*********************************************************************** Global Hindu Electronic Network (GHEN) Are you a subscriber of Hindu Digest? To subscribe to Hindu Digest send an e-mail to listserv@arizvm1.ccit.arizona.edu with the following contents subscribe hindu-d Full Name [Note: Full Name must be at least 2 words] *********************************************************************** Subject: EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS FOR THE WHOLE ..... *********************************************************************** ************************************************************************ THEME IV Systems are Conducive to the unfoldment of Divinity of Human Beings ************************************************************************ EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS FOR THE WHOLE PERSON-POORNA PURUSH AND UNFOLDMENT OF DIVINITY OF HUMAN BEINGS By S. S. KULKARNI Dr. S.S.Kulkarni retired as senior Professor of National Institute of Bank Management and now works as consultant in NIBM( Institute of Banking Personnel section in Bombay. Dr Kulkarni has Ph.D in psychology/psychometry from Purdue University. Scientific, social and political developments in the second half of this century suggest that in he twenty first century, there will be an explosion of information but not of knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is what a person internalizes by interacting with the object. But wisdom even transcends knowledge and enables a wise man to see all the consequences of his actions. It is clear hat while the educational system helps in the ask of manufacturing and distribution of information, it does not contribute towards the development of knowledge and wisdom in a person. The goal of the educational system should therefore be to ( 1 ) help the individual realize is or her potential, and (2) to realize the divinity in man. The goal is not to make a person become an aggressive macho man or a tender submissive woman but to synthesize the best virtues of both masculine and feminine personalities. We shall therefore have to build n education system which will help the emergence of Seers who would wisely guide the society. Swami Vivekananda pointed out that according to Vedas, soul is divine but it is held in bondage by matter and so perfection will be reached only when that bond is severed. A person should therefore struggle constantly to become perfect, to become divine. No one element in the universe is subordinate to another, and as such one partakes all the characteristics of the Supreme being. We shall therefore have to evolve a variety of educational systems integrated by a certain common thread which would help an individual to strive for realizing the divinity within. The educational methods will have to vary in order to accommodate differences in age nd mental and spiritual development. Even after he formal completion of studies, people should be encouraged to continue further education through open universities. An important psychological principle on which educational methodology has to be designed is to assume at the outset that no student is a born sinner or that everything in his or her past life was bad. The objective of education should be to move from good to better while retaining trust and just pride in the past. One contribution of computer assisted teaching is that it can be individualized. Swami Vivekanada said that the history of the world is that of man of faith and the man of deep pure character. The goal of the educational system should be to develop in the people: (1) The heart to feel, (2) The brain to conceive, and (3) The hand to work. A person educated in this manner can then strive to realize divinity in himself or herself.