his feelings should be compassionate and kind. “Sarva bhutha Hithe Rathaha”. One should have concern for the welfare of all beings.

It is not enough if a student is endowed with scientific and worldly knowledge. He should have essentially moral and spiritual knowledge also.

The aim of education should be to bring about an all-round development of the personalities of the students. Education should make all virtues emerge and shine forth in students. Indian culture essentially aims at developing human beings with such a personality.

What is education without culture? It is like a kite cut off from its main thread. It is not possible to predict where this kite would land whether on thorny bushes or on dwelling places. It is difficult to predict how such education is going to affect and harm society. It may also be compared to a house without light; bats and poisonous reptiles enter into such houses. Education without culture makes man forget his true human nature and take to evil ways. Such education is like a counterfeit coin. Even beggars refuse to accept a counterfeit coin. Even parents would hesitate to love a son without culture. Refinement and culture are the very life breath of human life.

Knowledge and character
It would be wrong to call it education if it merely teaches the meanings of words. The basic aim of education is to make men of character and virtue. Many people think that knowledge is power. It is not so. In fact, character is power. Education should confer humility. Education without humility, action without discrimination, scholarship without wisdom, words without truth, friendship without gratitude, music without melody, politics without morality and integrity can never shine in society. One’s personality blossoms only when one has humility along with knowledge.

Education should be useful to society. It should make citizens follow the path of morality and righteousness and make their lives happy.

Human life is very sacred and valuable. Today people are not aware of the uniqueness of human life. They have forgotten human values. That is the reason why one comes across various agitations and strife in society today. What is the reason for the country getting poverty stricken, for suffering from fear and anxiety, for not recognising the sacredness of spirituality, for losing morality and integrity? The reason is that man is not living as a human amidst his fellow beings. He is living like an animal or like a demon. Today, the cloud of ego and pomp is covering the sun of Atma and hiding its natural splendour.

Selfishness is rampant. The true meaning of word ‘Swartha’selfishness is that one has to know “Swa” (Atma). Understanding the Swa (Atma) is SWARTHAM (SWA + ARTHA). The syllable ‘Swa’ in SWARTHAM does not refer to the body, but the soul. The spirit or Atma is pure, unselfish and eternal. That was the reason why the ancient Rishis described the Atma in such glorious terms, but today, man is misunderstanding the meaning, of the word ‘Swa’, Identifying it with the body instead of the soul.

Man today is treating the body as the source of all happiness. Such happiness is not true and permanent; it is momentary. Educated persons are not striving to earn spiritual, permanent and real happiness.

We are acquiring knowledge, but do not put it to proper use. Knowledge without action is useless. Action without knowledge is foolishness. There is a divorce between knowledge and action today. We need a fusion of knowledge and action. Students should cultivate patriotism and a spirit of service. It is conspicuously absent today.

In India today there are 200 Universities and 9000 colleges. About a crore of students have been enrolled in these colleges. Universities are becoming factories which manufacture graduates. These students are let loose on the world after graduation. No one is bothered about the future of these graduates and how they will benefit the nation?

What is the use of having education which does not benefit society? No one seems to bother to examine all these matters, whether Government, society, educational authorities, Vice Chancellors or other administrators, etc. This is a sad state, which ails the system of education today. It is making man a slave of the senses. How can such people serve the society? Wherever you look at the students one finds sacrifice conspicuous by its absence.

Universities are busy developing different types of subjects to be taught, but are not aware of the Real Subject which they should teach. What is that subject which is the very basis of all other subjects? Atma Vidya, Spiritual knowledge, is the basis of all education. It is like the ocean while all other types of education are like rivers which must merge in the ocean. Today, education without a spiritual base is causing harm. The essence of Spiritual Education is faith and dedication. They are like the two bunds of a river. Only when the river of life flows between these bunds would the river be safe. If there are no bunds, the waters would flow over villages and towns and cause vast destruction. It is the absence of spirituality which is responsible for all the problems, violence, agitation and strife. Education should foster the two bunds of dedication and faith in students.

From Self-reliance to Self-realisation
Education should inculcate in students the spirit of Self-reliance and Self-confidence. The first thing in life is Self-reliance, second is Self-confidence, third is Self-sacrifice, and fourth is Self-realisation. With Self-realisation life finds its final fulfillment.

Sage Valmiki has compared Rama and Ravana in his epic, the Ramayana. Rama is described as a great Jnani and Ravana as a fool. Ravana had mastered 64 types of worldly knowledge whereas Rama had mastered only 26. Why was such a highly educated person as Ravana called a fool by Valmiki? It is because Ravana lacked three important qualities which Rama had. They are: working for the welfare of entire humanity, possessing the supreme knowledge and having great virtues. Ravana was only a slave of the senses.

Knowledge bereft of noble qualities and virtues becomes only bookish knowledge which is of no use to society. What is it that made Rama God? It is imbibing of the six qualities, namely: character, compassion, non-violence, control of the mind, control of the senses and fame. Students should, imbibe these six qualities which make man God. Students should never indulge in violence. Hurting or harming any person essentially means hurting and harming oneself. It is in this context Vyasa stated that the essence of the eighteen Puranas is “Help ever, Hurt never”.

In today’s system of education, the teachers are not teaching this basic virtue. The Ramayana, Bhagavata and Mahabharata are like three important life breaths for Indian culture. Today’s students do not know these three texts without which a person cannot be called Bharatiya. Instead, students indulge in reading cheap novels, which contain evil and wicked ideas.

Spread Bharatiya culture
Students going out from Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning should take an oath that they would plunge into society and spread Bharatiya culture from house to house to all people. Indian culture is the very backbone of our life. If you cannot spread this culture your studies have no meaning. I desire only one thing from you: You should enjoy peace yourself and spread peace all around. That is the gratitude which, you have to show to the Institution which has given you free education and which has showered so much of love on you. Strive to bring about unity; there is no greater strength than unity.

Whatever you have learnt should be made relevant and useful to society. The gap between learning and practice should be bridged. Knowledge from books and laboratories should be made relevant and useful to society. Work for the honour and glory of the society and the nation.

What are you planning to do after you obtain the Degree from the University? It is no use going in search of a job from office to office with your Degree certificate or registering your name in the employment exchange. If the Government starts colleges without being able to give jobs to the graduates, it leads to all sorts of problems arising out of unemployment. The colleges must be operated, keeping in view the demand for graduates.

Our University spends Rs. 60,000 per head on Arts students, Rs. 90,000 per head on Science students, but we do not charge any fees. What benefit do we get out of this? The only benefit is to make your lives exemplary to the world at large. We want you to carry on your secular life with spiritual outlook and attitude. With the education obtained in the Institute, if you have determination, there is nothing which you cannot achieve. During your student days do not enter into politics. After completing your education, you may enter into politics and practise the values which you have learnt as a student and serve the society and the nation.

We got Independence, but unfortunately after Independence unity is lost. Independence without unity does not benefit the nation.

Today in the Convocation you have taken an oath administered by the Vice-Chancellor. Oath taking is like giving a promise. You must take the oath whole heartedly. It would be a great sin if you conduct yourselves in daily life contrary to the oath.

Students! Whether you are aware of it or not, Mother Bharat is pining for you. You are not even recognising the fact that you are born in the sacred land of Bharat. Mother Bharat has hidden an enormous treasure for you, the treasure of knowledge and spirituality.

You may return to your places and conduct yourselves in keeping with human dignity and the type of training that you have obtained here. Do not get a bad name either for yourselves or for your parents. You should be, free from ego, jealousy, arrogance and be full of humility, nobility and sacredness. Service to society and the nation must dominate your thought, word and action.

Education Should Develop Human Values

Education confers beauty on man;
It is his secret treasure;
It confers pleasure, fame and happiness;
It is the teacher of teachers;
It is one’s kinsman when abroad;
It confers supreme vision;
In a royal assembly it is learning alone,
Not wealth, that counts;
A man without learning is an animal.

Students and teachers!

Today neither students nor teachers are aware of the true meaning of education. Education should foster morality, righteousness and character. Man today has acquired prodigious knowledge in the fields of science and technology. But this serves only to promote a material civilisation and teaches only knowledge of the external world to students. What man truly needs today is not this external knowledge. He needs refinement of the heart. This can be got only by internal culture.

It is not enough today to make a man a mere human being. He has to be transformed into an ideal human being. Education makes a man compassionate. That is the fulfillment of the purpose of education. Education should not be equated with book knowledge or the acquisition of skills for leading one’s life in the world. The modern student is unable to determine what is the basis of his life and what is important in it. Hence, he loses confidence in himself. Because they lack the patriotism, born out of love for the country, and the devotion to God, which instills a spirit of sacrifice, students today have lost all Self-confidence.

Most of the troubles tormenting the world today stem from loss of Self-confidence (Atma Vishvas).

“Devoid of the fear of sin and love for God, mankind today is plunged in a grave crisis” (Poem) The eternal verities proclaimed in the scriptures have assumed bizarre forms. Sacred nature is divorced from humanity. The ancient wisdom is in eclipse. Perverted knowledge is growing. In such a situation, how can ethical and spiritual values appeal to youth?

The entire educational system should be changed. The true purpose of education should be understood. “Reading and writing cannot make a man educated. Are those acquiring degrees scholars? Without right knowledge and proper conduct, can one be deemed educated? If learning for earning a living is esteemed as education, are not birds and beasts able to live without learning?” (Poem)

Education and life
Education should be the life breath of human beings. By converting education into a means of earning a livelihood, people are forgetting the meaning of life. Character determines life. It is power. It is pure and holy. Without character how can man lead a worthwhile and sacred life? For this reason, from ancient times, Bharatiyas fostered a life style based on ethics. Students are forgetting this ancient culture of Bharat. Pursuing worldly, ephemeral knowledge, they do not understand the nature of life.

Man should recognise the cosmic basis of education. Education today is based on mechanical skills. Students should strive to promote blossoming of the heart together with development of the intellect. Intellectual knowledge alone cannot suffice for the conduct of life on right lines.

It is true that Bharat is lagging behind in the economic sphere. But what harm does this do to the world? There is a greater danger from another source. This arises from the fact that people are immersed in material pursuits, ignoring moral and spiritual values. Unless this process is reversed, education cannot make headway.

Two hundred years ago, scientists in other countries started exploring the powers of nature and experimented with control of the five basic elements (ether, air, fire, water and earth). They invented dreadful bombs and envisaged terrible wars. This is a wholly misguided effort.

Role of science
The arrogant claim that they have achieved scientific progress is utterly unwarranted because this is not true science at all. Does knowledge of how to cause mass destruction merit the name of Science? Cannot their scientific investigations be devoted to causes which promote human welfare and betterment?

All the Scientific discoveries of today were excelled by the achievements of Hiranyakasipu. The powers obtained from them are prone to be misused. Deluded by their scientific and technological progress, the nations are losing their wisdom. What is the purpose served by these discoveries? While they promote temporary pleasures, they virtually destroy the sources of inner strength. The education that we must aim at is one which will direct the children towards the right path and promote the well-being of the nation. Only when mankind realises this need will world peace be a reality.

Man needs today a mind free from attachment and hatred, speech that is untainted by falsehood, and a body that is totally free from violence. Of these, truthful speech is most essential. Unfortunately, man is not free from these taints. Hence, students should receive an education that produces purity of mind speech and body.

Human degradation
Of what use is man’s conquest of the external world if he cannot realise his own true nature? Scientists are only helping to satisfy man’s selfish desires. They are keen on securing accolades for themselves, but are not concerned about the welfare of society or the goals of life. How glorious will be their achievements if their discoveries are useful to the people and promote the prosperity and welfare of nations?

Today every step of man is marked by unrighteousness. Every word is tainted by untruth. His thoughts are not free from evil. All his desires are rooted in selfishness. Caste and religious conflicts are rampant. Parochialism is growing. In short, humanness has reached its nadir. How then, can man be called a human being, when there is no harmony in thought, word and deed?

Bad example of elders
Moreover, there are no ideal leaders today. Even exemplary parents are not to be found. Nor are there ideal teachers. In olden days, the leaders, the parents and the teachers led exemplary lives. It is because such persons are absent today that students are without ideal examples to follow. There is a Telugu saying that the calf follows the cow. Because the elders set a bad example, the students also are going astray.

The students are not to blame. They are inherently good hearted and good natured. But they take to bad ways because of the elders. Therefore, the first requisite is for the national leaders and the parents to understand how the educational system should function. They should realise that education should aim at developing good qualities in the children and should not be regarded as a means to acquire wealth. Character is based on good conduct. Only a young man with good qualities can become a good leader. He must take part in social service as a preparation for leadership. Everyone should realise that his happiness is bound up with the happiness of society as a whole. Parents and teachers should develop such attitudes in the students.

Despite all his achievements in the physical world, how far has man been able to develop his human qualities? This is the question facing the world today. If people study the ancient history of Bharat, they will realise the importance which the ancients attached to Truth.

Need for unity
There may be differences at the individual level, but when national interests are involved, these differences should be forgotten and all should act in unity. This was the attitude of Dharmaraja in respect of his Kaurava cousins. At the individual level, Dharmaraja said that the five Pandava brothers might be ranged against the hundred Kauravas “But if the nation is in peril, we are 105 against the rest. It is our duty to protect the nation”.

Unfortunately, today, each party is ranged against the other and there is discord among the people. This should go. All should bear in mind the interests of the people.

Education today is not inculcating in the students the spirit of compassion and kindness. Once Gandhiji told a foreigner that he was feeling sad because education was making students heart less and lacking in fellow feeling. Students do not show any sweetness in speech. They have no sense of gratitude. Of what avail is such an education? The foremost quality students should have is humility. They must be free from conceit. They must be unselfish. Without these a student lacks lustre. Students today lack these qualities. They have little concern for the plight of their parents. But, there are also parents who pamper their children like Dhritarashtra (the father of the Kauravas). If parents do not correct their children, who will correct them? How can parents cherish children who misbehave and earn a bad name?

The birthday that should be celebrated is the day when good qualities are born in one. You must become ideal students. Students must work hard. They have to be grateful to their parents for all that they have received form the latter. Children who cannot please their parents, how will they serve the nation?

Every human body is sustained by five life breaths Prana, Aparna, Vyana, Udana and Samana. What are the five life breaths for a student? They are: Truth, Righteousness, Peace, Love and Non-violence. All these five principles have to be rigorously observed to sublimate one’s life. Each one should cultivate the qualities of compassion, patience and oneness. These qualities will promote the unity of mankind. These are based on the love principle. Without love, there is no life. Love gives rise to truth. Love begets peace. When you have love, you practise non-violence. Love is the under current in all these.

Education has to be reformed. But Ministers are only trifling with changes. Reports of Committees are gathering dust in shelves. Educational reforms should be related to the five basic human values, without which education has no Meaning and life itself is devoid of purpose. A student today has no conception of the value of sacrifice (Tyaga). He has to learn to do his duty without expectation of any reward. This is a form of Yoga (spiritual discipline).

Dear Students! Giving up the craze for going abroad after the completion of your studies, take a resolve to dedicate yourselves to the service of your village, your state and your nation. Act according to your conscience. In your heart shines the knowledge of the Spirit (Atma Vidya). Knowledge should beget wisdom like the lightning in a cloud.

Every one of our students should stand forth as a shining example to others. The light of their example should spread all over the world and bring about spiritual unity among mankind.

All changes in the educational syllabi or other changes in the economic and political spheres are of little value. There should be a change in the mental attitude of people, as the prelude to a change in the national scene. Transform yourself first and then preach to others.

True science should foster the well-being of the people and promote unity amongst them. Unity will lead to purity and both will lead to Divinity. Today there is none of these. We have only “Community” (or caste). It is this communal feeling that is the cause of conflict. Giving up all differences based on caste or creed, people should regard themselves as the children of one human family. There is only one religion, the religion of humanity. Students should develop this spirit of unity.

Truth and righteousness
Students! The future of the country, for good or ill, depends on you. The older generation cannot reform the nation. Only a disciplined and well educated younger generation can serve the nation well as future leaders. Treat the whole world as a vast mansion. Strive for the well-being of all nations equally with Bharat.

The Sri Sathya Sai Institute has been established to promote sacred ideals among students. Adhere to your principles and beliefs regardless of what others may say. Have the example of the Gopikas in mind. Their devotion to Krishna was firm and unwavering. Consider truth as your life breath. If you speak the truth and practise righteousness, you will attain the highest state.

Truth and Righteousness are interrelated. Together they constitute humanness. Bear in mind the glorious example of Harishchandra, who sacrificed everything for the sake of truth.

Adhere to truth in earning a living or in experiencing anything in life. Ill-gotten wealth will be lost in the same way. Engage yourselves in some kind of socially useful activity in the educational, medical or other fields. Sacrifice is more important than earning money. Students imbued with this spirit of service may go to any country. Do not use your diplomas as begging bowls for jobs. Make proper use of your education to render service to the nation and to lead noble lives. This is my benediction to all of you.

Recovery of Moral Values

Daivadheenam Jagatsarvam
Sathyadheenam thu Daivatam
Sathyam Uthamadhinam
Uthamo paramo devatha.

The Cosmos is controlled by the Divine.
The Divine is governed by Truth.
Truth is subject to the high souled.
The high souled are supremely Divine.

Students! Educationists! Patrons of Education!

The entire Cosmos is under the control of the Divine. But the Divine is bound by Truth. Truth is under the control of high souled persons. These persons are the embodiments of the Divine in the world.

The universe is infinite and marvelous. Unable to comprehend the nature of Creation, man is a prey to divisive forces. Creation proclaims the Will of the Divine. It is known as Prakriti (Nature). Every man, who is a child of Nature, should have Divine nature. Man is born in the world to proclaim the Will of the Divine. Man is a part of Creation. He is bound by all the material objects in the world. His awareness is based on his perception of the world. Man has to order his life for the purpose of furthering the creative process.

Unfortunately, today, as a consequence of scientific and technological progress, humanness has declined and man considers the world as only intended for his enjoyment. As a result, the powers of Nature are being used in a manner which poses a great threat to the world. The world has not been created for mere enjoyment. Abusing the resources of Nature and forgetting his own basic human nature man is going against the purpose of Creation. Many natural catastrophes are entirely due to man’s behaviour. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, wars, floods and famines and other calamities are the result of grave disorders in Nature. These disorders are traceable to man’s conduct. Man has not recognised the integral relationship between humanity and the world of Nature.

In the human body, all organs like eyes, ears, mouth, etc., are integrally related to each other. Just as these organs are important for man, man is equally important for society as a limb of the social organism. Man is a part of the human community. Mankind is a part of Nature. Nature is a limb of God. Man has not recognised these interrelationships.

Rights and duties
Man is a kind of stage director of what goes on in Nature. Forgetting his responsibilities, man fights for rights. If a deep enquiry is made, it will be realised that man has no rights at ail in this world. He has only duties and no rights. It is foolish to fight for rights without discharging one’s duties. All the chaos and conflicts in the world are due to men forgetting their duties. If everyone discharges his duty, the world will be peaceful and prosperous. When the master performs his duties properly, the employees will work well. When the parents discharge their duties, the children will realise their responsibilities. When the children do their duties by the parents, the latter will be honoured. Likewise, when teachers discharge their duties, the students will conduct themselves well. When the students perform their duties well, the authorities will secure due respect.

Today men are forgetting their obligations. The Cosmos is an integral organism of interrelated parts. When each one performs his duty, the benefits are available to all. Man is entitled only to perform his duties and not to the fruits thereof.

Need for ideal persons
Students! Today the educational world is immersed in multifarious problems which are baffling the authorities concerned. The educational system is contributing to the collapse of human values in society. Educational institutions, which ought to give a lead in promoting the nation’s all-round welfare, are leading the country astray. Human values like sacrifice, integrity, fairness and morality have almost disappeared. Reverence and respect (for elders) are totally absent. What we need today is not a new system of education, nor a new social order, nor even a new religion. There is a good deal of speculation about how to bring about a new social order. All these are exercises in futility. What we need today are noble and high-minded men and women (Uttamapurushulu). The nation will be prosperous only when there are such persons with noble minds and hearts. Such persons will emerge in society only when there is purity of mind and morality in society. Only a society with a moral foundation can foster such noble persons.

Spirituality and progress
Morality and integrity are based upon spiritual consciousness. Spirituality alone will take man to the sacred path leading to his destiny. Spirituality alone can elevate man and raise him to higher levels. It is the means to real national progress and prosperity. World peace can be secured only through spirituality. It is the means for the redemption of mankind.

Forgetting spirituality, man is leading an artificial life based on worldly pleasures. Education should be used for promoting the nation’s welfare. Knowledge gained through education should be used selflessly for promoting the welfare of humanity.

Truth is the ornament for the mouth. Charity is the ornament for the hand. Education is the ornament for the ear. Apart from these ornaments, what does anyone need? A man with these ornaments can reach great heights. He alone is a full man.

Rama and Ravana
Mere knowledge by itself is of no avail. Ravana had studied as many branches of knowledge as Rama. Educationally both were equals but Valmiki described Ravana as a “moorkha”, a self-willed fool. Rama was hailed as a perfect man. Wherein lies the difference between the two? Rama utilised all the knowledge he had gained for noble purposes and the welfare of all. He had mastery over the senses. He gave up his rulership. He was pledged to the upholding of truth. Dedicating his knowledge to the cause of truth, to set an example of ideal life to mankind, he dedicated his life to the welfare of the country. Rama exemplified human perfection by his sacrifice, his adherence to truth and his spotless character. On the other hand, Ravana utilised all his knowledge for enjoying sensuous pleasures. He became a slave of his senses and brought ruin upon himself and his country.

Whatever knowledge one may acquire, one should use it for the well-being of all (“Sarvahithe rathah”). Only then he can be deemed rich in wisdom. (“jnana-sampannah”). Such a wise person will be endowed with all good qualities. It is for these noble purposes that the ancient system of education was devised.

Bharatiya education
All that students learn today is unrelated to the Bharatiya system of education. A system which enslaves the mind and promotes the office hunting mentality can have no relation to Bharatiya education. It was a system which sought to combat injustice and corruption and promote truth and righteousness. It was not designed to make a student acquire a degree at great expense and then go about with a begging bowl in search of jobs. It aimed at promoting self-reliance and encouraging one to take up social service in a spirit of dedication. Bharatiya education was based on the twin mottos: “Sathyam vada; Dharmam chara” (“Speak the truth. Practise righteousness”).

Love is the spiritual discipline governing human life. Truth is one’s life breath. Bharat produced any number of men in the past who were dedicated to these two ideals. Bharatiya education made the human personality shine effulgently like a multi-faceted diamond.

Bharat: then and now
Bharat is like a myriad petalled lotus. The variety of creeds and communities, languages and customs, manners and traditions to be found in Bharat cannot be found in any other country. With its many languages, customs and cultures, Bharat is a magnificent garden blooming with flowers of many hues. Bharatiyas today are oblivious to the greatness of their country. People of many faiths lived in harmony as members of one family in ancient times. This harmony has now been lost. The love principle has become extinct. People are unable even to recognise what is truth.

Students should enshrine in their hearts the greatness of Bharat. Their lives should not be offered as a sacrifice to selfishness and self-interest. Give up completely selfishness. Only then you will have acquired education that is Divine and holy.

In the olden days, after the students had completed their education, the teachers (gurus) used to offer them words of advice before they embarked on the life of house holders (Grihasta­ashram). It was a kind of Convocation. The advice the preceptors gave them was: “Serve the world. First of all, revere your father and mother. Develop love for the nation.” What kind of patriotism do students have who, after completing their studies here, go abroad for work? Live in society and earn the esteem of your fellowmen. These are the essential lessons to be learnt by students.

The gospel of service
Today you took the Institute pledge as to how you will conduct yourselves after you go out into the world. You have pledged yourselves to lead ideal lives. This pledge should pervade every corpuscle of your blood. You will be guilty of treason to yourselves if you fail to live up to the pledge.

Students! From now onwards you should engage yourselves in service to society and cherish Indian culture. Do not aspire for positions. Practise at least a fraction of what you have learnt. Action alone counts. Only through practical experience is wisdom gained. Money is not everything. Acquiring good qualities is vital. Education with­out character is utterly worthless.

Go to the villages and serve the poor and the downtrodden. The essence of education is service to one’s fellow men. There is no greater occupation than service to society. Become leaders through service. Only when you lead such exemplary lives can you be deemed truly educated.

Live in God
Whatever may be the situation in other universities, the students from the Sathya Sai Institute should behave in an exemplary and ideal manner. Foster moral, spiritual and social values. Dedicate your lives to the upholding of morality. Officials without morality can never serve society properly. They can never protect the greatness of Bharat.

Dear students! Uphold the ideals of education. Cultivate the love of God and inspire in everyone devotion to God. Live in God! Make others live in God!

Towards a Value Based Education

An education which does not instill in the students, human values and develop in them the qualities of selflessness, absence of ego, unostentatiousness and true love is utterly worthless.

Students! Embodiments of Love! Teachers and Patrons of Education!

Education lends beauty to man. Education is man’s most precious wealth. It confers happiness and renown on man. It is the teacher of teachers. When a man travels abroad, education stands by him like a kinsman. Education is adored by rulers, not wealth. One without education is an animal.

Degrees alone do not signify education. Education that is confined to the physical sciences is a travesty of true education. Together with knowledge of the natural sciences, one has to acquire humility, discipline and a good character. Everyone should recognise this sacred character of education.

The student of today is concerned with acquiring wealth, strength and position, but not good qualities. Education is meant to enable one to acquire what are good qualities. Every student should take a note of this. Education is not intended merely to stuff the brain with information. It has to transform the heart and make it pure. This sacred truth has been forgotten.

Formidable problems have cropped up in educational institutions today. Educational institutions, which should serve to promote wholesome and progressive tendencies among the citizens, are going in the wrong way. The discipline that should prevail in them has deteriorated. The sacred feelings that should inspire educational establishments have disappeared. Reverence and respect are not to be seen. Money has been elevated to the primary place. This means that in institutions in which Saraswati, the Goddess of Knowledge, should reign supreme, Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth, has been installed. Knowledge that should be acquired by the heart is being garnered by money. This is a great threat to society. It is only when a student is filled with sacred thoughts that he will be able to serve society properly and make himself a better human being. The country will prosper only when those occupying the seats of power understand these problems properly.

President Venkataraman, in his Convocation address, explained in clear terms the implications of the five values of Sathya, Dharma, Santhi, Prema and Ahimsa. These five terms are like the five life breaths for a man. Not only that. They are also the five basic elements (Panchabutas). Without these values, humanness will be destroyed. All other accomplishments are worthless without these values. For the mansion of Sanathana Dharma, these values are the walls supporting the edifice.

Nine Qualities
The student today has to cultivate in this Kali age nine gem like qualities: the spirit of sacrifice, humility, the spirit of selfless service to society, friendliness, discipline, adherence to truth, love, non-violence and faith in God. The boys and girls who have these qualities alone will be the nation’s treasure of virtue and ensure its future.

Dear students! Without these sacred qualities, all education is valueless. Does literacy or degree constitute education? Without wisdom and virtue can one be termed an educated person? True education is that which fosters the sense of oneness, draws out one’s divine qualities and promotes the blossoming of human personality. The eternal verities are being given the go by. Man is getting alienated from Nature. Good practices are giving place to bad habits. Education is reaching its nadir.

Matter and Energy
Man should be prepared to make any amount of effort in the pursuit of knowledge. Education today is concerned with worldly comforts, but it should seek to promote, in addition to worldly knowledge, concern for spiritual development. Education has two important characteristics. One is exposition of facts relating to any subject. The other is the unfoldment of the individual’s personality. The first is concerned with matter. The second is with energy. Education is a combination of the two. It is a combination of worldly and spiritual knowledge. Education cannot be confined to stuffing the head. It has to melt the heart, refine it and turn it Godward. It is not enough to make a man of the student. He has to be transformed into an ideal human being. He must be made compassionate. Every effort should be made to utilise education for the purpose of divinising man.

Four Hall Marks
Man should stand out as a seeker of truth. The student should practise the truths he has learnt and use them for the good of society. Citizens may be interested in students’ problems, but students should not get involved in the citizens’ politics. Students should aspire to promote the nation’s well-being, its security and happiness. Selflessness, absence of egoism, unostentatiousness and true love should be the hall marks of a true student. A student’s life should radiate light all around. “Vidya” means light. It is to make this illumination available to the world that students should pursue education. Students should desire to enjoy the bliss derived from education (Vidya) and not the pleasures of worldly objects (Vishaya). Students should aim at being masters of their senses and not their servants.

A man may be a great philosopher (Vedantin). He may explore many things. He may expound new theories. But he should really try to find out what he has accomplished as a human being. Without the cultivation of human values, all explorations and speculations are of no use.

Triple Failure
Today the educational system, not only in India but in all countries, has taken the wrong turn. No single person is responsible for this situation. Parents have failed to bring up their children properly. The nation’s leaders do not set them a good example. Even teachers have failed in their responsibilities. When we have exemplary parents, exemplary leaders and ideal teachers, students will be ideal students. Students, who are selfless, pure hearted and innocent by nature, are being dragged into politics, their minds are getting filled with bitterness and hatred and their hearts are getting polluted. Students in no circumstance should get into politics. After completing your studies, if you take up a job or start a business, you may take to politics. In entering politics, you must do so to serve the nation and promote its welfare and integrity.

The Remedy
Students today lack the capacity to discriminate between right and wrong. The authorities feel that education is progressing in the country. There are more educational institutions and more students seem to be receiving education. But no one seems to bother whether they are really getting educated at all. Mere increase in the number of educational institutions is not enough. We must look at the quality of education. Standards have to be raised. There are many reasons for deterioration in educational standards. Only when education is treated as an autonomous and independent undertaking can the problem of standards be properly dealt with. Educational policies are changed with every change in the Education Ministry at the Centre or in the States (cheers). Frequent changes in educational policy are responsible for the fall in educational standards. Changes in the Ministry or the personnel at the top should not affect the core of education. It is essential to separate education and place it under the control of experienced and dedicated educationists. Without this basic change, whatever may be done to increase educational institutions is a waste of money.

What is the progress that has been achieved in education? Crores are being spent on education. What is the return for all this expenditure? There is a general decline in character and students have no respect for teachers; gratitude is at a discount. This is the “progress” that is witnessed today.

How can the nation progress? Everything depends on the young students of today. Education is not confined to school or college. It is a process that goes on all through one’s life. Students! Develop pure thoughts and see that you do not cause any difficulties to your fellow students. Strive to please your parents. Gratitude is the foremost quality in a student. Show your gratitude to your parents to whom you owe everything in your life.

Love the Motherland
Students! Human life is very precious and in it the days of youth are even more precious. Every student must cultivate humility and reverence. He must understand the state of the country. You must love the Motherland. Today there is a craze among students, whether they are engineers or doctors, to apply for jobs abroad as soon as they get their degrees. Serve your Motherland first. Earn honour and respect here. Take a pledge to serve your Motherland. Some people imagine that they can pursue their higher studies abroad. But what happens is that after going there, they forget even their parents. What is the use of such ungrateful persons going abroad? The students alone are not to blame for this. The Government is also responsible. The Government should realise that our students are being spoilt by being sent abroad and should restrict the number of passports issued to them (cheers). Are there not facilities for higher studies within India? Is there not enough science and technology here? The students claim that they are acquiring special knowledge. But all that they learn is pride and ostentation. Sri Rama declared: “The mother and the Motherland are greater than Heaven itself.” You must love your mother, whether she is beautiful or otherwise.

Students! Realise the greatness of Bharat. There is no need to disparage other countries. Only be prepared to sacrifice everything for your Motherland. Students today have no patriotic feelings. They only love themselves (their bodies). Deha (the body) and Desha (the country) are intimately related to each other. Recognise the unity of the two.

Greatness of Bharat
Realise at the outset the greatness of Bharatiya culture. It is an ideal to the world. It confers spiritual bliss (Atma Aanandam). Without recognising this, all your education is worth nothing. You are acquiring book knowledge, but are not putting into practice what you have learnt. It is most essential to practise unity in thought, word and deed which is the mark of all great people. Recognising the all-embracing character of Bharatiya culture which covers every aspect of life from the spiritual to the physical you have to live up to its message. Develop the spirit of love in your hearts.

Duty to the Alma Mater
Students! Wherever you may go remember your Institute and behave in a manner befitting its alumni. That is the gratitude you can show to the Institute. We do not ask from you anything. Our only desire is that you should become ideal students. Only then will your studies here be justified and you will be making your lives worthwhile. Eschew selfishness. Only the spirit of sacrifice can confer immortality. Help ever, hurt never.

There is something wrong with our system of examinations and promotions. An examinee is “passed” if he gets 30 percent marks in a subject. This is improper. If a man is entrusted with a hundred tasks and if he fails in 70 of them, is he to be recognised as having performed well? A few mistakes may be excused, but if one commits 70 mistakes, does he deserve to be passed? This is wrong. Even with regard to the 30 percent pass marks there appear to be various manipulations. All kinds of “grace marks” are given. Why, then, should the student study at all? It is because of such practices that educational institutions have lost all credibility. What can you make of students who “pass” in this manner? What kind of national leaders will they be? Hence it is essential to reform the examination system and raise educational standards and performance. There should be no room for compromises and relaxations in the educational field (cheers). Education is called “Shikshana”. This term means that there should be stern discipline at every stage. Students should be properly corrected and encouraged to study well. A teacher is one who teaches what is good and wholesome for the student. A real student is one who respects the teacher. In days of yore, the most pure and sacred relations existed between preceptors and pupils. Today, the talk is all about freedom. But freedom should be within limits. The end of wisdom is freedom. The end of culture is perfection. The end of education is character. The end of knowledge is Love. (cheers) Freedom today has degenerated into disrespect and irreverence with the result that students are getting conceited.

Dear students! I wish that you should go out into the world as ideal students and serve the nation well. Securing degrees is not enough. You have to make your knowledge available to others. This is the purpose of education. Remember God, love the nation and experience bliss. This should be your aim.

The President of India, Sri Venkataraman, addressed you today and spoke about the sages and saints of India. You must pay heed to the words of elders and try to live up to them to the extent you can. Eschew all differences of caste, creed and nationality and cultivate oneness of spirit. All are one: be alike to everyone. Realise the divinity within you and recognise that it is in one and all.

Students, Parents and the Nation!

“Wealth is worshipped as God. Pride has become a creed. Selfishness is entrenched in the intellect. The ego is flaunted and desires have become an adornment. Righteousness has become, a mere figurehead in the world. Compassion has dried up. Gentility has waned. Hypocrisy has become the hall mark of life. Love and affection have become lustful afflictions. The scriptures are disregarded. Life has become a burden and man’s mind has gone astray. Gratitude as a virtue has evaporated. In the Kali age these have become the qualifications of educated persons. Alas! What shall I say about the plight of man when humanness has fallen so low?”

“When women leave their homes for jobs, where are the housewives to do the household chores? When both husband and wife go to their offices, where are the mothers to look after the children? When the mothers go to school to teach other children, who will teach their own children? Even if the monetary position is eased, other difficulties arise in the home. In trying to secure comforts, the office seeker achieves only an emptiness at home.”

Bharatiyas were wedded to Truth and were adherents of Righteousness. Justice was their sheet anchor only. Students should be broadminded and have a wider outlook to uphold Truth and Righteousness. You have to endeavour to adhere to the path of Satya and Dharma. If the students safeguard Truth and Righteasness they will be safe guarding the nation as well.

The world is based on Truth and Right Conduct. These two sustain the world. If they are protected, the world will be happy and prosperous. Victory will come in the wake of Truth and Righteousness. No other form of strength, including armed might, will ensure victory. Hence, students should consider themselves the guardians of Truth and Righteousness and equip themselves for this role.

Education is the formal expression of Truth, which is the basis of social harmony. The divine qualities of man can be seen in education as in a mirror. Today’s educational system makes the student hard hearted. He lacks the feelings of kindness and sympathy. Tolerance and compassion are totally absent. Those who should seek to serve the poor and the needy are wrapped up in their own selfish pursuits. Selfishness and self-centredness should be rooted out. Service to society should be regarded as the primary purpose of education.

Decline of moral values
Bharatiya culture is a sublime one. It is incomparably great. But the advance of modern technology has shaken the traditional institutions like a powerful cyclone. It is true that materially, scientifically and economically, great progress has been made. But morally, spiritually and socially man has fallen a great deal. Moral values have been shattered. In trying to make life more comfortable with the help of machines, men have become slaves of the machine. It is, therefore, incumbent on students to see that science and technology are used on the right lines for the good of mankind. Unfortunately, even those who profess to be leaders of society and who claim to be interested in promoting the well-being of the people, are not acting along the right lines to set a good example to the students.

Education, when it gets linked with egoism, loses its wider perspective. It becomes supremely purposeful only when it is related to spirituality. Hence students should rid themselves of egoism and strive to promote the welfare of society, through the knowledge acquired by them, with faith and Self-confidence.

Education is not mere verbal knowledge. It should enable one to manifest his inherent divinity. It should promote the practice of Truth and Right Conduct. Unfortunately, educational institutions today have become merely workshops manufacturing degree holders. The acquisition of degrees cannot constitute education. Education must promote ethical behaviour. It must foster self-control. This is the essential function of education.

Parents’ Duty
If students are to conduct themselves properly, the parents have to set the right example. Unfortunately, even though many of the parents might be educated, wealthy and interested in Bharatiya culture, their practical conduct is not exemplary. This is the reason why most students go astray. All parents want their children to get a good education, good jobs and earn high incomes. But few of them want that they should grow into ideal citizens. In some instances, where the students have developed some spiritual interests, the parents try to discourage them. There are parents who behave like Hiranyakasipu and take their children to task for their interest in spiritual practices at such an early age. Nor is that all. Some of them even try to cover up the bad behaviour of their children by pretending that they are well behaved. They make no effort to correct the children and turn them towards the right path. Because of this attitude of the parents, the students are taking to bad ways and are spoilt like Dhritarashtra’s children (the Kauravas). The students are not to be blamed. It is the parents who are responsible for the students’ misbehaviour, which is reflected in indiscipline in educational institutions.

Students must be made to feel proud of their country, their people and their culture. They should realise that wealth and strength are of no value without character. Of what avail was all his wealth to Dhritarashtra? Because of the wickedness of his sons, he lost everything in the end.

Education today develops knowledge and skills but not character. Right education should promote good qualities. There is no need to seek a new system of education or effect reforms in society. It is enough if we have young men and women of good character and integrity. They will make the country great and prosperous.

Students! You have to realise the importance of mental transformation. All kinds of political and economic reforms are taking place. But little is being done to promote the sacred Bharatiya culture. What we need is a spiritual transformation. It is the absence of spirituality that accounts for all the chaos, conflict and disorder in the world.

Truth and righteousness
The Hindu tradition laid stress on two maxims: Speak the Truth. Follow Righteousness. These two vital principles have been obliterated today. Mammon reigns supreme. Wealth is worshipped as God. Malpractices are the offerings made to this deity. Humanness has been sacrificed. There must be a return to human values. Education must aim at promoting these values. Planting the seed of love and fostering the tree of tolerance, students should seek to offer the fruit of peace to society. This should be their primary duty.

Students! You do not become educated merely by getting degrees. You will be truly educated only when you render service to the people. Engage yourselves in service to the people. True education is that which equips one for service and not merely for earning wealth. Fill your hearts with compassion. A compassionate heart is the seat of the Divine.

Role of Sai Institutions
It is asked: who is to blame for the present state of education the students or the teachers? It must be remembered that today’s teachers were themselves students once. Today’s students will be tomorrow’s teachers. Hence students should train themselves properly for their future roles. It was with this object in view that the Sathya Sai educational institutions were started. Today’s students are the future nation builders. Only when the students learn to conduct themselves with integrity and fairness will they be able to restore the nation’s ancient values and cultural heritage. The ancients achieved name and fame by their adherence to values. Students in those days were exemplars of tolerance and compassion. They were wedded to Truth and Righteousness. Consequently, they lived long lives. Unfortunately, such sacred attitudes are not to be seen among students now. They have no trace of selflessness in them. They have installed conceit and ostentation at the altar of education. These traits are alien to true education and should be totally eradicated.

Humility and obedience, which are the insignia of the educated man, should be promoted. Students today are failing to show reverence even to their parents, much less to elders. To flaunt one’s degrees is not a sign of true education, but only an aberration. The truly educated person should cultivate the virtues of truth and righteous conduct and lead an ideal life in the service of society. Only such persons can contribute to the greatness and glory of Bharat.

Bharat’s glory
Bharat stood as a beacon light to the world in ancient times because of its spiritual ideals. This sacred land is the land of sacrifice (Tyaga), of Yoga, and of Karma (Righteous action). Today’s education tends to make it a land of indulgence (bhogabhumi) with the result that all kinds of maladies (Roga) are present in educational institutions.

You must cultivate respect for Bharat’s ancient culture, follow its ideals and experience the joy to be derived therefrom. Society today suffers from lack of peace. Evil forces are rampant owing to the unchecked growth of selfishness and self-interest. These tendencies have to be rooted out. This can be done only by taking to the spiritual path. It is the duty of parents to sow the seeds of spirituality in the children from their early years. They should not think that parental responsibilities end with sending the children to school or college. They have a duty to see that the children grow into worthy citizens of the country. Great men like Sankaracharya, Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi became ideal men because of the example set by their parents in their daily lives. When the parents lead upright lives, the children will follow them. Hence, parents as well as teachers should serve as ideal examples to the students.

From all the enquiries I have made, I have found it is the parents who are spoiling the children. Their affection for the children is totally misconceived. They should realise that those good qualities which are instilled in the children when they are young, alone will stand them in good stead all their lives.

Dear embodiments of Love! Together with your studies, cultivate humility and reverence, and learn to conduct yourselves in an exemplary manner. Without morality, society will be ruined. Hence, by leading moral lives, foster the well-being of the nation. This is the sacrifice you have to perform. Do not lead a life of selfishness. Money comes and goes. Morality comes and grows. The path of righteousness may be strewn with obstacles. Do not bother about them. Act according to your conscience in all circumstances.

Dharmaraja and dharma
In the Mahabharata, there was an occasion during the time the Pandavas were living in exile, when Draupadi addressed Dharmaraja as follows: “Dharmaraja! There is no greater votary of Dharma than you. You adhered to Dharma as your life breath even in the smallest action. Inspite of this, you have had to go through inconceivable ordeals. How has your Dharma protected you?” Smilingly Dharmaraja replied: “Draupadi! Despite all the trials and tribulations I have gone through, I have not given up adherence to Dharma. That is my greatness. We should not succumb to difficulties and give up Dharma. Dharma should be upheld even during difficulties. That is the mark of greatness.”

Students! This life is not for experiencing happiness or sorrow. Both have their good and bad results. They are transient and impermanent. You should rise above them to uphold righteousness in service to society and serve as an example to the nation.

Make Others Happy

Education is an ornament for man. It is his secret wealth. It confers prosperity and fame. It is the teacher of teachers. It is one’s unfailing kinsman in foreign travel. It secures the respect of rulers more than wealth.

Education is the basis for leading a purposeful life in the physical world, in the realm of the mind and in society. It equips one with the mental strength and steadiness to face the challenges of life. It enables one to understand the myriad manifestations in nature. It is only when one understands the powers of his mind that he can recognise the relationship between the world and society. Real education should enable one to realise that mankind is one family. It should help one to experience the unifying forces in society.

Unfortunately, education today is not promoting these objectives. We have no lack of intelligent men in the world today. There are any number of scientists. It is because the intelligentsia and the scientists have not been educated on right lines that the world is plunged in chaos and disorder. Education today is concerned mainly with satisfying the senses and developing intellectual skills. It ignores the development of virtuous qualities. Despite the committees and commissions set up by the Government to suggest reforms in education, no resolute efforts have been made to effect the necessary reforms. The main reason for this failure is the lack of unity after the achievement of freedom. All the ills the nation is suffering from are due to the absence of unity and the preoccupation with ephemeral objectives. There is nothing that cannot be achieved through unity.

Education should promote discrimination and humility. The quantitative explosion in the number of educational institutions—schools, colleges and universities—has been accompanied by a corresponding decline in the quality of education. To have no respect for your elders and to be ungrateful to those who have fostered you, to revile even the teacher who taught you, can this be called “progress” in education? There is little evidence of morality in society. There is a general decline in character and conduct. Bharatiya culture, which laid emphasis on plain living and high thinking, has been almost forgotten. Can there be anything more unfortunate for the country?

The culture of Bharat
India which achieved great heights in every cultural sphere, is today unaware of the magnitude of its greatness. Most students are not aware of even the meaning of culture. Culture refines the human spirit and makes one a complete human being. Today no attempt is made to understand the truth relating to the body, the mind and the Atma. Culture seeks to integrate the various aspects of daily life and develop a unified outlook.

It should enable one to transcend the divisions of caste, creed and community and realise the divine unity that underlies the apparent diversity. Students should realise that Indian culture is not meant only for India but is meant for all mankind to reveal to the world the path to the Divine.

Today one finds that the virtues exhibited by illiterate villagers and uneducated folk in the tribal areas are not to be seen among the educated urban population. In fact, wherever schools, courts and administrative offices have multiplied, there we witness an increase in corruption, injustice and wickedness. In seeking to lead a free and unrestrained life, people are falling a prey to the desires of their senses. Educational institutions, which should be havens of peace and serenity, are haunted by fears of insecurity. The true aim of education is to prepare the student for a useful role in society with the help of the knowledge he has got and for leading an ideal life.

Science and corruption
Science and technology have made great advances in recent years and have a prominent place in education. It is true that science has helped to improve the conditions of living. But the harm it is doing outweighs the benefits. Man has lost peace of mind and the sense of security. The growth of videos, radios, television, cinemas and air travel has been stupendous. But there is no sign of any growth in “Divine vision,” with the result that daily life is becoming more precarious. Morality and justice have declined. This must be ascribed mainly to the craze for acquiring modern scientific gadgets. Many middle-class people, who have moderate incomes, wish to acquire motor vehicles, TV sets and the like which they cannot afford to buy from their regular incomes. This leads to corruption and bribery. Even education has become expensive and far beyond the means of middle-class earners. In addition, there is the tendency to show off before others, to appear to be better off than one really is. This kind of ostentation is another cause for fall in moral standards among lawyers, doctors and other professional people. There is nothing wrong with science as such. It is the way it is used that produces bad consequences.

In the reform of the educational system, it is necessary to ensure that students learn about the right use of science. True education must enable one to realise the Self (Atma Jnana). Instead of emphasising this need, modern education creates many problems and difficulties for the students. Acquiring a small fragment of knowledge, a student gets inflated notions of himself. With this sort of conceit, he develops a contempt for Bharatiya culture. This is not what true education should aim at.

Education should be divorced from job hunting. Its primary purpose should be to enable the educated person to lead an honourable and meaningful life in society. If one cannot command respect in society, of what value is his education?

Education should make a man recognise his obligations to his parents and others who have made him what he is. Gratitude is a supreme virtue. If one cannot be grateful to his parents, his education is a waste.

Dear students! In the pursuit of your studies, you must place the interests of the nation above your personal interests. If you wish to maintain the greatness of Bharatiya culture, you should fully understand its sacredness and sublimity. Bharat’s prosperity will last only as long as its culture is preserved. Bharat will cease to be Bharat if its culture is lost. Consider this hoary culture as your life breath and as the blood flowing in your veins. The receiving of a degree is not the end of education. Your education will be worthwhile only when you lead exemplary lives in the service of society.

Duty of the educated
In ancient days high value was attached to education and the students led simple lives. Their clothes and their manners were dignified. Today such simplicity and dignity are not to be seen among students or teachers generally. Discipline is at a discount. More than ever it is essential for educated persons today to conduct themselves as men of honour and integrity and raise the moral level of society. Even in pursuing the spiritual path, the process should not be from Nature to Spirit but from Spirit to Nature. By seeking to master the forces of Nature through education, people tend to become subjects of nature. Live up to the Institute’s motto: “Sathyam vada; Dharmam chara” (“Speak the Truth; Be righteous”). These injunctions are not properly understood. Adhering to Truth means living up to transcendental Truth which is the eternal verity that is true for all time past, present and future. “Dharma” does not mean living as you please. The bonds of love that existed between the gurus and the disciples in the past do not exist today between students and teachers. The guru considered it his duty to teach the disciple what was most beneficial for the latter and the disciple loved to render service to the guru and carry out implicitly his commands. In those days, the students were few and they received intensive instruction. Today students are numerous and education is diluted. Far reaching reforms are needed in the educational system today. The future progress and welfare of the nation will depend upon how education is imparted. Students must be imbued with genuine patriotism. Starting with love and reverence for their parents, students should cultivate love and reverence for the Motherland. All your education must be a preparation for serving the nation.

Broaden your vision. Cultivate the spirit of love. Being endowed with the human form, you must strive to develop human values and not stray away from the path of righteousness. Fill your minds with sublime thoughts and your hearts with divine feelings. Consider the entire society as your home. Only then you will realise genuine unity with all. Redeem your lives by revering your parents, honouring your teachers and developing a loving faith in God. In this way you can lead dedicated lives in the spirit of the injunctions of the Upanishad. Be aware of the divinity that is inherent in every being. Thereby you will grow in your own self esteem. Fill your life with joy.

Be Happy; Be Happy
Make others Happy
All will be Happy
God will be Happy.