DEIVATHIN KURAL # 61 (Vol #4) Dated 24 Aug 2010.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 61 (Vol #4) Dated 24 Aug 2010.

(These e-mails are translations of talks given by Periyaval of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, over a period of some 60 years while he was the pontiff in the earlier part of the last century. These have been published by Vanadi Padippagam, Chennai, in seven volumes of a thousand pages each as Deivathin Kural. Today we are proceeding from the second para on page number 337 of Vol 4 of the Tamil original. The readers are reminded that herein 'man/he' includes 'woman/she' too, mostly. These e-mails are all available at http://Advaitham.blogspot.com updated constantly)
{Note: In these talks, PeriyavaaL is talking about Educational Institutions of yore, which were bigger than a single Guru Kulam, of the size of a School or College or even University, with a number of teachers, curriculums and syllabuses. These were called variously as Gatika or Gatikai or Katika or even Kadigai. As per English grammer rules, a pronoun can be spelt differently based on the pronunciation. In these translations, I am sticking to Gatika and Gatikai.}
502. When there are no students, how can there be any teacher? So, in today’s world when people are afraid of coming anywhere near our Veda-s, Saastraa-s and culture, from the time they start attending their classes, they will have to be paid some substantial income so that they will be motivated to join such classes and their parents will be encouraged to put their children for such learning! When they complete their learning, they should become entitled to a stipend that will enable them to at least keep their hearts and soul together. In this too, it should be made available as a fixed deposit with access only to the interest and not the capital! We are already doing these things in a small way. Having made the interest available throughout one’s life, we have seen to it that his family will continue to get the interest. The idea is to motivate the future generations too, to join this profession which is becoming virtually extinct! Every young child born in the family should be automatically motivated to learn the Vedas, while making it possible to earn some income for the family!
503. Of course, the ideal is for the Guru to teach for the sake of Vidya and for the student to learn purely for its sake, uncaring for income! Vidya for the sake of Vittam also, that is money is only the middle level. But when all over the world the outlook has become purely income oriented, we cannot be impractically idealistic! So, some reasonable assistance of Vittam has to be made available for both Guru and Sishya, to enable the growth of Vidya! I am of that opinion. Simultaneously at least in one or two places the ideal situation should also exist, as I keep harping upon!
504. Bikshaacharyam. The highest is the education in Guru Kulam, uncaring for money whatsoever. Nothing can ever match a Guru Kulam where, the Guru and Student are both ready to face all the odds of penury and poverty, for the sake of giving complete attention to only learning of Vidya! When there is such total oneness of mind and heart on one’s studies, only then can they attain to superlative achievements of Vidya Vilaasam. But even if the Guru is ready to do so, the student as a young boy, should not be made to starve! At least till the regional kings were taking care of Brahmins with endowments for life once he completes his Adhyayanam, the Guru could at least avoid total starvation. These days in the absence of such endowments, when he himself is barely able to manage, how is he to ensure that the student avoids starvation? It is here that the students’ Bikshacharyam comes in handy. He should take care of himself by that and take care of his Guru’s requirements to some extent. The Guru is not to be given cooked food obtained through begging. For his sake the student should obtain uncooked cereals, pulses and vegetables. As the Guru’s only aim is to impart education, the students’ only aim should be to learn and absorb all that the Guru could teach! Such a disciple will utilise the stay in Guru Kula for gaining Vidya and Bikshacharyam for imbibing Vinaya optimally!
505. The Ideal Should Not Be Let Go By Default. “Who in the world is going to do this? What is this impractical lecture?” That may be the reaction by some of you. In reply, I as the one with the title of a Guru, should at least quote some real life examples and not let such ideal go unnoticed and unmentioned. When Jesus Christ asked us to offer our second cheek, when slapped once, He did not wait to think if others are going to follow him or not! When the whole world was enamoured of automation and industrialization, Mahatma Gandhi had the courage of his convictions to suggest that we take up ‘Swadeshi’ as a mass movement and start making our own yarn individually, personally from cotton, to offset the arrogance of the British Industrial Empire! When people were in the sort of mind set as though things can materialise simply by snapping one’s thumb and fore finger, Gandhi was praising the sanctity of human labour! To cause the machines of the rice mills to come virtually to a grinding halt, he suggested that we eat ‘hand beaten rice’!
506. If we keep on fidgeting as to whether our plan of action will succeed or not, we will never get going in any venture. So many teams tried to climb the Mt Everest in vain, but finally it was proved that it could be done by the dint of perseverance! When the going gets tough, they say that, the tough get going! So, the system of Guru Kula Education, which is good for the whole world, should not be permitted to vanish but globalised and universalised! Instead of going to many houses every day, the student could go to one house per day of the week. People giving Biksha will also not feel that he is pestering them every day, but only sharing the responsibility of taking care of the student once a week! If he has to collect for the Guru also, may be a few households could be combined. These things will depend upon the condition of the Guru Kulam, the town’s people’s attitude and other conditions. All told, it is best to revive the Guru Kula system with Bikshacharyam.
507. Like this if there is one Guru with one student, it is enough. There will surely be a renaissance! The inner motivation of Atma Shakti will do wonders to influence the participants as well as the onlookers! That disciple will also absorb the good quality, mantra shakti and Brhma Tejas that, he will be self driven to similar or even greater achievements, uncaring for money, material, name and fame! For this level of sacrifice, there is nothing that we are required to do! If we do and it is accepted by either of them, then they cannot be said to have sacrificed. So this ideal can only talked about and encouraged theoretically.
508. Then comes the other schemes that I have been talking about. That is to create a fund with trustees to manage the same. This is where we can do some sacrifice of our own. We can also do some sacrifice in terms of materials to be contributed, time to be spared and labour to be offered; so as to do things to protect the Vedas from becoming archaic, thereby become worthy of the Grace of God! As I have been extolling the Bikshacharyam and the qualities that it inculcates in the student, within the scholarship schemes we have included a ‘Niyama Adhyayana’ plan so that such a student will get some additional pecuniary benefits. Somehow, with the intention that Guru Kula system with its high ideals may continue, we have worked out methods for each Guru to have at least some ten students sticking to him. While saying so, I do not mean to say that we are doing something on our own. Though we have not got much support, it is all being done with your contribution only. But let me emphasise that there is no greater cause for which you can put your money to!
{Note: Please read also Deivathin Kural # 54 of (Vol 2) of 30 Nov 2007 and subsequent e-mails to relate to the subject of Study of the Veda-s!}
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.