President's Message

Knowledge is integrally inherent in all. Only that each individual is unconscious of it by virtue of genetic conditioning of minds over the eons by all sorts of influences and thickening of veils of ignorance layer by layer. Total knowledge is same everywhere. For awareness of it, peeling of unconscious layers, the veils of ignorance, becomes necessary once again.

Some great sculptor once said that he had just removed the unnecessary portions for the shapes to manifest - the shapes within were existing already. The same is the responsibility of all of us - to help rid of the veils of ignorance for the Self be aware of itself and become the conscious knower of the knowledge or true gnana.

If this knowingness is total with everyone no conflict would exist. Only because, it is a fraction of fractions in each, a varying window called perception, gives rise to judgments leading to conflicts. And from there starts the individual’s slavery to diversities of the jumping mind. Also that, a judgmental mind is never conducive to learning.

Once the Self is more aware of itself, minds become still under the light and guidance of this awareness. The dharma finds its place with unconditional love everywhere. The virtues of honesty, sincerity, sympathy, empathy, amity, patience, perseverance, reverence, activity, etc. prevail for harmonious living with caring and sharing that helps foster inclusive growth.

At the same time as knowingness expands, the head stunningly bows down in reverence to the infinite expanse of gnana. The mind starts praising its grandeur giving rise to devotion, or bhakti. The attitude of forgiveness becomes natural and surrender becomes spontaneous. By surrender it means acceptance not submission. The active becomes a karmayogi. The character shapes for betterment of mankind.

This, the grand task of Self-liberation, should be our primary goal in the direction of basic character shaping while imparting education. It should be our primary responsibility.

When the Self is more towards liberation, under its supervision the mind becomes sharp, focused with unimaginable grasping and retention power, steering intellect to higher dimensions. The lessons of knowledge to deal with the practical world, in whatever known forms of subjects it may be, can easily be grasped. Expertise can be inspired for the intellect to work aptly both with minds and hands. To systematically undertake this function then becomes our next responsibility while imparting education.

A school may be compared to a beautiful garden and imparting education is like tending to and taking care of the plants.

Children come to school with young, fresh minds which need to be nurtured and cared for with love and dedication. They shape during their formative years. The role of education is to steer them to true self-awareness while maintaining their minds clean under its supervision, guidance and control. And, while this process is on, to guide them to absorb subject knowledge so that they bloom into beautiful flowers – each with a different name, smell, beauty and grace.

The task remains challenging with us, mostly having selves under the control of formed minds. Whenever we tend to touch the clean young, there remains the possibility of pollution. Wisdom and extreme preparedness after many rehearsals must therefore be exercised while acting.

We must always keep in mind that we have undertaken the most critical responsibility, the responsibility to shape the young and make them grow as responsible citizens of the future world.