Education is not for mere living — it is for life, a fuller life, a more meaningful, more worthwhile life. Real education should not end with the acquisition of knowledge alone — it should transform it into wisdom.
Education must instil the fundamental values; it must broaden the vision. The first task of teachers is the cultivation of virtues in the hearts of the pupils. Education, while promoting intelligence, must also purify the impulses and emotions, and instil discipline, mutual cooperation, courtesy and compassion.
It is when all three aspects, worldly, spiritual, ethical, come together that education acquires meaning. Living not for the sake of food, but for the sake of an ideal, that is the goal of education.
The process of education should make one a better citizen, able and willing to further the progress of society and nation. Only that education which confers bliss on your heart, peace in your mind, and happiness in your life is true education.
The author’s 88th birth anniversary is being celebrated today. www.srisathyasai.org.in.
