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THE FAMILY AND THE NATION
result in an extremism-free, peaceful world. We would like to first discuss how to evolve an enlightened society.
EVOLUTION OF ENLIGHTENED SOCIETY How do we create an enlightened society, which will have three components: (1) Education with value system; (2) Religion transforming into spirituality; and (3) Economic development for societal transformation?
EDUCATION WITH VALUE SYSTEM
The seeds of peace in the world have their origin in the righteousness in the heart of every individual. Such righteous citizens lead to the evolution of an enlightened society. Education has to be so designed that the righteousness in the heart is developed in young minds. The prime learning period is five to seventeen years of age. As an ancient Greek teacher said, Give me a child for seven years; afterwards, let God or devil take the child. They cannot change the child.' This indicates the power of great teachers and what they can inculcate in the young minds. Parents and teachers must inculcate moral values amongst children. It requires the ability to have insights into the uniqueness and universality of human consciousness. True education is the acquisition of enlightened feelings and enlightened power to understand daily events and the permanent truth linking man to his environment, human and planetary.
In 1950, Rev. Kalathil, Rector of St. Joseph's College, Tiruchirappalli, would take a class for an hour every Monday. He would talk about good human beings in the present and past and the qualities of a good human being. He would discuss Buddha, Confucius, St. Augustine, Caliph Omar, Mahatma Gandhi, Einstein, Abraham Lincoln and moral stories linked to our civilizational heritage. Father Kalathil
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