Friday, October 31, 2014

Want to Learn at Any Cost -- Story of mental toughness !!


In ancient India, during Gurukula period, to learn tougher part of Veda/Upanishad,  there used to be, a kind of, entrance test.

Intended student has to clean his head very neatly -- not a single trace of hair. He has to sit in some corner of the class room, so that he is visible to the Rishi. A copper bowl containing burning charcoal to be placed on students shaven head. Student has to sit unmoved till Rishi orders to remove the bowl. If pupil moves and bowl falls or unable to tolerate the heat and pupil himself  removes the bowl,  then he's considered as failed.

To learn  tougher topics, student needs to be mentally tough, with the attitude of ----  "I want to learn at any cost". That attitude being tested in the above test. Student has to believe in Guru -- "Guru takes care that my head is NOT burnt".

If student thinks other way -- "Why should I tolerate this non sense and burn my head. It is not Guru's head that's being heated…", etc., then student is NOT ready to learn at any cost.


Eventhough such tests are NOT done  now, but mental toughness is tested throughout unknowingly.

Teachers even may not beat the kids these days, unlike just a generation back. But the students may be insulted, scolded, orally reprimanded, minor punishment, lower marks in tests, etc.

There are 3 tracks of learners in schools.

1st track: These are born brilliants, who can learn quickly. They need to put little effort in schools to learn basics. They need not work hard, neither they get any punishment generally.

2nd Track: These students have to put effort in learning everything. They  get reprimanded or face punishment now and then. They have to face competition and even face insult at times. All these will be order of the day for them.

3rd track : They initially belong to track 2, but who do not have that mental toughness, hence fall out. They are the ones unable to bear the insult or punishment meted out in school. They start disliking teacher and the subject. They decide to take alternate or easy path for exit. They may end up doing odd jobs  OR may find their talent elsewhere.


Now after certain age, learning becomes steep, as you have to learn lot of things in a short span of time (in colleges/universities). Text book becomes voluminous. Even born brilliant has to put extra effort and at times has to listen from teachers.

Those who are in 1st track initially and are not used to punishment, hardship, extra effort, etc. start struggling. Unable to cope up with the pressure, they  fall out now, becoming ordinary person. But those students who quickly adopt to handwork will go on becoming genius or the leading light of that generation. A rare personality.

Those who are in 2nd track, anyway are used to this kind of situation from day one. Their mental toughness helps them to perform better at this stage as well. They are the ones who shine ultimately.


We see some people around us, whom we consider as successful. Many of them belong to 2nd track. There are many we meet daily -- who are ordinary folks, either 1st track drop outs or 3rd track.


Now you have to decide -- which track you or your kids fall in….

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Universe and We

Was watching a program in NG (or Discovery) yesterday on Universe. Immersed in deep thought.

So huge is the universe -- billions of times bigger than Sun !!!!! Containing countless stars, many galaxies, black holes, etc etc. No end. Just we cannot measure and all numbers become numb.


So old. Millions of years is the story of star. Universe billions of years elder. Time stops at times, awestruck  !!

Compared to that story of earth is so young -- still counting million years. Homo sapien  is very nascent. Human recorded history -- vedic period, biblical period, Mayan culture --- just born baby.

So tiny infront of universe -- just nothing.

Heard that whole universe is made up of so many gases/energy. We, human, included in this same material/energy. Densely packed energy displayed as our skinny structure. Our body is lesser than minute dust particle to compare in large universe(earth itself is like a dust particle compared to universe).

Questions like "where our body has come from and where it goes" donot make any relevance in this vast space to energy and time. 60-80 years of lifespan for 5-6ft body is almost non-existance in the diary of universe. So much energy-matter conversion going on, our life is just one small clock tick -- not even that of a second hand of clock.

Is consciousness is also part of this vast matter or energy ? Just transformed through EM waves in our brain/body ?

Mesmerised by sheer thought of this  !!!!


(Was listening to Jagjit Singh's song "Na chitti na sandesh ... kouna-sa desh kahan tum chalegaye.."

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Life Expectancy ?

Was going through some stats..

Average Life expectancy data across globe look like this.



Average Life expectancy in India is ..
 

The term "Average Life expectancy" depicts, in simple/rude terms, average age of a person when he dies.
The "Life" as I define,  is a period, when a person leads an active routines independently, feel part of the same generation to large extent and  never feel out of place. It is not just a physical parameter -- whether brain is functioning or not OR heart is beating or not. Life span has to be define considering physical, social and mental conditions.

Till age of 30, we never worry about our health. Body (and mind) is strong enough to take care of itself. Lots of energy. Mid 30 onwards we get into exercise or physical fitness domain. In 40s start taking health bit seriously.  Dieting, exercise becomes part of normal routine.

But why do we do all this ?  To lead an independent and healthy life beyond, say 60 ? Are we really in a period called "life" by then.
Assuming that one would have retired from active profession by then and  kids would have gone out searching for their new/own abode. One would have slowly drifted into generation gap, with no daily routine. However active you are in your profession or outside, you would be one step behind the contemporary generation. You tend to compare "your" days with "today".
With good health you have maintained due to last 20 years of strict life, you could feel active, but mentally and socially you will be out of place. Is that the life you expect ? Does the term "Life expectancy" has any meaning.  As a society, do we need an increased life expectancy ?

Nature has its own rule for its creatures. New life has to come and rule the world and partake in creation of next generation. Old guards have to make space to new ones.

Do we need to regiment useful part of our life so much just to stay put post 60 ? Does Life expectancy graph has any meaning ?

Enjoy the life AS IS, instead of worrying for future.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Brahmanising education

What is the definition of education? Is it teaching letters and getting bookish knowledge ?

As per some source, education has following explanations

According to some learned people, the word "Education" has been derived from the Latin term "Educatum" which means the act of teaching or training. A group of educationists say that it has come from another Latin word "Educare" which means "to bring up" or "to raise".
 

Through Education person develops some understanding about the deeper things in life, the complex human relations, and the cause and effect relationship and so on. He gets some skills in writing, speaking, calculating, drawing, operating some equipment etc. He develops some interests in and attitudes towards social work, democratic living, co-operative management and so on.

As per Rousseau,  "Education of man commences at his birth; before he can speak, before he can understand he is already instructed. Experience is the forerunner of the perfect".

Does our education in India reflects any of these opinions? The thrust is more on learning by rote and passing exams. Even what we are learning, is also a second hand product of western system.

Are we creating a good farmer, a carpenter, an artists, an industrial worker, a goldsmith or any profession suited or required for our society ?

How can you create a good farmer, when nothing related to farming is taught in first 10 years of our education? So is true for a blacksmith, carpentor, etc. All we are creating is hordes of clerks for service sector, who should know --- i mean just know, not feel or realise, what is happening everywhere by just reading.

What farmer has to do with probability theory as part of his basic education? Should he utilise this knowledge to select seeds -- which seed to sow ? What carpentor has to do with "reasons for failure of Greek or Roman empire" ?

Some of these topics are definitely required, only for those who take up such field later in their academics or profession. Yes, we are creating mathematicians or historians, NOT any one who produces something for us.

Lot of things children learn by observations and by surrounding environment  ---
How the people interact with each other; how our surroundings change based on time of day, week, month or year; how the buildings or roads are being constructed around us; what kind of trees, animals are there in our area and how they behave, etc. All these can be learnt by children naturally, just by being there. 
This learning also includes that of language. Only representation of language i.e. letters, need to be taught. That's all is the role of basic education. History, science, two languages, grammar,  etc are unnecessary load. You cannot teach about tigers by showing its picture (or even video for that matter). It is futile exercise and why should we sow seed of fear about unknown/unfamiliar/unseen tiger amongst children.

Veda, Upanishads, Vyakarana(Grammar), etc are stuff of higher learnings. In olden days, children used to play and learn, may be till the age of 10 or 12. No schooling till then. Thereafter Brahmin boys used to go to Ashramas to learn Vedas and other boys to their respective professions -- directly on the field. Those who went to Ashramas used to spend a decade and may be more, to rote Vedic mantras and  only 2-3 decades later they could realise meaning of the roted mantras.

Our current education system in India, the Ashram education starts right at the age of 3 or even earlier, almost jumping one full set of education by environment. Everyone goes to Ashrama kind of education system, creating only clerks required for service industry -- in India and Worldwide.


Can we become superpower by such education system ???

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Fat Poor ; Thin Rich


Have you observed how healthy our people are across society. Myth looking fact could surface.

When you imagine poor/lower middle class people, you get an image of pale, but active, physically hardworking folks and rich/upper middle class means, fat, sedate figures.

But surprisingly in Indian cities the figures are turning upside down – not 'figuratively' , but literally.


The rich and middle class becoming more health conscious. Only they can afford healthy food – fibre rich vegetables and fruits, etc. With limited space available in the city, only 'haves' can get access to sport facilities/gym, etc.

While healthy food getting costlier, readymade junk food becoming affordable to all. Poor and lower class are feeding increasingly on tasty and inexpensive junk food. This tendency is increasing amongst educated young poor people, as a sign of prosperity. With two wheelers becoming affordable to all, machines at office/factories, physical labour is getting reduced as part of regular work even for most lower middled class people. On the other hand exercise enthu has not hit them and are not worried about the figure. Soon Diabetes, obesity, High BP level will hit this society as a sign of progression. Have you seen any poor guy doing a  morning walk in public parks ?

In a few decades, urban India will have thin , healthy rich class and fat, sedate and less-fit lower middle class. A sort of class topsy turvy. An unhealthy pyramid for a society.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Play, Fun and Profession

Playing is  fun for every one. Who donot enjoy playing ?  I always thought  -- when playing itself becomes your bread earner, how wonderful it will be. You never feel -- "OOff I have to go to office/shop/factory  today...". 

Recently I read (cyclist) Lance Armstrongs book -- "My journey back to Life". When Lance started biking practice after his cancer treatment, he records the experience as below,
"I didn't love the bike before I got sick. It was simple for me; it was my job and I was successful at it. It was a means to an end, a potential source for wealth and recognition. But it was not something i did for pleasure, or poetry; it was my profession and my livelihood, and my reason for being, but I would not have said that I loved it."

Just wondering most sport-persons, when they go and play and use it as a profession, never enjoy the game like we do. When fun becomes profession, looks like, they need another hobby or fun activity for leisure. When some one make a statement -- "I am enjoying game at the moment", it seems just a hollow sentence. Being non-sportsperson, we are lucky, to have sports/game as an easy entertainer !!!


Friday, June 1, 2012

Pedalling the Uphill

In  the morning cycle ride every day, I come across a patch, where there is a downhill followed by steep uphill. About a  year back, when I started cycling, I used to enjoy downhill in this stretch -- allowing the bike to free-wheel and giving complete rest to my legs and pedal. The struggling part was left to the subsequent uphill. Anyway, uphill is an uphill, require more than regular effort and hardship. Speed used to go down and was using all my body muscles to push through and mindset was to somehow finish the climb. At times, I avoided that piece of the road due to this steep climb.

After a few weeks/months of cycling I realised, there is an easy way out. Started pedalling with full stroke in the downhill. It was enjoyable and less strenous. The following rise became easy and not an uphill task at all. Could even beat a few moto-bikes, autos, etc. Now I just wait for that part of the road during my morning ride.

In life  we come across some downhills.  Especially during young age, start of our career, etc. We just enjoy those days and spend less time on acquiring knowledge/learning, etc. The attitude would be -- "college is over, so also learning. It is the time to earn and enjoy". We allow the life to free wheel, where we feel whole world is lying around to serve us. Down the line, in life/career, the climb become steep and even a small step becomes a mammoth one. The struggle starts.

Above example is true for knowledge, health or even money.

In my morning cycling, I got a few weeks of rides to realise the importance of downhill, but in the ride of life, we get only one cycle.



PEDAL HARD WHEN YOU SEE A DOWNHILL.