The Foundation Stone
What exactly is the underlying cause of all conflicts and confusions that afflict the world today? The institutions imparting learning have succeeded in equipping man with fantastic skills. Look at the field of atomic engineering or spatial exploration and conquest. Man has achieved astounding feats. But in actual daily life, these feats have not resulted in peace, happiness, and harmony. Castes, races, and classes clash with each other with unremitting hate. Even students and the youth have taken to this dangerous course. The situation is fast becoming beyond control.
The number of students in schools and colleges is skyrocketing. We proclaim that formal education, which was for long the privilege of a few scholars and the sons of the rich, is now provided at the very doors of everyone. But those who expand the facilities for education must examine how far these goals are realized.
We rejoice when schools and colleges rise up more and more in every country of the world, without realizing that what is happening is the worsening of the sickness of the community. Unrest, fear, and anxiety are increasing as a result of improper and incomplete education. Education can yield peace and prosperity only when, along with technical skills and objective information, students are equipped with moral ideals, righteous living, and spiritual insight. Now, the educational process does not involve itself in these values. It works even counter to them. It is quite unwilling to emphasize dharmic (virtuous) living. It lays no stress on morals.
Educated Persons Must Serve The People
As a consequence, products of this process, who have no sense of values, gradually enter the professions and positions of authority in administrations of nations and rise up in time to higher levels. The world has come to the brink of disaster as a result.
Bharat shone among nations as the land of Forbearance, Self-control, and Service. Now, it is being fast converted into a land pursuing pleasure. Each one desires to loll on sofas in air-conditioned office rooms. Can this be named ‘pleasure’? Can this be an ideal for an educated person? No. This state will breed physical and mental illness.
How can a student be regarded as a success if, at the end of the course, he knocks at the door of every office exhibiting the diploma he has secured and clamoring like a beggar asking for jobs? Education has conferred on him this disgraceful role. Can it claim that it has done its duty? No. The educated person must serve the people through sweat and toil. Education has to inspire youth to offer service, to sacrifice, and to help. It must not inspire youth to amass money as its goal, and to travel farther and farther to earn more and more of it. For, accumulated money brings arrogance, and arrogance brings in its train many other vices.
The educational institutions do not at present instruct pupils on these lines and inspire them to practice these ideals. They do not strengthen and sublimate material and secular instruction into moral and spiritual training. Only when this is done can man evolve into God who is his reality. It is for these reasons and with this purpose in view that this Foundation Stone is being laid by Me for this Home for Students (Vidya Vihar) here. When such institutions spread more and more, there can be no doubts that the ancient invaluable culture of Bharat will renovate Dharma and establish shanti (peace).
Hyderabad, 8-3-1981