Spirituality must be an important part of education. Age-old values have always sustained and nourished our society and life on Earth. These values serve as the very foundation of a harmonious existence between humans and all of nature.
Everyone knows the goal of education is not to create a generation only capable of understanding the language of machines. Education should help us attain spirituality. If ‘culture’ merely denotes a refined sense of judgment regarding fashion and cuisine, we don’t need education to cultivate it.
We have made a big mistake by branding spirituality as something that is not a part of life. By doing so, we have disconnected the external from the internal. A majority of the problems the world sees today are because of this unhealthy attitude. It is important to create a balance between the external and the internal, the body and the soul.
The body is just a product of the food we eat and the mind is comprised of the impressions we collect from the world. However, the soul descends from beyond. Just like we need both our right and left legs to walk properly, spiritual understanding and material knowledge should go hand in hand.
Our children, should know that self-effort is not everything. While they strive to acquire education, a degree and the qualifications to earn a good living, we should help our students understand that education for life is an entirely different thing. Children need to be taught the balance between what is inside and what is outside. Educating oneself in values, love, compassion, patience and forgiveness is real learning. This alone will create a deep sense of responsibility towards our fellow human beings, towards nature and the world as a whole.
- The reader is a resident of Dubai