May 20, 2008

Gurukul

Presentation in my doctoral school, paper deadline and preparation for my next conference with all these things waiting for my immediate attention, since last few days I am getting distracted with unnecessary stuff! Born alone, to be buried alone why do we waste time to get people’s attention?
During the Vedic period, more than 3000 years back in Indian subcontinent there was an educational system called Gurukul, the students stay in the teachers house, work and learn with together! There were very strict rules in the Gurukul like strict time table, meditations, following celibacy etc. The students were put into very hard tests, there are some mythological stories about a student (Ekalavya) sacrificing his thumb for his master etc. Unlike the present days, the student concentration, commitment and thirst for knowledge were tested more than their skills to memorize. There is also a story about a Gurukul where the students were provided with food cooked in bitter oil (castor) and the students who are well concentrated in their studies don’t realize the bitter nature of their meal and the day they get distracted and realize that they are eating bitter meal, they are kicked out of the gurukul! Tough isn’t it? I wish I have at least a fraction of such concentration to finish my PhD!
That is a painting by Suresh Muthukulam, showing a guru(teacher) teaching his disciples in Gurkul!

4 comments:

Unknown said...

“Born alone, to be buried alone why do we waste time to get people’s attention?” might sound very straight forward… may be its also part of our irrational decision making skills.
Born alone… buried alone- not our choice. living alone is our choice… we better have good reasons for it.
we consultant valid ourselves based on people around us, loved ones… that’s reason why we trying to surrounded ourselves with like-minded folks, So that we can be comfortable with our own decisions.

Uma Maheswari said...

I don't know, why being alone is not our preference? most of the social problems are because of people who are scared of loneliness! we waste so much of time in getting our ideas and opinions approved by others!

il blebo said...

Uma. I've been asking myself for a long time why being alone is not our preference. will we talk about it once?the worst is that my english is not as good as yours, so it won't be so easy for me...anyway teh gurukul is smtg very interesting!thanks fpr talkin about it
giulia

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