After becoming a swami, Paramhansa Yogananda's first public activity was to establish a school for young boys. He began his teaching career in 1916 in the village of Dihika, Bengal, with only seven students “I was determined to build a school where young boys might grow into complete manhood.” He relocated the school to Ranchi a year later and established the Yogoda Satsanga Brahmacharya Vidyalaya, which is still operational today. The first Ananda school was formed nearly sixty years later, in 1972, at Ananda Village, based on Yogananda's educational ideas and directions. The original Ananda School, which began with only seven pupils, now has a site with seven classrooms and ninety students, as well as branch schools in Palo Alto, Portland, and Seattle. The following article is based on a discourse given by Swami Kriyananda, in which he outlines the Ananda Schools' Education for Life system.
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In my life, I've tried to apply Yogananda's primary principles to a variety of disciplines, including business, the arts, relationships, growing families, schools, and communities. Yogananda cared deeply for children's education, yet he said very little about it. We've taken what he's given us through the years, thought on it, and utilized what we've learned in the Ananda School classrooms to enhance our understanding and attunement to Yogananda's vision for spiritual education.
At Ananda, we're working on a system called Education for Life, which is desperately required in today's world. We are instilling in our children what Yogananda referred to as an essentially atheistic vision of life, which is the source of many of our world's ills. When we strictly prohibit all spiritual teachings and higher values, our children learn that there are no such things as higher values, and that there is no such thing as God. Children have a natural desire for values and ideals, but our society provides them with a universe and a life in which they are unable to believe. The cynical lessons of modern education are so ego-oriented, as well as money and job-oriented, that it's scarcely surprising that youngsters grow up cynical and furious at the universe. That is the fault of our culture for allowing such things to occur.
The goal of spiritual education is to help children realize their divine potential and to prepare them for life by providing them with the tools they'll need to keep learning throughout their various experiences.
We don't mean religious education when we talk about spiritual education. What we mean is that we want to teach kids that being good to others and working toward lofty goals will make them happier. A child who has a small bag of dates and eats them all by himself is not nearly as happy as a child who shares his dates with others. In every scenario, we can see that selfish people are unhappy, whereas selfless people are content. They can use this knowledge not only at school, but also at home and in other situations. This is spiritual education if we can bring this type of teaching to youngsters.
Spiritual education also serves to develop a person on all levels. We are triune beings made up of body, mind, and soul, and we are incomplete if any part of us is starved at the price of the others. It's an intriguing truth that people who write, for example, as a mental activity, will frequently engage in some form of physical activity to keep themselves grounded. Sri Yukteswar, Yogananda's guru, offered him a broom when he first had an experience of cosmic consciousness, adding, “Let's sweep the porch together.” We need to figure out how to maintain these worlds in sync with one another. We become unbalanced in some way if we let one go in favor of the other.
We must help our children develop their characters and minds while also preparing them to live successfully in this world through their education. We don't want kids to go out into society and discover that they can't relate to what's going on. They must have access to the facts that are a part of our modern education. They don't, however, need to be taught those truths in such a way that they believe there is no worth in anything. Today, there is a lot of attention on the wrong things. Spiritual education is based on preparing students for society in a way that allows them to maintain their idealistic outlook.
Assume you have children who have learned to love everyone and to appreciate the beautiful things in life. When kids venture out into the world, they may encounter prejudice, criminal behavior, and a variety of other undesirable experiences. Will they be able to deal with the situation? This is most people's main concern when it comes to spiritual education. The answer can be found in people who live their lives with love. It's not as if they become illiterate or lose their ability to comprehend reality. In fact, the broadest understanding comes from a love-centered perspective, while the smallest understanding comes from a hatred-centered perspective. You can only relate to the lowest level if you're on it; if you're on the highest level, you can relate to all levels. To demonstrate that this is true, we can point to examples of people who live this way and are significantly more capable of dealing with life's numerous obstacles. People who are full as human beings tend to be more successful, in my experience. Even in the way that worldly people define success, a spiritual education can assure better success.
Rajarsi Janakananda, Yogananda's most advanced disciple, is a suitable example. He was the chairman of numerous major corporations and the owner of a number of others. He had the clarity, tranquility, and centeredness to step back from the stress and excitement and see the path to resolving challenging problems. His success was due to the fact that his consciousness was anchored in God and the desire to do the right thing.
Children are born with various inclinations, strengths, limitations, and educational requirements. The assembly-line method to teaching, in which the same information is more or less poured out to everyone, is one of the bad elements of modern education. There is no philosophy; all that exists is data. Small classes, in which the teacher can get to know each kid individually, are critical for providing particular attention and determining each child's natural level of comprehension.
Life is made richer by teaching youngsters kindness, concentration, willpower, character strength, truthfulness, and other higher traits. These are extremely crucial to a person's growth, yet they are not taught in public schools nowadays. The ultimate goal of life isn't just to find work. So many people live like this and ultimately die, not of old age, but of severe dissatisfaction with their lives. Money won't buy you happiness if you don't know how to be truly happy.
Spiritual education prepares people for the rest of their lives. How many people marry and then divorce because they don't know how to communicate with their partner? They haven't been prepared for that. neither for the sake of life.
Education, properly defined, is the process of increasing one's awareness. It's a warm-up for the real learning that happens after we leave school, when we're in the midst of a never-ending struggle, on the front lines of life's battleground. We can lead children to long-term happiness by providing them with the tools and knowledge they need to make the best decisions possible. They will then be able to attain the kinds of spiritual wins that define success in the genuine sense.
What is the purpose of moral education?
- It aids in the removal of issues such as violence, dishonesty, and envy from one's life.
- It has the ability to eliminate negative impacts in society such as violence, crimes, agitations, child abuse, women's mistreatment, and so on.
- It also aids in the development of a positive attitude, self-confidence, and motivation.
- It aids in the discovery of life's actual purpose. These values assist one in being committed, selfless, loving, and caring for others.
Moral ideals are taught to students in a universal manner. This is where teachers and parents come in. When a youngster misbehaves, it's usual for people to point the finger at their parents and teachers.
Typically, children tell lies for selfish advantage. Teachers should provide students with appropriate instruction and assistance. They are the biggest sources of inspiration for students. Students have a tendency to view their teachers as ideal. As a result, teachers should be able to serve as role models for kids in order for them to internalize moral principles. Moral values can be developed through reading moral stories.
Even students from well-to-do families can lose moral standards if their classmates and educational environment are unsuitable.
Moral principles should be instilled in children from an early age.
Biographies of outstanding people who choose the correct path in life must be included in our curriculum.
Moral Education, if properly administered, will provide learners with judgment-making capabilities, allowing them to make good decisions and choices. As a result, moral education is critical, and it should be included in all school and college curricula.
Finally, moral principles provide us with joy, enormous fulfillment, and the assurance that we can confront life as it is. These ideals aid in the development of kind beings who are lovely in both their values and their nature.
What are the importance of religious and moral education?
Religious and moral education allows children and teenagers to learn about the world's major religions and non-religious viewpoints, as well as the issues that these beliefs and ideals pose.
What is moral and spiritual values?
The University Memorial Chapel's concept is that education should recognize the importance of a student's spiritual ideals. The truly educated person's life is informed by their appreciation of spiritual and moral principles. When this occurs, the moral context for what one does with the knowledge learned is established. The Chapel's purpose is to guide the application of spiritual and religious ideals in character development. Life decisions are well based with this direction.
The University Memorial Chapel also serves as a reminder of the continuing importance of moral ideals in higher education. As a result, it is respected not only by the University, but also by the general public. Its facilities provide a wide range of activities for students, staff, as well as a number of organizations and individuals in the Baltimore area.
What does spirituality mean in education?
In education, spirituality refers to a deep connection between student, instructor, and subjecta relationship that is so honest, vital, and vibrant that it can't help but be intensely meaningful.
What is the importance of spirituality?
Healthy spirituality provides a sense of wholeness, tranquility, and harmony in our physical, emotional, social, and spiritual life. However, for the most majority of people, the route to such spirituality involves hardships and suffering, as well as terrifying and traumatic experiences.
What is the importance of moral?
It is believed that students are India's future, and the ideals instilled in them during their student years would have a significant impact on our country's future. Moral values set the tone for all of their life decisions, as without them, children are left with no direction and their lives may appear aimless. To be accepted and valued by society, parents and caregivers must ensure that these strong moral ideals are instilled in children as a way of life.
What is moral education short answer?
Moral education is an ethical education that teaches people how to live according to the good and right ideals of life. It is based on fundamental values such as honesty, generosity, hospitality, tolerance, love, kindness, and sympathy. Moral education is something that can be learned at home, in school, or in college.
What are four reasons why religious education is important?
In a recent essay by The Age, writer Julie Szego posed this question. Szego emphasized the importance of religion specifically, studying about religion rather than actively exercising faith in understanding world history and completely comprehending diverse civilizations.
Learning about religion has numerous advantages. And schools in the United States, which have been poor in recent years, according to a 2012 survey by the Programme for International Student Assessment, may benefit from teaching about faith.
The following are ten reasons why religion may have a place in American education:
Religious children, according to a recent study, are more prone to trust fictional stories and have a harder difficulty distinguishing imagination from truth. That isn't all bad, though. Believing in fiction and having a creative imagination can help you improve your brain. According to Psychology Today, pretend play is beneficial to youngsters.
Religion can assist schools in their efforts to discipline youngsters in the classroom. According to Forbes, books have been produced regarding how religion might aid families in reducing “juvenile delinquency.”
Even while giving religious subjects does not always constitute a school religious, it is crucial to remember that religious schools outperform public and charter schools. According to a 2013 research published in the Peabody Journal of Education, religious schools perform better for a variety of reasons, including forcing students to choose more challenging coursework and encouraging better learning through the overall environment and high morale.
From a psychological aspect, learning about religion is critical for early children, according to one researcher. Dr. Erika J. Chopich noted that in order to completely drive themselves to excel, children must believe in something bigger.
According to polls, the majority of Americans do not read. According to The Huffington Post, 28% of Americans claimed to have read a book in 2013. However, religious classes necessitate a substantial quantity of reading. Scriptures, biblical texts, and other types of spiritual reading are frequently displayed in those sessions, which may encourage Americans to read more.
Religious classes have a number of benefits, according to a 2013 study published in the IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, including helping children discover more about themselves and how they feel about God and religion. According to the study, this allows people to move on from such questions and identity crises and focus on other matters.
While a business degree may appear to be a smart idea, religious studies may be a superior option. According to a recent survey, there are 2.5 percent fewer unemployed religious studies majors than there are unemployed business majors (7.5 percent).
According to Louisiana State University, majoring in religious studies in college can help you earn additional degrees. Many religious studies majors go on to pursue doctoral degrees. Others will use the skills learned in religion subjects, such as critical thinking and literary analysis, as a springboard into other fields of study.
A new trend is affecting American businesses. According to The Atlantic, the happy the employees are, the better the company performs. Religious conviction and comprehension, as The Washington Post discovered earlier this year, makes individuals happy.