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SMRITI GRANTH
A constant attempt is to present each topic to the student in a challenging way so as to stimulate the student and to excite his interest in the topic. To find new and imaginative methods, to compile materials from various sources, to introduce new concepts and new interpretations in various subjects, to develop new subjects, and above all, to attend in detail to all the psychological faculties and their developments in such a way that the mental education does not veil the soul -this in brief is the endeavour and its spirit.
VITAL EDUCATION
Vital education aims at the training of the life-force in three directions; (i) to discover its real function and to replace its egoistic and ignorant tendency to be the master by a willingness and a capacity to serve higher principles of the psychological constitution; (ii) to subtilise and sublimite its sensitivity which expresses itself through sensuous and aesthetic activities; and (iii) to resolve and transcend the dualities and contradictions in the character constituted by the vital seekings, and to achieve the transformation of the character.
The usual methods of dealing with the vital have been those of coercion, suppression, abstinence and asceticism. But these methods do not give lasting results, and besides, they only help in drying up the drive and dynamism of the life-force; and thus the collaboration of the life-force in self-fulfiment is eliminated.
The right training of the vital then is much more subtle and much more difficult, needing endurance, endless persistence and an inflexible will. For what is to be aimed at is not the negation of life but the fulfilment of life by its tranformation
First, the powers of the senses have be developed, subtilised and enriched. Next, there are inner and latent senses which are to be discovered and sim larly developed. Third, the seekings of these senses have to be trained to reject grossness and to enjoy the finer tastes and higher aesthesis. Final'y, there has to be a deeper and piercing observ. tion of the desires, passions, ambitions, lusts, etc., their risings, revolts and contrad - etions, and an attempt by various methods to separat But in each movement the elements that contribute to the concord and harmony from those tending in the Opposite direction, and to eliminate these latter from the ery nature and fibre of our psychological constitution.
The effective methods of this last aspect are:
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(i) to instill in the child as soon as possible the will towards progress and perfection;
(ii) rational argument, sentiment and goodwill, or appeal to the sense of dignity and self-respect, according to the nature of the child in question:
(iii) above all, the example of the educator shown constantly and sincerely;
(iv) to insist on the idea that the will can be developed, and that no defeat should be taken as final;
(v) to demand from the will the maximum effort, for the will is strengthened by effort.
But still the direction in which the effort has to be made can be known only by the training of the mind and by the opening of the secret knowledge that is within us. To develop therefore in the vital place the habit to open to this light and to act in that light would be to place the vital in its proper place as a will-force executing the inner and higher knowledge.
In the actual practice, the ideas on vital education can be implemented by:
(a) a special emphasis on the study of Science in which sense-observation requires to be greatly cultivated and made very precise;
(b) a great stress on audio-visual methods, taking, however, care to see that these aids do not become a bar to the children's own discovery of things and their aspects by their own observation;
(c) a stress on the different kinds of fine arts and craf.s;
(d) an organisation of the activities in which the dynamic participation by the students is encouraged so as to give them the opportunity to maximise their effort and the exercise of their will:
(e) condition in which what is valued most is not the result, but application and doing one's best;
(f) conditions in which inner observation and introspection are ere urged enabling the students to analyse the inner dual ties and contradictions with a will to change and transform the character;
(g) conditions in which the need for outer advice is minimum, and in which the work of change of the students' character is sought by example, presence, influence and inner work on the part of the teachers.
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