This paper was presented at the
National Seminar on
Indian Psychology: Theories and Models
SVYASA, Bangalore,
December 26 - 28, 2007
The application of Indian Philosophy and Yoga to contemporary issues in psychology
Krishna Kumari
Teachers: the need for self knowledge and self development
While, the objectives of wisdom, culture and knowledge are freedom, perfection and love respectively. The sum of all these qualities is education. The end of education is character.-- Sri Satya Sai Baba.
Feature of education in ancient days: It was reliance on the power of sound. Lessons dropped from the lips of teacher and directly reached the ears of students. He always taught that which the students wanted and what he knew would be good for the students. The students in turn opened their hearts and the teacher filled these hearts with knowledge and love.
Need for self-knowledge:
Water flows from a higher to a lower level; hence, we have to continually strive to maintain a higher level. It is also essential that a teacher should be a learner for life. Thus purify and persevence are essential to prepare for our role.
How to use Intelligence? (self-knowledge):
Intelligence is not to be measured or prompted by placing question papers. Before the children and challenging them to write the answers. What the pupil has learnt has to brighten or modify his conduct or attitude.
Why should the teacher acquire self-knowledge:
All round the world, there is a growing interest in the philosophy and Yoga; moreover, the teacher is a target area of any program. A motivated and inspired teacher, who has an insight into the real purpose of education, has acquired the instructional skills to impart the flavor of the program, authentically to the students and is himself a practitioner of the values is the best guarantee for the success of the program.
Why Self-Development?
Mere teaching is not proper teaching every teacher must examine, “ Am I practicing What I am teaching? If the answer is ‘too’ how can the teacher expect the pupils to follow?
Need …….. Self-Development:
Teachers are like a water tank and students are like taps. As the water in the tank, so will the water be at the tap. If the water in the tank in impure or polluted, the same will reach the taps. Hence the first essential condition for us is to maintain internal purity we have to practice what we preach. ………… Lord Satya Sai.
The paper dwells on various aspects of self-knowledge and self-development and it concludes that the profession of a teacher is the most responsible one in every country. If the teacher strays from the path of the truth, the entire society will suffer. So the teacher must make every effort to line life up rightly.
Children so innocent that they have to knowledge yet of the world and its ways. It is only when the teacher himself is committed to get the self-knowledge and self-development the children will become ideal citizens.
Every teacher must be transformed into a Rishi or Sage by improving their self knowledge and self-development.
Email the author, Ms. Krishna Kumari, at sreemayee2007@rediffmail.com