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| Sri S.V.Giri with Sri Sathya Sai |
The system of Integral Education implemented in Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning aims at the harmonious development of the body, mind and the spiritual awareness of the students to make them energetic, sensitive and well-rounded personalities, who at the same time are fully aware of their social responsibilities. While establishing the nucleus college of the University, Bhagavan Baba declared: “This College has not been established just to prepare you for earning degrees. The main purpose is to help you to cultivate Self-knowledge and self-confidence so that each one of you can learn self-sacrifice and Self-realisation. Our hope is that by your lives, you will be shining examples of spiritual awareness and its beneficial consequences to the individual and to the society.” This forms the Mission Statement for the Sri Sathya Sai system of Integral Education. The entire process of teaching-learning at the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning is based on the pattern of the Gurukula system of yore adapted to the modern context. It is so much more helping the students to learn than the conventional teaching by way of imparting information. The process of transformation which the students go through in a period of three to five years of their stay at the Institute is a sheer delight to watch. Adi Shankara in ‘Viveka Chudamani’ employs a striking simile – a butterfly emerging out of its cocoon after an intense struggle. If, instead of allowing it to struggle and find its own emergence, it is physically pulled out of the cocoon, though with the good intention of facilitating its emergence, it won’t be a full fledged butterfly.
The relevance of such a system of education to meet the current challenges hardly needs emphasis. In the report of the Delors Commission on Education for the Twenty-first Century, an eloquent statement has been made of the conflicts of entering a global society of the 21st century, unable at the same time to think in global terms; marked by scientific breakthroughs but lacking in wisdom and compassion to apply them creatively; knowledge expanding but wisdom languishing. The Commission has stressed the need for a holistic educational philosophy, and a plea for love and compassion, caring and charity, and friendship and cooperation. Envisaging four pillars of education for the 21st century, the Commission spells out the tasks of education: “If it is to succeed in its tasks, education must be organized around four fundamental types of learning which, throughout a person’s life, will in a way be the pillars of knowledge: learning to know, that is acquiring the instruments of understanding; learning to do, so as to be able to act creatively on one’s environment; learning to live together, so as to participate and co-operate with other people in all human activities; and learning to be, an essential progression which proceeds from the previous three. Of course, these four paths of knowledge all form a whole, because there are many points of contact, intersection and exchange among them.
Yet formal education has traditionally focused mainly, if not exclusively, on learning to know and to a lesser extent on learning to do. The other two are to a large extent left to chance, or assumed to be the natural products of the former two. The Commission believes that equal attention should be paid in all organised learning to each of these four pillars, so that education is regarded as a total experience throughout life, dealing with both understanding and application, and focusing on both the individual and the individual’s place in society.”
Vice Chancellor Sri S.V.Giri with Revered Founder Chancellor and Chief Guest President Abdul Kalam - SSSIHL Convocation Day 2002
Bhagavan Baba, while delineating the true role of Education and the methodology of acquiring real knowledge went well beyond even these four learnings and emphasized the need to put into practice the Universal Human Values of Truth, Right Conduct, Peace and Non-violence, all suffused with unconditional and selfless Love. Speaking on the role of the Educational System in building the right values, He observed as early as 25 years ago that Human Values are the need of the hour – not only in educational institutions but in every walk of life and throughout the world. Human Values cannot be promoted merely by repeating the words Satya, Dharma, Shanti, Prema and Ahimsa. The heart cannot be transformed by lessons in a classroom. The world cannot be changed by mere preaching. In all educational institutions, it is only through action and practical examples can the impulse for change be intensified. When teachers and elders practise disciplined and regulated life and when Human Values are fully imbibed by them, the students will automatically follow. Truth and Right Conduct should be adhered to with pure intentions. A righteous life leads to peace. Love is to be experienced in the depths of peace. Love should find expression in non-violence. The Sathya Sai System of Integral education addresses these concerns and gives a practical shape to practice these values in Day-to-day conduct.
Four important aspects of the system of Integral Education would need to be highlighted as fundamental to its functioning. First, the simultaneous development of the body, the mind and the spirit gets addressed by a three pronged strategy: concentrating on toning up the body, the mind and the intellect; and every activity aiming at their balanced development. As the ideals of youth, Bhagavan prescribes ‘the body of Hanuman, the hands of Janaka and the head of Shankara’. These ideals are reflected in the way subjects are taught and learned, the discipline of the hostel life and more specifically, in a very vital component in the curriculum aiming at making the student aware of his true divine self: the Awareness Course. This is in sharp contrast to the rest of the educational system of the rest of the country, which confines itself to the development of only one aspect of the mind and, to some extent, the body.
A precondition for meaningful spiritual development is the awareness of the Divinity as much in oneself as in others. That comes when one grows out of one’s small self into the larger Self – the all-encompassing unity of all living beings. In the Institute the students are encouraged to develop this perspective. All the courses of study at the Institute are residential. Students live in the hostels which purposely provide only dormitory type of accommodation. The benefit of such a pattern of living hardly needs elaboration. It is a miniature of the world outside, with people of different habits, temperaments, living styles, languages and outlooks staying and working together. In such a situation, adjustments are the order of the day and the student will have to develop an attitude of looking beyond his immediate self.
In such an environment, a student learns, in Bhagavan’s words, how to, “move in the society such that neither do you come to grief nor put others to grief.” The premium is on developing the fine art of being able to live with one’s own principles and yet be able to reconcile with the points of view that are not his. The outcome is, in Benjamin Franklin’s words, to “be civil to all, familiar to few, friend to one and enemy to none.”
Third and equally important is the role of the teachers of the Institute – the teachers in general and the resident teachers in particular. Teachers in this University are selected with extreme care so that they not only impart knowledge in secular academic subjects, but also take an active part in moulding the character of the students. This is truer with the resident teachers of the hostel, on whom rests the responsibility of being the role models. These are all old students and are well equipped to guide the younger students through their stay. The resident teachers reside under the same roof as the students, moving about and living with them. There are no barriers between students and teachers. The students look upon the teachers with respect and do not hesitate to approach them for help, guidance, and general counselling. The latter, at the same time, conduct themselves in such a way as to be worthy of respect and esteem.
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| Vice Chancellor S.V. Giri with the Revered Founder Chancellor at the entrance of the Prasanthi Nilayam Campus Hostel |
All these assume a certain character of their own in the backdrop of the strict discipline that is unique to the Institute’s functioning. This is the fourth aspect I wish to stress. Bhagavan Baba says, “The medium of instruction in this Institute is Discipline; the first, second and the third languages are Love, Service and Sadhana.” With passing days, the physical discipline evolves into a mental state, paving the way for higher levels of concentration and significant achievements. This is an important feature of hostel living. The system is so designed as to pack the timetable of the students with fruitful activity, from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. The emphasis is obviously on learning the value of time and also, the fine art of time management. Bhagavan Baba frequently cautions, “Time waste is life waste.” Is it not our daily experience that people who make haste are usually saving minutes after having wasted hours?
It is not as if the packed schedule keeps students away from developing their own talents. The hostel in fact is the crucible that has produced batches of highly gifted and talented musicians, sportsmen, singers, artists and several others with exquisite creative talents – all of whom found time to hone their talents purposefully, and all this without compromising on their academic performance. Festivals also find the students actively involved in preparations like dramatics, music programmes, dances, general arrangements etc. It is all a question of learning to value and manage time. Once the lesson of time management and value is learned, it pays rich dividends throughout life.
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| Vice Chancellor S.V. Giri with Revered Chancellor Sri Sathya Sai at the Annual Sports Meet at Hill View Stadium |
The focused attention of the students shows in the sports field as well. The Annual Sports day in Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning is a great day marked by artistry, skill and team effort. Students, boys and girls alike, excel in feats which call for daring and a sense of adventure such as rock climbing, carabining, horse riding – tent pegging, cantering, galloping, show jumping - paragliding, skill riding and jumps on the motorcycles. All these are items which call for long periods of training and strenuous practice. Personally, I know how much practice and control it requires to ride a horse well, make it canter, gallop or take a jump. All these exercises were performed by our students with ease and aplomb and with minimal training. The students say that it is all due to Baba’s grace, and the single motivation is to please Bhagavan since He showers so much of love on them. Looking at the sports events, one will also appreciate that this is the best example of building team spirit and leadership skills in the students. They do not mind what slots are assigned to them. It may be a very insignificant role, but they perform it cheerfully and well. For the number of students in the field, there is an equal number in the back up services. The latter are the silent workers who set everything in order for the sportspersons to perform. Occasions are not infrequent when the roles get reversed and the on-field performers withdraw and quietly merge in the backup services and vice-versa. This strengthens their sense of equanimity and detachment without compromising excellence – no matter what you perform, what matters is how you perform. The comparison is not with peers, but with one’s own self – was the task performed to the best of one’s ability? This is true Nishkama Karma in action.
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| Under the watchful eye of the Revered Chancellor, Vice Chancellor S.V.Giri distributing clothes to the SSSIHL Students before the commencement of Annual Grama Seva |
Sports field is only one instance. Another exercise of enormous spiritual significance, which also calls for a high degree of well-coordinated teamwork, is Grama Seva. Bhagavan says that His students are His only property, and showers His boundless grace on them. He gives them several opportunities to learn to perform selfless service – from participating in Prasadam distribution in the Mandir to the far more complex and demanding annual exercise of Grama Seva. This exercise covers hundreds of villages; fanning out in different directions to reach places as far as 40 kms over difficult terrain, distributing clothing and food to every family at its doorstep and returning just in time for the afternoon Darshan. The entire exercise is a great essay in, social work, management, and spirituality. While the tasks involved are numerous and complex, they are planned and executed with precision and thoroughness applying sound principles of management. All the actions were undertaken in a spirit of worship.
Sri S.V. Giri with SSSIHL Students in the village during the Grama Seva
Each one of the students had the opportunity to visit a large number of villages and see rural life firsthand. Bhagavan is emphatic that the food should be distributed right at the doorsteps of the people, as a gesture of love. The impact of the experience is profound and lasting for both the giver and the recipient. The feelings of empathy elevate the exercise to a spiritual level as an exercise in practical Vedanta. Where else can you see this type of social service? Swami demonstrates how any Seva, big or small, needs to be rendered – its conception, planning, execution, spirit of service, and social consciousness; and above all, with purity in thought, word and deed. It is a great learning experience to the students and there can be no doubt that this will make a fundamental difference to their perception of their responsibilities to the society and to the nation.
No wonder the chrysalis of a student emerges from his cocoon charged with a mission to give of his best wherever he happens to serve, to maintain his cool whatever be the provocation, and be of help to his brethren in whatever little way he can. Swami’s injunction to His students is “Do not attempt to change the world; you transform yourself”. Implied in this statement is that their perception of the world will change and the unified effort of many will eventually change the world.
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| Vice Chancellor S.V.Giri, Revered Founder Chancellor, and Chief Guest Prime Minister Vajpayee on SSSIHL Convocation Day 1998 |
Before I conclude, I would like to refer to some happy experiences conveyed to us at the Institute by the organizations employing its alumni. Interestingly, the alumni happen to work in clusters in organizations of repute. It is like a crystal growth, accretions taking place steadily after the formation of one crystal. In a recent Conference of Eminent Educationists held in Prasanthi Nilayam in 2005, a senior participating manager [HR] came out with very interesting observations. He stated that when the company carried out its assessment of the candidates who were interviewed for recruitment on the basis of the five important criteria: sincerity and dedication and high performance levels, long-term commitment to the organization, high level of integrity, team spirit not individual star and ability to bring about change in the value system of the organization, the company found that the candidates from Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning were head and shoulder above their counter parts from other educational institutions. Eighty five percent of the total number of candidates who appeared from this institute could get the first two grades. A thoroughgoing professional assessment of the Institute and the quality of education imparted therein was made by the Peer Team of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council in 2002. After studying the functioning of the Institute in great detail and a meeting with the students, the Team had this to say: “The Peer Team without hesitation records here that this meeting with the students was refreshing and illuminating and at the same time satisfying to see each of the students fully charged with a mission to translate all thoughts and training into action on entering the world of work.”
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| A disciplined devotee, able administrator and humble human being walking in the footsteps of His Divine Master - Vice Chancellor S.V.Giri with the Revered Founder Chancellor on SSSIHL Convocation Day 2004 |
As I conclude, there is a compelling thought. The history of civilizations shows unambiguously that their vitality in no way relates to thier geographical expansion and technological innovation, but this has to be achieved by means of a higher culture which comes very close to implementation of those heavenly laws whereby man conquers the self and wins the heart of others through love and service. At the beginning of the new millennium, the country is at the crossroads. The choice is whether we go further the same way the richer countries have gone about with crass materialism as the dominant thrust or adjust our course keeping steadily in view our hoary past, rich and noble traditions and a humane culture. The famous French Philosopher, Montesquieu said that great leaders build institutions in the first instance and thereafter the institutions build the leaders. Bhagavan Baba has built these institutions and is continuing to shape them to send out students as His messengers of transformation. It is my conviction that the students of the Institute will be the fit instruments of transformation spreading across the globe the message of Love espoused by Bhagavan Baba.
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| Vice Chancellor Sri S.V. Giri being felicitated by Revered Founder Chancellor on the culmination of his term - February 2005 |
Source: Vidyagiri: Divine Vision 2006
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