The Role of Passion and Aptitude: Difference between the Western and Indian Systems

One generally chooses one's profession according to one's aptitude. The experience of the West, especially of America, is that individual expression, creativity and excellence is the function of the passion or the degree of interest in the issue at hand. The 12th grade education in America is virtually an exposure to different streams. Children then ascertain, through examinations and competition, what they are most interested in, and then follow those streams. Theoretically as well practically, it is indeed wonderful for an individual to be given the opportunity to find out what they're designed for, and pursue that particular stream. This is indeed a properly designed system that accords full scope for an individual to excel.

But we also find that in this process of pursuit of individual professional excellence, the family system is disturbed. The single-minded pursuit of one's chosen career is often at the cost of one's family harmony. On the other hand, if we consider the Indian system of studies, profession and family, there are the tendencies based upon the caste system that play a major role in life. Caste in the olden days, to a major extent dictated the profession one would follow in one's life. People generally followed profession their parents followed. To a great extent, this is still the norm today; we see this in the fields of politics, entertainment (notably, the film industry), sport, business, etc. this was a practical system that has worked for thousands of years together.

A system that has worked for so long cannot be superficial. In this, even though a child may not possess the total aptitude or passion for a particular profession, the very fact that he chooses his father is based upon: 1) his likelihood or general tendency for that profession 2) the fact that he finds a worthy mentor right at home 3) his father gradually retires from that business or profession by transferring it to the son; and 4) the son receives a day-day-to learning experience and mentorship right in the family. This way, the family not only can continue living in the same home, but can also retain their ancestral business.

This system has worked for India very well, though it involves a slight sacrifice of the absolute identification of one's passion. But based upon the system of caste, parampara (tradition) and family, it is a balance between individual excellence and the continuity of the family system and other virtues that flow from the family, other than the profession itself. Therefore, even though absolute passion can produce absolute creativity, a general passion that is based upon caste, tendencies and family genealogy or lineage can offer a choice of a profession for a child that is fairly reasonable, unless it is totally opposite to that field of study. Briefly, this is how India's traditional system works.

"Prabhupad priti na samujhi neeki, tinhi katha suni lagi feeki" says the Ramayana. Those who do not have devotion towards the Almighty are also devoid of any interest in listening to his virtues and stories. One must truly be fortunate or blessed to possess such interest. This devotion alone leads to a passion for Him. Practically speaking, what does this mean in one's life? Considered in terms of one's profession, this question is easier to answer. The lack of passion in a particular line of work will automatically translate into lack of excellence in that field. Similar is the case with devotion. One who lacks this devotion will not benefit from the worship of divine, as he is unlikely to develop any interest in this regard. Hanuman is the prime example of supreme Bhakti or devotion to the Supreme One, one who was ever ready to serve Shri Ram and do his bidding, as also to listen to the glories of the Lord. A soul filled with passionate bhakti or devotion never tires of worship or eulogy of the object of that devotion. Such a bond of devotion may also be found between son and father. Those children, who listen to the stories of their ancestors with great interest and also narrate them to their next generations without tiring of them, are able to develop an interest in the virtues of their ancestors and also imbibe those virtues.

Just as a mind devoid of devotion to God will have no attachment to Him, a person who does not like to hear about his forefathers or their deeds also will not develop any respect or affection for them, nor be able to imbibe any of their virtues. It is therefore important that within our own family, we ought to measure whether we have a genuine interest in our ancestors, their virtues, deeds, achievements and manifestations. It is also important that we create this interest in our children. if we are able to achieve this, the entire family for three to four generations will be bonded together in a single bond and can focus itself towards a chosen goal. If the younger generations of the family are not interested in the traditions and achievements of their forefathers, then they shall be truly at a loss, just as one who is devoid of devotion to God is. Of course, we have to monitor whether our children are developing an interest in our ancestors or whether the bonds between father and son are strong.

There are two ways by which we can measure this aspect. One, what is the intensity of the younger members' readiness to carry out any work that elders ask them to do? Do they do it willingly and with enthusiasm and reverence for the elders? Secondly, how often do we describe the deeds and character of our forefathers and how much we listen to their stories with devotion? Possibly one or two children may lack these feeling, but many children wish to inculcate such feelings. These are good yardsticks by which they can measure their progress. The children, for their part must make a sincere effort to do their father or grandfather's bidding willingly and enthusiastically, and also listen to, read about, hear, remember, and if necessary put down in writing about their forefathers' character and accomplishments, discuss about them within the family, so that interest is created.

If we can achieve these two things, i.e. enthusiasm carry out our family elders' bidding and interest in our ancestry, we can easily connect ourselves to the tradition of which we a re a part of. This connection, whether it is to God, tradition, family or our ancestors is the same. This alone will lead to an individual's progress and a firmer foundation of his life.

The Role of A True Teacher

We see that recently the practice of children going for special tuitions has become quite common। These tuitions and tutors are engaged apart from students' regular school curricula। The purpose of a teacher is not to simply teach the subject matter। Most children are able to read or understand. Teachers must devote more effort to understand why students actually study and aid them in developing a passion for the subjects they study. When teachers help students develop this, students can become less dependent on the theoretical knowledge given directly by teachers and thus be more free to use the energy of their passion for a deeper comprehension of the subjects they study.

This brings us to the question what is the actual role of a teacher? Is it merely imparting the theoretical knowledge of the subjects taught, or is a comprehensive approach called for? This question has become so significant today because students are being churned out en masse in today's educational system। While the number of schools and colleges is rising day by day, the quality of education is gradually sinking। Added to this is the number of private coaching classes mushrooming by the day, with both parents and children thronging to these institutions. Apparently, this practice is for improving the grades of children and of course, trying to forge ahead in the rat race for a successful career, profession and material acquisitions. But is the proliferation of such tutors and teaching institutions enabling the system of education to produce the right minds and intellect that are expected to take over the reins of society? Or are we mass-producing a truncated product, one that superficially meets the demands of education, but fails to fulfill its actual role?

It is very easy to blame the society for the ills of the educational system। Blaming the present-day educational institutions and teachers only obscures the fundamental problem - that we ourselves have lost focus of what the actual role of a teacher ought to be। It is this loss of focus that is responsible for the proliferation of numbers of tutors and coaches, while true teachers are becoming an increasingly rare species. We need to ask ourselves what is the actual role of a teacher, which is quite distinct from that of a coach or mentor? What makes a teacher a real guru? A quite practical approach, one that I have personally tested and experienced positive results with is to have the teacher spend about half the allotted time with the student in identifying his dream or passion and discussing it, and Then devote the rest of the time for actual teaching of the subject at hand. children, on their part, should be encouraged to read the subject matter and write down the questions the're not clear about. This helps students develop interest in the subject. Once the child develops a genuine, passionate interest in his desired subject, regular studies are more than adequate to propel him towards a better performance in that subject or career. Then he won't need a tutor twelve months of the calendar.

The current system of tuitions basically makes our children weak and dependent. in no way does it create in students a genuine interest in the subject matter, or make them aware of the need to develop a true passion for the subject. teachers themselves need to grasp This truth and develop This orientation, in order to become gurus in the true sense. Else, the remain only coaches and mentors. This is the fundamental difference between true teachers and simple mentors.

Importance of Positive Education

How to Develop such Education

The present age is being celebrated as the Age of Knowledge and Information. The revolutionary changes in Information Technology, the advent of the Internet and the Web, Cyber-technology and path-breaking innovations in telecommunication, in which India has played a pioneering role, lend credence to this categorisation of our present age. It would indeed seem that the present times are witnessing an explosion of education, with many new and diverse fields of education proliferating across academia.

While one cannot deny the quantitative strides of educational curricula, it is an altogether matter when it comes to the quality of education being dispersed. While we have many renowned universities, colleges and schools to cater to the needs of a vast number of students, the system of education and its content are increasingly a matter of concern. Though our country produces the maximum number of graduates in the world, very few of them can be said to be worthy of dealing with the problems of today's world in any worthwhile way. Put in a nutshell, this is the outcome of a highly negative system of education.

Education really speaking begins at home. Children learn to read at a very early age. In fact, this is a habit that must be inculcated in them at the earliest; the onus for doing do rests on parents. The unfortunate fallout of a fast-paced and modern lifestyle, especially the urban lifestyle is that children have been losing the habit of reading, thanks in no small measure to the onslaught of visual forms of entertainment, particularly the multitude of television channels and multimedia, Internet-based entertainment that offers a direct sensual connect.

This form of entertainment is directly responsible for making the mind restless, and is truer of the minds of children and the young, which are extremely sensitive and impressionable, especially to negative content and messages, which are always packaged in an attractive manner. Since this type of content is flashy and momentary by its very nature, it results in children seeing things practically at the speed of light. Naturally, the scope for any original thinking to germinate, sustain and further develop is practically nil. Moreover, modern entertainment is practically overwhelmed by debilitating forces like sex, violence and catering to the baser instincts of the human mind. The most vulnerable victims are naturally children, with tendencies of disobedience and aggression taking root at a very early age. Social research has confirmed this through many studies and analyses. We are therefore confronted with a very critical situation of the modern education system being unable to find an adequate antidote to this growing phenomenon. Equally, parents and children alike are extremely concerned about their future, but do not know what the future holds in store for them, as they are clearly unable to visualize what is that they want, other than material aggrandizement. One cannot deny that negative entertainment plays a vital role in bringing about this state of affairs.

Brahmacharj Brat Sanjam Nana, Dheeraj Dharam Gyan Bigyana
Sadachar jap jog biraga, sabhay bibek kataku sabu bhaga

The above Chaupai of the Tulsi Ramcharitmanas is a beautiful evocation of the desirable qualities of a student. Great memory, a stable and concentrated mind ultimately lead to the development of free thinking, guided by truth and positive knowledge called Dharma. However, these are not the products of chance, accident or mere desire, but require a sustained process, one we can aptly refer to as positive education.

Ancient India had its gurukul system of education wherein the student had to spend his entire learning life in the abode of his teacher, under his strict eye. This life of iron discipline might appear rigid and outmoded in the context of today's times, but had several positive attributes, chief among which was the inculcation of positive habits and discipline at a very early age, and the training of the young mind according to one's natural aptitude. Not surprisingly, this system of education, which had its roots in rigorous learning by rote produced students who were thorough in their fields of study and were generally to face the world by the time they stepped into adulthood. Though the resuscitation of the gurukul tradition is by no means easy in the present context, society clearly needs to refocus its attention and energies towards the reconstruction of its education system, in order to produce a healthy and sustainable society.

The process has to begin at home, by sowing the reading habit at an early age. It is the responsibility of parents to see that their children are provided with healthy reading material that stimulates the mind and releasers its creative potential. School curricula have to be of course, reoriented to include logical approaches to problem-solving and also positive discipline among students. Let us keep in mind the fact that the wonderful discoveries of science and technology and its benefits are not the outcome of mere luck, but the scientific applications of meditative and focused minds. One's student life is a precious period where all physical and mental energies must be focused upon and devoted to the pursuit of knowledge, which alone can deliver success in life. What has been discovered by the West years after the Renaissance had been contemplated upon by our rishis and munis ages ago after rigorous penance, meditation and analysis. Positive education also demands patience, which has to be imparted by parents and teachers. More over, education, in order to serve its purpose must focus on practices and courses that can promote these qualities in students. Thus, teachers and parents have a special responsibility to bring home the truth to their children and see that they imbibe the qualities of patience, reading (and study) and analysis. The simplest pathway to achieving this goal is through positive actions as well as practical demonstration for children.