“In times of great change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped for a world that no longer exists” Eric Hoffer

We learn by doing. We are all creatures of habit. Habits were taught in the family by mother the first teacher. Then father played his role in reinforcing them and initiated new ones. The significant others came in to add more habits to build up.

Today virtual socialization by streaming images shape young minds and bodies exposed to screen constantly. It is raising questions on education. Ever since the corona virus has sent our habitual world into a stand still, remodeling of education is being taken up in urgency.

Are we too late in addressing the role of schooling, its means and methods?

See The Case Against Outdated School System

Unintended Effect

The summer camp I organized for rural youth at Nagpur back in 1997 had an unintended effect. They had an interesting scouting of the city with cameras, papers, sketch pens etc for mapping the terrain. The youth who came from villages of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand while interviewing the city dwellers discovered that most of the people never knew that the stinking stagnant big drain in the city of Nagpur was originally a river! They remarked, “We are not sure what kind of water we are drinking !” Many of them wanted to do some quick shopping and get back home to their villages.

The city youth who were voluntary helpers were ashamed that they too were ignorant of the history and geography of their immediate world! The free dental tests given by the medical association made things worse. Dentists exclaimed that most of these rural youth had admirable teeth whereas our city youth had poor dental health! The Gandhian doctor from Wardha nailed it when he addressed the participants of the camp and said, “Most of our schools do not teach the basics of self care!”

Can a doctor be a teacher? At least that’s what happened in my case. Dr T.P. Remesan led me to unlearn some of the old food and sleep habits by which I mistreated my body. He coached me to learn ways of listening and attending to body with reverence. It has not only brought improved health but also set me on a spiritual path of living in harmony with my nearest nature- my body, which Christian religion had failed to teach.

Dr Remesan guided me through a course of discipline- scientifically guided fasting and “nishkriya vyayamam” (non-active exercise)- of 10 days, to get rid of my bronchitis. I bid bye once and for all to the 34 year old ailment in 2011.

Ecological Conversion

Besides good health and change in life style, I gained a precious insight ! Let me put it in the words of Doctor: “Thank your body wisdom! Doctor and medicine do not cure diseases. They may assist you to co-operate with your body’s intelligence. It is your body wisdom that has healed you! Do not come to me again as a patient !!”

I stared at the doctor finding difficult to believe what I heard. He went on: “This is not a clinic or hospital. It is Arogya Vidyalayam – school of health! I’ve trained you to take care of yourself. Continue listening to your body and take care of it“

St Francis of Assisi underwent various conversions in his lifetime till he became the second Christ. One of his last conversions was asking sorry to his body for mistreating it cruelly! (Wikipedia) Ironically I was being initiated to an ecological conversion by an atheist doctor who never heard about Franciscan spirituality!

Though the former pope John Paul II (now a saint) had spoken about Ecological conversion in 2001, it was only in 2015 this became part of official church teaching with Laudato Si (more details here)

A leaf of lesson from Dattaguru

I was fascinated by Dattaguru ever since I came across a Dattatreya temple in Chapora, Goa. Being the embodiment of Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, Dattatreya is the Guru of gurus who lived as a fakir owning nothing but on alms received . In the conversation between King Yadu and Dattatreya found in the eleventh book of Srimad Bhagavatha Mahapurana, Yadu asks: “Why are you happy though you are a beggar?” “I am happy because of what I am, and not because of what I have” “I am a student of nature.”

Imagine the Guru of gurus claiming to be a student! Who were his gurus? The earth, water, air, sun, moon, honey bee, vulture … he lists 24 such gurus! King Yadu was astonished and asked: “What does it mean? What did you learn from them?”

Dattatreya answered: “Earth is my Guru, because I learn the lesson of immense, unlimited and unsurpassed patience from the earth. You may spit on the earth, you may defecate, you may walk with shoes over her or you may kick her. Still, Mother Earth does not complain. How patient is this earth! All the dirt we throw on her face, but still Mother Earth does not complain. How stable she is! I have learnt patience and stability from earth. So earth is my Guru and I am her student.” and thus he goes on to mention the other lessons. (See Wikipedia)

Maybe on this teacher’s day we who pretend to be masters need to humbly ask the corona viruses and other microorganisms, “Be our invisible gurus! Teach us to unlearn habits which do not serve anyone and relearn sane habits to make life better for ourselves , others and all creation!!”

Bandhu Bob

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