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THE ART OF POSITIVE THINKING
Wccan scc for ourselves that our consciousness is not confined to the fivc scnscs. That is, whatcvcr we perceive through the senses, docs not constitutc thc wholc of consciousncss. Our consciousncss is vast, bcyond nicasurc; it has no ending, and it knows no limit. By limiting this infinite and boundless consciousness man is Icading a life of ignorancc. Preksha meditation is a process for putting an end to this ignorance. With the dissolution of ignorance, a new dimension of consciousness manifests itself and evolves. Thicrc is a techniquc for thic cvolution of consciousness.
Still another factor in cducation is practice. One may have faith, onc may also have a lcchniquc, but is one does not practise il, no significant development is possible. Regular practice is a must for the confirmation of knowledge gained. People who abjure practicc fail to makc any licadway. Thic knowledge of the right mcans and its practicc arc inscparably connected with each other. Without thc mcans, no practice is possible. And without practice, no mcans can succccd.
A villager set out to purchasc a cow. He rested for a while in a shop dсaling in bicycles. The shopkccpcr said, "Why not purchase
cycle, instead? By riding thic bicycle you will reach your village soon and comfortably. If you ride a cow, people would ridicule you. You've got the moncy, I have a bicycle rcady for you. Take it.". The villager said, "You're quite right, Sir. But when I reach the village and begin to milk the bicyclc, pcoplc would ridicule mc much more!"
It is important to find the right means. If you want milk, you cannot get it from a bicycle. You can get milk only froin a cow. Again, you may have a cow, but if you don't milk it you would have no milk. For obtaining milk, you must have a cow, and you must also know how to milk it and do it. Both are ncccssary. In the absence of either, you get no milk. The means and the practice of it go together.
Education may be said to be successful only when it is linked with practice. This has become very clear today. During the Middle Ages, the greatest stress was laid on the training of the intellect. Teaching was wholly knowledgc-oriented, not action-oriented. However, after the development of modern scicncc, education today combines both theory and practicc-both go logether. Nothing succeeds without practice. Students today arc cncouraged to cxperience the truth for themselves. Botli theory and practice are important if a student is to become persect.
Ancient masters have emphasized both these aspects of cducation - theoretical and practical. Theoretical cducation is knowledge-oriented and practical training is action-oriented. It is also called practical or experimental education. Mere theoretical educa. tion without practice loses half its value. In the beginning, the theory and the practical were combined. Later, however, mere
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