The Role of Education in Personality-building
By Karmayogi
What is generally considered in
general knowledge is Information. Information
depends upon memory. Ideas are superior to information. It is said children
will understand ideas only after the age of 14. Mother says sometimes they do
so even after the age of 7. If information develops memory, ideas develop
Thinking. Beyond these two lies the Personality of the child. An old Tamil
proverb says a litre, even when dipped in the sea, can contain only a litre,
not more. How much one receives does not
depend upon the amount given but the quantity one can contain and retain.
Modern schools are becoming nationally famous for the attainments of their
children. Such attainments are information and ideas. The personality of the
child grows, if it grows, by itself, not by any effort of the school. The growth of the child's Personality is NOT a
conscious aim of any school anywhere in the world, nor is the world conscious
of such a phenomenon. In my view, all good schools can successfully
try this.
What then is this mysterious element of Personality? It is not an endowment
like intelligence of the mind or a skill of the body. It is the endowment of the entire Being, still not fully
formed, but ready to take shape when it is challenged by a situation character
cannot handle. A carpenter acquires physical skill. It is remembered
by the PHYSICAL memory. Mind memorises formulas. Neither is knowledge; both are
skills. Deep ploughing takes the roots down, preserves moisture, gives a great
yield. This is not merely information, but an idea based on information. The
Westerner discovered that pleasing the customer increases business. Though
selfish, it is another man's point of view, a spiritual idea, as the Spirit considers the other
man's profit as one's own welfare. What acquires this value is NOT
manners, behaviour or even character. It is the Personality of MAN which
new-creates and expands endlessly.
Can schools create this Personality and develop it? Here there is a selfish
personality, selfless personality, social personality, psychological
personality and finally Spiritual
Personality. To create a grade scheme or syllabus to develop these
levels of personality is not a difficult task. The teaching community should
realise the TRUTH of these values. The crown is the Spiritual Personality that
creates the GENIUS. As the mass of people do not believe in this possibility,
this subject remains unexplored.