EDUCATION AND NEOHUMANISM by P.R. Sarkar

You know, it is the inherent nature of all living beings to expand their physical arena, and for this purpose, rather, because of this fundamental characteristic (this trait is nothing but a sort of fundamental characteristic), they exploit others, they forget the interest of other living beings. Just now I said that this is the inherent nature of all living beings, both humans and animals. But human beings have another characteristic, another inborn instinct, and that is to expand their psychic arena also. So unlike other animals, human beings have the opportunity to divert their physical longings into spiritual longings, into spiritual aspirations. Other animals do not have this opportunity. But because of this psychic characteristic human beings exploit others on the psychic level as well as on the physical level, and this exploitation on the psychic level is even more dangerous than on the physical one.

So that there may not be any intellectual extravaganza or any physical subjugation, human beings require proper training both physically and mentally. And this is what is called education -- properly training the physical and also the psychic existences. Because of the lack of such a training at the proper time, there is no perfect coordination, no happy adjustment, between one's inner being and outer being. Sometimes people seem very sincere to hear them talk, but there is not an iota of sincerity in their inner world. And this is what happens in the modern world: both individual and collective existence has become one-sided, it has lost its balance. Thus what we require most is a proper system of education.

Just to show their sincerity of purpose, just to show that they are developed human beings, sometimes people speak of disarmament. They say that there should be a check, a control, over the manufacturing of deadly weapons. They express this idea vocally, but internally they surreptitiously are prepared for even worse weapons, even more deadly weapons, just to keep others under their servitude in the physical sphere. This is nothing but the worst type of brutality. Once a certain leader said, "Keep the prospects of peace alive, but keep your powder dry." That is what is happening today. This physical longing should be diverted towards psychic longings; but if it is diverted towards psychic longing by proper mundane education, that will not suffice. In that case there still remains the fear of psychic subjugation. So the remedy lies elsewhere.

Yes, people should be motivated by human feelings, human sentiments, human ideas. No doubt it would be good if human feelings could serve as a moral check in this competition of weapons, but don't take this prospect as the last word: human feelings cannot check the infighting prevalent among human beings. For this purpose we should have a two-fold approach. For the purpose of training this turbulent mind, what should be done? We will have to educate the mind properly, along the lines of Neohumanism. This Neohumanist education will impart proper training to the mind. And at the same time there should be spiritual practice for proper psychic transformation. This is what we require most. There is no alternative.

25 May 1985, Calcutta

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