|
|
Expressing his anguish over the attempts to give the Gurus a
sectarian colour the author emphatically asserts that these
enlightened souls belong to all humanity. He points out that Sukhmani
Sahib and Japji Sahib do not preach or promote any
religion but stress upon universal values. "Gurus have
taught a seeker of spirituality to follow his own belief but
follow the same in correct perspective. In Sukhmani Sahib,
Guru Arjan Dev has addressed those (i) who are very particular
about purity and non-touching of impure beings and things, (ii)
Vaishnavas, (iii) Bhagauties, (iv) Brahmins & priests, (v)
Rama’s devotees (vi) yogis etc. He never asked them to convert
to be his followers".
Arguing that the
Gurus’ approach was universal, Dr Chauhan points out that
instead of giving a specific name to the Almighty they chose to
use the already existing ones like Rama, Krishna, Gopal, Gobind,
Bhagwant, Hari, Thakur, Allah, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva etc.
This book presents
Japji Sahib in Gurmukhi, Devnagri and Roman scripts along
with elucidation of the stanzas in English. Helpful to those
interested in religion and philosophy.
***
Encyclopaedia
of Educational Foundations and Development
by Mahendra
Vaidya & Shipra Vaidya. Deep & Deep Publications, New
Delhi. Pages: Vol. 1: xxiv + 551, Vol. 2: xxiv + 536. Price for
2-volume set: Rs 2500
 Education, as we
all know, is a far more profound concept than literacy.
Graduating from the primary function of learning the three ‘R’s,
education helps us imbibe such values as compassion, wisdom,
constructive thought and action, and vision. Dr Radhakrishnan’s
idea of education was to acquire knowledge that enters into our
being, colours our emotion, haunts our soul, and is as close to
us as life itself. Similarly, Vivekananda had described
education as life-building, man-making, character-forming
assimilation of ideas.
The authors point
out that the cultivation of mind is not an easy task. It
requires sustained and focused effort. Emphasising the need for
imparting quality education the book says, "You can’t
change the fruit without changing the root". To enable an
educational system to develop healthy roots it is essential that
a child’s propensities and potential are identified and
developed. The skills imparted should be such that the child not
only becomes materially self-reliant but also acquires a
well-rounded personality.
There are said to
be four theories of curriculum, viz., Essentialism,
Encyclopaedism, Polytechnicalism and Pragmatism. The curriculum
for education ought to be a dynamic concept that takes into
account not only the current realities but also future
possibilities that would affect the intellectual/personality
growth of a child. It is rightly stated that like science, the
curriculum, too, needs constant innovation and upgradation with
incoming of new ideas.
This two-volume
book contains 81 chapters that deal with varied aspects of
education. Each volume is further split into 20 focal points,
each concentrating on a specific concept relating to education.
The first volume deals with concepts, theory and thinkers on
education, while the second volume examines such concepts as
curriculum and development of education. The book rightly avers
that life in the coming years is likely to bring in a mixed bag
of new tensions and unprecedented opportunities. To enable the
people to benefit in the new environment will require new
designs of human resource development. The coming generations
should have the ability to internalise new ideas constantly and
creatively. They have to be imbued with a strong commitment to
human values and to social justice. All this implies better
education.
|
FROM
time to time
prophets, gurus, saints and seers have lit the spiritual torch to
guide a wayward humanity. This has been true in the case of India,
too, where spirituality has been a way of life. Spirituality, unlike
dogmas, is not a passive philosophy. The ten Sikh Gurus through
their teachings helped rejuvenate a moribund community to fight
oppressive forces by inculcating spiritual discipline. As the French
writer, critic and scholar Ernest Renan rightly observes, "He
whom God has touched will always be a being apart. He is, whatever
he may do, a stranger among men; he is marked by a sign." Guru
Nanak Dev appeared on the scene when the society, in this part of
the subcontinent, was floundering in darkness. Over a period of time
a new and vibrant community came into being. This miracle was
wrought through personal example set by the revered Gurus and other
persons like Banda Bahadur.
