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BHARATIYA ASMITA PART II
Thinkers alone can produce thinkers; and unless the teachers are constantly in the process of building up great thoughts and ideas, it is futile to expect a sound or vigorous mental education.
An atmosphere vibrant at once with ideation and silence, an atmosphere surcharged with a synthetic thought and a most integral aspiration, and an atmosphere filled with the widest realisation and a harmonious unity-such an atmosphere is an indispensable condition of the perfect mental education.
And such a condition obtains at the Ashram.
One of the important aspects of this condition is the international character of the Ashram and of the Centre of Education. An attempt is made here to achieve this in such a way that the different cultures cf the world are accessible to all, not merely intellectually in ideas, theories, principles and languages, but also vitally in habits and customs, in art under all forms such as painting, sculpture, music, architecture, decorative arts and crafts-and physically through dress, games, sports, industries, fcd and even reconstruction of natural scenery. The ideal is that every nation with its distinctive culture should have a contribution of its own to make so that it would find a practical and concrete interast in cultural synthesis and collaborate in the work.
A subsidiary problem arising out of this international character is that of the medium of instruction. Most of the students have come here at a very young age and because cf the various languages spoken by the people in the surroundings in which they move and have their activities, they pick up many languages. Two internatioal languages, English and French, are commenly spoken and understood. Most of the children know two three Indian or foreign languages. To nourish this spirit and to perfect expression in the various languages, some subjects are taught in Eng! sh. some in French, and the mother-tongue is tat ght through the same language. A special importance is given to Sanskrit. Quite often lectures and recitations are given in Sanskrit and in other Indian language which are open both to the students and other members of the Ashram.
Particular mention may be made of the research and translation work done by the department cf languages. A notable work is Rigveda Bhashya in Sanskrit, with commentaries. A second such achievment is the Vedic Glossary which is unique in the field of Vedic interpre
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tation. Yet another book (still unpublished) is a work in Sanskrit on Sri Aurobindo's Hymns to the Mystic Fire in the style of traditional Sanskrit commentaries. Similarly, the Chinese Section has translated into Chinese the Bhagavad Gita and Kalidasa's Meghadootam from the original Sanskrit with commentaries. Also translated into Chinese are Sri Aurobindo's On Yoga, Bases of Yoga, Kena and Isha Upanishad and the Mother's Conversations.
At the Centre of Education, there is a graded programme of instruction right from the kindergarten to the post-graduate level in languages, mathematics, history, geography, natural sciences and general subjects. in Humanities, which are all taught on the lines and principles indicated above. Classical languages such as Sanskrit, Latin and Tamil; European languages such as English, French, German, Italian and Spanish; and Indian languages such as H.ndi, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Oriya, Telugu and Kannada are also taught.
An important feature of the courses is that each subject is regarded as an independent field of study. The progress of the student in each subject is independent of his progress in other subjects. Thus a student can be at different levels in different subjects according to the progress he makes in each of them.
There is no artificical barrier between different branches of knowledge; and therefore; throughout the courses, a great sense of unity of knowledge pervades in the pursuits of academic and cultural studies.
The Library of the Ashram has about 65,000 volumes numerous collections of educational films, collections of natural history, and additional facilities for the expansion of knowledge. The Library receives nearly 300 mg zines and periodicals related to a variety of subje.ts fr. m all over the world. Young students helped by competent hands to choose and read books. Special exhibitions of literary, artistic or historical interest are crganised and childern encouraged to participate. There are besides meetings for visual education in the open air, at fieque t intervals with the help of instructional and education..I films.
There is a department of Information and Research which endeavours to collect the latest materials, books, cuttings, papers, reports, etc to provide the teachers with up-to-date information in various subjects. It is also a stimulating centre for the students for consultation and extra reading.
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